I am a senior at college and I finally brought my 2001 Jetta Volkswagen to school so I could use it for classes on the days it's too cold and getting to and from work. Unfortunately, it had to be towed because the hood started smoking, it made a bunch of weird noises and once I turned it off, it wouldn’t turn back on. The tow guy told me it's not starting because the coolant liquid was leaking due to a part of it having a hole in it. He showed me where one of the tubes had snapped off. After my dad talked to some mechanics and showed them pictures, he purchased the new part for it and gave it to me while I was home. After returning to school, I used pliers to reattach every part and clamped them tight.
Side note; I don’t know if this has to do with anything, but while clamping everything back together, the tube that is connected to the vacuum ventilator (I don’t know if that’s the exact name for it) fell off. I reattached it but noticed there is a crack NOT on the tube itself, but to the large rectangular looking thing or what it attaches to. It’s toward the top right of the engine (I wish I knew what it was called). I zip wired both ends of the tube so it wouldn’t fall off. I really have no idea if that is a factor on why my car isn’t starting. Also, I couldn’t feel any vacuum or air at the ends while a friend tried to start the car again.
Anyways, after the new part was replaced and everything was installed right, I filled the coolant container to the max line with new antifreeze. I then replaced the broken dipstick tube and filled it with oil. Upon checking the dipstick and seeing the oil line stop in between the checkered indent part, I assumed the oil level was fine now. I tried starting the car and yet again it wouldn’t start. The noise at first sounded normal while turning, but then it rumbled and didn’t sound too good. So I thought it may be possible that the battery died because I remembered a couple instances where I was sitting in the car because it was too cold with the internal lights on, as well as the car being out in the cold without starting it for a week. I jumped the car for 45 minutes (everything was clamped correctly). And still, it did not start.
I want to try everything possible before I use my insurance company card to have it towed for free and taken to a shop to get a free diagnostic. I don’t have a lot of money, that’s why if there’s a simple solution to purchasing a cheaper part and replacing it myself so I don’t have to spend a lot of money for a mechanic would be awesome. Any suggestions, things I should check, just any advice would be appreciated.
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I am a senior at college and I finally brought my 2001 Jetta Volkswagen to school so I could use it for classes on the days it's too cold and getting to and from work. Unfortunately, it had to be towed because the hood started smoking, it made a bunch of weird noises and once I turned it off, it wouldn’t turn back on. The tow guy told me it's not starting because the coolant liquid was leaking due to a part of it having a hole in it. He showed me where one of the tubes had snapped off. After my dad talked to some mechanics and showed them pictures, he purchased the new part for it and gave it to me while I was home. After returning to school, I used pliers to reattach every part and clamped them tight.
Side note; I don’t know if this has to do with anything, but while clamping everything back together, the tube that is connected to the vacuum ventilator (I don’t know if that’s the exact name for it) fell off. I reattached it but noticed there is a crack NOT on the tube itself, but to the large rectangular looking thing or what it attaches to. It’s toward the top right of the engine (I wish I knew what it was called). I zip wired both ends of the tube so it wouldn’t fall off. I really have no idea if that is a factor on why my car isn’t starting. Also, I couldn’t feel any vacuum or air at the ends while a friend tried to start the car again.
Anyways, after the new part was replaced and everything was installed right, I filled the coolant container to the max line with new antifreeze. I then replaced the broken dipstick tube and filled it with oil. Upon checking the dipstick and seeing the oil line stop in between the checkered indent part, I assumed the oil level was fine now. I tried starting the car and yet again it wouldn’t start. The noise at first sounded normal while turning, but then it rumbled and didn’t sound too good. So I thought it may be possible that the battery died because I remembered a couple instances where I was sitting in the car because it was too cold with the internal lights on, as well as the car being out in the cold without starting it for a week. I jumped the car for 45 minutes (everything was clamped correctly). And still, it did not start.
I want to try everything possible before I use my insurance company card to have it towed for free and taken to a shop to get a free diagnostic. I don’t have a lot of money, that’s why if there’s a simple solution to purchasing a cheaper part and replacing it myself so I don’t have to spend a lot of money for a mechanic would be awesome. Any suggestions, things I should check, just any advice would be appreciated.
- durk, Bowling Green, OH, US