my first problem

[tildesley]

hey,

ok so the car is over a year old from new, runs like velvet, brilliant, so now ive got my 1st problem

driving along, flick the dsg to sport to overtake, floor it, catalytic convertor light starts flashing, doesn't stay on, just flashes, it then drops off, and is replaced by the EPC light, so pull in turn off and back on, and everything is fine again, later in the day, same again, cat light is on and off flashing but no EPC light this time when i go to accelerate quickly. first time it happened it sounded like a bag of nails after, 2nd time it didnt...

any ideas before i take it in some time this week?

[Daz85UK]

Had this on my astra, could it be the coil pack?

Im no expert on engines.

[Cuprabob]

Does sound like a failing coilpack IMO.

[RW1]

Second guessing this on a 1.4TSi is not wise. Nor is it to keep driving it while its triggered the warnings. There are fault codes in the engine ECU. Take it in asap, Monday, they should look at it there & then as continuing to drive even without the light may cause more damage. The warning lamp is only a more extreme part of the situation, it can continue without the warning lamp.

Have you had the 24s4 update? (It may have been done at the first service.) That's part way. But there are still more ECU map tweeks updates recently associated with misfires, some associated with the DSG only.

I trust you have been following this....... ignore the plug gap discussed although it won't be helping, but look at the ECU updates since August 2010 for your engine.
1.4TSi 160PS ECU updates to Oct'11

C.

[tildesley]

first service was in sept 11, i've tried looking for that sticker that you all appear to have, i cant find it, i guess it would be in boot next to the the other model sticker. its just the standard ECU that I have, havent tweaked it or anything...

[tildesley]

further to this, took it out again tonight, had to visit the family anyway

drives perfectly fine if i stick to below 3500, anything above in any gear it starts to stutter,the cat light comes on, then disappears if you take it easy, if you don't though, the EPC light comes on, and the engine dies and your coasting. quick layby stop & start and we are moving again.

i shall be taking her in tomorrow, just hope the dealers dont turn round and say i'll got to wait 2 weeks to be seen...


ps... yeh i know i shouldnt be trying to look for faults but i dont wanna turn up to the dealership & they turn round & say "nowt wrong"

[RW1]

When I had a misfire 18 months ago, I drove it straight to the dealers 3 miles away without stopping. It was in the workshop 15 minutes later. They took it seriously. Didn't solve it if you read my back posts but I was put to the front of the queue at 3pm that afternoon. They know the issues with 1.4 160PS and any prolonged driving with the condition (& damage) is amplified by the boost this engine has from 1100 rpm - 6,500 rpm. Hence why I advised Monday . That bag of nails after the lamp warning tells me its not a coil pack.

C.

[tildesley]

it sounded like that to me, to another person it probably wouldn't, hasn't made that noise since though despite the warning lights.

i've read the previous post i think your referring to...
http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/forum/ ... ire#p54066" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

it does sound a lot like this, just when i start to want to overtake something, instead of 2/3 minutes of starting.

cheers for the advice so far btw!

[RW1]

Yes thats the topic, but although it was a 35'C coolant temperature warm up problem and showing coil packs, it was solved by re-gapping the spark plugs.

There is another topic on here which I can't lay my hand on where the description fitted your lack of power above 3,500 rpm and that was associated with the N75 boost control valve. But I can't recall there being a misfire at the same time.

These show you what the N75 valve is, and its affects......

http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/forum/ ... ost#p63418" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/forum/ ... ost#p74241" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

3,500rpm is where the supercharger finally gets disengaged during acceleration and the turbo carries on as its able to acheive the 2 bar boost at this engine speed with the turbo only.

Dealer should be able to pin it tomorrow for you.

C.

[tildesley]

updates, or rather lack of them.

dealer where I brought the car & serviced it - "sorry can't help you, can you bring it in next week because we are busy, you cant have a courtesy car in the mean time and oh don't drive it"
other dealer in town - "if you drop it into tomorrow, we can have a look"

dealer 1 will be getting my left foot where the sun doesn't shine when this is sorted out, they want a recommendation? they can jump
dealer 2 we will see tomorrow...

[tildesley]

well the car is fixed, prizes to daz and cupra, yes it was the coil pack.

dealership 1 was Wayside Towcester. brilliant sales team, god awful service team, family has had problems with them before, management isn't much better.
dealership 2 was VW Northampton. service/parts team do alright, recently redesigned showroom, can still smell the paint feels more corporate and classy which I like.

anyways, Wayside said they couldn't even plug it in for a week & were happy to leave me without a car for that time, having gone there to buy the car, I expected more, they won't see my face in there again. VW Northampton will retain my business going forward...

[paul t]

All was going well with the new car,delivered on 1/3/11,until last week.I was accelerating and the engine started to misfire and the engine light started flashing.Coasted to a halt and light went out.This continued every time i accelerated.Phoned Inchcape at Colchester,who supplied car,and was told no courtesy car available for 6 weeks!!Asked if i can still use car and they said drive gently and if it gets worse ring Roadside Assistance !!Fortunately i can use wifes car,and they are collecting car this morning.I hope the problem is something simple and will post an update in due course.Could be a case in future finding a more helpful dealer!

[paul t]

Car was returned early evening and it appears like Tildesley was a faulty coil pack.Will reserve judgement on Colchester Inchcape till endof february when i ask for a coutesy car when a service is due.

[RW1]

Let hope it is faulty coil packs. The diagnostics always throws a coil pack fault(s) in these situations but it can be anything that causes the coil pack fault codes and cylinder or cylinders to misfire like a faulty injector or faulty spark plug or just the spark plug gap. I just hope the dealers looked beyond the diagnostic faults in the engine ECU! Only time will tell.

C.

[paul t]

You were right RW1,same fault this morning(MISFIRE AND LIGHT FLASHINH).Volkswagen Assistance sent RAC who changed coil on different cylinder and if now drives normally.If happens again they will recover it and take it to the garage and arrange alternative vehicle.Watch this space!

[paul t]

Travelled 8 miles at the weekend and misfire started again!VW assistance arrived again and diagnosed misfire on same cylinder.A VW HIRE CAR HAS NOW ARRIVED and am awaiting RAC truck to take car to garage.Wonder when i will see that again??

[paul t]

Have just got car back and is still going after 16 miles.Garage has replaced spark plug and cleaned car,which i asked them NOT to do.I hope this is the end of the story,but i have this niggling feeling that ats not.

[RW1]

Hope they've fitted the revised plug with the shorter plug gap Paul. Fingers crossed.

I always hang one of these around the rear view mirror made of bright red laminated card when it goes to the dealers besides making sure the job sheet has it written in capital letters.
http://www.sciroccocentral.co.uk/roccop ... o_Not_Wash" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

C.

[paul t]

Thanks RW1 will print off and use for next service or repair.