(2000 Jetta TDI) Ran out of fuel, now lots of air bubbles in fuel line.. won't start!

Bunnah

New member
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Location
Green Bay, WI
TDI
2000 VW Jetta TDI
Hey guys, my 2000 Jetta TDI ran out of fuel the other day (I got too used to running on E forever), and now won't start. Luckily, it died in my driveway. Anyhow, I got to the gas station, filled up a gallon container, and brought it back. Dumped it in the tank, no start. Jumped off my roommate's truck, no start. Crank crank crank, no start. Turns over, but doesn't fire.

So i do some emergency reading (running out of time, have to get to work) and find that an "inch" of bubble in the visible fuel line is normal. I've got about 4 inches of bubble. When we crank it, we can see fuel push through the line, but it won't start. The bubbles all come back once we stop cranking. I'm thinking that too much air got in there when I ran out?

What do you guys suggest? I can't afford taking it anywhere right now.
 

scooter

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2003
Location
So. Cal.
TDI
Jetta, 2000, Black/Black Cloth
You have air in the fuel system and you will be cranking forever unless you get it out. Start by removing the "T" from the top of the fuel filter and make sure the filter is full to the top with fuel. If not, fill it up. If you have some sort of vacuum device like a mightyvac, you can try pulling fuel into and through the injector pump. When you have fuel to the pump, you will need to loosen 1 or 2 injector lines at the top of the injector. Crank the engine until fuel squirts out from the top of the injector. Snug the injector nuts up a bit and crank again and until it fires.
 

BeeselDietle

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Location
Pensacola, Fl.
TDI
01 beetle
pull the "tee" off the top of the fuel filter, fill it wth diesel, re-connect the "tee" get a mityvac and on the return side of the pump, the side that goes to the tee, pump untill you get fuel. hook everything back up and loosen the fuel line on the #3 injector, its the one with the wire on it. crank untill you see fuel, re-tighten the line and repeat with the other fuel lines untill it starts. it will run rough at first but it will even out. don't run out of fuel.
 

Bunnah

New member
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Location
Green Bay, WI
TDI
2000 VW Jetta TDI
Thanks, guys.

Would you recommend doing any other maintenance at the same time? Maybe swapping the fuel filter? I haven't changed it since I've owned the vehicle, and it's been mine for about 3 years now.
 

alphaseinor

TDI Innovator, Gone but Not Forgotten
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Location
Denton, TX
TDI
'03 Jetta TDI 780,000 miles (totaled out), 01 Audi TT 225 Quattro 230,000 Miles (runs great!), 00 Cabreetle Beetle dash, ALH & MK4 harness Swap
I would do the following:
get a mityvac.
put the vac on the end of the feed side of the NEW filter pull vacuum until fuel comes out.
put line back on
pull off the line on the return side of the injection pump (the long tube with the rubber hose on the end) put your finger on the end of the hose, put the mity vac on the metal line, and pull a vacuum until you get fuel. put hose back on.
take a 17mm wrench to the top of all of the injectors, loosen.
crank for 8 seconds, see if there's fuel, close 17mm nut on injectors with fuel... repeat until all nuts are closed.
 

weedeater

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 17, 2001
Location
Reston, VA
TDI
Jetta, 2001, Baltic Green
yeah, go ahead and change it while your at it. But put another gallon in the tank. It will help some. While you're doing all this, charge the battery.

And I clamp the lines going back to the tank when I change the filter. Keeps all that fuel from flowing back to the tank.
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
god....you have no idea how much time I spent on the phone for this the last week......phone battery is still smokin'.
 

alphaseinor

TDI Innovator, Gone but Not Forgotten
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Location
Denton, TX
TDI
'03 Jetta TDI 780,000 miles (totaled out), 01 Audi TT 225 Quattro 230,000 Miles (runs great!), 00 Cabreetle Beetle dash, ALH & MK4 harness Swap
jasonTDI said:
god....you have no idea how much time I spent on the phone for this the last week......phone battery is still smokin'.
you're not the only one!
 

Bunnah

New member
Joined
Jan 31, 2008
Location
Green Bay, WI
TDI
2000 VW Jetta TDI
jasonTDI said:
god....you have no idea how much time I spent on the phone for this the last week......phone battery is still smokin'.
Hey, it's you! My buddy Chuck (from Green Bay also, has a chipped/clutched/lowered Golf TDI that you worked on) recommended you for getting an oil pan replacement with a skidplate at the same time! I need to get in touch with you once all these shenanigans are done with and hopefully I'll have my tax return in a couple of weeks.
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
Bunnah said:
Hey, it's you! My buddy Chuck (from Green Bay also, has a chipped/clutched/lowered Golf TDI that you worked on) recommended you for getting an oil pan replacement with a skidplate at the same time! I need to get in touch with you once all these shenanigans are done with and hopefully I'll have my tax return in a couple of weeks.
just email me!

chucks car is pretty cool!
 

rscafati

New member
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Location
Moving to Chicago
TDI
2000 Golf TDI
I have a 2000 Golf. I was trying to run the tank low because I was about to change the fuel filter and wanted a fresh start. I ran it a little to low, as in out of fuel (wups).
I put a couple of gallons in the tank. I used a fuel transfer pump to bring fuel to the filter. Put in a new filter and filled it up. I used the pump to bring fuel to the injector, loosened the injectors and cranked it until I had fuel to the injectors. I cranked it a few times, and eventually it started up for a few seconds and sputtered out. I put the pump on the fuel line again, and made sure it had fuel there. I did it again, and after a few tries it started, I gave it some gas, and then after a few seconds it sputtered out again. Now my battery is dead.
After I charge the battery, does anybody have any ideas? Just try some more?
 
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BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
no need to run the fuel out of your tank to change the filter.
be sure you have fuel in the tank, fill the filter to the top, it should start
 

bigjake208

New member
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Location
Austin
TDI
2001 Golf TDI, 134k
So what did the problem end up being? I am having the same problem. I've tried everything to re-prime the system and still have not had any luck. Just turns and turns but won't fire.
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
Read....There are pages of this here. This is a common issue. You just need to get the air out.

If it died on its own not running out of fuel the seals are likely blown and the pump needs to be rebuilt.
 

MkIVftw

New member
Joined
Feb 23, 2011
Location
Edmonton Alberta Canada
TDI
1999.5 Jetta
pull the "tee" off the top of the fuel filter, fill it wth diesel, re-connect the "tee" get a mityvac and on the return side of the pump, the side that goes to the tee, pump untill you get fuel. hook everything back up and loosen the fuel line on the #3 injector, its the one with the wire on it. crank untill you see fuel, re-tighten the line and repeat with the other fuel lines untill it starts. it will run rough at first but it will even out. don't run out of fuel.

followed this exactly and by the time i was bleeding the last injector line it was starting to fire. thanks! :D
 

Ryan_m83

Veteran Member
Joined
Feb 21, 2011
Location
Guelph, Ont
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI
had a buddy who ran his out. How we did it was we hooked it up to my cummins and I pulled him around the parking lot. Have him put it in 2nd gear and drop the clutch. Took 2 seconds for it to run. Just an idea.
 

jasonTDI

TDI GURU Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Apr 26, 2001
Location
Oregon, WI
TDI
20' RAM 3500 CCLB dually HO/Aisan. 2019 Cherokee 2.0T
Good way to pop the timing belt....
 

AARodriguez Corp.

TDIClub Enthusiast, Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Nov 30, 2008
Location
South East USA
TDI
2009 JSW and Golf 2004 TDI
If you have a hard time getting all the air out...

Get a 2 liter soda bottle w/cap, drill the cap the big enough to force an extra fuel line into it, fill the bottle with diesel, connect the soda bottle line to the fuel filter, hang bottle of fuel in the air higher than the fuel filter, and start vacuum pumping you should have it running in no time.

If you do a good job with connecting the fuel line to the bottle cap you can actually have a buddy squeeze the fuel bottle while you are vacuum pumping...:D
 

GTSLOW

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2010
Location
Fort Knox, Kentucky
TDI
15 GSW & 04 Golf
had a buddy who ran his out. How we did it was we hooked it up to my cummins and I pulled him around the parking lot. Have him put it in 2nd gear and drop the clutch. Took 2 seconds for it to run. Just an idea.

Lol this is a terrible idea.

I've been down the empty tank road. Most will only do it once because it can be such a pita to get that air out. I credit my pump head gasket going out to my fuel run out misfortune. Like mentioned above you/may think you have all the air out. But if its breifly starting and sputtering out quickly then your likely suffering from air in the lines.

Don't continue to kill your starter it won't work. Definately don't get skull dragged around a parking lot either.
 
Last edited:

JimDiesel

New member
Joined
Mar 4, 2012
Location
Brighton
TDI
Beetle
Thank you

I would do the following:
get a mityvac.
put the vac on the end of the feed side of the NEW filter pull vacuum until fuel comes out.
put line back on
pull off the line on the return side of the injection pump (the long tube with the rubber hose on the end) put your finger on the end of the hose, put the mity vac on the metal line, and pull a vacuum until you get fuel. put hose back on.
take a 17mm wrench to the top of all of the injectors, loosen.
crank for 8 seconds, see if there's fuel, close 17mm nut on injectors with fuel... repeat until all nuts are closed.
I know the OP is 4 years old, but I wanted to say thanks. My 2001 NB ran for about a minute after recent fuel filter change and yes I filled the new filter up first with FRESH diesel fuel. I tried the key prime meathod, that does not work on my car. I then followed the instructions above EXACTLY after I bought a $35 cheapo vacuum pump from Meijers (the midwest upscale K-Mart). I used vice grips and coverd the jaws with E-tape to close the hose when I vacuumed from the metal line. My Bug started to fire as I cleared air from the 3rd injector. On the fourth she fired right up. My wife thought I was some bad ass diesel mechanic (working on a cute bug), I could not lie and told her I got the know-how from here. So thanks!!
BTW, I've got 215K on the original automatic tranmission. I only get 39MPG, but I drive mostly at 87 MPH (the silver bugs favorite speed) with a Beltronics 995.
 
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