2015 Jetta 2.0 cranks but won’t start

[J Adams]

Some quick history. Had a burning smell coming out of the vents thought it was a bad heating element/aux heater. Replaced cabin air filter before I messed with the aux heater. Replaced filter drove 1 mile to Walmart bought some food and the car just cranks now and won’t turn over. Tried jumping it, fast crank. However the climate control fan just clicks and does t work either .. thinking this is all related. Hoping I can limp it home somehow? I put a tester on just about every fuse and they are seemed fine. I thought for sure it was a blown fuse. Any thoughts or help would be huge.

 

[Dannyboy]

Sounds like a winding or two is gone on the alternator. Happens.
Mine burnt up on my 2010 in june last year while it started a regen, while I thought it was the regen , turned out two of the windings melted. Fan dropped out and just made it home and turned the steering wheel, engine died. No start.
New alternator, cleared codes and all good again

 

[pedroYUL]

Timing belt recently replaced? Look here: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/dpf-pressure-sensors-melted.514897/

I don't know how bad can these burn and melt other stuff

 

[J Adams]

No havent changed it yet .. planned on changing it in March .. just hit 100k. I pretty sure I had the cabin air filter in backwards if that might have shorted something out? Would the car still start with a jump if it was the alternator?

 

[pedroYUL]

Manual transmission? Just bump start and get it home.
It might be the starter not catching the flywheel. Can you see some rpm in the dash while cranking?

Nothing related to the installation of the cabin filter can cause your issues

 

[J Adams]

Automatic unfortunately. No rpm’s do not move when cranking. I thought about crankshaft positioning sensor.. is there a way to test it without specialized tools?

 

[J Adams]

I pulled the timing belt cover back a little and saw that was still attached and looked tight.

 

[Vince Waldon]

Was working fine... changed cabin filter and messed with the aux heater... now not working?

If so, might be worth double/triple checking what might have gotten bumped/dislodged/wiggled in the vicinity of the cabin filter and the aux heater.

Correlation does not always imply causation... but now and then it does.

 

[pedroYUL]

Automatic unfortunately. No rpm’s do not move when cranking. I thought about crankshaft positioning sensor.. is there a way to test it without specialized tools?

I don't think there is a conclusive test, but it is not that hard to change out (not in a Walmart parking lot in the winter, I would tow it home).
There is a window in the case, between the engine block and the transmission, you need to remove the oil filter to have a better visual. It is tight, and almost fly by wire, but I was good with my cellphone camera guiding me:

Thread of a guy with CPS issues:

Random Engine Hesitation

Edit/Spoiler: Just to help anyone reading this in the future, the solution turned out to be a new crankshaft position sensor. In case you don’t want to read to post #75 to find that conclusion. Also see post #71 for how I confirmed that the crankshaft position sensor was occasionally giving a...

forums.tdiclub.com

 

[J Adams]

Do you guys know where I could disconnect the camshaft positioning sensor. Dealer advised it could be that or timing issue. Wanted to try a simple disconnect of the sensor but I’m unsure of the wiring location?