Car won't start; need suggestions.

Hi, I'm new to the forum and also new to maintaining my own car and I need to know if I'm on the right track with a problem I'm having.

For the past month or so I have been having trouble starting my car (2002 Golf TDI) in the mornings. The tempuratures have been between 30 & 40F. I'm running on a 50/50 biodeisel mix.

The process would usually go as follows:

Crank - nothing
crank - nothing
crank - nothing
crank - splutter, splutter
crank - splutter, splutter
crank - splutter, splutter
and then it would finally start.

I would have no trouble starting the car later in the day after work.

Since this past Saturday I have been unable to start my car at all. It will crank but it won't catch and start. I'm not getting a "check engine" light or anything, the glow plug indicator is working as expected.

I thought maybe it was the EGR; that had to be cleaned a year or so ago but I think my ex optimized that with the VAG-COM tool afterwards. Also, I removed the hose from the EGR to the intercooler last night to inspect the valve. There is some residue but it is not clogged. Do you all thing there could still be obstruction in the intake manifold? Is it possible that the dealership cleaned the EGR but not the entire intake manifold?

My ex says he doubts it's water in the fuel filter because he's changed it several times and there was never any water. Nevertheless, replacing the fuel filter is on my list of things to try.

Also, I will check the anti-shudder valve when I get home. I don't think it is stuck closed because I don't remember it looking like the picture of the valve that's stuck closed. Of course, I could be wrong. I was looking around under the hood last night before I saw the thread about the anti-shudder valve so I didn't know what it was supposed to look like.

I'd like to try to get it running myself and avoid the dealership at all costs (no pun intended). So I'm planning on:

1. Checking the anti-shudder valve when I get home.
2. Changing the fuel filter....because this is easier than cleaning the intake manifold.
3. Cleaning the intake manifold after I try the other 2 things.

Oh, one other thing, it has been using about 1/4 quart of oil every 300 miles. Could this be an indicator of a CCV problem? Would cleaning the intake manifold solve this?

I apologize for the long-winded post and I would really appreciate any suggestions you may have.

Recently my car would not start. crank, crank, sputter, die. It was a clogged EGR. You might want to check that too.

I would also get the timing checked. also after the glowplug indicator goes out wait another couple seconds before turning the key.

as for the dealership not cleaning out the intake manifold, that is entirely possible. that happened to me. even if they say that it was removed and cleaned have a local guru check it out anyway, you wouldn't be the first person a dealership lied too.

she said she checked the egr last night

by the way, welcome to the forum alana.

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I've been studying the Intake Manifold Cleaning 101 instructions and I feel comfortable attempting that. It wouldn't surprise me if they didn't clean the intake manifold when they did the EGR valve. I don't trust this dealership at all after the great "air filter incident". They were trying to charge me a price that was higher than I knew it should be so I had my male friend call while I was there to ask the price and they quoted him a lower price. I caused a scene; that's one reason I don't want to go back there.

Do you think it could be a problem with the fuel injectors? If so, is there a "how to" on checking that?

then don't go back, there are gurus in the portland area. if you check in tdi 101 there is a thread for trusted mechanics. check under oregon, most of them are in portland. oldpoopie is a good one, send him a pm. also a forewarning some might jump on the idea that this is entirely the fault of the biodiesel.

not sure on the injectors, they could need a good cleaning? how many miles do you have on your car and are they the original nozzles?

there is a how to on cleaning them using diesel purge.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?p=823760

sorry to throw all of this at you but when was the last time the air filter was changed, or the snow screen cleaned out?

If you are running a 50/50 Biodiesel mix at those temperatures you may be suffering from fuel starvation. The biodiesel will "wax up" and either plug your fuel filter or will plug your fuel sender in the tank. If you crank it a couple of times and it doesn't start check the clear fuel line, if it has air bubbles in it then slowly "push" the intake line from the tank off the fuel filter. Pulling the rubber line off stretches it and not only makes it more difficult to remove but harder to get a seal when you put it back on. If, when you remove the hose, there is a loud sucking noise then you have a vacuum between you and tank and your fuel sender is plugged. Not hard to fix, there is a how to on how to carry out a mod on it to prevent further issues as well.
If the fuel filter is plugged full of wax then you won't have a sucking noise but you will have bubbles in the clear fuel line. Hope this helps....

Alana said:

The process would usually go as follows:

Crank - nothing
crank - nothing
crank - nothing
crank - splutter, splutter
crank - splutter, splutter
crank - splutter, splutter
and then it would finally start.

Click to expand...

Just to eliminate something obvious---You know to hold the starter "on" for a few seconds, right? In the cold it won't immediately fire like a gas engine. This was my mistake, and holding the starter on a little bit really made a difference. By "a few seconds", I mean like 2 or 3. (Maybe 4?)

Another obvious question is "Has the battery ever been replaced?"

Have someone monitor the battery voltage during the first attempt (and hold it a little longer than normal if it's like my voltmeter). I can't remember what the lower limit is, but off the top of my head, if it's 8 volts or less (when cranking), it's in need of replacement.