Audi A4 TDI Starting issues

[Connor_scotland]

Hey All

My Car – Audi A4 Avant TDI 1998
Its had new glow plugs

I am down to sorting the last problem on the Audi J

Right when I go to start it in the morning I need to warm the glow plugs a good 5 times this seems to be because the “glow plug light” literally comes on for a second then flicks off so I assume the plugs are not getting a good heat to start.

The garage checked the car out and said all the glow plugs are fine. They are unsure on what to do?

I need to heat them a good 5 times to get the car to start.

Car runs perfect and will start first time when its warm.

Any ideas?

 

[jonnycraig]

Sounds like air might be getting into the fuel lines during the night causing it to be more difficult to start, used to happen to my fathers car so he used to park it point down hill over night, it worked until he got it fixed turned out to be the fuel line connectors to the pump.

Hope this helps

JC

 

[Connor_scotland]

Unfortunatley I stay in in the flattest area lol so no joy for that.

Is there any way to check that?

Also would that effect the glow plug light just flicking off as on my old Ibiza TDI it used to stay on a few seconds weather depending and all that.

Today its minus 1 and it just flicked off within a second lol

 

[Connor_scotland]

Also my mate just emailed me this having a pop at what he thinks it is

"
Potentially defective engine coolant temperature sensor.

The management system uses a signal from this sensor to determine whether your plugs need to be pre-heated or not. On warm days or when your engine is already hot the management system either heats the plugs for a very short time or doesn't pre-heat them at all."

 

[hades-]

CTS can cause the problem you have
worth a try easy to fit and not much cost

 

[jonnycraig]

Similarly see if anyone around has VAGCOM to get the codes off and see if it picks up anything.

 

[Connor_scotland]

Would this one do it
AUDI TEMP TEMPERATURE SENSOR GREEN 4 PIN A2 A3 A4 A6 A8 on eBay (end time 15-Feb-11 23:33:35 GMT)

Also where is this located in the engine bay?

Can i download VAG COM to my laptop as I have OBD2 cable.

 

[hades-]

im not sure if the will fit your car last 1 i got for a diesel was black
your better off geting OEM from audi or gsf
around 20 quid
you can download a free version off vcds but to be honest its crap
only does limited things

 

[Connor_scotland]

Will check the colour of mine tonight when Im done at work but this looks promising. Its ******* me off lol

I will try find a cracked version of it hopefully

Thanks lads

Any other ideas?

 

[murran]

what engine code is it? temp sensors in the plastic coolant housing on the back end of the head.

 

[adamss24]

I would also check the timing for the injector pump, if too advanced/retarded you will also experience hard starts...

 

[Connor_scotland]

Sorry where about is the cooling sensor?

Whats strange is today the light stayed on and the car started no problem but yesterday it took 5 times lol

 

[aragorn]

follow the top radiator hose back towards the engine, and you should find the sensor. Its a 4 pin square plug probably located behind the cylinder head.

Before doing any of that though, why dont you actually diagnose the problem...

Get the car hooked up to vagcom and view the coolant temperature, and see if there are any coolant sensor related fault codes.

 

[Connor_scotland]

I have Vagcom but it wont load up.

I have installed it and using my OBD2 cable connecting it to the car but it just doesnt find it. Gives an error about my OBD2 port been invalid and there is no config file.

I have another program which I lets me connect the car but its showing no error codes as the EM light is not on.

 

[aragorn]

Your car doesnt have OBD2.

A random cable wont work, you need a lead designed for vagcom. They're on ebay for about a tenner.

 

[Connor_scotland]

My car does have an OBD2 port as i managed to run another diagnostic cable on the car to check some sensors.

Could you send me a link to the cable bud?

 

[ScottD3]

My car does have an OBD2 port as i managed to run another diagnostic cable on the car to check some sensors.

Could you send me a link to the cable bud?

It has the standard port but uses a different signal protocols to communicate with the equipment on the car.

Go to ebay and search for VAG-COM or VCDS.
I would get the link for you but i can't use Ebay in work.

 

[aragorn]

My car does have an OBD2 port as i managed to run another diagnostic cable on the car to check some sensors.

Could you send me a link to the cable bud?

I didnt say you car didnt have an OBD2 Port, i said it doesnt have OBD2!

As Axios says, it uses its own VAG protocol for the diagnostics, not the standardised OBD2 protocols.

My lead looks something like this: VAG COM USB DIAGNOSTIC CABLE 409.1 OBD2 II LEAD VAG-COM on eBay (end time 22-Feb-11 13:00:32 GMT)