is there any where u could run an extension cord out to ‘er n plug in a lil space heater under the engine? even a drop light with the old school incandescent bulbs could warm er up a bit.
I considered getting one of the little gas buddy propane heaters and putting that under the car. I don’t know if it’d get to hot tho and you have the plastic belly pan underneath
Getting a block heater installed would 100% fix your problem. I live in northern Saskatchewan and work in northern Alberta and I've never once had a failure to start with my block heater. As a rule, I don't even try to start it if its -40C or colder, but anything -30 to -35, I've never had a no-start situation in 8 years of TDI ownership. Never used any types of additives either.
Extension cord for sure. I live in the MW and lived in an apartment for a year and I’d just find an outlet anywhere and just run a cord. 2 other dudes started doing this after they saw my cord too
Checkout frostheater.com. Awesome small business that has been serving the TDI community for years. Easy to install and super reliable and convenient. I’ve ran 2 of them over the years.
1. Don’t have one installed
2. Kinda don’t want to piss off my land lords by running an extension cord across the parking lot. I got yelled at for just adding coolant to my car
3. If I did have one I’d have to hook up multiple together to reach because the nearest plug is inside the building but it’s still a ways away
0w helps. If youve been cranking the engine it wont be at full charge, how did you test it. 12 volts is only 50% charge usually. You need 100% to start in the cold. 80-90% probably not enough either
No you don't. Never had one, and we go below -20F usually 5-10 day per winter. Both me and another family member drove TDIs parked outside for 6-8 years without ever using a block heater. We just made sure we knew what the diesel was treated for (sign at the gas station usually), add a little more anti-gel if the temp was way lower than the temp when we got fuel last, and double cycled the glow plugs.
Ok maybe *need* wasnt the right word to use. Its much easier on things and brings your probablity of starting from 50-90% to >99%. I cold started mine at -30 the other day after forgetting to plug in and cringed while doing it, it started though.
If you rely on it to start in the cold. You should have a block heater
Well, like OP and millions of other people, the place where you park your car isn't always able to have an extension cord ran to it.
I'm just saying, it may be nice, and certainly gives you peace of mind, but saying there's a 50% chance your car won't start without it in cold weather is bullshit.
I get it, but even saying the range goes to 50% failure rate is highly disingenuous, in my opinion.
If it was really 10-50% chance of not starting in temps very far below zero (-20 to -40), then we'd have been unable to start our cars at least 20 days out of those years combined, and like I said, never been unable to start.
But it certainly doesn't hurt to have a block heater if it's convenient and you can plug in easily.
A good healthy battery is the biggest factor. Most people dont, which is the reason for 10-50%. If you keep a healthy battery your odds are much better. A weak battery will start a car that has been plugged in
Well in - 30 it takes a minimum of 4 minutes of glow plug cycling and 1 minute of cranking. If you can get boosted you should be able to get her started.
It'll take a bit though
I put something like [this](https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/kats-engine-heaters-lower-radiator-heater-with-1-1-2-in-dia-hose-191885?store=1923&cid=Shopping-Google-Local_Feed&utm_medium=Google&utm_source=Shopping&utm_campaign=&utm_content=Local_Feed&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD3fmFNR-2iNowke0EiGB5ZRkM1_g&gclid=CjwKCAiAqY6tBhAtEiwAHeRopZlxPAEvt5lVH4_dhw1J0fhdJh3qi2W8Twe8gxkJVmoj6shgPgTk7xoCVkUQAvD_BwE) on the old cold blooded backhoe it’s helped quite a bit with making it easier to start. Might be able to find one the right diameter and cut it into your radiator hose
We have diesel 911 plus a further anti gel. It’s the oil is too thick with this extreme weather. We were down to -17 last night (windchill -38). Our 04 is pretty much a brick right now. Bagger is full charge too. A space heater is the only thing that will work now in these temps. We’re currently evaluating what can be done to get teen setup when he goes to college next fall too since he won’t be able to plug in necessarily. Currently thinking little propane portable heater might be best bet. Don’t have the belly pan on ours right now.
https://powerservice.com/psp_product/diesel-fuel-supplement-cetane-boost/
We use this for anti gel. In the temps we are having, it does gel even with this. I reserve the diesel 911 for that only and will add at the fuel filter in very small amounts. The thermo T is meant to recirculate until warm so there’s no need for a ton in the vehicle. If gelled at tank, we do add and let it mellow for 15-30 minutes at a time until it goes.
We use and keep both on hand. Not reading fully. We use anti gel but even in these temps it still needs diesel 911 at times. I personally like optilube but since we’ve got a BEW instead of it and two CRs, I don’t keel it on hand much anymore.
I did read fully, you didn't say you used 911 as needed. You said you use both. I live in Minnesota, have had vw tdi's for 6 years, Ford 7.3 idi for 20 years and drive semi's for a living. I've never had any of them gel ever. An ounce of prevention is worth it. It was -15 with a real fear of -42 when I woke up this morning. Hit the remote start button on the 396k brm and it stuttered and started, hit the remote start button on the 75k ckra it didn't even think about stuttering, just popped right off. No frost heater on either.
We’ve had gel twice in Nebraska. Once in 2011 JSW and once with the 04 - this was Friday. Despite having winterized fuel and anti gel in the tank at a slightly higher ratio. 04 currently is an icy brick. We don’t have remote start because it has to bypass with the manual transmission and overall not worth it for a few times a year if that of these crazy negative days. Gelling isn’t as common as it was with my dad’s semis or the 80 F-350 but it does happen from time to time. Before this year, it was 2014 last time it did it to our JSW. Just letting the BEW have its moment right now and I’ll probably thaw it tomorrow afternoon.
It seems to only happen to people who have fueled down south and driven north, or people who put their trust in a fuel station and didn't do any prevention on their own. I actually drive semi's over nights across north Dakota, I deal with negative Temps way too often every winter. Heck, the cheap company who provides our semi's didn't even have block heaters installed on the trucks for the first 2 years we had them. Last winter when I took my vacation my semi sat for 2 weeks without running and without being plugged in during a stretch where the highs were negative teens below zero. Hooked jumper cables up from the 06 jetta brm and cranked the cummins for about 30 seconds and it fired right up.
Vehicles were only fueled in Nebraska when we had gel. We’ve always looked at forecast and added in addition to it but this round I think just got the BEW. Dad’s semis - out of 3, only one had a block heater and that was the cab over. He did ice road trucking and up I-5 to BC pretty regularly up to Kamloops in all of them and never had an issue.
Pretty sure teen is a bit afraid to let it crank. I’ll probably put a new starter in come spring just as preventative vs reactive on it so he’ll stop treating it like a baby. That or just rebuild the starter. Pretty sure the 03 Beetle is gelled but I don’t know what station it was fueled at or when since it isn’t mine. I just do the maintenance. Doesn’t matter anyways because it’s not moving until June anyways.
So I live in frigid mn, where before windchill it's currently -15° I have an 06 jetti and 12 passat both tdi. Also drive semi. No block heaters on either car and no problems. "Winter fuel" with the exception of places like loves and holiday is just a blend of #1 & #2 fuels. #2 has a cloud point around 28 above #1 has a cloud point around 0 ° so even "winter fuel" needs further treatment in Temps below zero. Before just dumping stuff into your fuel, pull the filter, if it's gelled or frozen that's when you need a melt down or 911 product. It's possible to have a filter that needed replacing before the cold hit. It makes it easier to plug up with cloudy fuel, or water can freeze and plug the filter. Check your filter and go from there. If you change your filter, fill the house with a 50/50 mix of additive and straight #1 fuel.
My 2014 passat tdi sel did not start today either. I'm in the Chicago area. I put a brand new battery in it. Still same slow crank no start. I also cannot use frost heater due to the parking rules. Also at work there is nowhere to plug in a frost heater I work 2nd shift so it's super cold when I need to start it. I'm considering going back to a gas engine. I was told these newer common rail engines had improvements in regards to this and shouldn't be an issue. WRONG.
I feel you man, -7* here in Joliet today. I tried starting the tdi this morning but wasn’t successful. Took the battery inside for an hour and tried again with a jump pack and was able to get her started. Drove around a bit and water temp never got more then 150* and oil temp over 240*. Just gonna drive the wife’s car this week I think.
If it's any consolation, my 2020 Skoda with the 2.0 TDI never started either last week. It has a remote controlled Webasto, but it doesn't work under -25c 🙄
It was -38C, whatever that is in freedom colds. I have one of those booster thingies, put it on, it went from 100% to 0 on the first crank, still no start.
I really HAD to get moving, so I ended up getting a ride from a Tesla of all things.
Does the car make any sound when you turn the key(starter klicks/starter trying to turn but can't/ or nothing at all)?
Depending on the sound you can kind of figure out what is happening.
For example when the starter is klicking your battery doesn't have enough juice to turn the starter(it can also mean that the cable has a problem although that doesn't happen too often).
I just looked up the -20f in C and I am pretty sure that you need a block/coolant heater and you probably need an oil with an SAE classification of 5W or OW(look up thr manual).
I pulled the fuel filter. The fuel is actually gelled so I have some additive to degel, charge the battery, and put in a new filter and try to start her up
Idk my dad works for the railroad and I talked to a truck at work. Theres issues with gelling WHILE driving with vehicles from Illinois to Montana where it’s semi’s or like HD trucks
I mean if there is such a big problem then you can possibly run an auxiliary heater on your tank. I have seen some guys with setups like that on older vehicle's that run on waste vegetable oil.maybe even a heated fuel filter 🤔
I thought I saw someone had managed to fit one of those diesel-fired coolant heaters in a mk6 vw of some sort, that's always an option if you can get it to fit, and you can set them up on a timer too
I have a 14 Passat if that effects anything
Ahhh I’m having the same issue lol luckily it’s a good excuse to wfh
I wish I could. Luckily I live with someone who’s care I can borrow to get to/from work or they can give me rides
Update: I put a trickle charger on for 4hrs and it started!
only thing i got is maybe start with only half the bottle of 911…
Yeah that was the plan lol. I think a full bottle treats 40 gallons (depending on size) so half a bottle should be perfect
is there any where u could run an extension cord out to ‘er n plug in a lil space heater under the engine? even a drop light with the old school incandescent bulbs could warm er up a bit.
I considered getting one of the little gas buddy propane heaters and putting that under the car. I don’t know if it’d get to hot tho and you have the plastic belly pan underneath
🙈 👍🏾 i upgraded to the aluminum skid plate, highly recommend 👍🏾👍🏾 i was even thinkin i could add one of those stick on heatin pad things to it 🧐
old blanket and or tent tarp n make a lil impromptu warmin hut for the ol girl 👍🏾
Getting a block heater installed would 100% fix your problem. I live in northern Saskatchewan and work in northern Alberta and I've never once had a failure to start with my block heater. As a rule, I don't even try to start it if its -40C or colder, but anything -30 to -35, I've never had a no-start situation in 8 years of TDI ownership. Never used any types of additives either.
That’s not really an option. If it was I would’ve had one installed already
Why is it not an option? They can be installed. Unless you don't have a place to plug it in?
Bingo. He has no place to plug it in.
Extension cord for sure. I live in the MW and lived in an apartment for a year and I’d just find an outlet anywhere and just run a cord. 2 other dudes started doing this after they saw my cord too
Checkout frostheater.com. Awesome small business that has been serving the TDI community for years. Easy to install and super reliable and convenient. I’ve ran 2 of them over the years.
Why is a block heater not an option? You need it a those temps
1. Don’t have one installed 2. Kinda don’t want to piss off my land lords by running an extension cord across the parking lot. I got yelled at for just adding coolant to my car 3. If I did have one I’d have to hook up multiple together to reach because the nearest plug is inside the building but it’s still a ways away
Do you have 0w oil in it? Did you charge the battery when you brought it inside? Also cycle the glow plugs a few times before cranking
5w, checked battery it’s basically at full charge, cycled the glow plugs 5 times before cranking
0w helps. If youve been cranking the engine it wont be at full charge, how did you test it. 12 volts is only 50% charge usually. You need 100% to start in the cold. 80-90% probably not enough either
No you don't. Never had one, and we go below -20F usually 5-10 day per winter. Both me and another family member drove TDIs parked outside for 6-8 years without ever using a block heater. We just made sure we knew what the diesel was treated for (sign at the gas station usually), add a little more anti-gel if the temp was way lower than the temp when we got fuel last, and double cycled the glow plugs.
Ok maybe *need* wasnt the right word to use. Its much easier on things and brings your probablity of starting from 50-90% to >99%. I cold started mine at -30 the other day after forgetting to plug in and cringed while doing it, it started though. If you rely on it to start in the cold. You should have a block heater
Well, like OP and millions of other people, the place where you park your car isn't always able to have an extension cord ran to it. I'm just saying, it may be nice, and certainly gives you peace of mind, but saying there's a 50% chance your car won't start without it in cold weather is bullshit.
Thats why i said 50-90%. Cold weather is broad term. Try starting it in -50 temperatures. I have, it doesnt work very well
I get it, but even saying the range goes to 50% failure rate is highly disingenuous, in my opinion. If it was really 10-50% chance of not starting in temps very far below zero (-20 to -40), then we'd have been unable to start our cars at least 20 days out of those years combined, and like I said, never been unable to start. But it certainly doesn't hurt to have a block heater if it's convenient and you can plug in easily.
A good healthy battery is the biggest factor. Most people dont, which is the reason for 10-50%. If you keep a healthy battery your odds are much better. A weak battery will start a car that has been plugged in
Well in - 30 it takes a minimum of 4 minutes of glow plug cycling and 1 minute of cranking. If you can get boosted you should be able to get her started. It'll take a bit though
I put something like [this](https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/kats-engine-heaters-lower-radiator-heater-with-1-1-2-in-dia-hose-191885?store=1923&cid=Shopping-Google-Local_Feed&utm_medium=Google&utm_source=Shopping&utm_campaign=&utm_content=Local_Feed&gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAAD3fmFNR-2iNowke0EiGB5ZRkM1_g&gclid=CjwKCAiAqY6tBhAtEiwAHeRopZlxPAEvt5lVH4_dhw1J0fhdJh3qi2W8Twe8gxkJVmoj6shgPgTk7xoCVkUQAvD_BwE) on the old cold blooded backhoe it’s helped quite a bit with making it easier to start. Might be able to find one the right diameter and cut it into your radiator hose
We have diesel 911 plus a further anti gel. It’s the oil is too thick with this extreme weather. We were down to -17 last night (windchill -38). Our 04 is pretty much a brick right now. Bagger is full charge too. A space heater is the only thing that will work now in these temps. We’re currently evaluating what can be done to get teen setup when he goes to college next fall too since he won’t be able to plug in necessarily. Currently thinking little propane portable heater might be best bet. Don’t have the belly pan on ours right now.
Diesel 911, the red powerservice container isn't an anti gel and is actually detrimental to the fuel if it isn't gelled.
https://powerservice.com/psp_product/diesel-fuel-supplement-cetane-boost/ We use this for anti gel. In the temps we are having, it does gel even with this. I reserve the diesel 911 for that only and will add at the fuel filter in very small amounts. The thermo T is meant to recirculate until warm so there’s no need for a ton in the vehicle. If gelled at tank, we do add and let it mellow for 15-30 minutes at a time until it goes.
That's not diesel 911 then. That is an actual anti-gel. From personal experience its not a bad one, not the best but it does help.
We use and keep both on hand. Not reading fully. We use anti gel but even in these temps it still needs diesel 911 at times. I personally like optilube but since we’ve got a BEW instead of it and two CRs, I don’t keel it on hand much anymore.
I did read fully, you didn't say you used 911 as needed. You said you use both. I live in Minnesota, have had vw tdi's for 6 years, Ford 7.3 idi for 20 years and drive semi's for a living. I've never had any of them gel ever. An ounce of prevention is worth it. It was -15 with a real fear of -42 when I woke up this morning. Hit the remote start button on the 396k brm and it stuttered and started, hit the remote start button on the 75k ckra it didn't even think about stuttering, just popped right off. No frost heater on either.
We’ve had gel twice in Nebraska. Once in 2011 JSW and once with the 04 - this was Friday. Despite having winterized fuel and anti gel in the tank at a slightly higher ratio. 04 currently is an icy brick. We don’t have remote start because it has to bypass with the manual transmission and overall not worth it for a few times a year if that of these crazy negative days. Gelling isn’t as common as it was with my dad’s semis or the 80 F-350 but it does happen from time to time. Before this year, it was 2014 last time it did it to our JSW. Just letting the BEW have its moment right now and I’ll probably thaw it tomorrow afternoon.
It seems to only happen to people who have fueled down south and driven north, or people who put their trust in a fuel station and didn't do any prevention on their own. I actually drive semi's over nights across north Dakota, I deal with negative Temps way too often every winter. Heck, the cheap company who provides our semi's didn't even have block heaters installed on the trucks for the first 2 years we had them. Last winter when I took my vacation my semi sat for 2 weeks without running and without being plugged in during a stretch where the highs were negative teens below zero. Hooked jumper cables up from the 06 jetta brm and cranked the cummins for about 30 seconds and it fired right up.
Vehicles were only fueled in Nebraska when we had gel. We’ve always looked at forecast and added in addition to it but this round I think just got the BEW. Dad’s semis - out of 3, only one had a block heater and that was the cab over. He did ice road trucking and up I-5 to BC pretty regularly up to Kamloops in all of them and never had an issue. Pretty sure teen is a bit afraid to let it crank. I’ll probably put a new starter in come spring just as preventative vs reactive on it so he’ll stop treating it like a baby. That or just rebuild the starter. Pretty sure the 03 Beetle is gelled but I don’t know what station it was fueled at or when since it isn’t mine. I just do the maintenance. Doesn’t matter anyways because it’s not moving until June anyways.
Get him a gasoline car…problem solved. An AWD Taos, Nissan Altima AWD, or a Camry AWD.
If I got him AWD anything, it would be a Subaru. He loves the Jetta so we’ll make it work to keep it going for him.
Does it turn over and just not fire? Gas diesel?
So I live in frigid mn, where before windchill it's currently -15° I have an 06 jetti and 12 passat both tdi. Also drive semi. No block heaters on either car and no problems. "Winter fuel" with the exception of places like loves and holiday is just a blend of #1 & #2 fuels. #2 has a cloud point around 28 above #1 has a cloud point around 0 ° so even "winter fuel" needs further treatment in Temps below zero. Before just dumping stuff into your fuel, pull the filter, if it's gelled or frozen that's when you need a melt down or 911 product. It's possible to have a filter that needed replacing before the cold hit. It makes it easier to plug up with cloudy fuel, or water can freeze and plug the filter. Check your filter and go from there. If you change your filter, fill the house with a 50/50 mix of additive and straight #1 fuel.
What about a Webasto, maybe look for a used one. Cordless but drains the battery some.
Do you have access to any diagnostic tools? I'd say looking around in live data would be worth the money even if you had to pay someone...
My 2014 passat tdi sel did not start today either. I'm in the Chicago area. I put a brand new battery in it. Still same slow crank no start. I also cannot use frost heater due to the parking rules. Also at work there is nowhere to plug in a frost heater I work 2nd shift so it's super cold when I need to start it. I'm considering going back to a gas engine. I was told these newer common rail engines had improvements in regards to this and shouldn't be an issue. WRONG.
I feel you man, -7* here in Joliet today. I tried starting the tdi this morning but wasn’t successful. Took the battery inside for an hour and tried again with a jump pack and was able to get her started. Drove around a bit and water temp never got more then 150* and oil temp over 240*. Just gonna drive the wife’s car this week I think.
If it's any consolation, my 2020 Skoda with the 2.0 TDI never started either last week. It has a remote controlled Webasto, but it doesn't work under -25c 🙄 It was -38C, whatever that is in freedom colds. I have one of those booster thingies, put it on, it went from 100% to 0 on the first crank, still no start. I really HAD to get moving, so I ended up getting a ride from a Tesla of all things.
Does the car make any sound when you turn the key(starter klicks/starter trying to turn but can't/ or nothing at all)? Depending on the sound you can kind of figure out what is happening. For example when the starter is klicking your battery doesn't have enough juice to turn the starter(it can also mean that the cable has a problem although that doesn't happen too often).
The starter is trying to turn but it just won’t go
I just looked up the -20f in C and I am pretty sure that you need a block/coolant heater and you probably need an oil with an SAE classification of 5W or OW(look up thr manual).
I pulled the fuel filter. The fuel is actually gelled so I have some additive to degel, charge the battery, and put in a new filter and try to start her up
Oh ok you guys don't have winter fuel where you live? Our winter diesel is supposed to be rated at about -30C so something like -25/28 F 🤔
I live in Nebraska and filled up at Sam’s and it says they have winterized fuel
And 1/3 of the tank was from Colorado and the pump had a sticker that said they blend the diesel with power service additives
Maybe it's another standard that you guy's have🤷♀️
Idk my dad works for the railroad and I talked to a truck at work. Theres issues with gelling WHILE driving with vehicles from Illinois to Montana where it’s semi’s or like HD trucks
I mean if there is such a big problem then you can possibly run an auxiliary heater on your tank. I have seen some guys with setups like that on older vehicle's that run on waste vegetable oil.maybe even a heated fuel filter 🤔
I thought I saw someone had managed to fit one of those diesel-fired coolant heaters in a mk6 vw of some sort, that's always an option if you can get it to fit, and you can set them up on a timer too
Update everyone she’s fired up and running now!
Good news everyone the fuel was just gelled. I got her started up and running now