Quick Bluefin / technical question...

[stevai]

My R has just gone into the local VW garage this morning to investigate a fault which I have with the engine. Annoyingly the fault isnt generating any warning lights or anything so the technician said it might be hard to find.

The actual fault is a juddering / flat-spotting during hard accelearion and it's been getting increasingly worse. It's now really bad to the point of being potentially dangerous when overtaking.

I did have BF stage 1 installed, so last weekend I restored the factory settings to see if the problem went away - it did not. (And let me clarify, the fault did not start immediately after installing BF, it was a couple of weeks later).

So... my worry is... will the garage be able to see whether I had the BF remap installed previously, and would they even be likely to check?
If so, would they really care, as surely they would rather have the warranty work than not? I'm just worried that they'll rumble me and hit me with a huge bill - like a pelican.

I guess this is fairly immaterial as I'll find out later anyway, but I'd still be interested to know if anyone has any thoughts on this?

Thanks

[quality reflects]

I don't think they will be looking or care.

[wigit]

unlike the 2.0tsi unit in the GT bluefin doesn't alter the falsh counter on the R given the origins of the engine

[Chungster]

Hmmm. Didn't want to hear this really, even
If it's a BF map! Sounds fuel related to me or major boost leak somewhere.

One thing I have noticed with mine lately is I can hear the boost build up from the turbo a lot more!!! Weird.

[stevai]

Thanks for the replies, you have put my mind at rest!!! I did vaguely remember reading somewhere that the BF doesnt alter the flash on the R.

Chungster - I am really hoping its not the BF and would be surprised if it was. I've had it on 3 cars now and it's always been perfect.
I'm hoping this fault is down to good old German engineering. Vorsprung dick van dyke technik etc

I did kinda wonder if it was fuel starvation or something. This morning when I took the technician out, the exhaust was popping at the same time that the engine juddered. I'm not really technical so dont know what that additional info might tell you. Cat stuck in exhaust perhaps?

[Chungster]

Exhaust popping normally a sign of over fuelling so it may well be a boost leak then somewhere.

[stevai]

That would make sense. Glad I didnt explain my cat theory to VW then!

[stevai]

Well I know you're all gagging to know the findings, and impressivley (for me) they are exactly as i suggested to the technician this morning. I told him that it felt like a mis-fire perhaps due to a dodgy coil pack, and sure enough they managed to located a stored fault which showed exactly that. ON the downside, they've swapped the coil packs (between cyl 4 & 1) but are unable to reproduce the problem now. Hmmmmm.

[Andy-GTI]

I'd be changing the Spark plugs.

Been a few reported faults on S3's.

[Chungster]

They're making progress at least!!!

[stevai]

I think you should verify that the BF isnt an issue and spring for the stage 1. I know you've been wanting to for ages

[Chungster]

I would never go for the BF map

[stevai]

Oh. Are you a Revo man?

[Chungster]

It's gonna be Revo or AMD I think. Still undecided. Depends on if I want to push to S2+ in the future.

[stevai]

Do it do it !!
(Then tell me what it's like)

[Chungster]

lol it'll be next year before it gets done i think. Defo not this year.

[RW1]

You may want to lift the engine cover and take a look at the fuel pipe in three clips routed across the top the engine on the front edge.

Check the lettering on the fuel pipe is in a level line and not twisted along its whole horizontal length as it crosses the front top of the engine. This results in the dipstick being lifted out.

If above is present, results in lean fuelling.

If the fuel pipe is twisted or touches the dipstick, adjust positioning to correct the twisting and make the lettering level across the whole length of the pipe run on the top front edge of the engine. Also ensure there is sufficient clearance of the fuel pipe routing around the dipstick.

C.

[Shaun]

Is the stuttering all the time when accelerating or is it on and off ?, the wives car was doing this and a coil pack was on it's way out

[stevai]

RW1 - cheers for the advice, I will check that out over the weekend.

182_blue - Its not happening all the time but I did suspect a coil pack and thats what they came back. They havent replaced i though.

What I AM slightly annoyed at, is that when I collected my car yesterday they'd used half a tank of petrol and done over 100 miles in it !!! I know they had to take it out a few times in order to try and reproduce the fault but isnt 100 miles a bit excessive???
Would be interested to hear what other people think before I ring the dealer and question them...

Thanks

[caprinolaw]

RW1 - cheers for the advice, I will check that out over the weekend.

182_blue - Its not happening all the time but I did suspect a coil pack and thats what they came back. They havent replaced i though.

What I AM slightly annoyed at, is that when I collected my car yesterday they'd used half a tank of petrol and done over 100 miles in it !!! I know they had to take it out a few times in order to try and reproduce the fault but isnt 100 miles a bit excessive???
Would be interested to hear what other people think before I ring the dealer and question them...

Thanks

The garage did over 100miles in my Golf once. I went ape shit and got £50 in M&S Vouchers and the fuel back.