2004 new beetle tdi won't start after fuel filter change

[alchemistgeorge]

I filled the new filter with fuel, reconnected it, started it and drove it for a 1/4 mile, parked it, a few hours later it starts but won't run - starts for 2 seconds then dies.

We've been running it on 100% biodiesel for a few months / couple thousand miles, noticed it was getting really slow up hills and thought we'd change the fuel filter.

I assume there is air in the fuel lines. I filled the tank with fuel and disconnected the fuel line from the engine and sucked (yuck) about a cup of fuel through with lots o' air bubbles, reconnected it and it still runs for 1-2 seconds then dies.

Any suggestions? I don't have compressed air to put pressure into the fuel tank, the car is mostly level, might get a buddy to help me push it so that the nose of car is downhill.

my '84 mbz has a priming pump, wish my beetle had one.

[alchemistgeorge]

from a buddy, am planning on putting pressure into fuel tank (stuff rag into opening w/ pressure hose).

Where is best place for me to bleed - I'm guessing where the return line leaves the fuel injection system?

How much fuel do I need to push through? a tablespoon? a cup? a quart?

Thanks

[alchemistgeorge]

got the car parked nose down on a hill and blew some air into the fuel tank, got fuel lowing out of the line into the injection system (past the fuel filter), none coming out of the injection system, I did suck on the out line from the injectors and got some air bubbles & fuel to come out.

Still same results - turn key, engine starts, revs up to 2k rpm and dies immediately.

I'm beginning to think this is an electrical / electronic issue - the little "key in car" light on the dash goes out, so am assuming it is not the immobilizer ...

next step - tomorrow its getting towed to the dealer unless I can come up with a better idea.

arghh!!!!

[wild3bill]

I bought a little 12 Volt INLINE Fuel pump, at a car parts store.With a short jumper of fuel hose it can be inserted in the line either before the filter or on the fitler OUT nippple, to purge air,Not for permenent installation. It is tricky to buy a pump like this because Some counter people or Web sites Only want to sell a replacement part for a particular car: year make model.I have a Master Pump E8016sd. Another one I have is called Solid State Pump. A counter guy at Advanced said they had no such pump in their computer.I said how about the one hung on the wall behind the counter. It may be easier to get at a speed shop than a regular part store that does not cater to hot rod or custom modifications. Like some block heaters, horns, and lights: they are an accessory not a part ! I have used it to drain fueltanks completely in addition to priming out air bubbles on my Old VW as well as my Chevy and GM 6.2 V8s. They have never complained about the taste of either Gas or Diesel Fuel!

[alchemistgeorge]

The people at vw who designed this thing have surely accumulated a lot of bad Karma with this one.

Fortunately, at least on this model year, you can reset the immobilizer by taking both cables off the battery and then touching them together for a few seconds - must drain some capacitors, etc. - and then starting the car with a valid key. The mechanics I've talked to have not heard of this, and the dealership wouldn't tell me this - I'm not sure if they know.

For the cost of a very expensive connector, you can get freeware software for a laptop that will reset the engine computer.

During the three years we've owned the car it has happened twice - the keys deprogram themselves .... I think this is one of the worst features of a car security system I've ever heard of.

[myke_w]

In several new beetles I've seen this problem.

I think it all goes back to a bad connection in the immobilizer circuit in instrument cluster harness. I've heard of people pulling the cluster and cleaning and bending connectors tighter for better contact and solving the problem for good. It's anew beetle specific problem in my experience.

[mig25]

I would never run biodiesel in my TDi PD BEW engine without adding stanadyne first.
It is just my two cents.

[alchemistgeorge]

I would never run biodiesel in my TDi PD BEW engine without adding stanadyne first.
It is just my two cents.

Interesting. I went to the Stanadyne site & looked it up - is there something specific you are concerned about or more like "an ounce of prevention" approach? When I ran vegetable oil in my mercedes diesel I always used additives - anti-fungal and to prevent build-up.

[MayorDJQ]

It sounds like this car is an ALH as opposed to a PD-BEW. PDs have an intake lift pump which will prime the fuel system after a filter change.