My car went into limp mode or something as it was getting up to temperature. It’s a diesel VAG group car. It’s normally shockingly fast and very responsive, haven’t had any problems with it until now. I’ve got a long journey ahead and no time to get it booked into a mechanic for the fault to be identified. Driving 800 km on an engine that refuses to go over 100 kmh is a big no no. I have a check brake light warning, apparently one of the bulbs on the third brake light is out. I have heard this can spook the ECU but the car was fine for a good few weeks albeit I sometimes noticed reduced throttle response. Now since last night I get the aforementioned glow plug light flashing and reduced power. My question is, is this likely to be a really expensive job to fix? Things are already not great in life, as I’ve got to visit a relative who’s been diagnosed as terminally ill… I’ve always treated my cars with the greatest respect. Premium fuel only, Mobil 1 fully synthetic, always given time to warm up before accelerating rapidly etc. I’m absolutely gutted, to put it mildly and it’s quite stressful. I had a lot of plans to improve the car and if I’ve got to spend hundred on diagnostics and repairs it’ll eat into my budget, so I’m understandably apprehensive about it all.
>>27595965Further proof that the 2.0 TDI is a failure shit, unlike the older 1.9 TDI And as for the cause, it could be anything, especially if you don't have the DPF cut out.
>>27596018DPF is still there afaik I bought it off an mature older couple who didn’t seem the type to modify a car. It gets driven hard quite frequently, I’m not the type of driver who thinks nearing the red line is going to cause engine failure. It feels exactly like the throttle is being restricted as the RPMs climb until you get to like 2000 rpm in 6th and it simply won’t go any faster no matter what you do. I might take it for a drive later but I can’t trust it to drive so far without a proper diagnosis even if it’s fine later today. I guess it’ll just have to wait until I get back from visiting my terminally ill relative
>>27596136I once incorrectly installed the air supply line to the turbocharger in such a way that it was leaking. The engine was then very weak, the car then barely accelerated even at full throttle , and after correcting and tightening the clamp on the hose more firmly the engine immediately became more powerful .
>>27596375Interesting. I did quite a bit of research and it could be anything from the EGR or DPF to the actuator on the turbo. It normally goes like a rocket to the point it would happily spin at 70+ kmh (45 mph) if I accelerate hard and I had to replace the front tires with very expensive all seasons for peace of mind. It’s driven reasonably rapidly when warmed up so I find it unlikely to be an issue with carbon build up. Or it would’ve happened right after I bought the car. There are no strange noises from the turbo, it’s extremely quiet although it did seem to be a bit flat and raspy sounding (I guess there’s less spool?). Exhaust is rusty but not blowing yet. I was considering buying a straight through cat-back system but it’s quite expensive so I’m holding off on any major stuff like that at the moment. Could a rusty exhaust affect EGT sensors? I’m at a loss and pretty stressed about it. It’s a lovely car to drive and remarkably efficient in terms of fuel consumption. I’ve only ran it on V-Power Diesel since I’ve had it. It’s got around 147k km, I assume it’s on the original turbo. Car doesn’t appear to be modified either, as I said it was owned by a couple at the kind of age you’d expect to calm down and not do anything crazy, etc
>>27596399Or a problem with the lambda probe https://spidersweb-pl.translate.goog/autoblog/zrobilem-wszystko-zle-sonda-lambda-dala-mi-popalic-bo-chcialem-przyoszczedzic/?_x_tr_sl=pl&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=pl&_x_tr_pto=wapp
>>27596778Thank you for the suggestion =)
>>27595965>Glow plugirrerevent. I've had 2 broken plugs and my isuzu would still fire up no problem.>reduced powerThis scream EGR valve issue. Does your rpm flactuate?
>>27597050It’s the coil light flashing which afaik represents the glow plugs when you turn on the engine but from what I understand also it also flashes if there’s other problems. It’s a 6 speed manual. It just won’t accelerate much past 2000 rpm and is extremely sluggish. It sounded a little grumpy on acceleration but no strange noises. It’s not blowing smoke out the back either. I had someone watch while I gave it a rev and it’s not smoking at all. I suppose it could be the EGR valve but I was literally only thrashing it up a hill the other day without any issues, although about a minute before reaching said hill there was a good second delay before it lurched forward when the speed limit changed. I mostly drive in town with low speed limits but it gets a good run every week as it’s also my hobby as well as my transport, so I’m baffled that the EGR might’ve gone bad while I’ve owned it. The previous owners however definitely were not the sort to drive fast and only did like 5000 km/3000 miles a year, if that. I’ve had it since late January.
>>27597050Forgot to mention it fires up just fine. The battery failed not long after buying the car, I installed a new one and it has much smoother throttle response since then. It has felt lumpy in terms of power delivery but I put it down to being much faster than the car I had before. It’s outrageously fast when it’s working properly and the couple I bought it from were concerned I might get in an accident if I’m not careful. I didn’t know what they were talking about until I accelerated to change lanes at a low rpm in 3rd gear and the tires said no.. I was a bit shaken and hurriedly replaced the front tires to the best I could find for the climate I live in - as far as I know the previous front tires were not worn out or anything. It’s had a good service history and the body is in very good condition for its age, clearly been looked after quite well but I fear that like you said, the EGR might’ve clogged up or worse still the turbo vanes or actuator are sticking.
Just buy the OBD2 METER its not expensive, chud. The fault code gives exact reason.
>>27597111Yes the coil plug light is like check engine light. Nothing to do with glow plugs 99.99% chances
>>27597050Its never egr or dpf. Chudd want delete these but they never a problem.What op is facing is some fucked up control valve or sensor. He will see what it is by buying that 30 buck VW OBD scanner
>>27597140What is diagnostics? We erase the errors and drive.We re-check the errors and the one that popped up first is most likely the one we are interested in.Often it is so dense that the errors grow like a tree - one trunk, and from it grow more branches.If we started to replace everything then no one would be able to afford to maintain the car.If we are talking about some minor thing for a reasonable amount of money with labor, then a simple error code from an ordinary diagnostic device may be enough.If we are talking about some minor thing for a reasonable amount of money for labor, then a simple error code from an ordinary diagnostic device may be enough.However, if we have to dismantle half the car to get to a part or replace something that is easily accessible, but costs a lot of money it is always better to first perform a detailed diagnostics.And one more piece of information for car buffs without an error reader - the logic of the error light is a bit more complicated and the fact that the cause of the error will cease does not mean that the light will go out; the ECU counts the time since the last occurrence of the error (mth, number of starts) and only when the counter accumulates some value the light goes out. It's worth sensing this before digging around because then it's fun blind.Today's cars can not be diagnosed without a computer, but even with a computer you need to know how to do it.
>>27597168I’m hoping to get the ECU scanned for codes tomorrow morning if my mechanic has time. I’ve got a huge journey ahead and if the car isn’t trustworthy I will have to make other arrangements. The plan was to use my car so I could share the driving with a close family member I live with since we are visiting a terminally ill relative. If I was in America I wouldn’t have a problem with this but insurance policies are more focused on the driver than the car itself, here - and I am not insured to drive any car other than my own unfortunately
>>27597186This is true, I am stressing a bit because I’ve got a lot going on in my life and my car packed up on me at a really bad time. If my mechanic has time I will get the ECU scanned tomorrow morning and hopefully it’s nothing an Italian tune up can’t solve. Worst case scenario I need a new turbo or something.
>>27597186>>27597189just buy the OBDIImeter from local auto shop and it gives the exact code (it is the code that relates to engine intake/sensors). it costs less than "your" mechanic (that spaghetti muncher is not your pal, he just wants your money)
its not that hard. just do like this guy, and buy a cheaper more generic device. it will give eventually the only trouble code that really matters.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjJdM-PRBe0
>>27597125Take a multimeter, start the car and measure the input of the Alternator - you can do that on the battery claws. I've had a simillar problem where the dynamo would output 17 volts and the ECU would go haywire, to the point i would lose power-steering, and throttle control. >>27597111>I suppose it could be the EGR valveto check that just leave the car in idle and watch the RPM - if the EGR is clogget or sticking, it would show in the needle fluctiating. Over time soot acumulates on the valve gate and prevents it either has trouble clousingm or it sticks so the turbine is starved for air pressure. Most mechanics can offer you to either clean it or outright bypass the valve.
>>27598228I hate you,caveman
I got the ECU scanned. It’s the EGR valve. I’m absolutely livid as I’d dearly like to chop it off and throw it in the trash but it’s illegal and I’m worried about related implications. Thanks tho, hope this thread helps someone else
>>27598353Just clean it
