# VW Golf MKIV 2.0 cutting out after around 30min of smooth running.



## AmorEMorte (Jul 24, 2010)

Good day....Please help me!!!!
I have a VW Golf MKIV 2.0 Highline manual. 
Problem is it starts up fine. Runs perfectly, Idles perfectly, Loads of power...
THEN.... 30min later driving or just standing and idling...
It just cuts out. NO warning lights or anything.
The car will crank over but not start for around 20-30min. 
Then as if nothing happens it will start and run perfectly again for around 30min.
Its driving me up the walls.
Took it in to the auto electrician, No fault codes on the VAG. (Either running o idling)
Two new coil packs.
Checked all the earth points.
Checked all the sensors.
I found that the wire that runs from the alternator to the battery got hot but only on the battery side. Replaced the connector and the wire doesn’t overheat any more. Still the same problem.
The only thing that i found is that it seems that my fans don’t come on. I read up that if you put the ac on that the fans should run. Is this true?
I have found that if i remove fuse 16 that one of the fans come but stays on regardless of the temp of the car. Also i am not too sure if the car reaches a high enough temp before it cuts out for the fan to come on in the first place.
Even when driving on the highway you can feel it cut out. It is possible to “jump-start” it while driving at a high speed 100Km/h by switching off the ignition, switching it back on again and Releasing the clutch etc. 
Problem is that town driving is not possible as the car just dies and stays dead for 20-30min.
Any advice will please!!!!
P.S. This problem is not intermittent. It happens every time the car runs.


----------



## skip57 (Nov 7, 2008)

This needs to be check when it happens as you know it appears to be heat related. Any ignition related sensor needs to be checked with an OHM meter. Any thing out of spec. needs to be replaced.


----------



## rommeldawg (May 25, 2009)

so the car on interstate will cut off and if you downshift and pop the clutch it will restart and run... does it keep cutting out or can you continue to drive it? as for the fans , the ac should activate them as should the cars temp... there is a module, relay and sensor that controls them so you have to eliminate what isnt working


----------



## FL 2.0L (Aug 1, 2002)

You've ruled out the coil. If it had been the coil, I'd think you would have experienced some misfiring when idling. Anyway, it sounds like the crank sensor to me. Do you have spark when it cuts out and won't run?


----------



## ps2375 (Aug 13, 2003)

I would find another shop to scan the car. If it shuts off like you said, there should be a code logged if it is anything other than the fuel pump. But my guess would also be the crank sensor.


----------



## skip57 (Nov 7, 2008)

I don't recommend turning the key off at 100 kmh that locks the steering. As for a down shift and pop the clutch over 15 mph I think could cause catastrophic repairs.
Can you barrow a known good ECM and try it?


----------



## ps2375 (Aug 13, 2003)

skip57 said:


> As for a down shift and pop the clutch over 15 mph I think could cause catastrophic repairs.


Do you drive a manual tranny car much? This is no worse than a spirited down shift.


----------



## skip57 (Nov 7, 2008)

Yes I do have 4 & 5 speed manuals and have driven 3 speeds to 10 speeds all manuals. As you said pop the clutch, and in normal conditions this tends to cause problems. When the engine stops running we are talking 0 RPM's to 3.5 to 4K RPM's right now at 60-65 MPH
A spirited down shift is a way of matching the road speed to the RPM's to slow the car and maintain control


----------



## AmorEMorte (Jul 24, 2010)

Hi there.
Thank you for all the input.
i also think i might be heat related seeing that the fans don’t kick in at all. (a/c on or off)
So i guess it must be either the sensor on the flange or the one on the radiator.
The only thing i do not understand is that the car does not overheat. The temp. Measures around 90 on the gauge.(i presume that this is normal.)
I have replaced the water pump recently so i know that is all in order.
The VAG didn’t show any errors on the sensors. Is there any way i can test the sensors with say a multi meter?

p.s. When i poped the cluch while driving on the Highway/Interstate i made sure that i’m in a gear that closely matches the engine speed. So no didn’t just pop it into 1st or second.


----------



## skip57 (Nov 7, 2008)

The fan comes on at 197F and yes you can OHM out the sensors you need a BENTLEY manual.

can you swap in a borrowed ECU 
as for the temp. it should be about half the gage at 20 min.
as for the fan I would look at the relay


----------



## AmorEMorte (Jul 24, 2010)

Good day

ireplaced both the sensors. The one on the flange and the one on the radiator.
Still without any luck.

Still searching for the solution.

The fan relay is located under the battery? or is that just the control module?
Or is it located under the dash with the other relays?

Kind regards,
Henk


----------



## skip57 (Nov 7, 2008)

I don't have a Mk IV book so it probably be cheaper to by the BENTLEY than through parts at it. How did you decide that the sensors were bad and not the relay (normally at the fuse box)


----------



## AmorEMorte (Jul 24, 2010)

Sorry but do anybody know what the number is for the Relay for the cooling fans on the radiator?


----------



## AmorEMorte (Jul 24, 2010)

Sorry guys:banghead:. Still no Luck!!!:banghead::banghead::banghead: 
Dont know what to do anymore!!!


----------



## digraph (Jul 23, 1999)

When you say it will crank but not start, do you hear the fuel pump priming? 

I hate throwing parts at the problem, and I'm biased toward what's happened to my MKIV, but you might want to try a working fuel pump relay. It's doubtful there's an air problem - so either fuel or spark. It's also doubtful that all plugs would fail at once - unless it's the coil or connection between the ECU and coil - or power to the coil. So my guess is somewhere in the fuel system.


----------



## IAMFOOSH (Jan 11, 2011)

i used to have this problem would shut off whenever it damned well pleased wasnt really to worried about the ppl bitching behind me at stop lights or in traffic seeing as how in new mexico all these tards drive like crap anyways...anywho after being stuck at home one day cuz the car wouldnt start got annoyed started rippin at **** that had to do with ignition and way up in the dash i found one of those immobilzer keys that tap into the ignition and i guess i fried it one time when i jumpstarted the battery and would someties loose contact ripped that B**** out connected the wires back together and BAM fixed ,....so u might wanna try and see if your car is equipted with one lol worth a shot.....oh also my fans didnt work either but they started working sometime or another just noticed them on one day...:laugh:


----------



## AmorEMorte (Jul 24, 2010)

Thank you for the advice but unfortunately this is not the cause or solution for my problems or rather my cars problems.
Could the fan control module be the cause of my misery? At this stage the fans don’t kick in. The car does not over heat but cuts out around the time that the fans should kick in. I have replaced all of the temp. Sensors so and is 100% sure that they are all in working order.
I know there is something wrong because the fans don’t kick in when the a/c is switched on.
So what i’m asking is. If the Fan Module goes bad could it cause the car to cut out before it over heats?


----------



## digraph (Jul 23, 1999)

It's certainly conceivable there's a short (or something) in the fan module and when it goes to kick on it takes down all of the electronics (and by extension the whole car). Also, maybe one of the fan motors shorts to ground? This is hard to test in the cold, but if you start the car and let it idle till the point where the fans should turn on, what happens?

Also, apply 12v (I imagine that's the right voltage) to each of the fans without the car on, do they spin or spark? See where I'm going?


----------



## AmorEMorte (Jul 24, 2010)

New development.
Decided to take a chance and drive to work with my car this morning.
Had the A/C and the heater on full.... Windows open....
Seem that that sort of did the trick.
The car never got to the normal operating temp (12o’clock) on the gauge.
So the car ran for longer than the 30min without cutting out.

Any idea on why when it runs a bit colder why it doesn’t cut out now?????


----------



## fastinradford (Aug 3, 2010)

sounds like classic crank position sensor to me.


----------



## AmorEMorte (Jul 24, 2010)

Ok. One more question.
Is the crank position sensor and the hall sensor the same thng????


----------



## skip57 (Nov 7, 2008)

No the hall sensor is in the distributer, and the crank sensor is behind the front engine mount and near the oil filter. You should have two plugs mounted on the front steel motor mount one of them is the crank sensor(trace them out). Then you can OHM out the crank sensor to see if it is with in 500/700 OMHs. The hall sensor will not stop the ignition system.


----------

