Hi Folks
I am on my third Jetta. First an '87 diesel with no electronics (phew, is that ever nice!), then a 2000 TDI sedan which got damaged in an accident but ran perfectly for a year before that, Now I have a 2005 jetta wagon TDI, which has run flawlessly for over a year until today.
Last night I wired in a trailer....now it won't start:
I live in a very remote place where parts are hard to find. I tried first to just wire the trailer up like I have done with many cars before, but quickly realized that I needed an extra (separate) wire for the brake system. So I hooked up the car brake lights to the running/tail lights on the trailer.
At one point I left the brakes on (with a stick) for about ten minutes while I did something else and when I came back the brake fuse had blown. I replaced it and everything worked as planned (minus the running lights on the trailer - I will just run in daylight until I can get a converter).
That was last night...this morning, the car battery was dead - no switches left on, though I did have things on for quite a while while wiring at the back of the car. After jumping/charging, the car won't start. Turns over fine but won't fire.
I have checked all the fuses and all are still OK. All the car lights and the trailer lights function normally or as planned in the case of the trailer.
However, when I turn on the key all the dash lights come on normally and then most go out as is normal EXCEPT the glow plug light and the check engine light. They flicker along with a clicking (heavy) sound behind the central dash. The lights flicker in concert with the clicking at about 1 per second. After about ten seconds the lights stop flickering but stay on while the clicking behind the dash continues. When I go outside and listen at the engine, I can hardly hear the clicking, even though it is very noticeable in the car - so am assuming it is in the dash somewhere, probably at the computer.
Also, my OBD2 won't link to this car. This is the first time I have had cause to try it with this car. Still works on my wife's 1999 Tercel.
I just discovered that there is a 1 amp draw through the large red line that runs from the battery connector/panel that sits on the battery. Not the one that goes to that panel, but the large red one that leaves that panel going down behind the battery (there are also several smaller red ones, but no draw through them).
The only other thing I have done to the car is to send the computer away and got the alarm disabled, but it has worked fine for a year since then.
If anyone has any ideas on this I would really appreciate your input.
Thanks Very much!!
Cheers
GS
Oh and I replaced the worn-out dual mass flywheel with a single mass one and replaced the seals at the drive shafts while I had the transmission out. That continues to run well (and I can't really tell the difference).
I am on my third Jetta. First an '87 diesel with no electronics (phew, is that ever nice!), then a 2000 TDI sedan which got damaged in an accident but ran perfectly for a year before that, Now I have a 2005 jetta wagon TDI, which has run flawlessly for over a year until today.
Last night I wired in a trailer....now it won't start:
I live in a very remote place where parts are hard to find. I tried first to just wire the trailer up like I have done with many cars before, but quickly realized that I needed an extra (separate) wire for the brake system. So I hooked up the car brake lights to the running/tail lights on the trailer.
At one point I left the brakes on (with a stick) for about ten minutes while I did something else and when I came back the brake fuse had blown. I replaced it and everything worked as planned (minus the running lights on the trailer - I will just run in daylight until I can get a converter).
That was last night...this morning, the car battery was dead - no switches left on, though I did have things on for quite a while while wiring at the back of the car. After jumping/charging, the car won't start. Turns over fine but won't fire.
I have checked all the fuses and all are still OK. All the car lights and the trailer lights function normally or as planned in the case of the trailer.
However, when I turn on the key all the dash lights come on normally and then most go out as is normal EXCEPT the glow plug light and the check engine light. They flicker along with a clicking (heavy) sound behind the central dash. The lights flicker in concert with the clicking at about 1 per second. After about ten seconds the lights stop flickering but stay on while the clicking behind the dash continues. When I go outside and listen at the engine, I can hardly hear the clicking, even though it is very noticeable in the car - so am assuming it is in the dash somewhere, probably at the computer.
Also, my OBD2 won't link to this car. This is the first time I have had cause to try it with this car. Still works on my wife's 1999 Tercel.
I just discovered that there is a 1 amp draw through the large red line that runs from the battery connector/panel that sits on the battery. Not the one that goes to that panel, but the large red one that leaves that panel going down behind the battery (there are also several smaller red ones, but no draw through them).
The only other thing I have done to the car is to send the computer away and got the alarm disabled, but it has worked fine for a year since then.
If anyone has any ideas on this I would really appreciate your input.
Thanks Very much!!
Cheers
GS
Oh and I replaced the worn-out dual mass flywheel with a single mass one and replaced the seals at the drive shafts while I had the transmission out. That continues to run well (and I can't really tell the difference).
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