VW 2.0 TDI 140 wont start when warm

VW 2.0 TDI 140 wont start when warm

Author
Discussion

Iklwa

Original Poster:

283 posts

134 months

Wednesday 8th January 2014
quotequote all
Hi all
I have a 2009 Passat 2.0 TDi, and it start relatively fine normally (I say relatively as sometimes it can take quite a few chugs before it starts, but always first time), but after a drive where the engine has gotten fully up to temp for a while, if I stop it, and then shortly after try to start it again (for example after filling it up, or going into the shops quick), it wont start.

It turns over, but just wont take, and I then click the key out, put it back in, repeat 4 or 5 times, and eventually it starts.

I always wait for the light that shows the plugs are up to temp to go off, don't run anything electrical like air con or wipers etc, so cant figure out why it does this.

I would expect if it was a battery fault it would be consistently difficult to start, so does anyone have any ideas? It's a serious pain, and Im hoping it doesn't get worse.

JollyGrnMonster

887 posts

202 months

Wednesday 8th January 2014
quotequote all
If it were battery it would turn over slow.

Sounds more like injector issue or crank sensor

Iklwa

Original Poster:

283 posts

134 months

Tuesday 14th January 2014
quotequote all
Thanks for the ideas, have done a bit of googling and it seems it is quite common with VAG TDI's, and the garages don't seem to have a specific fix for it. Might just have to live with it.

SteBrown91

2,518 posts

134 months

Tuesday 14th January 2014
quotequote all
Temp sensor somewhere? Best bet is to find someone with vagcom a d get it a scan

richwig83

14,613 posts

143 months

Tuesday 14th January 2014
quotequote all
Could be the starter motor too. Id start with the temp sensor and take it from there.

spats

838 posts

160 months

Tuesday 14th January 2014
quotequote all
might be the same as our 1.9tdi.

Same symptoms anyway, once hot trying to restart after a run or after fueling for example was hit and miss. It would turn over but not fire.

Theres a relay, on the mk4 its under the steering wheel in the fuse box. I forget what its number is, but its one of the main relays to actually get the car going. when it starts to fail it gets really hot, and its this whcih yuo have to wait to cool down.

Next time it happens pop the cover off and see if you have a hot to touch relay, might be the culprit!

shtu

3,639 posts

151 months

Tuesday 14th January 2014
quotequote all
spats said:
might be the same as our 1.9tdi.

Same symptoms anyway, once hot trying to restart after a run or after fueling for example was hit and miss. It would turn over but not fire.

Theres a relay, on the mk4 its under the steering wheel in the fuse box.
You are thinking of relay 109. smile

Top Tip - as this relay begins to fail, when the car refuses to start the glowplug light will not show at all. Once the relay recovers, engine power is supplied again, the gloplug light shows, and it'll start.

So, for the OP, when this happens do you see the glowplug light at all?

SmithyAG

300 posts

133 months

Tuesday 14th January 2014
quotequote all
The 2.0 TDI 140 is known for it. It's a combination of lazy starter motor and bad software normally. You can have it remapped out.

IIRC when hot, the ECU doesn't fire the injectors until above ~300rpm, which the lazy starter motor isn't getting the engine up to. When cold it injects diesel straight away to aid starting.

New starter motor cures it until the replacement gets old, or the software edit may get a few extra years out of the current starter.

The quick and dirty fix is unplug the coolant temp sensor (G62 I think) at the rear right of the engine block when starting it, as it defaults to the ECU "cold starting" it.

Iklwa

Original Poster:

283 posts

134 months

Thursday 16th January 2014
quotequote all
Thanks all, I do see the light on the dash to indicate the glow plugs are warming, which then goes off after a few seconds as expected.

It does sound pretty lazy when it tries to turn over, which is why I thought battery, but as mentioned a bad battery would be apparent at all times.

I will look at a remap, is this a VW job or one of the remap firms?

SmithyAG

300 posts

133 months

Wednesday 22nd January 2014
quotequote all
Depends where you are, Awesome GTI in Manchester, whilst good at what they do, had never heard of the problem apparently. However the remap offered by more-bhp in Crewe(?) can add it to the remap for £35. Whether they will just do the Hot Start fix on it's own, i'm not sure.

VW won't want to change the software, they're more likely to recommend new starter and/or battery.

warmstart

1 posts

94 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2016
quotequote all
http://www.ebay.com/itm/131966035072?ssPageName=ST...

This seller has three different wiring sets for VAG engines to warm engine start problem elimination. It depend on what kind of engine coolant temperature sensor your car has. All you need to do with these wiring kits is to just plug them in and that is it.

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

175 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2016
quotequote all
I would have hoped the Op has it sorted nearly three years later.

Nice spamming though.

Vainparasite

1 posts

78 months

Wednesday 7th March 2018
quotequote all
Im having the same problem has there been a definite fix? I cant afford to splash out on a new starter. I already have to get a new battery as that is only putting out 330cca instead of the 720 it supposed to. Thanks Martin

FrankTank 85

1 posts

Saturday 21st September
quotequote all
Ok I have the same problem. I read somewhere to hold the throttle down and it will start as I crank. This worked for a year. Now this effort no longer workers. Looking for ideas 2014 Passat TDI