2011 VW Touareg V6 Tdi starting problems

20

Asked by Trinioptiker1 Dec 05, 2015 at 08:27 PM about the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg TDI Executive

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

The vehicle tumbles for a few seconds the starts with a cloud of whitish - grey
smoke. Some times I have to stop the vehicle from tumbling so that the
battery doesn't run down.
Within recently the proble, has gotten far worse .. Now once I park the vehicle
and shut it off it is a challenge vto start it back . It tumbles for a prolong
period of time and starts with a cloud of greyish - sometimes white smoke.
Contacted the dealership and they indicated that the compression is low in
the engine that the cause of the problem. Vehicle is only doing 42000 miles
when it started happening. Now I am on 51k miles. I am not very confident in
the dealerships assessment and I would appreciate any assistance form
someone.

8 Answers

45,325

trouble with those touareg's is they have a cylinder that tends to go bad. Try replacing the coil packs and spark plugs especially on the number 1 cylinder. this should fix the issue.

20

Hi Mine is a diesel so there is no spark plugs but there is glow plugs . Nor do I think it would have a coil pack .

45,325

sorry i missed that was half asleep righting an answer lol. Any ways the problem is your starter or your battery. the battery has to be a specific imported one some called a Varta battery, so if you replaced it recently with a normal one this issue will start happening. The other issue is the starter if its not cranking 280rpms it will cause the white smoke and starting issues.

2 people found this helpful.
20

How can I check to see if my starter is doing 280 rpms? I did change the battery from the original Varta battery as I thought it was a battery issue. I replaced it with a TRAC din 100 which is what the dealership recommended , the problem still existed. Let's say that the starter is not doing the 280 rpms how do I fix that ? Do I have to purchase a new starter or can it be adjusted ? What about the low compression that the dealership spoke about the told me it is as a result of the head. Attached is the results of the compression test that was done ? Do you think there is any validity in what the dealership is saying ?

2 people found this helpful.
45,325

well as for the low compression that could be caused by the improper voltage regulation. i would take the battery back to the vw dealer and have them replace it with the proper battery. as for the starter unfortunately when these things go they usually have to be replaced. If you still have warranty its covered. if not your buying new and that's not cheap. have them replace the starter and glow plugs and see if that fixes it. tho with my previous experience with the dealer you will get a nose bleed before you get them to replace something under warranty. so just ask to trouble shoot the starter and make sure its cranking the engine enough for its initial start up. If they refuse to look at what your doing just say OK the media will love to hear more about you honoring service warranty's

20

I have the same problem. First start in the morning it takes a while to start but after that no problems. Found out that if I start for the first time in the morning I keep the accelerator in all the way and the it starts immediately. Can it be the starter or must I check the glow plugs?

2 people found this helpful.
45

The problem was rectified eventually by both cyclinder heads being changed under a goodwill warranty. This problem “I am told” come from the quality of diesel we have in my country being high in sulphur. This causes a wear on the parts. What also happened is there was a large quantity of carbon build up in the engine. The dealerships mechanic seems to be unsure about the actual cause as well . What I do know is this is an “inherent” problem with all the Touareg, cayenne and Q7 we have in Trinidad . They all share the same engine and the all have the same problem . It has gotten so bad that they have stopped selling the Touareg here as well as the diesel version of the Q7 I have heard about some alternatives that you may try before you go to the extreme of changing the cyclinder heads . Unless the vehicle is under warranty or you can get a good will warranty from the dealer ship . The suggestion I have heard that worked for some is as follows : Before you start I would suggest that you do a compression test on the engine so that you have a reference point to see how effective the treatments are. 1) hydrogen de carbonation treatment . According to how severe the carbon build up is you may have to do more than one . 2) after the step in one you need to run the engine at least a couple times a week with a high rpm (4-4.5k) you can do this with the vehicle in manual mode. 3) there is a fuel additive called Sultron this is helpful in reducing the sulphur content . Use it for every fill . I would also suggest also adding an injector cleaner. 4) since the basis of my problem stated with the quality of the fuel being high in sulphur . It’s also recommended you change the oils and oil filter more often than recommended . When you have done the hydrogen decarbonation treatment and you have run the vehicle a few times at high rpms (high rpms would allow for a burn out of the built up carbon in the system) along with sultron check back the compression of the engine for each individual cyclinder. (This should have been some initially) I also have another friend that had a similar problem and this was what was done and he indicted a marked improvement . Please let me know if this worked for you . Hope your hiding work out and you are back up and running like new soon !!!!

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Touareg

Looking for a Used Touareg in your area?

CarGurus has 86 nationwide Touareg listings starting at $9,888.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    dandyoun
    Reputation
    1,550
  • #2
    Courtney0424
    Reputation
    260
  • #3
    ginger725
    Reputation
    240
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Volkswagen Tiguan
75 Great Deals out of 2,753 listings starting at $379
Used Porsche Cayenne
16 Great Deals out of 270 listings starting at $7,888
Used Audi Q7
18 Great Deals out of 385 listings starting at $6,999
Used BMW X5
63 Great Deals out of 994 listings starting at $5,977
Used Jeep Grand Cherokee
114 Great Deals out of 3,641 listings starting at $5,555
Used Lexus GX
48 listings starting at $26,999
Used Volkswagen Passat
28 Great Deals out of 498 listings starting at $3,499
Used Toyota 4Runner
23 Great Deals out of 545 listings starting at $12,999
Used Lexus RX
44 Great Deals out of 1,214 listings starting at $4,995
Used Mercedes-Benz M-Class
18 Great Deals out of 162 listings starting at $4,500

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.