Jetta won't even crank.... Coolant heater was plugged in...

Hi all. So tonight i worked for about 9 hours. It was only gonna be about minus 12C but i thought hey i'll plug in my car anyway i don't want to risk it not starting on NYE. It's a 1000W Zerostart inline coolant heater.

Anyway after work go to start and won't even crank. Seems like full battery power, everything else is as normal but won't even crank. Basically the same symptoms as if i tried to crank without pushing clutch. Don't hear any clicking or anything that i could tell. I did't mess around too much as i had a buddy from work drive me home and didn't want to make him wait.

Anyway long story short could the coolant heater have somehow caused this?? I've had it installed since fall, used many times no issues but also is usually a bit colder when i have used it. Like could it have overheated something and tripped a fuse or whatever?? Or could it be purely coincidental??

Anyway any insight is appreciated!!

I'd say coincidence. A bad clutch switch could cause the no crank issue. You could always jump the starter, easy way to eliminate that.

That's what mine did when the power wire to the starter burnt off.

Nero Morg said:

I'd say coincidence. A bad clutch switch could cause the no crank issue. You could always jump the starter, easy way to eliminate that.

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OK. How do you test the clutch switch!?

jettawreck said:

That's what mine did when the power wire to the starter burnt off.

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Was it the coolant heater that burnt off the wire? How did you repair??

WolfgangVW said:

Was it the coolant heater that burnt off the wire? How did you repair??

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No, the wire that runs from the battery to the starter are notorious for corroding and then burning off at the starter connection. Fine one day, nothing the next time when attempting to crank. 12v wire. Nothing to do with the 120v coolant heater.
I can't recall if I replaced/repaired the cable end or if I had the starter connector replaced.

jettawreck said:

No, the wire that runs from the battery to the starter are notorious for corroding and then burning off at the starter connection. Fine one day, nothing the next time when attempting to crank. 12v wire. Nothing to do with the 120v coolant heater.
I can't recall if I replaced/repaired the cable end or if I had the starter connector replaced.

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OK thanks for the input. I'll post back with what I find

The clutch switch is a two wire switch, it's essentially a two wire switch that's either on, or off. So put a multimeter in ohms, put the one lead on each terminal, and press the switch. One position you'll get OL, the other position you'll get 0.00ohms. If you get those readings it's good.

Nero Morg said:

The clutch switch is a two wire switch, it's essentially a two wire switch that's either on, or off. So put a multimeter in ohms, put the one lead on each terminal, and press the switch. One position you'll get OL, the other position you'll get 0.00ohms. If you get those readings it's good.

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OK thx nero!

Sorry forgot to mention, there's two clutch switches. Ones for start interlock (the one you need to test) the other is for cruise cancel. I think the start interlock is the lower of the two. But I could be wrong.

Also the short fat copper wire that runs from the starter solenoid to the starter body. It’s about 2” long, braided copper. Those tend to turn to dust in salty climes. That will give you the same symptoms.

Could also be your ignition switch, starter , wire to starter.

I would try jiggling the key while turning it, they are known to fail.

Tap the starter while someone is turning the key, could be a dead spot.


Definitely check to see if the solenoid wire is attached to the starter or broken off.
Just my .02.

M

Tdijarhead said:

Also the short fat copper wire that runs from the starter solenoid to the starter body. It’s about 2” long, braided copper. Those tend to turn to dust in salty climes. That will give you the same symptoms.

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Good chance the OP's looks like this:

Repaired with copper cut from a piece of 1/2" water pipe and soldered on:

Simon

OK great thanks for the replies! So if the starter or solenoid clicks while attempting to start, does that eliminate any of these from the possible causes??

Well, if it clicks a bit, then the wire is not totally gone. At least not yet.
It can still be a partial contributing issue, as any of the other suggestions on top of a possible failed solenoid or starter..

WolfgangVW said:

OK great thanks for the replies! So if the starter or solenoid clicks while attempting to start, does that eliminate any of these from the possible causes??

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It does - the solenoid won't click if the problem is ignition switch, clutch switch, or associated wiring to the solenoid.

That leaves the braided wire from solenoid to starter and the power wire from battery + to solenoid as the most likely causes. Given your location my money is on the former - break out the plumbing torch

Simon

P2B said:

It does - the solenoid won't click if the problem is ignition switch, clutch switch, or associated wiring to the solenoid.

That leaves the braided wire from solenoid to starter and the power wire from battery + to solenoid as the most likely causes. Given your location my money is on the former - break out the plumbing torch

Simon

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OK thanks and yes I was wondering about the clicking and if it eliminated ignition and clutch switch

So is the braided copper wire a part I can buy or do I have to makeshift something as in prior post?? And obviously I have to take a look but do I have to remove the entire starter to check / repair?

Any reason to just replace the whole starter etc at this point? Or is it definitely worth fixing? This is all assuming at this point the little copper wire is the culprit! Thanks again for all the replies

If you have an original Bosch starter they are worth rebuilding. If the starter has already been replaced by who knows what then I would just replace the starter, provided of course the short braided wire is the culprit.

If you choose to replace the starter your best bet is a new or reman Bosch. You’ll pay a litle more but you won’t have to replace it every 30 days till you finally get a good one.

Are the Bosch ones really worth that extra step? I put a Napa brand new in both my cars, no issues. They also come with lifetime warranties no question asked. Both have been installed for at least a year.

WolfgangVW said:

So is the braided copper wire a part I can buy or do I have to makeshift something as in prior post?? And obviously I have to take a look but do I have to remove the entire starter to check / repair?

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I doubt you could source a braided copper replacement, and it will still need soldering. Easier to just use sheet copper from a water pipe or whatever.

You can't see the braided wire directly without pulling the starter, but you can get a cell phone pic like I posted above. It has to come out to fix it - not a terrible job.

How to re & re the starter

WolfgangVW said:

Any reason to just replace the whole starter etc at this point? Or is it definitely worth fixing? This is all assuming at this point the little copper wire is the culprit! Thanks again for all the replies

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If your starter was cranking well in Alberta winter weather, I personally would fix it and put it back in. On the other hand if it was showing any signs of old age (slower cranking in cold weather, squealing as it disengages), I would replace it with a Bosch reman. I does depend a bit on whether you wrench it yourself or pay for labor. I do think paying a bit of a premium for Bosch is worth it in our climate.

Simon

I've seen starters just click when the brushes were stuck in the holder.
They were high mileage, a lot of dust inside.

a no crank situation can happen when the clutch sensor pops
make sure you test the right one. make sure you replace the right one, one sensor disengages cruise control if you lightly tap the clutch the other is the one that allows you to engage the starter.

Hey just an update. So given my schedule and other factors i ended up having my mechanic look at it . Was indeed the starter, not sure on exact specifics but they replaced the starter and it works great. Kinda bummed out as after all the responses i was looking forward to getting it in my garage and doing it myself, and spending less!! But also happy i just have a working car again lol

Anyway thanks again for all the responses!

So another update. Car started great for a week or whatever. Went out the other day, no crank again... nothing. Going to take it back to my mechanic, all good there they treat me more than well. It was a NAPA reman that went in. I know they'll take care of me but any insight from anyone?? Should i ask for a bosch reman ?? Think i got a dud starter from napa? Just want to sort this out, saw mixed reviews on other than bosch starters when i initially researched this. I just want it sorted for piece of mind as i do alot of driving especially in more remote areas and don't want to chance anything...

Me personally I've never had issues with Napa starters. They do have a lifetime warranty on them, and aren't hard to swap. Even then, things do happen. I'm still using a reman Napa starter in my car, knock on wood. I'd start by checking starter operation, assuming your battery isn't dead.

Battery is great. Just the exact same symptoms as before the starter was replaced

There's a wire to the starter thsts just clipped on. Unplug it, and measure voltage at it while trying to crank. You should se battery voltage there with the key in the crank position. If you do, starter is a dud.

If it was working fine and now isn’t, chances are you got a bad starter. My brother got a bad alternator from Napa, so it does happen.

I bought a reman starter from autozone and about 30 days after I put it in I went to start my car and the starter wouldn’t extend and engage and it wouldn’t stop spinning. I had to pull the battery cable to get it to stop.

Check the trigger wire as Nero suggested. That’s the small wire that fits in the clip right beside where the battery cable attaches to your starter. Make sure it hasn’t come loose. For instance it can if you lost the little wire clip, or didn’t seat it properly.

Sometimes those wires chafe under the battery tray and don’t allow power to the starter.

Most likely you’re going to have to take the starter back and replace it.

You can get a brand new, not reman, Valeo unit for $157 at Rock Auto. Valeo is not Bosch, but they do make a lot of OEM parts. I put one in a few years ago without a hiccup since.