2000 Volkswagen Passat Hot Restart No-Start

2000 ALL OTHER MAKES ALL OTHER MODELS
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SHARJU11
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I have a 2000 Passat, automatic v6, w/ 80,000 miles. The car starts up fine in the morning when cool, and starts up fine if I leave it sitting somewhere for a little while. But, when I travel somewhere on a highway (for about 30 mins) then stop off at a store for about 5 minutes and come back out, the car will not start unless I pump the gas. And sometimes when I do get it started after having pumped the gas, I get a very rough idle and the car sometimes stalls out on me, and I have had to restart the car 7-8 times to get it to finally go and not stall. I find when I move the steering wheel left or right (after pumping the gas to start it) while in park, the rpms drop and has caused the car to stall.

I have taken the car in to the dealership 2 times now and they said that they were not able to figure the probelm from the code they got from the check engine light being on. I also took it into 2 other mechanics, 1 said it was the alternator so I had that rebuilt which made the problem go away for about a month, then it came back. The other place said that Id have to take it to the dealership because they cant read the code they get from the computer, they said that only the dealership could.

If anyone has any ideas about what this could be and how to fix it or if anyone had any similar situations and were able to get it repaired, All advice is welcome. I am at my witts end with this problem.
Feb 5, 2007 at 7:34 AM
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BRUCE HUNT
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It would be nice for us to have the code. VW should be willing to share it with you. I suggest getting the car to a mechanic that can allow you to repeat the process for them and then have the fuel pressure checked when it is not wanting to start.
Feb 5, 2007 at 7:42 AM
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SHARJU11
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unfortunately it has been a few months since I had it at the dealership. I have been living with pumping the gas for the past few months and it has just gotten worse to the point where it does it every day now. The mechanic I have it at right now said there was a code they got from the computer but they said only the dealership can say what the code means. I can get from them what the code says and I will post that once I get it. I did try to re-create the problem this morning before I dropped it off, but of course when you want it to happen it doesnt.
Feb 5, 2007 at 7:56 AM
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BRUCE HUNT
  • ✓Experienced Mechanic
  • 3,754 POSTS
Grab the code and the problem will manifest itself for the mechanic.
Feb 5, 2007 at 8:01 AM
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SHARJU11
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well the mechanic I just came from didnt give me the code.....and when I had gone to the dealership in the past they told me that they could not discren what the problem was from the code that they got. I dont know if this was because the problem was not recreated or what, even though the check engine light has now been on for over 6 months, at all times, when the car starts fine and when the car needs the gas pumped. I do not feel like bringing it back to the dealership to be told once again by them that they cannot do anything for me because they do not know what the problem is.
Feb 5, 2007 at 8:58 AM

Suggested Repair

Retrieve the stored trouble code and have fuel pressure checked while the hot no-start is present. Recreate the highway drive and short stop so the condition can be observed.

Conversation Summary

A 2000 Passat automatic V6 starts fine when cool but, after about 30 minutes of highway driving and a short stop, often will not restart unless the accelerator is pumped. It may then idle roughly, stall, and need several restarts; turning the steering wheel in park can drop RPM and stall it. Shops and the dealer could not interpret the check-engine code, and an alternator rebuild helped only briefly. The expert advises obtaining the code and checking fuel pressure during the no-start.

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