BristolBikerMan

Maybe, got a 200 mile journey now. Will pull the plugs again later and read.

I've replaced the plugs and coil packs, and warm running is fine now. It had been starting fine, but it's 3c here atm and I just cold started it and it keeps running really low ROMs and dying or nearly dying. This doesn't feel like electronic misfire anymore, more like fuelling. Vid where this happens and recovers, including exhaust note. https://youtu.be/LSmkLqLsZ-Q

Should that black hose nipple have a hose on it?

Got hesistation/misfire again. The situation is still night and day improved from changing the plugs, but one cylinder seems not to be playing ball from the sound of the exhaust. I've pulled the plugs again. Colours: (Left to right) 1: Brown 2: Brown 3: Black (was the worst black plug last time too) 4) grey I'm still thinking that the fuel is not igniting in 3 from time to time due to a bad spark and thats causing the rich condition, so ordered the coilpacks from ECP {awseome out of stock). Will fit them tomorrow and have a listen to the engine.

Not sure if they are a mess, that said if I get any significant hesitation or missfire again I'll swap them out. I went out yesterday and have a feeling it hesitated, but it can be tricky to tell sometimes. I'm only using the car for the occasional trip to supermarket due to WFH. When I use it a little more in the next weeks I'll decide on buying the coils. And will probs pull the plugs after a longer journey and see how they look now.

Details of my plugs here: I'm still open to the possibility I'll need to get the coilpacks, but so far its running perfectly fine. It's got 106k on it, the plugs were horrible! Coilpacks are pretty dirty too, been in there for quite a while, I guess.

Thanks for pointing me at the obvious... My assumption that FSH = fairly new spark plugs was horribly wrong. They must have been absolutely hammered, because the car is a very different animal now. Was missing a lot of low down and peak power. I think maybe Cyl3 wasn't doing a lot. I just thought these were fairly heavy sluggish cars.

Not heard of that one before! It's a pretty decent charger and I used the trickle function, but battery wouldn't take any more amps.

Plugs all swapped out now with bosch double platinum. Will monitor the situation and pull the plugs again after a long drive. At the same time, my battery died a few days ago and I charged it fully last night. Only 12.1v after a full charge, so will have to see how long that lasts!! Will be next on the list to replace after coil packs, if they are actually needed.

Cheers, its an 09 2.0 VRS FL. I think that as the fuse was oxidised thats where the issue was? Maybe I was just unlucky and will never have a problem again.

I've had a further read and couldn't find anything concrete on here. Just that a guy replaced his fuse every year or so for the same issue. I've put a new fuse in and then pulled it, it has 4 nice scratches, 2 on each leg of the blade, showing there is good contact. The existing fuse was oxidised also. Will just replace the fuse, and keep the spare 30a in the glove box, that's the most sensible and cost effective thing to do right now.

If noone suggests otherwise, I intend to get these NGK OEM supplied plugs for £45 for 4. https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/ngk-spark-plug-408441120

Related to my misfire post, but didn't want to miss out on people who have read that discussion regarding coil packs etc. I pulled the plugs after fair advice from another member. The photos are in order of pulling them, I'm not sure what is technically cylinder 1, but looking at the engine my cylinder 1 is on the left in this instance. IMO Cyl 1 and 4 are running a little lean, Cyl 2 looks optimal and Cyl 3 looks fouled. From what I've read, some engines run a little lean and a white electrode is OK if its not burnt. Cyl 3 that is fouled, could a missfire explain that, i.e. its very rich because it's not igniting the fuel then getting fouled? I would normally replace all the plugs now and see what they are like after a long drive, what do you guys think of the colours?

Will see what the cost of an OEM one is and go from there.

Thanks for the input. One to ask GSF car parts about a quote for a new box? Or the other members did so from breakers?

Spoke to Awsome GTI. They are indeed OEM supplied ones. The postage is 9.99 so its only a fiver cheaper than bosch/ECP... But would rather help out a smaller company anyway.

I haven't bothered to pull the plugs, because they have only got 1-2000 miles on them. I'd expect to be getting codes if the engine had been rich enough to foul them.

No, I bought it a few months ago just before winter hit, couldn't face another winter on a motorbike in a pandemic. Your thinking is logical, but this fuse only seems to affect the front right light cluster (that's the cluster that has intermittently been cutting out). Putting a large fuse in there would have been idiotic, I don't know the history of the car, but it was owned by some reasonably smart people from what I understood. No evidence of water ingress on the fuse or fuse box. However can't rule it out either given the state of that fuse. I did a little reading. If a fuse has a poor connection (pins not tight enough, oxidisation etc) it creates a lot of resistance. The resistance creates heat. This is all happening while the amps are not high enough to blow the fuse. These are the conditions under which fuses melt but don't blow. I've bought a new fuse, I'll try and tighten the socket it locates into, but don't hold much hope given the sight of it. If I get any more issues I'll be looking for a fuse box from a breaker and expect that to be the end of it.

John: Pewsey is a little far for me, but thanks cheezemonkhai: I totally understand your position on that, and anyone else who adopts it. There is a 45% sale on at ECP at the mo, I already checked there and came to the same figure of £125. I also found these: https://www.awesomegti.com/shop-by-brand/ecs-tuning/oem-red-r8-ignition-coil-pack-set-for-2-0t-vehicles/ but not sure of the quality, but they are well reviewed? I'd probably just swap 1 at a time until I found the dodgy one, then replace them all and sell 3. Hoses/air supply... It definitely feels electrical to me, no evidence of water ingress and its happened on very dry days/weeks.

Had intermittent issues with front l Right light cluster, and then found this!! Anyone else experienced this? I found previous threads with issues with this fuse, but mine melted and didn't blow. Anyone got a spare fuse box? Cheers Conrad

My 09 2.0 TSI FL Octavia VRS is missing from time to time. The idle on startup is rough when very cold. Occasionally sounds like it's running on 2 cylinders. No CEL on. Occasionally it hesitates badly when weather is freezing. I suspect it's a coilpack or two, but would like to read the misfire counters and swap the coilpack and see if the problem follows the parts. Does anyone in Bristol have vag com and willing to help me? Cheers, Conrad

Not a cheap fix!!

Can this be converted easily when replacing the clutch, or best to stick with dual mass flywheel?

Does this model have a dual mass flywheel? CCZ engine.