Jetta MkIV - No Codes, won't start

[schuecl]

Hey, been lurking these forums for some time, but now have an issue I really need help with. I have a 2003 Jetta 1.8T with around 67K miles which has been fine up until a couple months ago. Recently, the car has been having starting issues. In particular, and at random, the car won't start. It will crank, spark, pump fuel, but won't start. It originally threw a code saying the engine speed sensor was messed up, so I replaced that with a new part. Also in the past couple months, the coil packs and the coolant temp sensor have been replaced. Now, no DTC's are thrown during scans, but the car still won't start. Battery has been tested as good as well. Anyone have any ideas?

[groggory]

Put the battery on the charger for a few hours, then remove it.

What battery voltage is it showing?

What is the voltage from the battery - to the valve cover?

What is the voltage from the alternator + to the battery - ?

When it cranks, does it sound strong or is the starter struggling?

Pull the spark plugs and take a picture of them lined up cyl 1-4 with no flash with a white background.

Have you checked all your fuses (both in-cabin and on top of battery). Test from battery - to both sides of the fuses to ensure all voltage look about right.

Go through the bay and look for any cut or frayed wires.

...

These are all good places to start.

[schuecl]

We had the battery on a charger already, just to make sure. Not sure the voltages, as we don't have a meter. My dad is an experienced mechanic, but his expertise is in 70's era vehicles, so he doesn't know some of the newer parts. We already pulled all the spark plugs and coil packs, tested one by one for spark, and all were fine. Checked fuses, but don't have a volt meter to check voltage. Looked for frayed wires on the ESS and what I could see under the hood. Everything looked in order. The only thing we haven't checked is the crank position sensor.

[groggory]

:-/

Good luck diagnosing a 1.8t without a computer hookup or a vom