VW Crafter Cold Start Issues, Fix Your Diesel Injector

Had a similar issue with a VW Transporter T5 2010 diesel about a year ago. I have some experience working on diesel engines, mainly basic maintenance and troubleshooting. The symptoms were nearly identical, rough idle and difficult cold starts. Initially thought it was just dirty fuel, but the problem persisted even after using fuel additives. The engine would shake noticeably during idle and needed multiple attempts to start in cold weather. Took it to a workshop where they ran a full fuel system diagnostic. They found one injector was not delivering fuel properly, causing uneven fuel delivery across cylinders. The specialist confirmed this by testing fuel rail pressure and running individual injector diagnostics. The fix involved: Complete injector removal and testing, Replacement of one faulty injector, Full system calibration, Injector cleaning service for the remaining units Total cost came to 515€ including parts and labor. The difference in engine performance was immediately noticeable, smooth idle restored and cold starts became reliable again. What engine variant does your Crafter have? Also, have you noticed any smoke from the exhaust or changes in fuel consumption? This information would help determine if your symptoms match what I experienced.

Just had my latest service 2 weeks ago, and the mechanic noticed increased fuel return rates during an injector test. They found notable discrepancies in the fuel rail pressure readings between cylinders during cold start conditions. After cleaning the injectors, the engine misfire issues still persisted. This morning had another failed start attempt and rough idle lasted much longer than usual. The engine diagnostic codes suggest similar symptoms to what you described. However, my fuel consumption has stayed relatively stable at this point. Interested to know if your workshop performed any additional tests before confirming the faulty injector? Also, was there any noticeable difference in engine noise after the repair?

Thanks for the additional details. Your symptoms sound very familiar, the increased fuel return rates and pressure discrepancies were exactly what my workshop found during their initial diagnosis. Before replacing my injector, they performed a comprehensive fuel system evaluation including: Back pressure testing on all return lines, Individual cylinder contribution test, Cold start fuel pressure monitoring, Fuel injector spray pattern analysis The engine misfire was most pronounced during the first 2-3 minutes after cold starts, which matches your experience. My mechanic explained that failing injectors often show these symptoms before complete failure. After the repair, there was a significant reduction in engine noise during cold starts. The characteristic diesel clatter was much smoother, especially in the first few minutes of operation. The rough idle completely disappeared. Given your diagnostic results and persistent engine misfire after cleaning, it sounds like you might be dealing with a similar injector failure. The stable fuel consumption is actually typical, my usage didnt change much either until the problem became more severe. My advice would be to get those injectors properly tested. Just cleaning often isnt enough when there are pressure discrepancies involved. The complete injector replacement resolved all cold start problems in my case.

The fuel system diagnostic findings match my situation perfectly. My cold start problems have definitely been following the pattern you described, with the rough idle being worst in those first few minutes of operation. Based on your experience, I will schedule a complete injector test and likely replacement next week. The fuel rail pressure variations and cold start issues are too similar to ignore, and I dont want to risk further engine damage by delaying. I am curious about the specific replacement injector brand your workshop used. Did they go with OEM parts or aftermarket? My workshop suggested both options, with about 200€ difference in price. The spray pattern analysis you mentioned sounds like a thorough approach, will definitely request that level of testing. The reduction in engine noise you experienced after repair is encouraging. My fuel delivery issues and rough idle have become quite annoying, especially during these colder mornings. Looking forward to having a smoothly running engine again. Will update once I have the work done. Thanks for sharing your detailed repair experience, it has helped confirm my suspicions about the injector being the root cause of these cold start problems.