help 1.6td trouble

[L1V3N 1T]

the car has been sitting for 6 months was getting started once a week, about 2 months ago it wouldn't start unless it was pluged in. i just put it back on the road and i am having the same problem i cant prug it in cause i live at an apartment. is there any thing i can check to find my problem. oh any it has three new glow plugs.

[burn_your_money]

What about the 4th one? How cold is it there?

[L1V3N 1T]

its not that cold out at all its only -4C. the forth one was still good so i didnt change it.

[AudiVWguy]

Where do you live. Please put in your profile.
What kind/year of car?
Battery condition, how many amps.
Have you tried cycling the GP three times before starting?
Holding the clutch down to eliminate clutch drag.
Extra battery and jumpercables. Bring that one in the house to keep warm.
Some people install a seperate switch to manually turn on the GP's for a few seconds after the motor is sterting/running.
Pump timing could be a little off.


Anybody else with thoughts?

[L1V3N 1T]

Where do you live. Please put in your profile.
What kind/year of car?
Battery condition, how many amps.
Have you tried cycling the GP three times before starting?
Holding the clutch down to eliminate clutch drag.
Extra battery and jumpercables. Bring that one in the house to keep warm.
Some people install a seperate switch to manually turn on the GP's for a few seconds after the motor is sterting/running.
Pump timing could be a little off.


Anybody else with thoughts?

1990 jetta 1.6TD almost 300k km
battery is new i have been putting buster cable
from my yellow top optima for extra life. i have tried cycling the GPs three times, i am also putting a new set of boschs in but the snow stoped me. the pump timing wow can i abjust this and what direction is to retard and advance it. also just put a new air filter in it and cleared the ducking for it (had some animals living in it!!) but this still did not help.
oh ya and i am from Chatham Ontario.

[AudiVWguy]

It is really hard to check pump timing without the dial indicator. Do you know what it's set at now? Sounds like you're doing all the right stuff. If you could sneak an extension cord to it and then get it to a friends house to get the timing right. One thing left would be to see how the compression is.
I had another thought as far as fuel. Maybe the injectors aren't working correctly form setting too long. Locate a can of Diesel Purge. Run feed and return lines into can and try to start car. If you have a a vacuum pump to suck on the return line to get the Diesel Purge into the pump that would help a lot too.

[L1V3N 1T]

well if changing the GPs does not i will have to look at timming thanks for all the help i will get back with hopefuly good news!!

[Rabbit TD]

Is your cold start cable working :?:   Moving the pump towards the engine is advance, toward front of car is retard.

[burn_your_money]

Are the glowplugs them selves actually getting power at the bus bar?

[Doug]

Like the previous post says, check for voltage at the glow bus, If there is voltage then check for current draw of about 50 amps to verify all glow plugs are normal. If there is no voltage then check your glow plug relay (I had to replace mine this season) for voltage at the supply contact, then at the load contact and don't forget that fusible link or fuse that is inline with the glow bus. Usually it is on the firewall on earlier models and if I remember correctly a high amperage fuse in the fuse holder on later models.

Is the fuel shut down solenoid on the pump firstly receiving voltage and secondly opening with voltage to allow fuel to move through the pump? They often stick after periods of inactivity.