# 2004 1.8T Beetle, no start, no crank, no click



## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Car worked fine a few days ago, and honestly have never had many problems with it. 

Went to move it and it was acting dead, lights were dim. Hooked up some jumpers, left them connected to another vehicle for 15 minutes, car still won't turn over, and I'm hearing no clicking either from the starter relay. Odd.

Popped hood. *Notice a slight 'whirring' noise from the engine compartment. Pulled the green fuse out of the battery fuse block (all the way to the left of the triple fuses), on the left, and the whirring stopped.* Hooked up a battery charger, left it overnight.

Still nada. No turning over. Not even a starter relay click. Everything else works great, lights, radio, blower, etc. Where should I start?


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## Rockerchick (May 10, 2005)

Have you checked the battery voltage? It could have enough juice to power the lights, etc. but not enough to crank.


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Battery tester says it is 95% charged.


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## Rockerchick (May 10, 2005)

But what is the actual voltage?


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## rezz (Aug 7, 2021)

Try jumping the starter this will help narrow down the problem. Should be a video on youtube if your not sure how. 

Be careful


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## TimelessBucket (Apr 6, 2021)

Automatic? put it in Neutral and try it again.

Actual battery voltage would be good to know.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

How old is your battery? Because I'm thinking your battery is shot. You didn't say if you did, but did you try jump starting it when you had it connected to that other vehicle? A battery charger can give a false "charged" reading with a bad battery. It could also be the "neutral safety switch".


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Battery is maybe 2 years old. Tried starting it with jumper cables attached to a running vehicle. Still no start, not even a click. Voltage is fine. It's something else.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

strengthdesign said:


> Battery is maybe 2 years old. Tried starting it with jumper cables attached to a running vehicle. Still no start, not even a click. Voltage is fine. It's something else.


Do you have a scan tool? Is it a manual or automatic?


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Manual. Yes, I have a tool but there are no CELs


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## TimelessBucket (Apr 6, 2021)

Alright.

1. Look at the positive clamp on top of your battery, over time the big wire going down to starter break at the clamp. Wiggle the wire a little, make sure it is tight.


2. Unplug the signal wire at the starter, the small square connect or on the starter solenoid. That wire with send battery voltage to run the starter when you turn the key to start. You may need some help for this part. If you have a test light, stick the probe in that square plug and ground the test light, either leave visible from inside car or have someone crank it. If it lights up, replace starter. You can also do this with a multimeter and check if you get 12 volts during start.

2.1 you could just take a wire and jump the starter from battery + to the solenoid where square plug goes in. Put The Car In Neutral! And ignition on.


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Updates:

Had battery tested at parts store, it's fine. So that's not it.

Pull the fender liner and under car panels to get access to the starter, have the GF try to start it while I have a meter hooked up to the square signal wire, and it gets 12v, so that means clutch/ignition switch good, starter bad.

Get a new starter from Parts store, swap that in, and..... yeah same ****. Now I hear a small click, and no crank, no start. I don't get it. And that whirring when I plug the 3rd fuse in, what is that? It's like a high pitched electrical whine. It never did that before, and it does not stop and kills the battery if I leave the fuse plugged in.


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Still undrivable, unusable


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## rezz (Aug 7, 2021)

Check your grounds


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

strengthdesign said:


> Still undrivable, unusable
> [/QUOTEDo oQUOTE="strengthdesign, post: 115254743, member: 366062"]
> Still undrivable, unusable


I wonder if the "new" starter could be bad right out of the box?


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## TimelessBucket (Apr 6, 2021)

well good news, you got somewhere. as suggested, possible that the new starter is bad or your battery is crap (your battery assessment could be wrong). 

whirring noise, a lot of 1.8Ts had an auxillery water pump/electric after run pump. sometimes they run, don't remember much about them though. Usually it is located belt side lower end in front of the rad


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Brand new battery. Still nothing.


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## VW Beetle (Nov 9, 2021)

Does the car start when you push start it?


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

I wonder if its the clutch pedal switch not being tripped? Maybe the car thinks you have it in gear?


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## VW Beetle (Nov 9, 2021)

91JET16V said:


> I wonder if its the clutch pedal switch not being tripped? Maybe the car thinks you have it in gear?


My New Beetle starts without pressing the clutch pedal. I assume that is how they came from the factory


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## billymade (Jan 29, 2008)

Hmm, not the case on my former 00' GLX and current 02' Turbo S. What year is your New Beetle?


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

VW Beetle said:


> My New Beetle starts without pressing the clutch pedal. I assume that is how they came from the factory


Interesting, my 2001 1.8t Gti wouldn't start without clutch pedal depressed, as far as I can remember.


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## VW Beetle (Nov 9, 2021)

billymade said:


> Hmm, not the case on my former 00' GLX and current 02' Turbo S. What year is your New Beetle?


Mine is a 2000 2.0. Maybe the pedal sensor is stuck at depressed. In any case I can start the engine without pressing the clutch pedal.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

I would search the site for no crank no start and see what other things people have suggested. After re-reading all your posts it seems like it starts off like a low battery, but a new battery isn't fixing the problem. When I searched the site briefly somebody suggested checking both terminals on the starter for power, because you need the direct power from the battery and the signal wire power for the solenoid. Other than that you have checked all your fuses? Under the hood and inside the car? I don't see how you could have direct power and signal power to the starter and not have it spin, unless you have no ground or the new starter is bad.


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

I can't tell about pop starting it because I live on a hill and if it doesn't work it'll be down the hill. 

I put a meter on the wires going to the solenoid of the starter, and when I turn the key, it sees 12v. Given that, I would assume the igntion switch and clutch pedal switch are both good.

I'm going to try to hotwire the starter from the battery and see if it spins. If it does, then I really have no ****ing idea what the issue could be.


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## billymade (Jan 29, 2008)

What brand starter do you have? If it isn't working return it and have them test it. I've always stuck with oem Bosch starters; they have been solid, long lasting and reliable.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

Maybe connect a test light to the power terminal of the battery and touch the starter housing to make sure it has ground. You could check 12v to the starter on the signal wire (and have it) but if the starter isn't grounded you wouldn't complete the circuit.


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## VW Beetle (Nov 9, 2021)

strengthdesign said:


> I can't tell about pop starting it because I live on a hill and if it doesn't work it'll be down the hill.


You can also lift one of the front wheels, wind a rope around the wheel and pull it.
(second gear and pull parking brake all the way)


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## TimelessBucket (Apr 6, 2021)

strengthdesign said:


> Brand new battery. Still nothing.


have you checked your main positive battery wire going down to the starter? they like to brake off and corrode around the clamp, it could look good, but as soon as you tug on the wire it breaks off.

Remove/release tension on your accessory belt, I have seen people scrap their car because A/C compressor seized up and the motor won't turn over (does a click and that's it)




VW Beetle said:


> My New Beetle starts without pressing the clutch pedal. I assume that is how they came from the factory


Early models didn't have the switch (I think. my VR6 2000 didn't have one either)


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Wire looks good on the battery terminal, and it looked good on the starter itself when I replaced it. 

Ran a test wire from 12v battery to starter itself.

Touched the 12v wire from the battery to the starter terminal and it spun up the starter, but it did not sound like it extended and turned over the engine. Just sounded like a spinning electrical motor. Would there be a reason it would spin but not extend?


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## billymade (Jan 29, 2008)

What brand starter did you buy and install? Maybe, it is defective; get it tested to confirm. Cheap Chinese rebuilt or new starters; are notorius, for being defective, not last long and prematurely fail. Genuine oem Bosch is recommended; quality starters, same as installed at the VW factory, sold at the VW dealership parts dept but cost less.


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Idk I picked up whatever Oreilly's had in stock. No idea what brand it was.


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## billymade (Jan 29, 2008)

Most likely, one from their "Import Direct" house brand of parts for VWs; we have not heard of good feedback about the quality of these parts. For example, their fuel pumps; are made by Airtex, which are notoriously failure prone. For whatever reason; they source lower quality parts and still charge premium prices for them. 
I would remove the starter, have it tested at O'Reilly's; confirm it is or isn't bad and ideally, get a refund, go with a genuine oem Bosch starter. I believe Advance and Autozone; carry Bosch starters or order online for better pricing, lookup the right starter for your car here: Home | Bosch Auto Parts


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Yeah I don't think that's the issue, friend. I turn the key, nothing happens.

I jump 12v from the battery to the starter, it spins. 

Changning to a different brand starter would not fix the issue. What I don't understand is that when I turn the key, I get 12v to the plug that snaps into the starter. Makes no sense.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

TimelessBucket said:


> have you checked your main positive battery wire going down to the starter? they like to brake off and corrode around the clamp, it could look good, but as soon as you tug on the wire it breaks off.
> 
> Remove/release tension on your accessory belt, I have seen people scrap their car because A/C compressor seized up and the motor won't turn over (does a click and that's it)
> 
> ...


I have my son's friend's 1999.5 Vr6 GTI in my backyard and it has the switch.


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## 91JET16V (Jan 6, 2012)

strengthdesign said:


> Yeah I don't think that's the issue, friend. I turn the key, nothing happens.
> 
> I jump 12v from the battery to the starter, it spins.
> 
> Changning to a different brand starter would not fix the issue. What I don't understand is that when I turn the key, I get 12v to the plug that snaps into the starter. Makes no sense.


The starter solenoid makes the gear kick out and engage the flywheel. which in turn turns the motor over. Just because your new starter turns over that doesn't mean the new starter solenoid on the new starter is good. If you would listen to people trying to help and get the new starter tested we could move on from there.


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

I'm towing it somewhere. I give up. When I hotwire to the starter it spins, when I turn the key nothing happens. Makes no sense.


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## billymade (Jan 29, 2008)

Did you ever replace the starter switch? Let us know, what the problem was; when you get it fixed. Thanks.


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## strengthdesign (Nov 23, 2007)

Dragged the car to a repair shop, let them play with it.

Here was the problem: The autoparts store sold me the wrong f*cking starter. They sold me one for a 5spd, not a 6spd (turbo S, not regular turbo).

It looked the same, bolted in fine, and even the little connector signal wire clicked on, but it did not make electrical contact. It also didn't engage with the flywheel, the teeth were not long enough on the gear. Auto parts store was at fault, they sold me the wrong part, so they covered the labor to diagnose the wrong starter and replace it with the correct one, so I'm squared up.

Moral of the story: if you have a 6spd, make sure you get a 6spd starter. TRIPLE CHECK.


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## billymade (Jan 29, 2008)

Yep, that is common issue; every normal auto parts store I went to, tried to sell me the wrong starter for my 02 Turbo S (as noted: the 02J 5 speed; NOT the starter for the 02M 6 speed). I had to special order; from WorldPac through my Advance Auto, then CarQuest store (genuine Bosch). Glad you got it figured out; definitely, a unique starter, tooth count and flywheel different, clutch, etc. Thats great the auto parts store; helped you out with repair costs and diag, what parts store was that?


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## igofasts4 (Oct 28, 2012)

Do you have vag com?


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