car dies while starting or at idle randomly

wes2233

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2014
Location
Chico CA
TDI
2002 Jetta Tdi, 2005 Tdi Jetta Wagon
Hi there. So ive been pretty stummped on this issue and i wanted to see if anyone had an ideah on what could be wrong. I was stopped at a stoplight a month back and it died while idling at a stoplight. it would turn over but was acting like it had no fuel or air. (starter turning but no ignition) it sat over the weekend at the dealership and started right back up. Then about two weeks later i was pulling into a parking lot pushed in the clutch and it died again. I undid the battery hoping it would reset the computer but it wouldnt start. i decided to roll start it down a hill. It seemed like it choked for about three seconds then it fired right up. It died on me three times in the last month. I had to drag it behind a pickup the third time to get it started. It started then made noise coming out the intake almost like a bad cam. puff puff out the intake. it does have an intermittent cam position sensor code p0341 i have a sensor coming in the mail for friday from kerma tdi.
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
So when it does die, it won't start with the starter? Does the starter turn it over nice and fast?
Rule out the in-tank lift pump. Hopefully it's that sensor
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
It will help if you include all the symptoms. See if you can add the stuff from this other post and delete that post. Click on Edit>Go Advanced
 
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wes2233

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2014
Location
Chico CA
TDI
2002 Jetta Tdi, 2005 Tdi Jetta Wagon
Starter runs fast and strong its a brand new starter.
 

wes2233

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2014
Location
Chico CA
TDI
2002 Jetta Tdi, 2005 Tdi Jetta Wagon
No start good compression. No check engine light but does have intermittent cam position sensor code p0341... Other than that it dies about once a week and only will start when roll started. EGR seems like it clicks alot when it does it. also when on the highway it has a slight hickup/hesitation as if i let off the throttle for a millisecond then blows black smoke out the exhaust.
 

wes2233

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2014
Location
Chico CA
TDI
2002 Jetta Tdi, 2005 Tdi Jetta Wagon
So if im doing a constant speed on the highway or even third gear in the hills. I will get a (hickup) kind of like i let off the throttle for a second then a puff of black smoke will come out of the exhaust. Any ideah of what this could be?
 

wonneber

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Location
Monroe, NY, USA
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportwagon,2003 Jetta 261K Sold but not forgotten
No start good compression. No check engine light but does have intermittent cam position sensor code p0341... Other than that it dies about once a week and only will start when roll started. EGR seems like it clicks alot when it does it. also when on the highway it has a slight hickup/hesitation as if i let off the throttle for a millisecond then blows black smoke out the exhaust.
When it will not start does the check engine light come on before you try to start it.
Have you checked the cam position sensor and wiring?
Frayed wires, dirty plug or socket.
 

Brett San Diego

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 25, 2013
Location
San Diego
TDI
02 Jetta wagon manual
There was a recent thread with a randomly dying TDI. I think it was an ALH, but the fix was replacing the crankshaft position sensor. I don't recall if the owner had a fault for the sensor. The BEW must also have a crankshaft sensor.

Certainly start with the cam sensor since you have a fault code for it. Just throwing out something else if that doesn't solve it.

Brett
 
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