2013 TDI Golf suddenly died

bulldogger1

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2006
Location
Arlington, TX
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI 5 spd, 2014 Golf TDI auto
I’ve been driving this car for 9 months and it has been great.

The temperature here in Texas dropped a couple of days ago to 0 degrees Fahrenheit and when I went to start the car it fired right up and ran for 20 seconds before it died.

It wouldn’t restart. Two hours later the temp was 15 and I scanned the car. I got p0087 intermittent and p2015 implausible.

I cleared the codes and started the car. It ran fine for 20 minutes (long enough to get into my shop) before I turned it off.
It does start right up. It I’m worried about getting to far away from home.

Could this be a fluke and simply due to how cold it got outside or is this a real fuel pressure HPFP issue?

thoughts?
 

PRY4SNO

Veteran Member
Joined
May 15, 2016
Location
Edmonton, AB
TDI
2013 Touareg Execline
First guess is your fuel is gelled off due to lack of additives at the refinery. Easy thing to do is check the fuel filter for ice. If you find any there put some Power Service (white bottle) or Stanadyne additive in the filter housing and dump a bunch in the tank. Like 2-3 times the typical tank treatment amount.
 

bulldogger1

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2006
Location
Arlington, TX
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI 5 spd, 2014 Golf TDI auto
Would there still be evidence a couple of days later? The car has been in my shop for the last 3 days. The temperature in the shop is 40 degrees.
 

Matt927

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Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Location
Northeast
TDI
several
No there wouldn't. But good advice in the above post if you have the issue again.

I assume you are not running anything in the tank except straight diesel from the pump?
 

oilhammer

Certified Volkswagen Nut & Vendor
Joined
Dec 11, 2001
Location
outside St Louis, MO
TDI
There are just too many to list....
A couple friends of mine that live in the south have told me of the rampant fuel gelling issues happening down there with improperly treated diesel fuel. Evidently they only treat it to be "good" down to about 15 F. Just what I heard. So you may need to treat it with something yourself if you are experiencing out of the ordinary cold temps. You may also experience some intercooler icing instances, so beware of that.
 

dandywriter

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Location
Ottawa (Kanata), Canada, eh?
TDI
2014 Golf Wagon 6M
If you do gel, you should consider using Diesel 911. Here's a link ( https://powerservice.com/psp_product/diesel-911/ ). I keep a bottle in my 2014, had to use it once at -38C when a station got a load of fuel without additives and didn't notice. Lots of unhappy customers! Pull the fuel filter, clean out the diesel Jello, half fill with Diesel 911 and top up with good diesel. Remainder of the bottle into the tank. Then, treat the tank with Power Service white bottle (or anti-gel additive of your choice) to prevent the problem recurring when the fuel cools the next night. They recommend double-doses when it gets below 0F).
"16-OUNCE (PART NO. 1016)
At temperatures above 0°F., add entire contents (16 ounces) to 40 gallons of diesel fuel. When temperatures drop below 0°F. or when using biodiesel blends, add entire contents (16 ounces) to 20 gallons of diesel fuel." I usually fill about 12 gallons, and use 4 oz above 0F/-18C, 8 oz when it gets chilly. I buy an 80 oz bottle of White in the fall, it lasts all winter. In the spring, I get the Silver bottle. https://idpartsblog.com/2014/06/13/tdi-intercooler-icing-problem/ describes the problem.
Here's a thread from this forum on the "intercooler icing" problem mentioned by oilhammer, the first post has a quick-read summary of the rather lengthy thread (183 pages) - which shows the scope of the problem. https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.ph...is-your-intercooler-frozen-check-here.302863/ In short, it is a big problem; it can get expensive if it happens; it is pretty well understood; it can be dealt with a hardware fix, or fuel treatment.

I use an ID Parts winter front in my 2014, which helps avoid the icing, but certainly helps the car interior warm up in cold weather. I had one for my 2006 BRM, which I sold in 2019 when I bought the 2014. I still use PowerService white (once bitten, twice shy). I have no financial interest in any product in this post, I just use them. At 0F, you're exposed to conditions which others further North deal with as normal. I hope you stay safe and healthy through the emergency down there.
 

PRY4SNO

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May 15, 2016
Location
Edmonton, AB
TDI
2013 Touareg Execline
@dandywriter I would have said the same about Diesel911 had I not recently seen this comparison. It works, just (surprisingly) not as well as PS white.


After watching I'm considering switching from PS (grey in summer, white in winter... although I often use the white because my understanding is it will emulsify water too, which would help HPFP longevity) to Stanadyne. It's just not as readily available where I live.
 

PRY4SNO

Veteran Member
Joined
May 15, 2016
Location
Edmonton, AB
TDI
2013 Touareg Execline
Would there still be evidence a couple of days later? The car has been in my shop for the last 3 days. The temperature in the shop is 40 degrees.
No it'll revert back to normal in those temps, but before you pull the car out of the garage you should dose the fuel tank with an additive. Then continue to supplement subsequent tanks at each fill up before refueling during similar temperatures.
 

bulldogger1

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 9, 2006
Location
Arlington, TX
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI 5 spd, 2014 Golf TDI auto
Thank you for the advice on the additive. Luckily the temps have been on the rise and it looks like the worst of this winter storm is behind us.
I’ll be prepared next time.
 

dandywriter

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Joined
Jul 18, 2007
Location
Ottawa (Kanata), Canada, eh?
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2014 Golf Wagon 6M
@dandywriter I would have said the same about Diesel911 had I not recently seen this comparison. It works, just (surprisingly) not as well as PS white.

Different use case. Not an anti-gel, doesn't claim to be. On the link I provided, it says "This Winter Rescue Formula reliquefies gelled fuel and de-ices frozen fuel-filters to restore the flow of diesel fuel to an engine. Diesel 911 does not prevent fuel gelling [emphasis mine] – use Diesel Fuel Supplement +Cetane Boost (in the white bottle) as a preventive measure to keep fuel from gelling. Diesel 911 and Diesel Fuel Supplement +Cetane Boost are compatible in diesel fuel and may be used at the same time" on the link. When I gelled (Esso), it "...restore[d] the flow of diesel fuel to the engine..." as claimed, enough for the engine to start and run, and that's what it claims. I saw that video, generally like his work, but testing things that aren't designed to do things, for that thing, is not helpful. I keep it in my 2014, and I don't doubt that it will work again.

Cheers
 

roadlust

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2004
Location
Yakima, Washington
TDI
2003 golf gl reflex silver (sold) 2013 TDI 2 door Golf Blue Graphite Metallic 6MT Premium Package.
Thank you for the advice on the additive. Luckily the temps have been on the rise and it looks like the worst of this winter storm is behind us.
I’ll be prepared next time.
So you got it running?
 

PRY4SNO

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Location
Edmonton, AB
TDI
2013 Touareg Execline
I know it will work, my point is 911 does an inferior job to PS white. OP mentioned his car was inside at 40F temps so there was no need for the 911 in his case, and PS white (or other like Stanadyne) would be the most suitable additive in his case.
 

bulldogger1

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Location
Arlington, TX
TDI
2003 Jetta TDI 5 spd, 2014 Golf TDI auto
[QUOTE="roadlust, post: 5643205, member: 20955"
So you got it running?
[/QUOTE]
Yes, once the temperature warmed up into the 40s it fired right up.
I cleared the code and the second time I started the car (a few hours later) the engine shuttered for about 5 seconds and then was perfect.
It hasn’t stumbled or hesitated once since.
 

dandywriter

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Ottawa (Kanata), Canada, eh?
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I know it will work, my point is 911 does an inferior job to PS white. OP mentioned his car was inside at 40F temps so there was no need for the 911 in his case, and PS white (or other like Stanadyne) would be the most suitable additive in his case.
OP wrote: "The temperature here in Texas dropped a couple of days ago to 0 degrees Fahrenheit and when I went to start the car it fired right up and ran for 20 seconds before it died." This is what I responded to. I contend that at 0 degrees F, he did need it.
You say 911 as an anti-gel does an inferior job to PS white. We agree. It is not an anti-gel. They say so, see the link above in my post #10. Are you saying that PS white is superior to Diesel 911 and "reliquefies gelled fuel and de-ices frozen fuel-filters to restore the flow of diesel fuel to an engine" better at 0F, which is what I said? If yes, you are wrong.
I use PS white to prevent gelling. I use Diesel 911 to reliquify gelled fuel. Different use case.
 

kjclow

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Apr 26, 2003
Location
Charlotte, NC
TDI
2010 JSW TDI silver and black. 2017 Ram Ecodiesel dark red with brown and beige interior.
[QUOTE="roadlust, post: 5643205, member: 20955"
So you got it running?
Yes, once the temperature warmed up into the 40s it fired right up.
I cleared the code and the second time I started the car (a few hours later) the engine shuttered for about 5 seconds and then was perfect.
It hasn’t stumbled or hesitated once since.
[/QUOTE]

Good to hear that it's running. You may still want to replace the fuel filter. Some of the waxy crap that comes from gelled diesel will not go back into solution at normal temperatures.
 

PRY4SNO

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Joined
May 15, 2016
Location
Edmonton, AB
TDI
2013 Touareg Execline
@dandywriter
I was mostly replying to his situation of being back in the shop at 40f and in that context 911 was less than ideal. As I've already mentioned :)

Makes less sense to run around with 911 in your car daily for that once in 120 year storm than it does to carry PS white (which will emulsify water which is a bigger concern than adding a bit of cetane with PS silver) for regular use as a lubricity additive. YMMV.
 

dandywriter

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Jul 18, 2007
Location
Ottawa (Kanata), Canada, eh?
TDI
2014 Golf Wagon 6M
@PRY4SNO - I carry Diesel 911 in the winter, and a Stanadyne 4-dose bottle of PS White in the winter - good for 4 fills (2 in below -17C temps), and PS Silver in the summer (same container). I have helped a RAM diesel on the highway that gelled. To me, it's worth it.
 
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