Seeking help! Electrical gremlin on wife's '04 Jetta

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bighammer

bighammer

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This has been driving me crazy. It's an intermittent issue, so it has not been diagnosed yet. I've had it in the shop 2-3 times, spent hundreds $$,

The car will sometimes just die, for no apparent reason. It usually starts back up right away, but sometimes it takes several minutes to several hours before it will start. It acts just like the battery has been switched off. No dash lights, no nothin. My gut thinks it has to do with the alarm(?)

The car has a 2.0 w/ 5 speed. Any Jetta owners out there with some insight / suggestions?
 
Do you have an OBDII diagnostic tool? The security system should set codes if it is having problems.
 
First example to this symptom I recall right away is faulty connection at battery ground cable to block.
Second example was faulty positive connection at battery but that was a Geo with a fuse holder right at that battery terminal. I had to cut it open to find the fault inside.
Third and more common example is in ignition switches. manually operated switches are always suspect but... when you loose everything including dome lamp, horn, etc.. that should always be hot, we have to suspect battery and cables.
 
Rob, I don't have the diagnostic tool, but certainly when I had it back to the dealer 2-3 times, they must have used one. They couldn't find the problem... I'm going to try to check the cables and grounds like RedFish has suggested. THANKYOU both for the help
 
The ground thing was what instantly came to my mind as well, but you seemed to think maybe it has something to do with the security system.....and they can give codes without a check engine light. I think all the big box parts stores will check it for free. That and looking at the grounding situation is a start anyway. Have you done an internet search to see if this is a common problem? That might be something else to try. The internet is a great place to hunt for car problems.
 
I had an '89 Golf that did the same thing. Never figured it out. Acted like someone just turned the ignition off. Exact same scenario where it could take minutes to the next day for it start back up. I looked at the fuel pump, ignition, egr, grounds, etc. just to try and find something and never found it. Finally got rid of it after it left me stranded one too many times. VW's are known for electrical issues. I had a '95 Passat that had it's fair share of electrical gremlins, too. Decided after that I'll never get another one.
 
65ValiantWgn said:
I had an '89 Golf that did the same thing. Never figured it out. Acted like someone just turned the ignition off. Exact same scenario where it could take minutes to the next day for it start back up. I looked at the fuel pump, ignition, egr, grounds, etc. just to try and find something and never found it. Finally got rid of it after it left me stranded one too many times. VW's are known for electrical issues. I had a '95 Passat that had it's fair share of electrical gremlins, too. Decided after that I'll never get another one.
Click to expand...

I've done an internet search... Can't seem to find anything that corresponds to the problem my wife's having. Seems like the general consensus is VW's suffer from electrical problems. If / when I find and fix this, the car is going to be SOLD! ASAP!

The link posted by Clroads is specific to the TDI Jettas only. But thanks for trying.
 
Take a good look at all the pos+ wiring connections around the battery box. Make sure everything iis clean and tight. Same with the main ground cable. Your problem sounds like a poor connection upstream.

As already posted, TDI club is a great place to start looking, as is the vortex. Any of the common issues with these cars will be pretty well documented on these sites.

FWIW my wife's 03 TDI Jetta Wagon has over 250K trouble free miles, and she isn't exactly proactive about maintenance. The VAG MkIV platform is one of the most produced cars in the modern world. Parts are cheaply available and they are actually pretty simple.
 
Because of the slight time delay I would suspect / change the relay ($17 VW part) working as a fuse. Battery itself may be suspect (post - internal) at some point. Immobilizer is part of key fob (same problem with both keys?)

The security system on the '05 Chrysler T&C required you to pull the main fuse(right in front) wait 10 seconds and reinstall. Dealer (stealerships on VW forums) reflashed the ecu (software update) and no further problems.

2.0 w/ 5spd should be pretty bullet proof, but new 2015 Chrysler 200 is out. But cash looks good in my hand and it is back to the you pull it yard to see how / where the relay is located.
 
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