[Vwdiesel] Stranded-Anti Theft problem

[Dave Cook]

I thought I sent a reply to the list but don't see it.  Anyway, I was able to get home!

I read on VWVortex or TDI Club (don't recall now) that a possibility was if you turned on the ignition and let it sit for 15 minutes, it would re-recognize the key and allow start up.

I actually ended up letting it sit much longer than that (like 50 minutes) because we were sitting around chatting so I don't know the exact amount of time required.  However, when I went out the light was no longer blinking.  A quick pull got the car started right up!  

I wasn't ready to head home at that point, but it started just fine again, with a pull, when I was ready.  

The root of the problem was not the battery voltage, I'm sure.  It was a crappy rebuilt starter that I installed a few weeks ago after the original failed to start one time.

The new one acted funny a few times before today so I am not terribly surprised, though today's failure featured a few differences than the other odd events with the starter. 

With the crapped out starter, we tried pull starting the car earlier.  What we didn't think about was that if I let out the clutch while the front wheels were on snow, they would just slide, rather than spin and turn the engine.  I was super confused when it wouldn't start, and didn't see any tach movement, and heard strange noises (tires dragging on packed snow) and was initially worried the timing belt had let go.  

I think the switching the key on and off with it occasionally registering a few RPMs simply confused the immobilizer system, which is why it would only briefly run when we dragged it on dry pavement.

Of course, when I got home and got the car in the garage, I tried the starter one time and it worked perfectly.  

But I've already pulled it and will be swapping tomorrow.  I certainly do not trust this thing anymore!


 
Dave Cook


________________________________
 From: James Hansen <jhsg at sasktel.net>
To: 'Dave Cook' <davevw at yahoo.com> 
Sent: Sunday, January 5, 2014 8:34 PM
Subject: RE: [Vwdiesel] Stranded-Anti Theft problem
 

I'm sure you are either home with it by now, or it's still smoldering after
lighting it on fire.... but I have had that happen.  All that was required
was to lock and unlock the car with the key.  It reset after that.  Same
sort of events, after a low voltage condition and a boost.  I think the low
voltage has something to do with it.
-james


-----Original Message-----
From: vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com [mailto:vwdiesel-bounces at vwfans.com] On
Behalf Of Dave Cook
Sent: January-05-14 3:45 PM
To: tdi; VW Diesel Group; TDI-Conversion Group
Subject: [Vwdiesel] Stranded-Anti Theft problem

Hey All-

I'm hoping someone can help out here.

This is a 2002 VW Golf TDI

I went to meet a friend in another town a couple hours away for lunch today.
 When we went out to start the Golf, the starter was cranking very slowly.
 We initially tried push starting it but with no luck.  So we tried jumping
it.  The starter released a bit of smoke, and has been cranking very slowly
since.  This is a known crappy "rebuild" starter that has acted up a couple
times already but I was hoping for warmer weather to change it out. 

So we tried pull starting it with his truck.

That initially didn't work because of all the snow on the road-when I'd let
out the clutch the tires would just slide on the snow rather than force the
engine spin.

(I realized this after the first attempt.)

Frozen and hungry at this point, we went to lunch and decided to try again
after.  

I was able to make the engine crank by only letting off the clutch when we
hit dry patches of pavement, however the engine won't start.  It is cranking
as evidenced by the tach registering vs earlier when the tach wouldn't
register due to the tires only sliding.

The problem seems to be anti-theft system is preventing the car from
starting.  The anti theft and the glow plug light are flashing when the
ignition is on, even after the rest of the lights go off.  I'm afraid that
all the tries of roll-starting without success due to sliding on the ice
might have tripped something in the anti theft system.

I do have a VAG-COM cable with me, though I don't know for sure if it will
work with my friend's Mac that I'm currently typing this on.

The car is outside with the block heater plugged in and battery disconnected
hoping that will reset whatever the problem is.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Thanks,
 
Dave Cook
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