NHTSA Complaint #10381254 — 2010 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA

SUCCESSFULLY STARTING AND DRIVING THE CAR FOR 3 DAYS OF BELOW FREEZING TEMPS AT 40MPH AVERAGE. PUT CAR IN 40DEG GARAGE OVERNIGHT. STARTED CAR IN THE MORNING IN GARAGE, IT RAN FOR ABOUT 3-5 SECONDS THEN STOPPED. RESTART ACTED LIKE DEAD BATTERY; HALF TURN OF CRANK, THEN NOTHING. SUSPECTING A DEAD BATTERY, I PUT A CHARGER ON AND TRIED AGAIN HALF AN HOUR LATER; STILL NO START, JUST HALF TURN THEN NOTHING. TRIED AGAIN ABOUT EVERY HALF HOUR FOR 3 HOURS UNTIL IT FINALLY STARTED, THEN IT SEEMED TO BE RUNNING ON 3 CYL FOR ABOUT 15-20 SEC UNTIL IT STARTED TO RUN SMOOTH. TOOK TO DEALER WHERE THEY TESTED BATTERY AND CHARGING SYSTEM; EVERYTHING WITHIN SPECS AND NO CODES. THEY KEPT CAR OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT AT 20 DEGREES AND IT STARTED RIGHT UP THE NEXT MORNING. I INVESTIGATED THIS ISSUE ON SEVERAL TDI FORUMS AND IT SEEMS THIS IS ATTRIBUTED TO ICE FORMING IN THE INTERCOOLER THEN THAWING WHEN WARMED UP. ENGINE WILL START NORMALLY UNTIL IT INGESTS THE WATER/VAPOR THAT SHUTS IT DOWN. SEVERAL OWNERS ARE REPORTING HALF CUP TO TWO CUPS OF WATER DRAINED OUT OF INTERCOOLER HOSES. SEVERAL OWNERS ARE REPORTING ENGINE EITHER SHUTTING DOWN OR GOING INTO LIMP MODE ON HIGHWAY AFTER ICE BLOCKS INTAKE SUFFICIENTLY. MOST ARE SUSPECTING THE LP EGR CIRCUIT THAT IS PUMPING MOIST AIR BACK INTO THE INTAKE/INTERCOOLER CAUSING CONDENSATION TO ACCUMULATE THEN FREEZE. I NOTIFIED DEALER WHEN THEY HAD THE CAR AND THEY DID NOT INVESTIGATE WATER IN INTERCOOLER AS REQUESTED. I SUSPECT THIS IS HYDROLOCKING THE ENGINE AND THAT SERIOUS ENGINE DAMAGE WILL OCCUR IF THIS CONTINUES DURING THE COLD MONTHS. SEVERAL FORUM MEMBERS IN CANADA ARE REPORTING THAT VW OF USA KNOWS ABOUT THIS AND IS WORKING ON A SOLUTION BUT NOBODY HAS SEEN ANYTHING YET. SEVERAL DEALERS ARE RECOMMENDING THE REMOVAL OF THE FRESH AIR INTAKE PIPE TO DRAW WARM, UNDERHOOD AIR INTO THE INTAKE; THIS DOES NOT SEEM TO AFFECT THE ICING AS THE MOISTURE SEEMS TO BE COMING FROM THE EXHAUST STREAM VIA THE LP EGR. *TR