Stalling then failing to start 2009 TDI 170
Posted: Wed Mar 29, 2017 9:18 pm
Hi guys, I’m sorry for the incoming wall of words but I’m at a loss with how to solve this issue and want to include as much detail as possible to hopefully trigger an idea. Car’s been into the main dealers and they can’t find or diagnose any issues. As it stands I have no confidence in it and no solution/ideas.
The car is a 2009 2.0 TDI 170 which has done 75k. It is one of the recalled engines but I have not had the fix carried out as I don’t want it to cloud/confuse any issues over these stalls. Over the last 12 months or so it has stalled 4 times and not restarted easily. I can’t think of any similarities between episodes or any common factors.
• First time the car was cold, started fine and I pulled out of a parking space after work – about 6 feet out of the space the car juddered/stalled and wouldn’t restart (I’ll get on to the restarts later)
• Second time (months later) the car started fine from cold and I had traveled about 5 miles from work and was looking for a space in a supermarket car park. I was in gear and the car again juddered/stalled and wouldn’t restart – I definitely did not stall ‘manually’
• Third time (months after the second issue and about 2 months ago) the car was probably approaching full temp (It had been at full temp then left for an hour - I was about 5 min into the next journey) and I was stationary at red traffic lights in neutral with my foot off the clutch – the car juddered/stalled and wouldn’t restart causing rush hour chaos
• Fourth time was Monday just gone. I was travelling to work and the car was at full temperature having been travelling for 25 minutes. Travelling along in gear at about 40mph the car juddered fairly violently and cut out taking with it the power steering and brakes once the residual pressure had gone. This time the car wouldn’t restart before i drained the battery trying and I had to get breakdown cover out. It chose a narrow country lane this time – it has impeccable timing.
Restarting
After the stalls the car tries to turn over when I turn the key straight away, I can hear the starter turning and I can see the revs build slightly on the dash but it just won’t “catch” (feel the odd kick of a cylinder firing). If I wait and keep trying, eventually the ‘kicks’ of the engine trying to fire increase in frequency and the car will eventually return to life.. and drive perfectly like nothing was ever wrong. I have taken it into the dealership after episodes 2 and three and they can’t find anything wrong
Here is a video of the failed starts (the third brake light has just gone – that’s correct);
[youtube][/youtube]
The most recent time I tried so often to restart it I drained the battery and had to get my breakdown cover out. The guy came and plugged his code reader in – no errors so he wired me up to his van and tried to jump start it. The car was doing the failed starts as above but at this point he could see mass air flow errors appearing and the car still wouldn’t catch. He then squirted a bit of easy start and the car eventually fired up. It sounded pretty rough at first but 10s later it was like nothing happened. After the car had started the error codes disappeared so he wasn’t sure if the mass air flow errors were a cause or as a result of the engine trying to fire with no success. Took it straight into the dealers and again – they can find no error codes, they have taken the car out and can’t recreate it.
I have lost all confidence in a car that will stall in neutral and travelling along at 40. Concerns me enough with me driving let alone when my wife takes it – what if it happens again losing steering/brakes at 60? I can’t even sell it in good conscience and cut my losses.
I have read through all the posts I can find online but none I have found seem to mirror this situation.
One thing I have read suggests listening for the fuel pump to engage on the attempted restarts to rule out a dodgy pump which will keep in mind for if/when it does it again
Are there any other layman tests I can try with one pair of hands to try and isolate any issues myself when I’m trying to restart it?
Apologies for all the words but does anyone have any ideas? The dealership have said to bring it in if it happens again – but I know it will just be the same story, no error codes means in their eyes there’s no issue.
The car after Monday’s issue is driving just fine again (it was right after it first got going again) – no loss of power, no issues at all.
I have had the car since 2011 and not had any engine or gear issues. It occasionally has a barely noticeable lumpy idle which goes at 1000rpm
If you have made it to the end thanks so much for reading through and any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated
Ramblas
The car is a 2009 2.0 TDI 170 which has done 75k. It is one of the recalled engines but I have not had the fix carried out as I don’t want it to cloud/confuse any issues over these stalls. Over the last 12 months or so it has stalled 4 times and not restarted easily. I can’t think of any similarities between episodes or any common factors.
• First time the car was cold, started fine and I pulled out of a parking space after work – about 6 feet out of the space the car juddered/stalled and wouldn’t restart (I’ll get on to the restarts later)
• Second time (months later) the car started fine from cold and I had traveled about 5 miles from work and was looking for a space in a supermarket car park. I was in gear and the car again juddered/stalled and wouldn’t restart – I definitely did not stall ‘manually’
• Third time (months after the second issue and about 2 months ago) the car was probably approaching full temp (It had been at full temp then left for an hour - I was about 5 min into the next journey) and I was stationary at red traffic lights in neutral with my foot off the clutch – the car juddered/stalled and wouldn’t restart causing rush hour chaos
• Fourth time was Monday just gone. I was travelling to work and the car was at full temperature having been travelling for 25 minutes. Travelling along in gear at about 40mph the car juddered fairly violently and cut out taking with it the power steering and brakes once the residual pressure had gone. This time the car wouldn’t restart before i drained the battery trying and I had to get breakdown cover out. It chose a narrow country lane this time – it has impeccable timing.
Restarting
After the stalls the car tries to turn over when I turn the key straight away, I can hear the starter turning and I can see the revs build slightly on the dash but it just won’t “catch” (feel the odd kick of a cylinder firing). If I wait and keep trying, eventually the ‘kicks’ of the engine trying to fire increase in frequency and the car will eventually return to life.. and drive perfectly like nothing was ever wrong. I have taken it into the dealership after episodes 2 and three and they can’t find anything wrong
Here is a video of the failed starts (the third brake light has just gone – that’s correct);
[youtube][/youtube]
The most recent time I tried so often to restart it I drained the battery and had to get my breakdown cover out. The guy came and plugged his code reader in – no errors so he wired me up to his van and tried to jump start it. The car was doing the failed starts as above but at this point he could see mass air flow errors appearing and the car still wouldn’t catch. He then squirted a bit of easy start and the car eventually fired up. It sounded pretty rough at first but 10s later it was like nothing happened. After the car had started the error codes disappeared so he wasn’t sure if the mass air flow errors were a cause or as a result of the engine trying to fire with no success. Took it straight into the dealers and again – they can find no error codes, they have taken the car out and can’t recreate it.
I have lost all confidence in a car that will stall in neutral and travelling along at 40. Concerns me enough with me driving let alone when my wife takes it – what if it happens again losing steering/brakes at 60? I can’t even sell it in good conscience and cut my losses.
I have read through all the posts I can find online but none I have found seem to mirror this situation.
One thing I have read suggests listening for the fuel pump to engage on the attempted restarts to rule out a dodgy pump which will keep in mind for if/when it does it again
Are there any other layman tests I can try with one pair of hands to try and isolate any issues myself when I’m trying to restart it?
Apologies for all the words but does anyone have any ideas? The dealership have said to bring it in if it happens again – but I know it will just be the same story, no error codes means in their eyes there’s no issue.
The car after Monday’s issue is driving just fine again (it was right after it first got going again) – no loss of power, no issues at all.
I have had the car since 2011 and not had any engine or gear issues. It occasionally has a barely noticeable lumpy idle which goes at 1000rpm
If you have made it to the end thanks so much for reading through and any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated
Ramblas