[briang0]

Can anyone tell me where this wire goes. This is a picture of the coil pack wires of a 2001 Passat with 1.8L Turbo. I have been working on a crank but no start condition and I noticed that this wire is unattached. It is brown and on the wires going to the 1st coil pack I believe on the number one cylinder. I don't have a schematic yet so I can't look it up.

 

[Kittera]

Can you get a differnt angle maybe? My first guess is that's one of the two ground wires that bolts to the valve cover between coils 1 and 2.

 

[nuclearseal]

I agree looks like a ground wire, both connectors are bolted to the valve cover but if that wire split, it would "unground" which could cause the no start.

 

[briang0]

I thought is was a ground but when I went to connect it to the valve cover I got sparks so I was a little unsure about it since I don't have a schematic.

 

[hughc]

I agree looks like a ground wire, both connectors are bolted to the valve cover but if that wire split, it would "unground" which could cause the no start.

I tend to agree with nuclearseal as I believe there should be two grounds wires screwed to the head and from your pic I can only see one connector at the screw head.

 

[hu vw]

Disconnecting the battery prior would prevent the need for further repairs.

 

[briang0]

I just want to be sure I went out and took a couple more pictures at different angles. I circled the ground connections already in place in green and the one in question in red

 

[hughc]

I just want to be sure I went out and took a couple more pictures at different angles. I circled the ground connections already in place in green and the one in question in red View attachment 60970 View attachment 60978

Ok. I stand corrected as I can better see the two wires grounded to the head so my suggested solution was wrong.
However, I did go thru the trouble of peeling the rubber boot away from the spark plug connection (on two of them) and there is a red wire on each of them, so I would suggest you do the same and verify that a red wire hasn't been accidently pulled away from the connector or somehow broken off before the connector.

 

[briang0]

The brown wire is only on the coil pack cable for the 1st plug it is not on any other of the coil pack harnesses. I unplug the cable from the harness on both ends and ohm it out. I don't know what pin it was either 1 or 4 but it had about 40 meg ohm of resistance between the wire which is brown and the pin. the wire is single and not in with the other wires. I have been looking at u tube videos trying to see if any other 1.8t have a similar wire. It is definitely part of the cable assembly and it looks like it is original equipment.

 

[briang0]

I figured it out the wire is connected to the red wire in the harness I cut the casing and looked mystery solved for that but now I still have to figure out why it will crank but not start

 

[2000 quattro avant]

As far as the crank no start condition .. Do you have any codes / cel light ? Could be something simple like a sensor. Crankshaft or camshaft sensor ..

 

[2000 quattro avant]

Pop off the timing belt cover and check the timing belt too .. Could very well be the timing.. Check that before you keep trying to start it.. What's the history of the car? Was it running before you got it ? A compression test would reveal a lot too.. I usually rent a tester from a local auto parts store.

 

[Tomvw]

That Brown wire is probably faded red and was likely the power wire to the coil packs, but as you say there is spark at the 4 plugs there must be another wire connecting the coil packs.
It would have been much better to keep all this in the original thread. (One thread for one issue)