B7 Passat TDI Random Stall Upon Startup

[drjekl]

Hi guys done a bit of a search didn't really find anything related so thought I'd create a new thread.

I have a 2011 Passat TDI with 155k Kay's it's been such a great car roomy comfy reliable and on a big trip loaded up she returned 5.2L 100 Kay's.

Anyway occasionally hot or cold upon startup it cranks fires up then stalls immediately with a violent shake. Take the key out of the dash and crank again fires up no worries...

On a recent 1600km trip it done it twice on both occasions car was at operating temp, once it'd sat for 10 mins the other was a few hours..

Fuel filter was done approx 15k Kay's ago and I use Costco premium diesel fwiw

Has anyone struck this before?

A search mentioned blocked fuel filter, immobilizer issues, faulty lift pump?

[Lucas_R]

Take it to Pete at Newcastle VW Centre in Wickham to get diagnsoed properly - but its a common issue on the 2.0TDI engines. Usually a new starter motor is needed, and if the battery is weak, a new battery too.

[drjekl]

Take it to Pete at Newcastle VW Centre in Wickham to get diagnsoed properly - but its a common issue on the 2.0TDI engines. Usually a new starter motor is needed, and if the battery is weak, a new battery too.

Yeah Pete normally does all the work for me for the things I can't DIY, just thought I'd try for some feedback from other TDI owners as last year he was booked out for 6-8 weeks

I had read starters can come good with a clean?

If I'm honest it does seem to crank pretty weak to me, but yeah battery is a 6.5 y.o OEM VW AGM also...

[Lucas_R]

My Audi SQ5 has the original battery from 2015 and still starts fine but I know its not going to last forever. I pop it on a smart charger every few weeks to keep it healthy for as long as possible.

But yes a 6.5yr old battery might be getting towards the end of its life in your case perhaps (especially if you use the start/stop function as that kills batteries more quickly). Im sure removing the starter and cleaning it out would be a good idea, i did this on my old VW Golf GTI a few years back to try and isolate a startup noise. Starter motors for the TDI are not too expensive anyway (about $500-600) if you do need to replace it. Just make sure to get the correct one for a diesel as they are more powerful than the petrol versions.

Pete just serviced my Audi last month and I usually book in about 4-6 weeks in advance for a standard service. But on the odd occasion ive had an issue over the years, he always has been able to slot me in earlier.

I think this is the correct starter motor for your car: AFI 70-1331G Starter Motor fits Audi 2.0 Tdi & VW 2.0Tdi With Auto Start/Stop | Automotive Superstore | Shop Online

[drjekl]

Ahh nice I like the SQ5's has it been reliable for you?

The oem AGM in one of my BMW's has lasted 12 years I had to change it as PM as I couldn't bear it any longer not knowing when/if it'd fail! But yeah they're in the boot so not exposed to harsh radiating engine temps...

Nope never use the stop/start had that disabled, which does remind me when I had a RCD330 installed back in Feb 2023 by a vw euro specialist he d/c the cable to the stop start (module by memory?) which disabled stop start... That may be throwing a spanner in the works perhaps...

Having a quick look online I found this starter which is a bosch for a decent price

Bosch Starter Motor for VW Caddy Eos Golf Jetta Multivan Passat Scirocco Tiguan (superspares.com.au)

At that price wont hurt to do it as PM I guess!

My Audi SQ5 has the original battery from 2015 and still starts fine but I know its not going to last forever. I pop it on a smart charger every few weeks to keep it healthy for as long as possible.

But yes a 6.5yr old battery might be getting towards the end of its life in your case perhaps (especially if you use the start/stop function as that kills batteries more quickly). Im sure removing the starter and cleaning it out would be a good idea, i did this on my old VW Golf GTI a few years back to try and isolate a startup noise. Starter motors for the TDI are not too expensive anyway (about $500-600) if you do need to replace it. Just make sure to get the correct one for a diesel as they are more powerful than the petrol versions.

Pete just serviced my Audi last month and I usually book in about 4-6 weeks in advance for a standard service. But on the odd occasion ive had an issue over the years, he always has been able to slot me in earlier.

I think this is the correct starter motor for your car: AFI 70-1331G Starter Motor fits Audi 2.0 Tdi & VW 2.0Tdi With Auto Start/Stop | Automotive Superstore | Shop Online

[Lucas_R]

That starter motor seems very cheap for a diesel specific version - I can only assume its not the right one for your specific car/engine. The diesel starter motor is more powerful (2.0 or 2.2kw) than the petrol version (most petrol engine starter motors are about 1.0-1.2kw) because diesel engines take much more effort and power to start.

I tried searching for that part number but nothing comes up. And they dont list any specs for the starter motor either.

Looking on the same website, I believe this is the correct starter motor for your vehicle: Bosch Starter Motor for Volkswagen Passat Tiguan Multivan Transporter T5 T6

The SQ5 has been a good car. We have owned it since late 2018, when we bought it, it was exactly 3 yrs old and had only done 28,000km. It now has about 95,000km on it and has been a good car. Its got heaps of power and torque, yet still gives really good fuel economy. Next service its due to have the transmission oil replaced, so that will be an expensive service - but all other services have been between $300-400. I do interim oil changes myself, and also take care of other minor maintenance like brakes etc. I only really take it to the mechanic to get a stamp in the logbook once a year and also to do any jobs like the transmission service that I cant easily do myself at home.

[Facelift667]

Hi Drjekl, did you manage to find what was the issue with your car? I have the exact model and year car and the same issue, it's my second day already pulling everything apart and measuring the voltage and ohms. Some help would be great!
Cheers

[Hillbilly]

Geez I only ever got a bit over 4 years out of my Passat battery but then it had a couple of periods of 2 months or more just sitting in garage Usual sign is slow cranking then a dash full of lights means its getting serious. Then all sorts of weird things start happening.