[caoder]

Hi All, I am just looking for some help. I just bought a Jetta City 2008. This is a mkiv jetta with a new skin and built later. It has 83k KM or 51k Miles. It is giving me issues starting the car in the morning before work and in the afternoon after work... The car will not start for 10 or more time trying to start it. No noise from starter at all. Maybe a slight hum. After a few minutes of trying it would catch right away and everything starts up perfectly. I can stop the engine and start it right back up without a hitch.

Brief timeline:
9 pm, Parked car at home from the dealer.
2 AM, car would not start. Started after a few minutes of trying. Moved car out of driveway.
9 AM car would not start. Started after a few minutes of trying.
until 11 AM, driving around with stops and starts. No Issues. Dealer also checked it out during this time, changed battery.
2PM Car starts fine. ran for less than 1 minute.
5PM Car Does not start. After a few minutes car starts.
8PM Car starts fine. Short trip for groceries.
11:30 PM car starts fine.



Also my radio is still in Safe mode, I am waiting for the dealer to give me the pin.
2.0L 6 speed auto.


Additionally here are some videos of me trying from this morning...


Video 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSUSYs5rTEs

Video 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjxI5x477NA

Video 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzkSXHS5yH8

The car started as I was going to show that the dome lights do not dim when trying to start the car.


Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance...

 

[Skimmer0220]

I would first off start with taking the battery somewhere and getting it tested, you cca could not be up to standard and be the problem with getting it started

 

[caoder]

unfortunately dealer already switched that out for me and its still doing it.

 

[Skimmer0220]

as far as the radio go's if it's stock then the ecu will fix it, but having the code won't hurt, maybe your having problems with the starter?

 

[944rabbit]

Edit again. I just reread everything, this is why I shouldn't post while working lol. I will rerespond pretty soon, sorry!

I will say first that I am suspicious of your ignition switch. I had strange and slightly similar symptoms in my 944 for quite some time before I figured it out. For me though, letting it sit 2 weeks was fine, but if I turned it off for 30 sec with the lights on, then tried to start it, nothing. No click. If I turned lights off and sat for a minute, fired right up. Did that for months, then finally one day quit all together. I thought it was a wonky starter at first, no luck. Accessories all worked fine, no start.
I found that jumping the starter with a screwdriver worked fine in a pinch.
If it does nothing, no click, see if you can figure out how to safely jump the starter either at a relay or at the starter itself, with the key on the on position, and it should fire right up. It's also possible is an intermittent relay problem

 

[_FUBAR_]

These cars are more complex than a old 944. They have immobilizers. I would suspect a bad ground, faulty battery or connection. Could be an immobilizer issue. If you just bought the car, why not take it back and have them deal with it.

 

[944rabbit]

These cars are more complex than a old 944. They have immobilizers. I would suspect a bad ground, faulty battery or connection. Could be an immobilizer issue. If you just bought the car, why not take it back and have them deal with it.

Very true. In responding while working I completely overlooked the year!
Typically you will have a dash led that will flash and give you some kind of information upon a failed start. Do these have that? That would be the first check for an alarm out immobilizer issue.

 

[caoder]

Thank you all for the information. I am working with the dealer, they are helping me right now. Unfortunately I didn't get it from a VW dealer, so I am trying to give them as much assistance as I can at this point. Would it be possible that it is an issue with fuses / other electrical connections? The immobilizer Icon is not lit when starting. I have 3 different keys all of them are the same. It all starts after a few minutes... Would the alarm system have such a time out?

 

[caoder]

Hi All,

Just as an update. Today it was +1 C outside today and the car fired up right away. it was below zero on all of the previous days. Since today it fired right up, and its warmer... this means it is related to the weather? What would have issues starting up, takes 2-3 minutes of being energized to warm up, and is related to temperature outside?

 

[Shameless]

Batteries are rated at their cranking potential(power) at a certian temp. Temp very much so effects how much of a burst output a battery has to start a car.

 

[caoder]

The batteries were checked by the dealer. It checked out. The temp difference is less than 10 C, which should not change the CCA by that much, maybe 10%. The car doesn't even try to crank when it was cold until after 2-3 minutes when it started easily.

 

[Shameless]

Even a good battery can have trouble in the cold.

If you want to see for yourself... When it's dead cold out, try to start your car ONE time, so you can see it wont start. Then get another car and jump it. The only changing factor here is a second battery for more amperage.
It will turn over first try I gaurentee it.

This test will rule out all other factors. If it starts, it was the CCA. If it doesn't, well... We'll see i guess.

 

[caoder]

thanks, I will check in a couple of days, it will cool down at that time....

 

[Skimmer0220]

my thoughts exactly on the cca I just didn't feel like explaining it all lol