Leon TDi cold start problem

**Degsy** · 03-11-2012,08:50 AM

Hi, I wondered if anyone can shed any light on a problem with my Leon TDi (150). I’ve only had it a couple of weeks and all appears well apart from there appears to be an issue with cold starting.

When it’s first started, it just seems to struggle to get going, if I give it half throttle, it sometimes catches a bit better but usually it just ‘chugs’ for a bit and then amid a cloud of diesel smoke improves bit by bit until it runs properly (this takes about 10 to 15 seconds).

I haven’t taken it anywhere as yet but just wondered if this was a common fault/problem that was an easy fix such as replace glow plugs etc.

Thanks

**Guest 2** · 03-11-2012,08:51 AM

Fuel filter?

**Degsy** · 03-11-2012,09:03 AM

Cheers, it's a starting point.

**Doctle Odd** · 03-11-2012,11:26 AM

You'd really need to do a scan with VCDS it could be a sensor, glow plugs etc

**Degsy** · 04-11-2012,08:40 AM

Thanks

**Benzy** · 24-02-2013,08:13 PM

R u sure u r pre heating the glow plugs enough? When it is really cold i will cycle my ignition a couple of times, give it a couple of 10 second bursts on the ignition before starting it.

If its really cold then the temperature won't build enough under compression to ignite, and therefore, start.

Give that a try before changing anything and spending money on it mate as if its just in cold conditions it will not be anything fuel related. At the most it would be glow plugs

Let me know how u get on

**Degsy** · 24-02-2013,11:09 PM

Thanks, you would have thought by the end of Feb we wouldn't be having anymore cold mornings. I'll give your suggestion a try and see what happens. A mate has just bought an A4 tdi 130 and has a similar problem. Apparently it's common with this type of injector. Probably another case of 'you get that with that model!'

**Benzy** · 25-02-2013,07:41 AM

It's just diesel mate. I have a pd170 and mine really struggled a couple of times last month.

Where as petrol ignites with a spark, diesel relies on heat caused by compression, which will then ignite itself if it reaches the desired heat. Obviously if the cylinder is cold then it might not reach the temperature needed for combustion.

Hope this helps and hope I'm not teaching u to suck eggs lol. Sorry if I am

**Degsy** · 27-02-2013,07:17 PM

Benzy,

Thanks for this. Don't worry, no offence taken. Any response is always helpfull even if it only reaffirms what you already think. As temperatures have soared to the heady hights of 3degrees, the problem has sort of gone away.