Idles fine, stalls in drive until warm.

Das Duse

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Location
Athens, Ga
TDI
Jetta
I have read much of the sage advice on this site and believe I have a situation that is novel. My 2004, BEW, tiptronic, wagon with 215,000 miles: cranks immediately, idles smoothly but: put in drive or reverse and it bucks like rodeo bull; then dies. On the whole this has been a great car... but it has given me some Woody Allen moments. Last year it died. Towed to the local mechanic and arrived without it's reverse gear. The mechanic replaced the lift pump. I put a can of SeaFoam TransTune in the slush box and it was off to the races. The car ran better than ever! For one afternoon. Towed back to the Mechanic who said I needed a Tandem pump. All faith lost in that mechanic; I bought a used tandem pump on eBay and put it in myself. Still didn't run. Hmmn... turns out: "It ain't got no gas." The mechanic installed the lift pump wrong and it was showing half a tank when it was bone dry! Two pumps and a filter later so I doubt it's a fuel starvation problem. And it runs normal when warmed up. Now here is the weird part. The other morning I cranked it and when it started to buck, I shifted from Drive to 1st on the TipTronic and it idled fine...?! Also I replaced all the transmission solenoids last year to get a dependable reverse gear. I did it myself and it only took 12 hours and a herniated disk. Since then it has sometimes shifted hard from 1st -2nd when cold... But always goes into reverse! I also just replaced the anti shudder valve and cleaned the EGR valve thinking they were the culprits. No effect. I have a VAG COM cable but not a PC. Tried to use it with my neighbor last weekend but couldn't get it work with his machine. And he teaches windows? Selah. I welcome your thoughts.
UPDATE: New symptom, it will now stall at any temperature when put in drive with the brakes on. With the brakes off it will chug like a manual transmission starting from a dead stop in third gear. I've taken to parking on an incline and coasting to 5 mph before putting it in drive.
 
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Das Duse

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Location
Athens, Ga
TDI
Jetta
I'm going to try replacing the Tourqe Converter Clutch valve. If anyone has attempted this I'd like to know if it can be replaced without removing the entire valve body?
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
Key thing I see is " I shifted from Drive to 1st on the TipTronic and it idled fine...?! "
Still doing that? Seems like it would have to be some transmission control.
 

D-Cup

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2017
Location
San Antonio TX
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI Cup Edition, 2003 Jetta GLS, 2000 Jetta GLS, 2012 JSW
I know BEW is different from ALH and your tiptronic is different from 01m tranny, but your symptoms sound exactly like my 01m dying.
Defiantly no expert at all, but I'd put my money on your transmission.
 

Nevada_TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 17, 2008
Location
Reno, sort of...
TDI
2001 Jetta TDI
From my point of view, you really need to get a VCDS scan. I don't own an automatic trans, so I don't know if they throw codes or not. Do you have a CEL? Even if you don't you should still run a scan on VCDS.
 

Das Duse

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Location
Athens, Ga
TDI
Jetta
After much suffering I replaced the TCC valve with the improved Sonnax design. Now it stalls in drive... as well as idle and park. I'm entertaining offers on my TDI basket case.
 

Das Duse

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Location
Athens, Ga
TDI
Jetta
Wonneber, yes I see where many a VW owner has successfully done just that. But my better half has cut off all funding for this project. She already moved on and is researching other car. If I tell her I want to spend another thousand dollar on the Jetta. She is going to move on from me as well. So I jacked it up today. With the tires off the ground it ideles fine. The tires are turning... Gadds. It threw codes: P2018
P0778
P2100

I cleared the codes and P0778 is the only reoccurring code. I've googled it refers to a circuit b solenoid but doesn't give a definitive solenoid #...?
 

wonneber

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Location
Monroe, NY, USA
TDI
2014 Jetta Sportwagon,2003 Jetta 261K Sold but not forgotten
I cleared the codes and P0778 is the only reoccurring code. I've googled it refers to a circuit b solenoid but doesn't give a definitive solenoid #...?
Interesting.
From Ross-Tech.com:

00778 - Steering Angle Sensor (G85)
00778 - Steering Angle Sensor (G85)
Possible Causes
Steering Angle Sensor (G85) Basic Setting lost
Possible Solutions
Perform Steering Angle Sensor (G85) Basic Setting
See Vehicle specific Diagnostic Procedures for Details

I'm confused.

I assume the valve was inside the trans.
Did you replace the filter and fluid while it was open?
 
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Das Duse

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Location
Athens, Ga
TDI
Jetta
Yes part of the Valve Body where all the troublesome solenoids reside. The fluid was changed. Flushed and changed again. But the filter... from every thing I've read requires cracking the case open. Selah.
 

Das Duse

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Location
Athens, Ga
TDI
Jetta
I told my story to the good people at Sonnax (I'm being sincere). And they wrote me a thoughtful reply. Both the P2018 and P2100 would be codes from the engine side. From a quick search, these appear to be throttle and air/fuel related and could certainly aggravate some type of stalling issue.

In regards to the P0778, following through the diagnostic routine to eliminate a possible wiring or TCM issue would be the best place to start. This is not a common issue we have come across outside of normal procedures.

I should have been patient and ordered a new wiring harness as some of the wire connectors were suspect. So this whole thing was most likely a self inflicted wound.
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
CoolAirVW, look him up here. He's the auto trans expert in this neck of the woods. I got a VB from him and had it installed in the daughter's wagon (01m): also got a new connector harness.

Don't know about Sonnax, but I know that CoolAirVW uses oversized solenoids because the bores wear down: many folks just drop in new standard sized solenoids and say "done."

Engine-related codes most certainly can cause your transmission confusion. I know that bad MAF signals can do this.
 

Das Duse

Member
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Location
Athens, Ga
TDI
Jetta
Had one last stab at it. Replaced the solenoid that controls 2-4 gears, as I had damaged the connector on it when replacing the TCC valve. Also replaced the wiring harness to the solenoids. The results being that I can drive it... forward. No reverse. It will idle in gear, sort of. In neutral or park it will stall until warm. Then it bucks like a rodeo bull.
 

UhOh

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
Location
PNW
TDI
2000 & 2003 Golf GLS (2005 Mercedes E320 CDI)
Did you ever check your MAF? (of course, no chance it's going to do anything for the reverse issue, but perhaps for the bucking)
 

JB05

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Location
Il.USA
TDI
Golf,2005,anthracite blue
Check the crankshaft position sensor wire at the base of the dip stick tube connection. It should be routed away from any metal contact via the plastic holders; one which is on the lower radiator hose. I'm having stalling problems also and no related DTC's, but I had recently disturbed this CPS wire when I recently replaced my T-stat and the yellow dip stick tube.
 
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