Vag code 18010 (P1602)

[jlien08]

P1602 18010 Power Supply (B+) Terminal Supply 30 Low Voltage

I know a lot of people have pulled this code before and not had any problems... This is my newest PITA. Got the car running GREAT after replacing coil packs, plugs, new battery and MAF. Then yesterday it died and pulled a code for the engine coolant temp sensor. Replaced that today, cleared the code for that, and now it won't start. It'll crank over and over, but no start. Vag'd it again, now I'm getting this code and this code only. No bad fuses. Bad ECU connections? Any suggestions?

[Poopie]

that code just indicates that your battery was disconnected. Try unplugging it again for 30 mins, reconnect it, turn the key to the ignition position but don't start it. The ECU is adapting the throttle body. After a minute try and start it.

[jlien08]

OK. Yeah I make it a point to do the TB Adapt every time I disconnect the battery, I know that was done. I may not have had the battery disconnected long enough for it to reset. I'll try again after work!

[jlien08]

Alright, so I have tried switching ECU's, nothing. Disconnected the battery and let it reset, nothing. Regapped spark plugs, nothing. The ICM is only a few months old, the MAF is brand new, the engine coolant temp sensor is brand new, the battery is brand new, the coil packs are brand new, the spark plugs are brand new, the pre-cat 02 sensor is brand new, and nothing. It is not throwing a single code, and nothing. It cranks and cranks and cranks and doesn't start. What the F'ing hell is wrong with this car??????

[Poopie]

is it flooded? Pull the plugs and see if they are wet. If they are wet then you know you have a problem with ignition. If they are dry then you may have a fuel pump issue. Can you hear your fuel pump? When you have you key in the ignition position with out starting does your CEL come on?

[jlien08]

It was flooded. I've been assuming there is no spark. The fuel pump is fine, I can hear everything running when it's in the on position. What else could be wrong with the ignition?

[jlien08]

The CEL has always come on along with the battery light when the key is in the on position. Any car I've ever had has done that. Vag'ing it shows absolutely nothing.

[Poopie]

Ok, so the ecu is fine, fuel pump is fine. Try pulling the plugs and letting the excess gas evaporate over night. The plugs could be getting too wet to spark. Did you rececently put in a new ecu?

[jlien08]

I let the plugs sit over night last night. At one point today I got the slightest little sputter like it wanted to start, and then nothing. I have had the ECU in and out a few times, but its still running the original ECU. My second ECU is an APR ECU that is coded for a manual. I tried swapping them just to rule it out, let it sit and learn itself for a while, and it made no difference.

[Poopie]

When you dried out the cylinders, did you use the original ecu or the APR tuned ecu? For the car to run correctly, you HAVE you have it coded for a TIP. When chris tuned my ecu, it returned to me tuned for a tip and I'm a 5 speed. I spent 3 days wondering why my car refused to start. I had my car connected to a booster box cranking for 4 minutes to finally start but it would run like shit. I swapped mafs, injectors, ecus in every single combo. Then I noticed that my ecu was incorrectly coded. Once I got my plugs dry again it fired right up.

[jlien08]

No, I tried the APR ECU as a last ditch effort. The stock ECU has been in the car up until a few hours ago when I decided to just try it out. The stock ECU was installed when all this happened. I'm sure it doesn't have anything to do with that. I know that the APR is incorrectly coded, but only the tranny. I've had it out just around the block with the APR ECU in the past. It still drives, but like shit. This is something else. I know I'm getting fuel. I can't figure out why the engine coolant temp sensor would have anything to do with this, but it's got to somehow.

[Poopie]

coolant temp sensor should not affect start up. Try unplugging it.

[jlien08]

I tried starting it with the old sensor in, I tried it with the new sensor in, and I tried it without it connected. nothing made a difference. I'm seriously confused here!

[jlien08]

anyone have any sort of idea? It's either figure this out, or throw the car into a lake...

[jlien08]

bump...

[Militant-Grunt]

May sound like a dumb idea, but if its giving you that code why don't you try a different battery, it may have a bad ground.

Another thing you should do is check your fuses, also try cranking with the MAF unplugged, it may be a big boost leak that you don't know about. Check your hoses, my car refuses to start if one of the hoses is off.

[Tiluleshpingen]

May sound like a dumb idea, but if its giving you that code why don't you try a different battery, it may have a bad ground.

Another thing you should do is check your fuses, also try cranking with the MAF unplugged, it may be a big boost leak that you don't know about. Check your hoses, my car refuses to start if one of the hoses is off.

x2 and bad grounding on the battery

[jlien08]

no bad fuses, no loose hoses, tried another battery- no difference, tried with the MAF unplugged, still nothing. The grounds I could get at were fine. I'll do more digging tomorrow. This may sound even more stupid, but is it possible I shorted something out with leaking coolant when I pulled the old engine coolant temp sensor out? Also, I've heard some cars won't start when it's not receiving a signal from the engine coolant temp sensor.

[Militant-Grunt]

If you could also try borrowing someones igniter. They are known to fail occasionally, the car will do nothing but crank if one is disconnected or not working properly.

[Poopie]

you would get a vag code from the coolant temp sensor.

[jlien08]

igniter? wha?

A friend of mine said he had similar problems on a neon (ignore the neon part ) where it wouldn't do anything but crank, and was not throwing codes. He had a bad Crank position sensor. Any truth to this being a possibility? I'm just throwing new ideas out there at this point...

[Poopie]

explain how the car "died". Did it die when you were cruising? or you stopped somewhere came back and the car would not start? I wouldn't just to the cam position sensor just yet because i think that would throw a code too. Usually happens if your TB pops or the TB skips a few teeth and your motor is overtimed.

[Militant-Grunt]

igniter? wha?

A friend of mine said he had similar problems on a neon (ignore the neon part ) where it wouldn't do anything but crank, and was not throwing codes. He had a bad Crank position sensor. Any truth to this being a possibility? I'm just throwing new ideas out there at this point...

One of these puppies



It is located on top of the airbox



Id get some electrical parts cleaner, spray down both the connectors going into the igniter, as well as the connections on the igniter, if not try getting one of someone else's car, they're usually glued to the air intake box though.

[jlien08]

after installing new suspension, coil packs, and battery. It was driving better than it has since we got the car. My wife drove it for about a week after all this, and then last week as she was getting home, it died. when it died she was slowing to a stop to make a turn, and when she stopped the rpm's dropped and th car died. some people helped her push it to the side of the road, and after about 10 minutes it started back up and she finished the 3 block drive home. I got home from work, Vag'd it, it said engine coolant temp sensor. I went out and got a new one that night. The friggin O-ring snapped when I went to put it in so I had to wait until the next day to get a new one. That day I put it in no problem, we went to take it for a spin (kind of a ritual now) and it wouldn't start. That's basically all it was. I never touched anything else, but like I said, it did leak coolant while I had the old one out. I've checked damn near everything I can think of!

[jlien08]

Oh, the ICM. It was replaced last fall. It shouldn't be bad already, although I won't rule anything out...

One of these puppies



It is located on top of the airbox



Id get some electrical parts cleaner, spray down both the connectors going into the igniter, as well as the connections on the igniter, if not try getting one of someone else's car, they're usually glued to the air intake box though.

[Militant-Grunt]

To me that has always been a igniter, sorry haha.

Don't rule out the parts you've replaced, shit happens. The fuel pump in my Land Rover Discovery failed twice within 1 year.

[jlien08]

yeah I know how that goes. We already had to replace the headlight/cruise switch twice in 6 months. stupid F'ing $180 part never should have failed in the first place! anyway, back on task, when the ICM failed last time the car would still start, just run really really rough.

[Poopie]

One of these puppies



It is located on top of the airbox



Id get some electrical parts cleaner, spray down both the connectors going into the igniter, as well as the connections on the igniter, if not try getting one of someone else's car, they're usually glued to the air intake box though.

dirtiest engine bay I have ever seen.

I'm pretty sure a coolant temp sensor woudln't cause the car to die when your wife was driving it. Did you compression test your motor?

[Militant-Grunt]

dirtiest engine bay I have ever seen.

I'm pretty sure a coolant temp sensor woudln't cause the car to die when your wife was driving it. Did you compression test your motor?

Yeah its some image I found randomly haha.

The coolant sensor would not cause the car not to start, ive driven with it disconnected both in a A4 and S4, in a S4 I've driven with one that was completely cut off, it really doesn't have to do with anything.

[jlien08]

No compression test yet, but I have gone through every major hose on the car and it's been ok. I really should do that. I'm pretty sure I'm not getting any spark. I'm going to do more testing tomorrow. This would all be so much easier on my old Fiero... lol

[Militant-Grunt]

The biggest trouble spot ive seen so far for boost leaks are on the intercooler pipe on the turbo side, the long tube going up to the DV rips from that hook, but that wouldnt cause it to not to start, I had a giant boost leak, and the car still started. My car wouldnt start if that hose came off the turbo though, so check that.

[jlien08]

I checked all the hoses on the turbo side, they were fine. I haven't seen any tears or leaks at all. I had tightened all hoses near the turbo a few weeks ago after installing my CAI, and I made sure to double check all those connections in the last few days. no problems there. it's got to be either a ground or ignition problem.

[Militant-Grunt]

Oh wait, it could be your ECU haha, I had mine fail, yours is a 98.5 like mine, so chances are that may have happened, try getting another 557p ecu from someone in your area, replace the ecu's, to TB adapt and try cranking it like that.

[jlien08]

done that too. I've got an APR 557P ECU (it's for a manual, not a TIP, but it still starts the car). I didn't have any luck with that either.

[jlien08]

bump... have I stumped anyone.

[jlien08]

bump... still nothing. What are the chances it's the camshaft position sensor?

[jlien08]

It was the fuckin ICM again!! I am totally convinced that running a CAI w/o a good heatshield wrecks stuff. In the month or so it has been installed, both the MAF and the ICM have pooped out on me!!