OBDII code on 01' VW Golf
 

I've been having a bit of car trouble lately, and am wondering if someone can help me figure out what this code means. I believe it was P00332 and it said something along the lines of "Ignition/Engine Transition Circuit" --I'm trying to remember from last night, so that might not be exactly right.

2001 VW Golf 2.0

The problem I'm having is that it doesn't like to start when the engine is hot. For example, if I drive it around, get the engine to operating temperature, shut it off, and try to turn it on like 2 minutes later, it won't go. I have to let it cool down before it will start. Sometimes is has to be COMPLETELY cold before it will start, sometimes only half cold or so. When it first started happening, I could usually coax it into starting if I depressed the gas pedal all the way when trying to start it. Doesn't work anymore.

Any ideas on what that code means, or what I might check into to fix or diagnose it? I'm a college student, I definitely can't afford to take it to the VW dealer and just say "fix it." Heck, they wanted $100 just to hook it up to their machine and diagnose the error code!

I've been hearing that 01 and up aren't really good years for VW electrical systems...at 85,000 mi. I think I might be about to experience those gremlins.

Thanks,

~Slow

you have a bad coil..the final stage is going bad...

Seriously, ignition coil? Wouldn't that just fail all at once though? Is there a test procedure for it? Anything else it could be??

Thanks Nick!

if it's like my audi it doesn't have an ignition coil rather seperate coil packs so I doubt the diagnosis..
Go out and get yourself an ODBII reader , will pay for itself ..

01' still has spark plugs, no coil packs. I do remember them giving my brother a bit of hell in a GTI he had though:-P

Definitely considering buying an OBBII scanner.

the packs sit on the plugs.. my 01 audi is the same engine . I still doubt it's the coil even if it had one.

Yep, like most everything else, I did a horrible job of explaining what I meant to say:-D The 01 has no coil separate coil packs though.

Heck, I'm almost surprised mine doesn't, though. Brakes are from an 02...seems to be a late 01 build that got some 02 parts..?

Ohhh VW...heh

edit:

Are you sure it's the 2.0L? I thought the A4 was either the 1.8T or the 2.8 six?

Correct, mine is a 1.8 L turbo.. Question does this usually happen in the summer ? I'm thinking maybe vapor lock ?
T

I wouldn't know, it's only been doing it for a few weeks (2, maybe?). It's still winter down here in Kentucky.

slowtoady I could not find code P00332. I did find code P0332 Knock Sensor 2 Circ Low Input.

Here is a list of codes http://www.bentleypublishers.com/tech/vw/vw.dtc.table.htm

If it has individual coil packs on each plug, then a failure in a single coil pack would cause a misfire, rather than a difficulty in starting. If a knock sensor was failing, it could cause the computer to slowly set the ignition timing farther and farther out until it just didn't work any more. That's just me spit-wadding, can anyone validate the theory?

Dan

Peppy, you're right, that should have been P0332. I can't seem to get anything right on this post:-P

Knock sensor huh, that's cool...Is it possible, though, that the knock sensor only goes wonky when the engine is warm? My starting problems *only* occur when the engine is warm, never when it's cold.

Thanks guys, I appreciate it!

the coil is bad...btdt

Spray water from a water bottle on your coil pack at night and see if there are any arcs. The coil packs are notorious for going bad on the MK4 VWs. If you see arcs remove the coil pack and dry it out. Fill all cracks with JB weld. It's a common fix for these.

Tonight, about 30 minutes ago, the engine just shut off sitting at a stop light, then wouldn't restart. 10 minutes, maybe 15, later, it started. Managed to limp it back to campus.

Another vote for the coil, then? I guess I'll be buying one this week....