Golf Mk5 1.9TDI stops after 3 minutes in very cold weather. Dry fuel filter!

[Aerostorm]

Hi all

I hope you can help me! My Golf 1.9TDI stopped at the side of the road the other day, very sudden loss of power & stall. Then won't start again, just cranks over!. Very very cold morning. Had to be recovered home. Mechanic said the fuel filter was clogged with oil so changed it & air filter. All ok for a couple of weeks then one (again) very cold evening it happened again! Both times I had only done a few miles from home so engine wasn't yet fully warm. Second time mechanic said the fuel filter (that he'd replaced previously) was bone dry. He filled the filter with diesel & the car fired first time! He drove the car for quite a while & then checked the fuel filter which was still topped up, so we're assuming a possible fuel pump intermittent problem! Any thoughts though as to possible alternatives would be very appreciated before I go down the road of paying for a new fuel pump to be fitted! BTW I did alos check the fuel pump fuse which did actually feel a little loose. So I bent the lugs so they'll hopefully be a better contact!

Thanks y'all in advance, muchos gracias!

[niall campbell]

it could be water in the fuel system freezing , hence the cold weather, you don't say how cold, cold to me is minus 30

I change my fuel filter very 20,000 miles to stop the filter freezing, as at the bottom of filters are or used to be a draining screw, to get rid of the water. Modern cars have this now sealed, so now more important to change regularly

It could also be a faulty fuel tank sender unit, you simply ran out of fuel

It could also be that the tank pipes are not lifting from one half of the tank to another, to get pumped out

[Aerostorm]

Thanks Niall, yeah the fuel filter was changed the first time the car broke down (only 3 weeks ago!) so thats essentially brand new! We're considering the fuel tank sender unit! Could be that! Tempreture was either freezing, or just above!

Appreciate your thoughts mate!

[micheal balbrig]

Some older TDI units had a gauze filter inside in the tank,in the unit which needed to be cleaned at times as they could block the outlet.
Other possibility could be flexi pipes breaking down internally and acting as valves.
If the problems happened when car was parked facing uphill, it may be fuel running back to tank,possibly leaking o rings etc.
Just a few remote possibilities.

[Aerostorm]

Thanks Michael, yes both of those are a possibility I guess! Thanks for the suggestions.

[peterb1]

Hi Just replaced the fuel pump on my daughters 2005 Golf 1.9TDi after the same problem. Looks like a faulty pump if the filter is dry. Bosch fuel pump cost £120 and my mechanical friend said don't buy the cheaper version for £100 as they can fail after 18 months so not worth the risk. The good news is it is a simple job and only took about 10 mins to do with just a screwdriver and a hammer....

[peterb1]

When you turn on the ignition you should hear a brief "whirring" sound as the pump primes the injectors. If not the fuel pump is probably faulty. If you hear the pump then maybe a blocked line??