MN Chat Thread

[A-Mark]

Does anyone want to help me install a frost heater? TDI won't Start. Might be time for a new battery and a frost heater this winter.

 

[A-Mark]

Its also probably time to change the glow plugs since mine are original.

 

[A-Mark]

Replaced my battery today, but it still won't start. Cranks a bunch and then the oil pressure light starts blinking at me. Perhaps its just been sitting for too long in the cold? I have an old, uninsulated detached garage that is not heated.

Any advice on getting it started or ways to warm it up?

 

[JFettig]

let it sit a little longer until it warms up?

Oil pressure light comes on because all the oil has been pulled from the pan, and/or its been cranking long enough with too low oil pressure it sets off the alarm.

Maybe some sort of garage heater can get the uninsulated space warm enough to get it started?

don't do anything stupid like use starting fluid!

 

[A-Mark]

let it sit a little longer until it warms up?

This is my current "plan" of action. I don't have a heater for the garage, but might check around with friends to see if anyone has one.

-aaron

 

[Losha]

This is my current "plan" of action. I don't have a heater for the garage, but might check around with friends to see if anyone has one.
-aaron

Do you have fuel additive currently in tank? if not, i would suggest get new fuel filter fill it with stanadyne fuel additive or any other ones, then prime IP using mityvac if dont have one then crank few times car with injector lines loose to get air out. Once you have fuel flowing at injectors with couple Glow plug cycles your TDI will start no problem. What happens is your fuel at fuel filter gets gelled up and causes insufficient fuel for to get engine started.

 

[Stan TDI]

Just got hit by a DUI driver today in the JSW. Looks like the JSW will be totaled. It sucks!!

Other driver getting handcuff by the police officer.

Sorry to hear that. I feel your pain about losing a vehicle.

 

[asha.]

Replaced my battery today, but it still won't start. Cranks a bunch and then the oil pressure light starts blinking at me. Perhaps its just been sitting for too long in the cold? I have an old, uninsulated detached garage that is not heated.
Any advice on getting it started or ways to warm it up?

Mine's doing the same thing....

 

[MethylEster]

Replaced my battery today, but it still won't start. Cranks a bunch and then the oil pressure light starts blinking at me. Perhaps its just been sitting for too long in the cold? I have an old, uninsulated detached garage that is not heated.
Any advice on getting it started or ways to warm it up?

I've been putting my battery charger on for about 10 - 15 minutes prior to starting. Seems like the little bit of extra juice, and heat from charging, make it possible to start with a ~15 second cranking interval.

 

[TornadoRed]

I have some noises coming from the front end that I need to have addressed. My 02' Golf now has about 170K on it and I'm thinking it might be time for a refresh.

Wondering if you guys have some recommendations on shops I should consider. I'm in the west metro so the closer to the west or south side of Minneapolis would be preferred but not required.

Thanks!

Several months back I reported a handling problem which I could not solve. I wasn't even sure if it was a suspension problem, or a steering problem, or maybe even a motor mount problem. Two local shops, both specializing in VWs, did not fix it. Two tire shops specializing in alignments inspected the suspension, adjusted the alignment, and did not solve the problem.

Jon Fettig was the first to recommend Jeff Forss, dba The Alignment Guy, who has a shop just off Olson Highway in Golden Valley.

The first time he looked at my Golf, all he did was cuss and swear at the other guys who had worked on it -- some values were right on while others were way out of spec. Anyway, he had another appointment so had to cut short his inspection.

The second time he found a badly worn bushing -- not the rear control arm bushing which is often replaced with the R32/Audi TT part, but the front control arm bushing which I read recently never needs to be inspected because it never fails. But mine failed, maybe tightened when the control arm was hanging loose and then pinched when it was lifted back in position and bolted in place?

Most recently he replaced a ball joint, which maybe could have been put off until later, but I wanted to get at least the front end as close as possible to perfect. Perhaps I will ask him to straighten out the rear end, but right now it is tracking straight and true and the wandering problem is gone.

I asked Jeff whether he was interested in any general suspension work, and he said Yes. I think he would actually prefer if the customer supplies his own parts, since otherwise Jeff would have to order through Napa or the nearest VW dealership in St Louis Park. His rates are very reasonable -- you might decide to pay a little more than what he suggests is fair.

 

[sirpuddingfoot]

Great to hear he solved it! Jeff is pretty much a miracle worker in my book too.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

[Losha]

a badly worn bushing -- not the rear control arm bushing which is often replaced with the R32/Audi TT part, but the front control arm bushing which I read recently never needs to be inspected because it never fails. But mine failed, maybe tightened when the control arm was hanging loose and then pinched when it was lifted back in position and bolted in place?

That would make sense with what was going on with your handling issue. Matter of fact I've seen so far only one VW that had front lower control arm bushing worned out and cause control arm to wonder around, it was on 07 VW GTI. Otherwise I just replace them for preventive failure whenever doing rear ones.

 

[haakonpe]

My backup vehicle got to go to work with me M-W.
Call me a wuss, but the heated seats were nice.....

 

[mntom]

What I have had to do to get my son's TDI started here was use my little torpedo heater and some duct work elbows to blow some heat under the car for a couple of hours. I wish it started the way my 2012 TDI JSW starts. By the way, I am tom and live about 10 miles west of the tip of Lake Superior.

 

[1st_TDI:)]

My TDI was the only car that started on it's own since Saturday.

Son's Buick needed AAA on Sunday, Other son had the defroster fan and relay die, Battery froze solid on Suburban Tuesday, Taurus needed jump on Tuesday also. And lastly daughter's Sable the fuel pump died. Holly cow this cold snap just about broke the bank for this man.

 

[AV8RLEO]

Just put a brand new DieHard in my Jetta... good thing too cause after sitting overnight at the airport it took a good 10-15 seconds of cranking to get her started. Old battery would NOT have handled that...

Tweaked my timing today to advance it, hoping that will aid in cold weather starting...

Doing a complete suspension overhaul this weekend, heated shop, anyone wants to stop by you are welcome to. Anyone with Vag-Com experience is an even bigger plus.. teach me how to use the thing better!

 

[Steve-o]

Aww, tango, it's a shame that idiot took out your 'wagon. At least the police took him in and got him off the streets for a little while.

*******

No problem starting my car on Thursday even after sitting since Saturday afternoon on a battery that is at least three years old, possibly four. I did cheat a bit -- I warmed up one of those microwaveable body wraps (for back pain, etc.), and draped that over the battery cover for a couple of hours before I started it. It wasn't real likely the battery was frozen, but it certainly was cold and it's been showing some signs of unhappiness at being raised from its slumber on colder mornings. Started right up...

 

[prsa01]

Consider 09?

I haven't kept up with the 09 & other hpfp TDI threads since I don't have one.

Nick & other local guru's (& anybody else w/an opinion), would you consider an 09 for a good deal or are the hpfp issues Sig enough to not take the risk?

Thanks much for any info & opinions!!

 

[JFettig]

Don't fill your tank with gas, use quality fuel, don't run it empty and prime fuel filters properly when changing them and you'll be fine.

 

[Losha]

I haven't kept up with the 09 & other hpfp TDI threads since I don't have one.
Nick & other local guru's (& anybody else w/an opinion), would you consider an 09 for a good deal or are the hpfp issues Sig enough to not take the risk?
Thanks much for any info & opinions!!

As what Jon said above and you will be fine. I don't think they are that big of problematic as people blow them out of reality. I have several customers with '09-10 TDI's that have over 150k on them with zero problems regarding HPFP matter.

 

[tango_28]

I put 10,000 miles on my 09 JSW in 3 1/2 I owned it. The 09 started better in -15f than my 03.

 

[Farmboy]

filtration is a solution to HPFP lottery

I haven't kept up with the 09 & other hpfp TDI threads since I don't have one.

Nick & other local guru's (& anybody else w/an opinion), would you consider an 09 for a good deal or are the hpfp issues Sig enough to not take the risk?

Thanks much for any info & opinions!!

Non-guru opinion . . . you can always add filtration in case you lose the HPFP lottery . . .

No argument with Jon, Alex, or Ron, I'm simply more conservative about how to approach this situation, if I ever buy one of these . . .

Now ask about losing the frozen intercooler lottery . . .

 

[Granadier]

Prior to October, I had been getting hand-calculated tank averages of 43 mpg to 46 mpg. I realize that mileage goes down with the cooler weather with idle times, spinning tires, increased rolling resistance, fuel blend, etc. I drove all last winter and saw 42 to 44 mpg all the time. Since late October 2013 though I've struggled to top 37 mpg.

2001 Jetta TDI here. I've been getting 35-38 mpg ever since mid December. It may just be the super cold combined with winter blend.

 

[prsa01]

Thanks guys for the 09/hpfp info & opinions.

Looks like someone got the one I was looking at ahead of me ... but for future reference since I am keeping an eye out.

For any of you who could/would do the job:

VERY ballpark - What would you charge to do the hpfp swap if I could source via junkyard both with and without fuel-system flush?

Thanks much guys.

 

[greengeeker]

Non-guru opinion . . . you can always add filtration in case you lose the HPFP lottery . . .

No argument with Jon, Alex, or Ron, I'm simply more conservative about how to approach this situation, if I ever buy one of these . . .

Now ask about losing the frozen intercooler lottery . . .

I tend to also be conservative on the CR's. That said I have not seen nor heard of a rash of HPFP failures in MN - there may be one or two among the tdiclub MN membership but that almost seems normal...keep in mind the venerable VE pumps also crap out from time to time. The issue I have with the whole scenario is the lack of response from vw on the matter. To put my mind at ease I would absolutely do as Jon and Alex suggested but also install the 1micron bypass filters to save your hide if the hpfp does ever grenade. If/when that happens I would REALLY like to replace the pump with a CP3 kit which is currently in development. For me personally that's what it would take for me to move over to the current batch of CR's which I've been contemplating once the CP3 kit is released. I just need to see if I can stand the lower mileage- 54mpg on the way into work this morning.

 

[Kriesel]

I haven't kept up with the 09 & other hpfp TDI threads since I don't have one.
Nick & other local guru's (& anybody else w/an opinion), would you consider an 09 for a good deal or are the hpfp issues Sig enough to not take the risk?
Thanks much for any info & opinions!!

also install the 1micron bypass filters to save your hide if the hpfp does ever grenade

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=375803

 

[Losha]

...keep in mind the venerable VE pumps also crap out from time to time. The issue I have with the whole scenario is the lack of response from vw on the matter.

You know its funny, I hear all the time from either from forum members, guru's and sometimes from customers that they had to replace failed VE pumps either dealer replaced them, or some 3rd party shop or owners themselves. In 4 yrs of having shop & daily wrenching on VW/Audi's, I have yet to replace a single VE ALH pump, crazy isn't? I've done tons of complete IP reseals but yet to see one pump that was completely failed and was junk.

 

[merkerguitars]

You know its funny, I hear all the time from either from forum members, guru's and sometimes from customers that they had to replace failed VE pumps either dealer replaced them, or some 3rd party shop or owners themselves. In 4 yrs of having shop & daily wrenching on VW/Audi's, I have yet to replace a single VE ALH pump, crazy isn't? I've done tons of complete IP reseals but yet to see one pump that was completely failed and was junk.

Lol, you don't work on alot of greasel junk do you

Last pump I replaced the customer put kerosene in his tank and drove around till the car wouldn't start. Silly customers worrying about fuel gelling.

FYI I am a fan of the Common Rails, (espc once the dpf has been deleted, makes them easy to work on). I have yet to see a HPFP failure, have seen one turbo fail though.

 

[greengeeker]

You know its funny, I hear all the time from either from forum members, guru's and sometimes from customers that they had to replace failed VE pumps either dealer replaced them, or some 3rd party shop or owners themselves. In 4 yrs of having shop & daily wrenching on VW/Audi's, I have yet to replace a single VE ALH pump, crazy isn't? I've done tons of complete IP reseals but yet to see one pump that was completely failed and was junk.

Fair enough. To bring this full circle how many HPFP's have you replaced due to all out failure?

 

[najel]

Hey guys and gals,
Just wanted to say hi. I am a new Minnesota TDI owner, just bought my 09 JSW last week. So far I am very happy with the car. Looking forward to some great gas mileage and being part of this nice community!