TDI starts in very cold weather and then dies

Twice in the last 2 months in very cold temperatures, our 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon has started after being plugged in but within 1 km of our house, dies and will not re-start. First time, we had it towed into a former VW mechanic (no VW dealership here) who checked it over (including fuel filter), checked the glow plugs, added some more fuel conditioner, and wrote it off as bad fuel. He strongly encouraged us to add fuel conditioner (Howe's I think) with each fill-up in winter to take care of any water or other stuff we might be picking up. We usually always fuel at the same busy place so we haven't been getting diesel at some palce where they hardly sell diesel.

Yesterday, the same thing happened at temperatures around -25 C (-5ish F)... we towed the car back to our lot where it sits as we contemplate our next move and what might be the cause before we give in and have it towed in again.

A neighbour who drove by as we hauled our TDI home said that he had had an older TDI a few years back which did the same thing and a VW mechanic in Winnipeg did something in the fuel tank (drilled something out?); I called a VW dealership today down south and they thought this problem had been fixed on newer (didn't say when) models.

Any thoughts or ideas on what I can check (if anything) so that I can get it going and into a mechanic and what the mechanic should be looking for?

Thanks!

Well with an 03' you have the newer check valve in the fuel pickup point in the tank. You could remove the guts from it as a precaution. I'd have to say it must be fuel gelling due to something like water or bad mix though. You need to add addative all the time. Run a can of HEET or similar water remover through the car. A lot of the addatives surround the water and take it to the filter where it freezes. The HEET will get it out of the system. I've tt a couple of fuel engineers about this at amoco and they suggested it.

That is typical of gelling fuel. The engine starts, but as fuel is used the wax starts to plug up the fuel filter. If the filter doesn't get warmed up before the wax crystals plug it, the engine starves for fuel. FWIW, HEET is, for the most part, alcohol. It works great on water BEFORE it freezes; has limited usefulness afterwards. Plus, doesn't VW say to keep alcohol out of the fuel system?

You can try the additive route and may have success. I would get some #1 diesel if you can and top off the tank, then question your supplier as to his winter formula percentages.

They do but the issue being most addative surround the water in bigger drops and it ends up freezing up in the filter. The alcohol will sent it through the system and be rid of it.

You used to be able to buy a in line fuel heater from JC Whitney it went just before the fuel filter worked real good in the old rabbits.

Perhaps changing the fuel filter will help. When was it last changed?