06 Jetta tdi starting problem

Tylerrbruce

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Location
Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta
I have recently rebuilt my 06 Jetta tdi with BRM engine due to when I bought the car it had a terrible misfire due to the cam being worn. I have rebuilt it from the bottom up, everything is in time and have replaced cam sensor and injectors. Also went and got a different wiring harness due to some of the plugs being broken. I have fuel pressure up to the injectors and all… I’m all out of options and still can’t get it to start. Anyone have any ideas of what it could be? Also probably should add that it did run when I first got it but was very poorly running.
 

JETaah

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
mi 48836
TDI
96 B4V, 1999.5 jettaIV,2005 BEW Beetle
Any fault codes being produced?
How do you know that you have fuel pressure up to the injectors?
Remove the glow plugs and crank the engine. Do you get fuel mist coming from the glow plug holes?
 

Tylerrbruce

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Location
Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta
Just codes for 1&4 glow plug. And code for low voltage on tps. I guess I say I have fuel up to the injectors because when I changed them out and as I pulled them out fuel fell into the cylinder hole. I removed the glow plugs and can’t really see any mist.
 

JETaah

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
mi 48836
TDI
96 B4V, 1999.5 jettaIV,2005 BEW Beetle
It takes quite a bit to bleed the fuel rail after pulling injectors out.
There is a procedure for testing whether the lift pump is doing what it is supposed to. This is for a BEW engine but the test should provide the quantities that you should be seeing delivered when flipping the key on, etc...
click the link...
And, if it is supplying the fuel that it is supposed to, reattach the hoses to the fuel system/ engine. I suggest to put 12 volts directly to the lift pump. Let it run for a minute or two to work the air out of the rail. The pump terminals are the two larger outer ones in the connector housing with the ground on the round side of the housing. Reattach the pump/ level sensor harness connector to the pump.
Then, with the glow plugs removed crank the engine until you see a fuel mist coming from the glow plug holes. if it does not show fuel after about 30 seconds than you may have an issue with the injectors. These are replacements for your old ones? Are they rebuilds?
 
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Tylerrbruce

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Location
Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta
I will try the fuel pump tomorrow. And yes the injectors they came straight from a buddy of mines car that was running just fine with them. Any way of testing the injector harness plug? To see if I’m actually getting voltage up to the injectors also?, I’ve looked around for it but not too much. Thanks.
 

JETaah

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
mi 48836
TDI
96 B4V, 1999.5 jettaIV,2005 BEW Beetle
If you have a wiring error it should come up as a fault code.
You can do continuity test on the harness wires all the way from the injector plug to the ECU pin.
I don't think that you will catch much with a multi meter. You might need a scope to view injection events.
I could be wrong about that. I have never had to do that.
The wiring harness to the engine is very prone to having issues along the stretch between the chassis and where it meets up with where the glow plug harness branches off. Vibration will cause the corrugated covering to rub through the wire's insulation causing all kinds of shorting and broken leads.
 

Tylerrbruce

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Location
Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta
Dang forgot to mention about the intake temp/maf sensor I’m assuming, had a code for that but will that keep it from running or will it just run poorly?
 

JETaah

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
mi 48836
TDI
96 B4V, 1999.5 jettaIV,2005 BEW Beetle
If you meant intake temp/manifold pressure
It should not keep it from starting.
 

Tylerrbruce

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Location
Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta
Ok I tried the fuel pump process a let it run continuously for about 4 min. Still no spray coming out.
 

Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
Just to be sure, you ran the fuel pump to get fuel into the filter, then tried starting with the glow plugs (gp's) removed? Was the fuel filter housing empty before you started? That indicates a leaking tandem pump or lines between the filter housing and the tandem pump, or the tandem pump itself.

I have a one man shop, so there are some things that I do to beat around that problem. Rather than run voltage to the tank pump (beware, if you put the hot lead on the negative terminal, I think it will run backwards. You will never get fuel to the filter...), I remove the hot lead from the battery and then turn the key to the 'RUN' position. Now, each time I touch the battery cable to the hot post, the vehicle will act as if I just turned the key on. The tank pump should run for about 3 seconds. You should be able to hear the pump operating. Usually, in about 4-5 cycles, with the fuel filter cover off, you will see the fuel rise in the can. Pay attention to the fuel filter, as if it is empty when you remove the cover, that is an indication of fuel lines or tandem pump have an air leak. With the fuel filter housing full, that is good enough to get the vehicle to prime. Reattach fuel filter cover and try priming injectors again, with gp's removed. If you don't see fuel relatively soon, you may have an injector wiring issue.

To finish priming injectors, reattach the battery cable and with the gp's removed, the engine should be able to run at about 450 rpm. Usually, in 2-3 runs of 30 seconds, there will be mist coming out of the gp holes. If there is no action, check the injector harness. A bad ground for the injector harness will defeat every injector. The tandem pump, if leaking, will drain the fuel from the filter, siphoning back to the tank. The tandem pump is a simple device and there are repair seals available, although sometimes it's the tandem pump gasket between the head and pump itself.

IF you can get it primed and hours later, you are without fuel again, try re-priming the injectors as before. When shutting down second time, clamp off the two lines going back to the tank. If hours later, it will restart quickly and easily, it's more than likely the tandem pump is siphoning fuel back to the tank.

Good luck!
 

Tylerrbruce

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Location
Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta
I’ve tried all of that. It seems I may have seen just maybe a slight mist a when I say slight I mean “slight”. Where should I check for the ground on the injectors. Also is there a way to check the injector solenoids? And will some of the emission little hoses not being hooked up affect the starting? sorry I’m stuck so I’m asking a lot of questions.
 

Tylerrbruce

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Location
Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta
Also I may add I know for sure fuel it at least getting to the injectors. I pulled one out an bumped it over an fuel sprayed everywhere
 

Tylerrbruce

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Location
Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta
I removed the head from my stepson's 05 BRM last year to refresh the seals and turbo.

Like the guys said bleeding can be a right pain. Can be made much more difficult if the lift pump is toast.
Cant remember if I used vcds or just cycling the ignition 50 times slowly then cranking in 5 second bursts.
But from owning PD engines they can be difficult to bleed.
I’ve done that hundreds of times for hours
 

Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
Let's go with the head slapping, "OMG, I hooked the fuel lines up wrong." "My cam is upside down." "It's way out of time."

Or, how did you preserve your injectors when they were out? I've been saying it for years, if you remove injectors, and the PD's are the WORST, once injectors are removed, submerse them into clean diesel until you need them again. A big coffee can with a lid is perfect. If you didn't do that, you might be looking for a different set of injectors.
 

Tylerrbruce

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Location
Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta
Let's go with the head slapping, "OMG, I hooked the fuel lines up wrong." "My cam is upside down." "It's way out of time."

Or, how did you preserve your injectors when they were out? I've been saying it for years, if you remove injectors, and the PD's are the WORST, once injectors are removed, submerse them into clean diesel until you need them again. A big coffee can with a lid is perfect. If you didn't do that, you might be looking for a different set of injectors.
What messes up on them if you don’t preserve them? I didn’t soak them in diesel but they were wrapped up
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
.................snip................... I've been saying it for years, if you remove injectors, and the PD's are the WORST, once injectors are removed, submerse them into clean diesel until you need them again. .................snip...................
Frank knows.
If it were me I might try to rehab them with an ultrasonic cleaner and some potent chemical.
 

Tylerrbruce

Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2022
Location
Texas
TDI
2006 Jetta
Frank knows.
If it were me I might try to rehab them with an ultrasonic cleaner and some potent chemical.
I guess I’ll try that cuz I know they ain’t cheap. I do know I’m getting fuel up to the injector an a current through the injector plug on each so I’m guessing that’s gonna leave me with the injectors faulty?
 

Franko6

Vendor , w/Business number
Joined
May 7, 2005
Location
Sw Missouri
TDI
Jetta, 99, Silver`
Install injectors only tight enough to test them at idle and lower rpm ranges. 78 in lbs, + 1/4 turn will be satisfactory, and yet, if you need to remove the injector, your expensive TTY hold-down bolt is not compromised. You can still reuse them. Once stretched to pre-load + 1/2 turn, I would not risk reusing them. Note: I have replaced the other TTY bolts for the cam and cam rockers with reusable screws and bolts. But the injector hold down bolt is, in my opinion, required for the injector hold down bolt.

To attempt starting the engine:
Fill fuel filter bowl. Remove glow plugs. Run starter for 30 seconds at a time, and watch for each cylinder make fuel mist out of each glow plug hole. When that happens, reinsert the glow plugs and the engine should start right up.

If the car will drive, but will only go about 24 mph, then your second stage fueling is not occurring, as the solenoid is frozen shut. Unless the injector needle is corroded into the nozzle, the engine should start relatively quickly.

I don't have a good solvent you can used in an ultrasonic cleaner that will loosen that crud internal to the injector.

The best storage technique would be to disassemble them, clean them, then assembly with diesel test fluid, which is inert and will not damage or gum up a nozzle over several years. Disassembly requires special tooling to remove the nozzle without breaking internal alignment pins.

Good luck.
 
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