Stuck on the side of the road for the first time

slyk

slyk

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, 6spd
Edit: Made it where I needed to get to (a mile from where I was stuck).

Heading around town today my wagon started to have issues. Tach would drop to zero, throttle would stop responding, etc while it coasted to a stop in gear. Then oil light would flash. I was able to restart several times, but within 10 or so seconds the car would die again.

Eventually I got a CEL with flashing glow plug light. Now it won't start at all (turns over strong, even starts to catch, but shuts off right away).

I'm wondering if it's a crank position sensor? I will scan code when I get back to my hotel I'm staying in until I move (in a week!). Any other ideas to check?

It has fuel. Recent windshield replacement, and I cleaned the engine compartment a month or so ago so it could be moisture in a connection I guess. No other recent work.

Edit: was just able to drive it about a mile to the hotel. It shut off a couple times, then went the rest of the way without issue. Weird. Going to scan the code in a bit.
 
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slyk

slyk

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, 6spd
IndigoBlueWagon said:
Bad fuel?
Click to expand...
That is certainly possible, and crossed my mind. BUT I think my car did this once a few weeks ago on the highway. It was in the middle of a shift where I wasn't paying close attention -- thinking I was going 2nd to 3rd but might have done 4th to 3rd. My car "hiccuped" as I was letting out clutch and instinctively put clutch back in thinking I must have downshifted...tacho went to zero and had the same symptoms as today with oil light coming on (no CEL or glow plug flashing then). I figured it was a fluke and the car started right up (while still coasting), so I dismissed it at the time. Absolutely zero issues since then though.

To make all of this more stressful, I am supposed to turn the car in to be shipped from Alaska to the lower 48 on Friday. So whatever the issue is, I have two days and basically zero parts availability to try to solve it. I will probably have to change my shipping appointment to next week (we don't drive out until Thursday with our other vehicle!).

Awesome that I accidentally left the Ross-Tech cable in the glove box (and not with my big toolbox which the movers moved). Just need to download the software again...
 
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eddieleephd

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2012
Location
Battle Ground, Wa
TDI
2002 jetta Wagon
Unless I'm missing something replacing the crank sensor is the fix.
Read something about a tsb for 2004, but everything for 2000-2003 says new engine speed sensor.
 
slyk

slyk

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, 6spd
Thanks for the feedback. When I went to pull the code it started fine and idled for about 10 min without issue. Then I drove it around the parking lot and logged the engine speed for about 5 minutes -- no issues. :confused::confused:

I wiggled the connector for the speed sensor a good bit. My guess is that some water got in there when I sprayed down the engine and it's causing some problems. But intermittent is hard to solve.

Guess I'll be driving with VCDS for the next few days, and when I go to pick up the car on the other side I will have a new speed sensor with me in case I need to change it out on the trip home.:eek:
 
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eddieleephd

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2012
Location
Battle Ground, Wa
TDI
2002 jetta Wagon
So the crank sensor is essentially an alternator which should put out a low voltage ac signal.
Inside the sensor is a magnet, spring, and a coil.
The magnet is attracted to the sensor ring, compressing the spring and moving by the coil around it.
Think of a flashlight that you shake to charge.
It gives out a low, 2V, not sure of actual, ac current when in operation.
Could hook up a multimeter somehow to ensure it's in fact the sensor.
Wheel speed sensors work the same.
 
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slyk

slyk

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, 6spd
Well...the car drove fine yesterday and most of today, now I'm stuck again. Same issue, except the code is "no signal."

This car was an auto, now is a 6 speed manual (swapped 30k ago).

Can anyone help me with the part number for the crank speed sensor? I can't seem to find it on mobile. Trying to figure out if an auto parts store would have it or if it's a dealer item (no dealership here, closest is 6 hours away).
 
dogdots

dogdots

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Sep 4, 2002
Location
Kansas City
TDI
None
That is the common failure mode on a PD crank position sensor, flaky and random. Not as common on ALH though.

Off topic, where are you headed now that you are done in AK? We still talk about that cop hassling you in our parking lot :)
 
slyk

slyk

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, 6spd
dogdots said:
That is the common failure mode on a PD crank position sensor, flaky and random. Not as common on ALH though.

Off topic, where are you headed now that you are done in AK? We still talk about that cop hassling you in our parking lot :)
Click to expand...
Good to know on the failure mode. After driving it a bit more, it seems like it only fails once it gets hot. As in, after the car has been running for 15-20 minutes not just up to temp. I have a new sensor coming today, I was able to move my vehicle shipping appointment to tomorrow! Hopefully this fixes it and it's not a wiring issue.

I am headed to Iowa City! The Army has seen fit to send me to school for a couple of years.

I still remember that experience at the shop -- I can't believe they gave me such grief for just trying to get my car working again! Wrong place to be doing it I guess. I think my temp repair of that upper intercooler pipe would have lasted, but was so thankful to get a "new" one from you guys! That clamp has not failed since, smooth sailing until this sensor issue!
 
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ffemtp

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Joined
Dec 9, 2008
Location
SE WI
TDI
2001 Jetta GLS TDI Deceased 11/2012, 2004 Jetta GL TDI Sold, 2012 Jetta TDI (Retruned to VW), 2004 Jetta TDI GLS 5spd
Hope it helps! Keep us posted....
 
slyk

slyk

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, 6spd
Swapped it and drove around yesterday for quite a while. No issues so far! Got the vehicle shipped ok and will find out on the other side if any issues remain. Thanks again for the help everyone.
 
slyk

slyk

Veteran Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Location
San Antonio, TX
TDI
'03 Jetta Wagon, 6spd
Just wanted to follow up in case anyone searches this later. Now that I've driven the car several hundred miles after picking it up in the lower 48, I can say that the speed (crank) sensor replacement seems to have completely fixed the issue. Cool! Thanks for the help everyone.
 
jimbote

jimbote

Certified Volkswagen Nut
Joined
Jul 10, 2006
Location
spiral arm, milky way (aka central NC)
TDI
Tacoma 4x4 converted to TDI
eddieleephd said:
So the crank sensor is essentially an alternator which should put out a low voltage ac signal.
Inside the sensor is a magnet, spring, and a coil.
The magnet is attracted to the sensor ring, compressing the spring and moving by the coil around it.
Think of a flashlight that you shake to charge.
It gives out a low, 2V, not sure of actual, ac current when in operation.
Could hook up a multimeter somehow to ensure it's in fact the sensor.
Wheel speed sensors work the same.
Click to expand...
not how it works, the sensor has no moving parts
 
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