Hi all,

Hope you don't mind me asking on the Octy forums about this...

I have an October 09 Superb 1.8TSI manual which has done 12000 miles and was bought three months ago as a 6000 mile old ex.demo.

When we purchased the car it came fitted having been fitted by the supplying dealer (the 1st owner) with a Diesel Power Tuning module - apparently the dealer fits them as standard practice to almost all their demos.

The car has so far performed faultlessly but on Thursday I noticed that the car was hesitating whilst I was cruising - feels like you're running out of petrol and the car runs very lumpily for a few seconds, refusing to rev cleanly - then it clears and revs fine. There don't seem to be any pattern to it - it has since done it whilst on the cruise control at 60, accelerating hard in second, gently in fourth etc - I can't replicate it and it doesn't do it all the time but generally once or twice in every journey since Thursday it has started doing it.

I am thinking I need to get it to my local dealer - I am a bit worried about their reaction to the fact it's been tuned - as the supplying dealer are 150 miles away I can't really take it to them.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Justin.

Hi all,

Hope you don't mind me asking on the Octy forums about this...

I have an October 09 Superb 1.8TSI manual which has done 12000 miles and was bought three months ago as a 6000 mile old ex.demo.

When we purchased the car it came fitted having been fitted by the supplying dealer (the 1st owner) with a Diesel Power Tuning module - apparently the dealer fits them as standard practice to almost all their demos.

As your car is petrol powered I fail to see how a diesel Power Tuning module would do anything......... :S

I think most dealers would invalidate your (engine) warranty if they saw it was tuned. I suggest you go back to the supplying dealer.

Fitting tuning kits to demo models as standard seem a very strange practice to me and would probably be frowned upon by Skoda UK. (If I were Skoda UK and this were true then I would seriously consider pulling their franchise.)

As your car is petrol powered I fail to see how a diesel Power Tuning module would do anything......... :S

I thought that might be asked - Diesel Power Tuning are a UK company who import Essing tuning modules from Holland, Originally, as their name suggests, they only tuned diesels. I would imagine that the common rail petrol engine lends itself to the same tuning methods as the common rail diesels, hence they offer a tuning module for the TSI engines.

The car was not advertised as a tuned model. The dealer drove it to us to see it and we did an online payment when the car checked out ( I knew I wanted Superb 1.8TSI so I wasn't privy to the handover).

The salesman who delivered the car pointed out it had been tuned . He explained that as they also sell lots of caravans they get almost all of their cars tuned for torque and economy - I did find this a little strange when I was told - but he explicitly stated that it did not affect the manufacturers' warranty unless it was something that was caused by the re-map.

I wouldn't hesitate taking to the supplying dealer but they are a 3 1/2 hour drive away. I guess I will try the local dealer first and see what they say.

Justin.

Edited 27 June, 201015 yr by JustinCombi

From time to time I experience a slight flutter or hesitation on my 1.8 TSi Octavia, it is barely perceptable so probably isn't the same thing as you are experiencing. My car has also been remapped, though the remap is not responsible as it occured prior to the remap - the car has always done it from new.

I find it only occurs when the engine speed is between 1700 and 2000 rpm and lightly loaded. It typically occurs when you lightly press the accelerator following a gear change, e.g. change from 3rd to 4th at 30mph and occurs momentarily after lightly resuming pressure on the accelerator. It also sometimes happens if I slow down from speed to 40mph in fifth gear, then lightly accelerate. The problem doesn't always occur, and when it does it disappears the moment you press the accelerator further.

I have considered taking it to the dealer but past experience of getting dealers to resolve intermittant or non obvious faults hasn't been good. I have a fault code reader and it doesn't show any fault codes, so there is nothing to go on there. I have always assumed that there is a slight glitch in the fuel map and that it is just a characteristic of the car - maybe others can comment on this.

Edited 27 June, 201015 yr by goosander

From time to time I experience a slight flutter or hesitation on my 1.8 TSi Octavia, it is barely perceptable so probably isn't the same thing as you are experiencing. My car has also been remapped, though the remap is not responsible as it occured prior to the remap - the car has always done it from new.

I find it only occurs when the engine speed is between 1700 and 2000 rpm and lightly loaded. It typically occurs when you lightly press the accelerator following a gear change, e.g. change from 3rd to 4th at 30mph and occurs momentarily after lightly resuming pressure on the accelerator. It also sometimes happens if I slow down from speed to 40mph in fifth gear, then lightly accelerate. The problem doesn't always occur, and when it does it disappears the moment you press the accelerator further.

I have considered taking it to the dealer but past experience of getting dealers to resolve intermittant or non obvious faults hasn't been good. I have a fault code reader and it doesn't show any fault codes, so there is nothing to go on there. I have always assumed that there is a slight glitch in the fuel map and that it is just a characteristic of the car - maybe others can comment on this.

I've had my secondhand Ocatvia II 1.8TSi L&K for about a month now have the same flutter or slight drop off in power at the same revs and conditions that you describe. Its booked into the dealers to have the Xeons adjusted down a bit and a bit ofan investigation but from what you say I'm not hopeful they will come up with anything concrete.

I'll let you know what they say

I had exactly these symptoms with my 1.9Tdi !! I'm changing soon to a 1.8Tsi so i'll see if my new car has it.

I wonder if all Skoda Turbo's do this but some peole just dont notice ?

Yes, please remember to post your findings - it would be peace of mind to know that this issue is just a characteristic of the car.

Yes, please remember to post your findings - it would be peace of mind to know that this issue is just a characteristic of the car.

Will do. Best way I can describe it is like a slight hesitation / lurch / jolt often felt ( but not limited too ) as you change from second to third. As the revs drop and just after the clutch has re engaged.

I've had my secondhand Ocatvia II 1.8TSi L&K for about a month now have the same flutter or slight drop off in power at the same revs and conditions that you describe. Its booked into the dealers to have the Xeons adjusted down a bit and a bit ofan investigation but from what you say I'm not hopeful they will come up with anything concrete.

I'll let you know what they say

My 6000 mile 1.8TSi does exactly the same, it is barely noticeable but the fact several other cars makes me feel better. It does not happen all the time so have not been too bothered. I guess it might be a glitch in the standard engine management mapping.

Look forward to hearing what the dealer says to you.

Could it been the traction control cutting power to wheels when it thinks you are going to slip? Just a tought.

Wonder if any one that has this issue tries turning off the traction control then drives over the same bit of road.

James

Edited 4 July, 201015 yr by james26

I doubt it since (in my case at least), the hesistation only occurs at low power.

A bit of feedback from my trip to the dealers to investigate the 'drop off' in power between 1500 - 2000 that I noticed in 1st/2nd gears under gentle acceleration.

Recently I've been doing more long distance/motorway miles rather than my usual commutes so hadn't really noticed the problem and when the car is booked in you start to wonder whether you're imagining it; anyway I did manage to replicate the symptons before I dropped it off on Thursday.

The girl on reception said that they updated the software for the gearbox which I didn't understand as its a manual but was not in the mood to ask for details - her comment was 'try it and see if its OK'. So the dealers may have actually updated something or just fobbed me off with some 'left handed hammer' speak - only time will tell. Next time I'm passing I'll try and talk to someone who can tell me exactly what they updated and version. I will need to do a few more miles of normal driving before deciding whether its better/fixed.

Headlights were also adjusted down as part of the visit - maybe that fixed it

You know what the softwhere update was a italian tune up... I live down the road from a Honda/Mazda dealer and 95% of the cars reving there nuts off in 1st gear at 40+ down my road have a a garage man in a jump suit at the wheel!

James

A bit of feedback from my trip to the dealers to investigate the 'drop off' in power between 1500 - 2000 that I noticed in 1st/2nd gears under gentle acceleration.

Recently I've been doing more long distance/motorway miles rather than my usual commutes so hadn't really noticed the problem and when the car is booked in you start to wonder whether you're imagining it; anyway I did manage to replicate the symptons before I dropped it off on Thursday.

The girl on reception said that they updated the software for the gearbox which I didn't understand as its a manual but was not in the mood to ask for details - her comment was 'try it and see if its OK'. So the dealers may have actually updated something or just fobbed me off with some 'left handed hammer' speak - only time will tell. Next time I'm passing I'll try and talk to someone who can tell me exactly what they updated and version. I will need to do a few more miles of normal driving before deciding whether its better/fixed.

Headlights were also adjusted down as part of the visit - maybe that fixed it

Are you still experiencing the problem?

Are you still experiencing the problem?

Was there ever a resolution to this problem. My 1.8TSi still does it, it is not a huge issue but I notice it more since reading this tread months ago. Due for a service so I was wondering if anyone had a resolution to this from the dealer?

I have had my 2010 Scout 1.8 TSI and it has never missed a beat (unlike the Jaguar XF Portfolio I had before)

I have had my 2010 Scout 1.8 TSI and it has never missed a beat (unlike the Jaguar XF Portfolio I had before)

I wonder if the software or something had been updated as yours is a 2010. It is not a huge issue just a little sort of hesitant flutter betwenn 2k and 3k RPM. Still love the 1.8TSI as much as I ever have.

My Scout TSi 2010 doesn't have this issue either. As you say maybe a 2009 problem.

My 2010 TSI doesn't suffer from any hesitation (touch wood), but I have slightly different problem, which I think is related to some sensor in the engine somewhere. Happened only twice in last 10,000 miles +, but both times in exactly the same conditions, weeks apart. My driveway is on a bit of a slope, to my eye easily exceeding 15 degrees, so over night the car is parked at an angle, nose up. Twice in the last few months, after a cold, wet night, when fuel level was down to reserve (not last drop in the tank, still good few litres, but already in red), and car was left on driveway, with nose up for more than 12 hours - as I tried to start it in the morning it would refuse to start for good several tries. And I mean, few good, solid tries, with many rotations, cranking starter motor almost at the point where I kind of wondered if I should call RAC. And then finally starts like nothing happened. No stutter, no clouds of unburned fuel from exhaust, just starts like there was some sort of sticky sensor and something, somewhere finally clicked into place and started pumping fuel to the engine. Never an issue when the tank is more than 5litres of reserve full, never a problem when the car is facing nose down on the slope. No error messages, no warning lights etc.

Have you tried unplugging the tuning box and seeing how it runs stock. This would be my first port of call, then you can see if the fault lies with the engine or its something the tuning box is doing.

I'm not familiar with these particular tuning boxes but some of them work by modiying the signal from the coolant temp sensor and other sensors to con the ECU into making the mixture richer. As its been quite cold of late, I wonder if this could be related to the issue?

Maybe something got jamed on the filter, or with nose up the fuelpump was sucking air and dirt?

It is not recommended to leave the car with that small amount of fuel. Fuel filter will suck all kinds of dirty stuff from the tank when near empty.

I wonder if the software or something had been updated as yours is a 2010. It is not a huge issue just a little sort of hesitant flutter betwenn 2k and 3k RPM. Still love the 1.8TSI as much as I ever have.

I wonder about software too. My (manual) 2008 1.8TSi has just come back from its second annual service and I'm sure they have done something to it - low down throttle response is much sharper. Software upgrade or can they do something else to it?

Just got my 1.8TSi back from it's forst service and the hesitantancy/misfire seems to have gone. I guess they must have done something to it to get rid of it.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Justin.

In the olden days that fault was usually associated with a fuel problem, although occasionaly a intermittent electrical connection. Have you tried the Italian tune up and/or checked the fuel filter?