Shut off while driving, cranks will not start

SAMIRA ABUKHUDEIR-TAYLOR

MEMBER
2001 VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE
1.8L
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
145,000 MILES

The car was running and it shut off without making any noise. The engine will turn over and all the lights work. It simply will not start. It does not act like it is getting fuel, but when we sprayed started fluid nothing happened. We put jumper cables on, and also tried using a code reader. Coder reader would not communicate and we cannot locate the problem.

1 Reply

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,758 POSTS

Hi and thanks for using 2CarPros.com.

What you have described sounds like it is related to the crankshaft position sensor. Read through this link which describes common symptoms.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/symptoms-of-a-bad-crankshaft-sensor

Note: If I recall correctly, this sensor may be referred to as an engine speed sensor VW vehicles.

The easiest way to determine if the sensor is an issue is with a scanner which can read live data. Basically, when cranking the engine, you need to check if there is a signal from the sensor. If there is no signal, replace the sensor. The best set up for reading codes on this vehicle is a Vag Com which is specifically designed for Volkswagen/Audi. However, if you have a traditional OBD 2 scanner, it should be able to read this type of condition.

Let me know if this helps of if you have other questions.

Also, I have attached a picture which comes from Mitchel online. It describes what will happen if this sensor fails.

Take care,
Joe

Image (Click to make bigger)