seatkid

Not recommended, they take up to 160 amps initially! The chances of accidently shorting the battery to ground are very high and then you would be sorry. A diagnostic scan with VAGCOM/VCDS is the first thing to do. As I pointed out, a faulty temperature sensor will affect glowplug power and timing, and also fuel quantity and injection timing. (MJ mentioned clouds of white smoke on starting, which is a classic timing issue) Lack of glowplug operation should only make starting as difficult as described in sub zero temperatures.

Does the glowplug light stay on for more than a fraction of second when cold starting? If not - it may be a faulty temperature sensor - the one fitted in the top radiator hose, I think. (Its a dual device fitted on Mk1 Tdi one serves the water gauge, the other tells the ECU the temperature and is used for glow plug timing, fuelling and injection timing change with temperature) VAGCOM/VCDS may be able to help by checking the reported temperature - perhaps someone can comment on that.

Scrap yard probably cheapest option.

glue it back together? or Drill out airbox fit some kind of connector - could be a bit of hard plastic piping of correct diameter pushed in and glued in.

Could be several reasons, but first refrain from using eazistart! It will damage your engine that only an expensive rebuild can fix!! Is this a problem that suddenly appeared or has it been getting worse over a period? Do you have a good battery and starter motor? i.e. healthly terminal voltage, fast turn over etc Has the car been serviced recently and when was the fuel filter last changed? Are there any bleeps coming from the dash, before, during or after an attempted start? Try and describe some symptoms (no eazistart!!) Does it restart ok immediately after engine has stopped? Does it start ok when engine is warm/hot after it has stood for a few minutes? Is it just a cold start problem? Does it throw out white smoke when trying to start? Does it even attempt to start? Once running, does it run ok? i.e. smooth, not lumpy, no smoke, pull well, good power, good fuel economy?

Yes and Yes

Check the sensor hasnt become unplugged/torn off. Its located behind the front bumper in the fog light area on the drivers side.

You dont need to remove the glowplugs to test them. First remove the engine cover Get access to your glowplugs - On the Mk 1 (pre 2000) Tdi (photo below), the glowplugs are situated on the cylinder head under the injectors but I think on your engine you have to remove the rocker cover to get to them ( but check as I may be wrong) Pull the busbar off - this requires a hefty tug at each plug position. Check the resistance of each plug using a multimeter between the plug top and the engine block (ground). THe resistance should typically be 0.3 - 0.7 ohm (not 3 ohms as suggested by Smudger). A faulty plug will be significantly higher, usually several hundred ohms - open circuit. Change the faulty plugs, I think a 10mm extended socket is required. Dont forget to push the busbar firmly back on. photo of Mk1 glowplugs with busbar unclipped

I believe the main reason for turbo failure is lack of lubrication due to the oil feed pipe getting blocked which in turn is due to lack of oil changes or substandard oil. Whistle/whine is caused by unbalance and there will always be some though it sholud be inaudible except on switch off (when hot) when a gentle whistle will be heard. Some black smoke under hard acceleration is usual when the car hasnt been used hard and soot has accumulated in the exhaust. Try an italian tune up i.e. hard accelleration cycle from low revs in 3rd gear to max revs in 3rd gear and hold at max revs for 10-15 secs, repeat several times, checking mirror for clouds of black billowing out the back, - watch you dont brake any traffic laws and show some courtesy for the poor sod following behind you. This will also remove some of the crap stuck in the turbo/egr. Oh.....and better dont try this if your cambelt is way overdue a change!!!

Sounds like the "trapped finger" protection (triggered by overcurrent) Try lubricating the slide runners with some silicone spray to make the upward movement of glass easier for the motor.

I didnt think you could get a ball bearing that worked at up to 250,000 rpm! I would say this is BS and such a turbo wont last long.

If its just a deep lacquer scratch,clean well, fill the scratch with lacquer (mask and a few sprays with the can, waiting 10 mins between each stroke). Then leave to dry, cure and harden for 48 hours or more. Finally use a fine cutting paste or t-cut to level off the area and polish it.

Just checked the TIS wiring diagrams. Mk1 Diesels (Tdi) have a dual temp sensor - one element drives the temp guage the other feed to the ECU for engine control inc glowplugs. Mk2 diesels (PD) have a single sensor to the ECU only - the temp guage is probably driven from the ECU. Its also worth noting there are other temp sensors - e.g. on the MK1 there is a fuel temp sensor built into the fuel distributor pump and and air charge sensor - in the TMAP sensor and/or MAF sensor? So my comment about the glow plugs relate to the MK1 Tdi.

I think it is probably required for HSE reasons as they are classified as explosive devices and would otherwise have to be stored in an approved safe area. You are right that smudger wouldnt get his oil light frigged airbag light through the test. The airbag light comes on when the ignition is turned on and extiniguishes as self tests are complete - approx 2 secs. A tester will check this without starting the engine.

If its a Mk2, then I believe you have to clear the error code using VAGCOM/VCDS before it will attempt to fire up.

I have nothing against putting it through the MOT early, thats legal (until 20th March) and the indicator tells the driver/passenger of the risk when travelling in your car. but I really think that frigging the LED is stupid and irresponsible. If you, your passengers, or a buyer of your vehicle were involved in a serious/fatal accident in which the lack of airbags were a factor, its likely a police investigation would uncover your skullduggery and you would be held liable and of course lose all insurance cover and have police/insurance/injured parties persue you for criminal negligence and fraud.

No idea - but check my post in your airbag light thread regarding MOT - important!

Airbag light indicating failure will be part of the MOT test as from 20th March 2013 - next week! Smudger needs to have his MOT done before the cutoff date....Can someone PM him? (I dont do PM's)

Expense? NGK glow plugs cost me about £7 each IIRC. Admittedly my Mk1, the glow plugs are very easy to change, IIRC MK2 glowplugs are under the rocker cover which is a bit of a nuisance... You only need change the faulty ones.....they either work or they dont Dont buy cheap glowplugs (e.g. fleabay (a lot of fakes) or noname brands - they dont last long at all) stick to OEM e.g. NGK/Bosch/Beru etc from reputable suppliers (try GSF/EuroCarparts/VWspares.co.uk) Not really, just that really cold starts (e.g. -5 deg C or below) might be difficult without all the glow plugs working.

No I personally feel it is a myth that the plugs stay on for a long time after the light goes out. I doubt it, its a couple of seconds maybe. Its worth pointing out that the temperature sensor used to calculate glow plug time is not the same one that drives the temp gauge. A faulty temperature sensor can give too short glow plug time which affects cold starting also. 2 of my glowplugs failed at about 60k giving a lumpy start, now I have 125k on the clock I think maybe 1 or 2 of the other original plugs have gone as I have a lumpy start for 2 or 3 seconds again if the car is left outside on a really cold night (below zero).

Yes The light indicates you should wait before attempting to start the engine. The timing of this is controlled by the ECU and temperature sensors. The colder the engine and ambient is, the longer the light will stay on. During the time the light is on, power is applied to the 4 glowplugs, which heat to the point of glowing white hot inside the cylinder, the point is to heat the air locally and help the diesel fuel ignite properly without delay. If a glowplug is faulty, (it usually goes open cicuit like a broken bulb) then that cylinder will not heat and until the engine has run for several seconds, the fuel will struggle to ignit correctly or ignite late resulting in banging/clattering/smoke etc etc. The light does not indicate the glowplugs are actually working. Pull the busbar off the glowplugs and test the glowplugs for continuity to the engine block with a multimeter. They should measure around 0.3 - 0.8 ohm when cold. Replace one that show high resistance or open circuit.

One or more of your glowplugs are probably broken or not working.

Just read this - its referring to Audi's but the same engines and possible theres a recall

Try the link in my previous reply...... IIRC to change the fuel pump, remove the centre/rear seats and lift up the carpet - there is an removeable access panel there.