For the last month or so I have noticed that when my car is cold, I sometimes get a stutter in 2nd when pulling away. Yesterday it was a much bigger stutter, and also happened in 3rd. The car felt a bit gutless, but not as bad as a "full limp home" mode. Normally this only happens on the 1st or 2nd uses of the gears, after that the issue goes away.

When it was feeling gutless, I dropped to 2nd from 3rd on a hill to get some power, and a light flashed on the dash - orange with a triangle for a second or so. The road was a bit damp, but doubt there was enough power for the traction control light to flash, but it is a possibility. When I was in bristol, I turned the ignition off and back on again, to clear the possible overboost fault.

When I then came to leave work, I got the same stutters again. I have not had a chance to check it vag-com. I'll try and so it in a bit and will post back any codes - it was clear a couple of weeks ago.

In the mean time, any ideas?

Might be the MAF if it's stuttering and you are getting the ASR light coming on... see this thread:

http://briskoda.net/octavia-i/asr-traction-light-came-today/133846/

I sometimes get a hesitation when I roll back on the power fast. Nothing like that?

mmm, I only had a flicker of the warning lamp on the dash. It had a new maf about 4 years ago (approx 80k ago), so maybe it has broken again!

The stutter is only when cold, and just for the first gear change or two, and then it is fine, not for like 20 minutes of driving.

I'll get and scan for codes in a second.

VAG-COM Version: Release 303.1

Matt's car shop :-)

Control Module Part Number: 038 906 012 CL

Component and/or Version: 0000SG 3316

Software Coding: 00002

Work Shop Code: WSC 31480

Additional Info: TMBGP21U512486883 VWZ7Z0Y3096563

1 Faults Found:

17965 - Charge Pressure Control: Positive Deviation

P1557 - 35-00 - -

I sometimes get a hesitation when I roll back on the power fast. Nothing like that?

I am pulling out of my parking space with a cold car - always give it a few minutes to warm up before doing anything other than gentle driving.

This is a bit like a learner driver stamping the throttle and then off again, pretty quickly, so not a large stutter, but noticable.

I think that code is something to do with the VNT on the turbodiesels?

I am pulling out of my parking space with a cold car - always give it a few minutes to warm up before doing anything other than gentle driving.

This is a bit like a learner driver stamping the throttle and then off again, pretty quickly, so not a large stutter, but noticable.

Mine's sort of a hesitation, like the car waits to see where the throttle pedal's going, and then does something about putting the fuel rack there, so nothign similar no.

Yes, that is what I thought as well. But I have had the turbo replaced once, and that was not deemed to be the problem then, but then was just generally sluggish, none of this stuttering.

I have however just spotted this stuff: Ecotek PowerBoost and wondered if that might be worth a go.....

Edited 16 January, 200917 yr by mbames

I had that code when my turbo was gummed up, but there was another one too.

I haven't had anything like your describing, mine goes the same cold as when warmed up.

Here is what Ross Tech have for that fault. Could be a leaky hose perhaps rather than the turbo or N75 valve, with all this cold weather a hose could have cracked.

Just looked at that ecotek stuff, not convinced, how can using it make your car have a higher top speed? Also the obvious question is how does it clean the exhaust manifold doesn't it just get burnt up?

I changed most of the vaccuum hoses over the summer. The only one I did not do was the one down to the turbo, maybe I should do that. N75 I swapped out, but not when I did the pipes - at somepoint before, can't quite remember when. Maybe I should give another ones of those a go.

I would give the ecotek stuff a whirl if someone had practical good experience of it, but is cheaper than a new n75 valve!

The car gets a reasonable work out most days (120 miles), so I would find it hard to think that the turbo was suffering from sticky vanes, but there again.... you never know....

Just looked at that ecotek stuff, not convinced, how can using it make your car have a higher top speed? Also the obvious question is how does it clean the exhaust manifold doesn't it just get burnt up?

If the engine was sufficiently "gummed up" to actually lose power, it might.