Start then dies, 105hp TDi 2010 [Solved]

[fredrikmo]

Hi, I am a new user and new to this forum. I have been a member of countless general car forums, but now that i bought a Mk6 it is more convenient to be on a car spesiffic forum instead of a general forum.

On friday i bought a sweet looking Golf Mk6 105hp TDi 2010 with 150k km distance traveled.
Yesterday when i tried to start it at home at temperatures -12c (it is usually much colder) the car starts, then run unstable for 3 secounds, then dies.
The dashboard says "Remove Key".
So i tried again and again and after 10 starts it finally not died and started by it self.
I preheated(waiting for the coil symbol to fully disappear) the engine between every start to make sure it was "hot enough".
Today it started with no problem at -8c.

There are no warning lights or error code as far as i can see (i do not have a error code reader yet).

The car started well with no problems when starting it warm at the car dealer.
A part of the deal was that i bought it with a new timing belt, so the new timing belt has only 200km to it.
Not sure if this has anything to do with it.
I would like to add that I have a engine and gear garantee for three months or 3000km as part of buying a used car from a used car dealer.

What could this be? Fuel Pump? Fuel filter? ECU? Glowplug?

 

[fredrikmo]

Hi again.
The glow plugs do not seem to be the problem.
I removed the glow plug caps, then meassured the resistance between the engine block and glow plug head.
The four glow plugs meassured around 0.5 - 0.8Ω (note that the test lead resistance is taken into account).

It looks like the car starts without any problem when the temperature is above (warmer) than -6c.

 

[Thumper]

Bad fuel? Maybe? It could be gelling at the lower temps.

Glowplug was unlikely as the warming system was showing completed you said and likely would throw a code. But good to rule everything out anyway. Even with good resistance the tips could be fouled.

Fuel filters are supposed to be changed every 20k on the TDI, could be causing an issue if not done but still odd that there is no hesitation is above -6c........unless it is slight fuel gel and the extra viscosity is just enough to back up in the dirty filter.

 

[fredrikmo]

Thanks for the response Thumper!
Maybe it was a one time thing that occured with bad fuel and thats it. I hope so, but it was the first thing that happend after i bought it, so i stressed out.
A was thinking about condensation in the fuel tank or something. The car went from approx +23c indoor storage to -12c and drove it home and left it over night.

Fuel filer change each 20k you say, according to the service manual it should be a new fuel filter every 30k. It is now 27k since last fuel filter change. I will give it a try.

 

[Thumper]

Here in the US they say 20k MILES, so that is 32k KM (just saw you're in Norway). Might as well change it if you're close and just see.

Also, you do have the warranty so at a certain point if it keeps happening it wouldn't hurt to have them look into it and get it handled before that runs out.

 

[fredrikmo]

Hi, Im back with more info.
I have changed fuel filter and have added an additive with "nozzle clean" in the fuel tank.
Now it has happend two more times when it is colder than -10c (or 14F).
It engine runs for 2 sec then dies and I have to start the car about 15 times.

Response from used car dealer is "Suspects fault in a sensor that shall give input that the engine shall give more fuel when the temperature is low".
They will take the car in for diagnostics on friday.

I am thinking about buying diagnostic tool. I have read a lot of nice things about OBDeleven. Is it worth it or should i go for a proper VCDS tool for the computer? What do i miss if a buy a OBDeleven instad of VCDS?

 

[fredrikmo]

The car is now at the workshop and they are unable to find the fault. The workshop will keep the car for a week for cold start testing.
A video is made to describe my problem.

 

[fredrikmo]

PROBLEM SOLVED!
The workshop block the EGR and the car started with no problem.
Now the EGR is changed on the "used car garantee" and the car starts without any problem.
Thanks for the help!

 

[Thumper]

Awesome!!!!

Thanks for reporting back to help others (when they use the search feature lol).