2.0 dies, then runs fine, then dies
 

2000 Jetta. I got on the TDI forum without realizing it only talked about diesel. You guys do know about gas engines, right? On TDI, I was convinced that relay 109 had gone bad, but I looked for it for days before I realized the car may not even have a relay that could heat up and cut off the computer.

The engine starts right up, twenty minutes later or so it dies even at 60 mph. It cranks but won't start for about 15 minutes, like something (fuel pump, relay????) cools down, and then it runs fine again until it quits again. When it runs, it sounds good, feels good, etc.

Please help as I don't make very much money (I work with abused kids) and would hate to take it in to the dealer rip off.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions or recommendations at robert_t@suddenlink.net. I'll check back here too, but I had a hard time getting on and had to use my Facebook log in then change passwords etc. I don't want to miss out on a possibility if I'm stopped from revisiting.

Thanks everybody. Bob

Welcome to the forum Bob. Attachment 2896

The 109 relays do go faulty so it worth carrying a spare in the car just in case. The normal symtom is the engine will crank all day but it won't start the 109 relay is the main power feed to the ecu.

Ideally you could do with finding someone with VAG-COM\VCDS to do a scan for any error codes logged in the ecu.

There is a very good TDI forum I can recommend. VW TDI forum and Audi TDI forum - myturbodiesel.com

https://volkswagenforum.com/forum/ne...gnature-34185/

Thanks for the reply about my 2.0
 

Thanks. I have a gas engine. I thought TDI was for diesel. I used to overhaul 36 and 40 hp engines, so that shows how old I am and how much I don't know about modern cars. Do gas powered 2000 Jettas have relay 109? I've looked under the dash (plastic still off) for a couple of hours and couldn't find it. I took out relay 377 to look above it and found a blank hole. I also found relays 100, 409, two 53s, and 173, but that's it in the relay panel.

I can have a diagnostic done for about $60 but I'm afraid that it won't come up with anything since the engine runs good when it runs. When it doesn't run, would a diagnostic work?

I'll try to profile and maybe that's where the sig is. I'm, as you can see, not great at computer stuff. Thanks again.

Sorry Bob I was a bit confused with you talking about TDI. If you do have a 109 keep one as a spare.

Sorry about the confusion. I don't know if I have a relay 109 or not. I could not find one in the relay panel. Do gas 2.0s have relay 109? If so, where should I look? If not, what do you think would cause the symptoms I described above? Thanks, Bob

Well I normally ask new users. https://volkswagenforum.com/forum/ne...gnature-34185/

I don't know how I missed you? If we know your car details I can probably check the wiring diagram and fuse/relay boxes if yours should have the 109 relay.

I don't know how to add anything to my sig. But, the car is a 2000 gas powered 2.0 Jetta, VIN 3VWSC29M9YM032968. I have a Haynes and couldn't find jack when I looked for relays, not even a listing in the index.

If you don't know how to add info to your signature then it appears you haven't read the link I gave you https://volkswagenforum.com/forum/ne...gnature-34185/ at the bottom it says:

Signature update:

To edit your signature click on User CP (Control Panel) on the left of the bar up above. On the left it says Edit Your Details click on it and type in the Location: Where you live then click Save Changes at the bottom.

The on the left you will see Edit Signature just click on it and type in your vehicle details. You can click Preview Signature just to see what it looks like then click Save Signature, job done.

We don't know where you live but I find Haynes manuals ok.

It's supposed to be 10 degrees tomorrow -- no time to be broken down. I guess that I'll take it to a shop for a diagnostic to see if anything turns up, but after it is warmer. I loaned my car, such as it is (95 Explorer with at least one bad hydralic lifter and bad tranny seals), to my son so the doesn't get fired from his job for driving the work care home so much.

I put in a downside ox sensor. The wires were broken, must have run over something high. Didn't make a difference. After I got gas, I had to wait for 15 min. for it to start, and then it ran fine. Anybody got any ideas?

Without seeing the error codes there is no point in guesing.

Oh your VIN number 3VWSC29M9YM032968 now shows up in VIN search tool. It says it was built on 23/08/1999 and the engine code is AEG and the gearbox code is EGT and the colour is LC5H and it shows a picture of it if you hold your mouse over the green code.

Its a French site but if you want to know want to know what all the option codes mean you can download VAG Option Codes List this is what was fitted when it left the factory.

fuel filter made no difference. what is a coil pack? this guy said that maybe it is out and causes my car to drive for a while and then quit and then start again. I know coils, they almost never went bad in the old days. Thanks and I don't want to spend money guessing, it cost too much no (didn't used to), but if anybody has a realistic guess about this car.... Thanks again, Bob

Well if you had done what I suggested first of then that may have shown up anything wrong?

The coil packs are the ignition coils that produce a high voltage which jumps the spark plug gap to ignite the fuel.

I put in a new fuel filter. It needed replaced because it was eithr bought at the dealer or old, but did not fix my problem. The instructions that I read online caution about fuel pressure, but there didn't seem to be much. Is this a clue? Anyway, the car quit and I had to wait ten minutes the next day for it to start, so this was no my problem. One guy said the coil pack might be heating up, another said that maybe the fuel pump (ugh) might be heating up and quit. What is a coil pack. I rarely put in coils on old cars. They seldom went bad. Any ideas? Thanks.

What do they look like?
 

Where are they? How are they changed? Etc. BTW, I had a diagnositc run (for free) but all it showed was misfires and the guy who did it didn't really know what the codes meant. It runs great when it runs, so I didn't think the diagnostic was helpful. Thanks

C'om on you guys! On warmer days, this car engine dies quicker. I google coil pack and somewhere it said that the engine may die if the coil overheats. This part costs big bucks and all I care about is it getting me home. I've had 3 20 min waits to cool down since I wrote last. One guy recommended that I take off the coil pack and sand off the rust. does that make sense? I may make it to the dealer for an 80 dollar diagnostic, but I don't necessarily trust them -- they will not give back my money if they find problems but the car still dies. At this point I don't care about misfires. I'm almost to the point of dealer. Autozone and Advance said that it has misfires, but that wouldn't cause it to die dead. If the coil pack is bad and the engine heats up to normal, would that cause it to die dead until it cools down? Thanks.

Turned out to be the crank sensor. Thanks