JacobSChung
New member
A small introduction as this is my very first post on TDIclub: I'm a young adult learning the automotive ways and have had intermediate experience ever since I got my first car. I've had a 2003 Jetta TDI GLS with a couple preformance mods done by the previous owner and did a decent amount of work on that (the car has now passed after I was T-boned due to someone running a stop sign) I really enjoy the process and will, this December, go off to the military to further my education as a diesel mechanic. I'm really trying to get this car fixed up so my dad can have his garage free while I'm gone for training.
All that out of the way, I bought this car about a month and a half ago, the owner stated it was his ex's and had been sitting for a bit over a year and just wanted it gone. He claimed over text that he spoke with a TDI specialist from "Fix'em Haus" and this specialist said as follows: "The car is in overall great condition except for two things; the TCM (Transmission Control Module) needs replacement and since it's a diesel with a mechanical fuel pump it needs fuel squirted in with a "Mityvac" in order to start because it sat for a while (Do not try to use regular starting fluid)." When we arrived as he said the car would turn over but no actual start. I talked him down and then had her towed to my dad's house. I did a lot of forum searching (this forum was particularly helpful: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/car-wont-start-troubleshooting.199398/ ), we checked the fuel pump in the trunk and it seemed fine, we checked the priming system (i.e. when you put your key in and turn it to just before it starts a small amount of fuel comes up from the tank to the filter) we made sure fuel also came out of the fuel filter nozzle that was connected to the hose which ran from the fuel filter to the tandem pump.
At this point, I had to leave for California and so I called McFarland's Mobile Mechanics and scheduled an appointment. The mechanic seemed reputable and like he had familiarity with european cars, he checked the codes and found: camshaft position sensor, he then checked with a multimeter and found it had volatage coming in but nada at its end point. He also checked the throttle body which he noted remained in the open position, he said this could be a possible reason however its more likely your camshaft position sensor is bad and that could be causing your throttle body to remain open.
Cut to now, and I've replaced the camshaft sensor, also the timing belt & water pump. While I was at it because while inside the timing case the mechanic noted excessive grime/oil thought it was probably the camshaft seal, and when I was doing the job I definately saw excessive oil from the cam as opposed to the crank. So, current state of the car is new and installed: timing belt, water pump, tensioner, idler pulley, front camshaft seal, camshaft position sensor, and new coolant added and bled. All covers reintalled, connections connected, and bolts torqued. Turned it over, just cranking, no start, while my dad was in the car he noticed that the RPM gauge wasn't moving at all, in addition while I was working around the oil filter to run the camshaft postion sensor wire through I spotted a very frayed wire and was worried it was so damaged it may not work. This wire is the crankshaft position sensor, and from this thread: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/05-passat-2-0-tdi-no-start-issue.509239/ I read that no RPM gauge movement is a sign of a bad crankshaft position sensor, and could also result in a no start.
I will be getting the crankshaft position sensor tomorrow at 8 a.m. and will update this thread accordingly. In conclusion, the diagnosis may seem obvious, but it hasn't been up to this point. So I'm looking for steps or things I might have overlooked or any possibilities I haven't considered. I feel I've hit a dead end and so I've come to the pros, thank you any insight is helpful.
All that out of the way, I bought this car about a month and a half ago, the owner stated it was his ex's and had been sitting for a bit over a year and just wanted it gone. He claimed over text that he spoke with a TDI specialist from "Fix'em Haus" and this specialist said as follows: "The car is in overall great condition except for two things; the TCM (Transmission Control Module) needs replacement and since it's a diesel with a mechanical fuel pump it needs fuel squirted in with a "Mityvac" in order to start because it sat for a while (Do not try to use regular starting fluid)." When we arrived as he said the car would turn over but no actual start. I talked him down and then had her towed to my dad's house. I did a lot of forum searching (this forum was particularly helpful: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/car-wont-start-troubleshooting.199398/ ), we checked the fuel pump in the trunk and it seemed fine, we checked the priming system (i.e. when you put your key in and turn it to just before it starts a small amount of fuel comes up from the tank to the filter) we made sure fuel also came out of the fuel filter nozzle that was connected to the hose which ran from the fuel filter to the tandem pump.
At this point, I had to leave for California and so I called McFarland's Mobile Mechanics and scheduled an appointment. The mechanic seemed reputable and like he had familiarity with european cars, he checked the codes and found: camshaft position sensor, he then checked with a multimeter and found it had volatage coming in but nada at its end point. He also checked the throttle body which he noted remained in the open position, he said this could be a possible reason however its more likely your camshaft position sensor is bad and that could be causing your throttle body to remain open.
Cut to now, and I've replaced the camshaft sensor, also the timing belt & water pump. While I was at it because while inside the timing case the mechanic noted excessive grime/oil thought it was probably the camshaft seal, and when I was doing the job I definately saw excessive oil from the cam as opposed to the crank. So, current state of the car is new and installed: timing belt, water pump, tensioner, idler pulley, front camshaft seal, camshaft position sensor, and new coolant added and bled. All covers reintalled, connections connected, and bolts torqued. Turned it over, just cranking, no start, while my dad was in the car he noticed that the RPM gauge wasn't moving at all, in addition while I was working around the oil filter to run the camshaft postion sensor wire through I spotted a very frayed wire and was worried it was so damaged it may not work. This wire is the crankshaft position sensor, and from this thread: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/05-passat-2-0-tdi-no-start-issue.509239/ I read that no RPM gauge movement is a sign of a bad crankshaft position sensor, and could also result in a no start.
I will be getting the crankshaft position sensor tomorrow at 8 a.m. and will update this thread accordingly. In conclusion, the diagnosis may seem obvious, but it hasn't been up to this point. So I'm looking for steps or things I might have overlooked or any possibilities I haven't considered. I feel I've hit a dead end and so I've come to the pros, thank you any insight is helpful.
