[ethanwittke4]

Hello everyone. I have a 2001 ALH TDI I’m currently borrowing off of a friend until my truck build is complete. Ever since it’s been really cold I have had real bad troubles with starting the car and keeping it running. Currently, I’m letting 3 cycles of glow plugs and going from there. once I start it, it’s heavy grey smoke, inconsistent rpm and sometimes I’ll leave it idle, come inside and the car shuts itself off. I’ll go out and start it again, and until it gets heat it will smoke like a freight train. Has been tuned for over a year on a light popcorn tune with high idle. Have had a wiring issue with it in the past week which resulted in a blown alternator fuse as someone put the battery in backwards and fried a couple fuses. Looking for a solution so I won’t keep smoking out the neighborhood and can return the car in better running condition than before. Thanks!

 

[a1979corvette]

Your diagnostics are perfect! You have gray exhaust, probably smells like straight raw diesel. You cycle the glow plugs three times and still does the same thing.
Get a set of brand new glow plugs and test the glow plug power wires!