cold sart problems
Hi,
I don’t if your still looking at problems but I live in a very cold climate during the winters. My 2003 gti 1.8T has had a cold start problem the dealership cannot find. In the high rpm idle when starting it miss fires and if I put it in gear it tries to, and sometimes does, stall. I need to let it warm up for about a minute and it runs fine. They claim it is carbon build up. I’ve tried 3M and Chevron Valve Cleaner as well as TECHRON and it still does the same. It is highly suspect that it would build up so quickly. They have replaced thermostats, checked wiring, and can’t find a problem. It seems like a cold start valve, if there is one on the car. It doesn’t seem like it should be tough to find but they can’t find the problem even though the computer is registering misses in starting idle on 2 and 4. I am at 19,000 miles and am still under waranty. I am tempted to take it to a independent german/foreign car mechanic to see if they can find the problem. Part of me wants to sell the car but financially I can’t now, plus once it is up to temperature it is so much fun to drive… I am getting frustrated though. Does anyone have a solution?
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CRAIG B Said,
March 15, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
cold sart problems – My car (2.0) does the same thing. The dealer could not find a problem even with the error codes. They said it was likely bad gas, which was all I needed to hear to realize they were not going to find the problem. At $80 a pop just to access the computer I have just resigned myself to letting it warm up for a couple of minutes, which isn’t the worst thing in the world. In the long run, it is much better to let your car warm up every time you start it as inconvenient as may sometimes be. If you want it fixed, take it to a trusted independant mechanic. Unfortunately, and this is the biggest problem with the VW network, you get the feeling they know there is a problem with some of their parts but are either unwilling or unable to make it right. And since you have the 1.8, be careful and go easy on the clutch.
Lisa Said,
March 16, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
cold sart problems – Hello Michael…sorry to hear about your cold start problems…I’ve experienced the same – my car (2001 1.8T Jetta) is at about 60,000 miles and i’ve had the problem since about 2,500 miles… That said – my strongest suggestion would be to be incredibly diligent about trying to get the problem fixed…whilst under warranty…Keep extremely good records of all that has been done AND if the dealership cannot solve the problem (the same complaint three times)…tell them you want them to buy it back OR you will get it bought back under Lemon Law legal proceedings.
I waited too long – unfortunately I had faith that VW dealerships could solve the problem and 12 repair attempts later proved they could not.
The lastest repair (replacement of the entire electrical harness) totalled at about $1,000… My car was out of warranty and despite the fact that it was a repair for an ONGOING, DOCUMENTED Problem (that began well under warranty), they (VW corp.) refused to pay…only after being degrated to tears and stern phone calls by friends/family on my behalf did they finally send a “Field Rep” out to review my case history and finally agreed to pay for the repairs.
Anywhoo, long story, my car still stalling – but after talking to attorneys, my lesson learned was that even though I could still seek repurchase of my car under the lemon law, the ‘higher mileage’ of my car would lesson my chances of getting a fair ’settlement’ than if I had started the process much earlier. The Lemon Law does work and I’ve spoken to several people satisfied with that part of our judicial system…if you go to a ‘lemon law’ attorney…they take care of the majority of the legal work and at no cost to you.
Best of luck to you Michael. -L.
Leadlr Said,
March 16, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
cold sart problems – Hey I was having somewhat of the same problem but I took the car to an old school mechanic and he suggested to let it run until the gas ligth comes on and try to use one kind of gas. Right now I use EXXON 89 and so far the car stopped having the check engine light on because of that. I have a 2000 golf, I hope it works for you.
NICO SUAVE Said,
March 20, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
cold sart problems – i suggest to take your vehicle back to your local dealership and tell them to look for any
ECM SOFTWARE LEVELS FOR THAT MATTER. THERE IS A TECH BULLETIN THAT I WAS AWARE OF.ITS FOR ECM UPDATES FOR COLD MISFIRES.
Corbin Said,
March 31, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
cold sart problems – I was having cold start problems with my 2001 Passat 1.8T, in Arizona of all places. My dealership completed a 40,00 mile service saying the new spark plugs would take care of the miss- firing in cylinder 2. That didn’t work and neither did new fuel injectors. An engine tear down revealed a cracked cylinder head, scored bearings, and a need for new gaskets, etc. After trying to rebuild, a problem was found in the lower engine. The oil squirter had malfunctioned and no longer lubricated the cylinder which in turn caused all of the problems to the engine. The only symptom was cold starting.
Add to this problem the lack of customer service from the dealer and a lack of accountability from Volkswagen customer care, and you have a consumer that will never buy nor encourage anyone else to buy a VW ever again.
It seems, from other forums I have read, that your only chance is to press the issue until a field rep checks into the problem personally to determine what VW will do.
Good Luck!
Cristin Said,
April 7, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
cold sart problems – I had the same problem with my 2002 GTI 1.8T, I took it in, and the problem was never solved… The kicker is that I live in Florida. On a chilly (not cold) morning the car would start, go to a high RPM and then eventually stall. I did realize that after letting the car warm up there were never any other problems. I owned that GTI up to 48,000 miles (when I traded it for another GTI with warranty) and no other problems stemmed from it.
297 Said,
May 3, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
cold sart problems – 1. Yes, there is a Techincal Service Bulleting regarding some ECUs with cold-start issues.
2. A 1.8T engine requires 91 octane or higher gasoline. Try to stick with one brand for about 5,000 miles, then switch to another brand for the next. You can alternate between the two. This is a way of keeping the engine clean. One brand’s detergent will build up over time, but switching to another for the next 5,000 miles ensures that the new detergent will clean off the old one, then begin to build up itself.
297 Said,
May 3, 2004 @ 12:00 pm
cold sart problems – One more thing, try this:
Turn the key to the second position (electronics light up but no ignition). Leave it there for a 10-20 seconds, then try starting the engine. This should allow sufficient fuel, which moves slow in the cold, to get to the injectors.