yoseppi
Active member
I recently bought a 97 TDI Jetta to drive to work 35 miles a day, great on fuel. But have one major question.
I always used to drive older non TDI, or computer controlled diesel VW's mostly rabbits. Of course on them you would pull out the glow plug cable to engage the glow plugs before starting it. The glowplugs would engage in ANY weather since it was just an electrical connection you were making with the cable.
It was nice because on cool mornings (50-60 degrees) it would always ensure a nice smooth start by pre warming the cylinders a bit with the glow plugs.
But my TDI does not do this AT ALL. On a cool morning or evening when I turn the key and watch for the glow plug light on the dash, it comes on for just less then a second and turns right off. Basically the glowplugs aren't coming on. Since it is still warm enough to start, it starts, but is very rough and shaky for a minute or so till it warms up, not smooth at startup at all like my older diesels.
I'm worried that there may be something wrong with my glow plug system and would like to know of this is normal for a TDI? I have heard that computer controlled TDIs don't turn their glowplugs on till the temperature of the coolant is below 40 degrees, but that seems crazy.
If this is normal, then I'll live with it, but if this isn't would someone please let me know. Because while summer is still here I would really need to get this looked at before winter hits, or be stuck with a non starting car.
Any help would be extremely appreciated.
Thanks,
-Joe
I always used to drive older non TDI, or computer controlled diesel VW's mostly rabbits. Of course on them you would pull out the glow plug cable to engage the glow plugs before starting it. The glowplugs would engage in ANY weather since it was just an electrical connection you were making with the cable.
It was nice because on cool mornings (50-60 degrees) it would always ensure a nice smooth start by pre warming the cylinders a bit with the glow plugs.
But my TDI does not do this AT ALL. On a cool morning or evening when I turn the key and watch for the glow plug light on the dash, it comes on for just less then a second and turns right off. Basically the glowplugs aren't coming on. Since it is still warm enough to start, it starts, but is very rough and shaky for a minute or so till it warms up, not smooth at startup at all like my older diesels.
I'm worried that there may be something wrong with my glow plug system and would like to know of this is normal for a TDI? I have heard that computer controlled TDIs don't turn their glowplugs on till the temperature of the coolant is below 40 degrees, but that seems crazy.
If this is normal, then I'll live with it, but if this isn't would someone please let me know. Because while summer is still here I would really need to get this looked at before winter hits, or be stuck with a non starting car.
Any help would be extremely appreciated.
Thanks,
-Joe