What is wrong with my GTD - Please Help?!?!?

[Jamie93]

Hello everyone, im hoping that some of you on here may be able to give me some help with this? Basically, ever since I got my GTD, it has had an intermittent issue when starting from cold, where it will take what I consider to be a longer than normal time to fire, or will stutter before firing up. This usually happens when the car has been stood at work all day. Once started, the car runs fine and if left for a short period of time, will also start fine. There is no power loss or other issues with the car. Oddly though, if the car is stood overnight, it will most often start fine the next morning, It seems to be if the car has been stood for about 10 hours or so that the problem occurs. I have had the car into VW twice for this, and they have all but washed their hands of it , saying that if it doesn't fault when it is with them, they don't admit to a problem. VW first changed the lift pump in the tank, but this did nothing, and they are now not intending to carry out any further work to try and solve this. I have several recordings of the fault (see below), but this doesn't seem to have any sway with VW. I am hoping that from these recordings, someone on here may be able to push me in the right direction please, as I don't think this is normal for a 2 year old car at all!! Battery volts are fine with engine off (approx. 12.6V) and engine on (approx. 14V) and the car appears to crank at a good speed, so I am stuck on this one :/ Any help would be much appreciated with this - please see videos below. Many Thanks,

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9Ls7X7QYplLbjDc0tEkaHLYzXuZwSrnC

Apologies for the large number of videos, but it has come to recording the vehicle each time it starts just to try and get enough proof together to try and get VW to actually do something about this!!!

 

[Silvadadi]

Definitely not right.

Mines nearly 2 years old with 22k miles and I don't have this issue anytime I start.

You dsg or manual?

Whose/what fuel do you use? Have you tried a couple of tanks of premium derv with a splash of Millers?

You could get an independent specialist/examiner (can't recall proper job title) to examine your car, document their findings which you could present to VW with compensation claim

 

[pedg]

When were the Fuel and Air Filters last replaced? Maybe this is the problem?

What age is yours and how many miles? Maybe you could try a terraclean?

GP

 

[Evan Beresford]

I have the same problem with mine never ever fails to fire but takes a few seconds to fire.

However mine is far less frequent and it doesn't matter if it's cold or not, I would say mine does it maybe one in every 30 turn overs.

I took mine in to the dealer for a service and told them about it, they couldn't find anything wrong with it at all.

 

[Jamie93]

Mine is a manual car, Nov 2013 with 36k miles on it. I don't think the fuel filter has ever been changed, but it is due for a service in the next couple of weeks, so will get vw to give it a full going over and Change every filter + fluids etc. Do you reckon it could be symptomatic of a fuel pump going kaput?? My thinking is that as the car is stood for a long time, there is something allowing the fuel to drain back somewhere so the car is taking longer to prime/build pressure and startup?? The car runs absolutely fine when started.

 

[pedg]

36k miles on it. I don't think the fuel filter has ever been changed

I would say a blocked (or getting there) fuel filter is a very strong possibility. As the engine is starting the fuel pump is struggling to push fuel through it.

On a Diesel engine the fuel filter should be changed annually or at every service (which should be 10k miles max). Also if its never had a new air filter it will likely need one of those as well. Getting Air and Fuel into the cylinders is pretty important for an engine to run smoothly.

GP

 

[Jamie93]

I would say a blocked (or getting there) fuel filter is a very strong possibility. As the engine is starting the fuel pump is struggling to push fuel through it.

On a Diesel engine the fuel filter should be changed annually or at every service (which should be 10k miles max). Also if its never had a new air filter it will likely need one of those as well. Getting Air and Fuel into the cylinders is pretty important for an engine to run smoothly.

GP

Thanks for the info. Hopefully this is the cAse. I've only had the car for 7k miles, so it will be due a service in about 3k as it was serviced when I got it. Do you think it can wait until then to get changed - I.e. It won't be damaging anything like the fuel pump or injectors will it?? I was planning to have everything done at the service (all filters, oil, coolant and brake fluid etc.) so I know it is all good!

 

[Evan Beresford]

On my gtd I had it serviced at VW and all filters were changed and it still does it from time to time

 

[Sootchucker]

Mine does this as well from time to time, seems to turn over on the starter for a good 4-5 seconds (maybe longer) before the engine catches and splutters into life.

Doesn't do it too frequently, but when it does, it's always when the car has been stood for a good few hours and is stone cold (and normally in the Winter months).

What I have found helps me (as I have keyless so a start button) is to press the button without touching the pedals, and let the glow-plugs do their thing for a a few seconds (waiting until the needle staging has finished), then press the brake pedal followed by the start button. Since I've been doing it this way, I have very few starting issues at all.

 

[Jamie93]

To be honest, I don't personally think it is acceptable for any car this age to have any problems starting, regardless of whether it has been stood or not! Even though it is a diesel, I believe that the starting system on these cars (Kessy or not) won't turn the engine over until the glow plugs are at the right temperature? I still think there is a problem tbh ! Vw are just really winding me up now - they don't give a stuff once they've sold you the car!!!!

 

[richiekuk]

Mine has done this on occasion. I'd forgotten until I read this thread, as it is so infrequent.

 

[vincent.yore]

Did you ever get your starting problem sorted could it be a faulty glow plug?

 

[Torivw]

Fuel filter change and stop putting sh*t fuel in it.
I only run on shell vpower and no longer have this problem
T x

 

[RTID75]

Not saying it's not to do with the fuel, but I only use regular diesel and never have this problem.

I don't know what our GTD's are like for specific problems, but if this were someone asking me this with me only knowing it's a diesel car I'd be thinking duff glow plug/s or glow plug control relay.

I'd have hoped a dealer would have ruled those out very early on though!

 

[vincent.yore]

I seen on the Skoda VRS forum someone said there was a bulletin for issue with over cranking but there was no details around it.