I just bought an 03 reg 1.9TDI PD130 with 120K on the clock. The problem is there's a loss in power and does 35mpg average when it should be doing 50+

It pulls very badly in all gears, however it will rev up to redline. It does accelerate but it's as if it only has 90bhp. I can't really tell if I can hear the turbo, maybe only in 2nd gear. 2nd gear acceleration hesitates then pulls as if there is very bad turbo lag. If I plant the accelerator in 3rd gear at 2500rpm it will wait a couple of secs before accelerating and as if turbo wasn't there.

MPG is very bad. At idle the exhaust does smoke a bit when warm.

Does anyone have any ideas?

I just bought an 03 reg 1.9TDI PD130 with 120K on the clock. The problem is there's a loss in power and does 35mpg average when it should be doing 50+

It pulls very badly in all gears, however it will rev up to redline. It does accelerate but it's as if it only has 90bhp. I can't really tell if I can hear the turbo, maybe only in 2nd gear. 2nd gear acceleration hesitates then pulls as if there is very bad turbo lag. If I plant the accelerator in 3rd gear at 2500rpm it will wait a couple of secs before accelerating and as if turbo wasn't there.

MPG is very bad. At idle the exhaust does smoke a bit when warm.

Does anyone have any ideas?

Probably your MAF ie your Air Mass sensor.

Stop and restart the engine often goes back OK. If keep reoccurs then put it in to be cleaned.

Worse case it is te variable blades actuator part of the turbo which means new turbo and about a grand in costs, hopefully not that.

Find someone local to you with VCDS - or even the older vag-com will work with that motor. Sounds to me like the car is in limp mode due to (hopefully) just a knackered sensor.

It could also be in limp mode. What about the n75 valve?

Does limp mode cause very bad mpg?

Find someone local to you with VCDS - or even the older vag-com will work with that motor. Sounds to me like the car is in limp mode due to (hopefully) just a knackered sensor.

Damn, I must have been typing for ages and didn't notice your post. I had a guy with VCDS check it today, when he first plugged it in nothing showed up, so he ran a scan (?). I'm waiting for an email from him with error codes that came up. Will keep you posted.

Edited 8 August, 201113 yr by P51

Well, I think you would know if it was limp mode as it would be more like 60bhp. 90 still means you are getting a little boost, but I would still expect the engine to be throwing something up about fault codes if its down 40bhp. I think perhaps, if you can manage it, remove the turbo and clean it out throughly (once removed they split apart fairly easily). Probably looking at a days work DIY or around 4 to 5 hours of garage time.

Your symptoms could also be the MAF. Maybe try unplugging it (plug just next to the airbox) and see if it drives any better.

I just bought an 03 reg 1.9TDI PD130 with 120K on the clock. The problem is there's a loss in power and does 35mpg average when it should be doing 50+

It pulls very badly in all gears, however it will rev up to redline. It does accelerate but it's as if it only has 90bhp. I can't really tell if I can hear the turbo, maybe only in 2nd gear. 2nd gear acceleration hesitates then pulls as if there is very bad turbo lag. If I plant the accelerator in 3rd gear at 2500rpm it will wait a couple of secs before accelerating and as if turbo wasn't there.

MPG is very bad. At idle the exhaust does smoke a bit when warm.

Does anyone have any ideas?

mine is doing the same and with a bit more induction noise in the air box, i checked for split hoses and pipes but nowt, i have moved the turbo actuator rod up and down it seems ok , it happened today and went into limp mode, but dosent log a code on a maxi scanner, but turned the car off then on and the problem went away , for now. any ideas??

where is the map sensor , is this on the intercooler?

where is the n75

what is the sensor on top of the large air trunking pipe next to the bulkhead?

Could also be a blocked fuel filter.

Rob

I'm still waiting on VCDS scan results but when it was plugged in first a Cam Position Sensor fault came up. This was reset then I took the car a drive, testing up to 4th gear and over 4000rpm. The VCDS was plugged in again and the fault was no longer there. Apparently no engine faults came up at all.

As far as I know limp mode turns off when you cycle the ignition but it's on constantly. It will be the weekend by the time I get around to these but I will try disconnecting the MAF to see if performance is the same or better (can't see it getting worse so does this really help?) and also taking the coolant temperature after a drive.

Found some interesting reading here - I think!

Could also be a blocked fuel filter.

Rob

I think the car was parked up for a month. If the fuel filter was blocked would that cause high fuel consumption too? I happen to have an aftermarket fuel filter made by Mahle lying around. If anyone thinks this is crap please shout.

Mahle is very good quality gear.

I will second that, Mahle make OEM parts for the VAG group, made in Germany and Austria, not Chinese rubbish.

Edited 9 August, 201113 yr by roman.w

I disconnected the MAF and there was even less power (felt like 40bhp) so the MAF must be ok. I'll replace fuel filter and coolant sensor next.

Also, it starts fine and idles fine. Hope it rings a bell with someone.

I had the same issue with my last car. It started and idled fine, but once you tried any acceleration, it went into limp mode. It was a knackered fuel filter. May not be in you're case, but it's possible.

Best of luck, and hope it's a cheap fix..!

Robbo

In my opinion it sounds very much like a boost leak or fuel blockage, get a boost leak test done to confirm, I had an evo once that had exactly the same symptoms including very high fuel usage, the ability to rev to redline when not under load, and very restricted revs/acceleration when driving, I had a blocked filter and injectors from crp out of the tank, and a pipe had come loose causing a boost leak

Just had a closer look at the engine.

The EGR was smothered in engine oil, I've cleaned it and will check again tomorrow if it's the cause of a small oil leak I have.

The intake pipe downstream of the MAF had oil and gunk in it after the point where the crankcase breather pipe joins it.

I managed to get a tiny peak into the EGR at the intake end (from intercooler) and it had a lot of oil in it as well. There was some caked on soot but not much - I could only see the butterfly valve (it's actuator works fine).

I checked all the vacuum hoses as much as I could, there is some chaffing on the line to the EGR actuator on top.

Then I checked the turbo VNT actuator. The actuator rod was caked in gunk on the outside and I couldn't move it by hand. Vacuum hoses were still attached.

When I put my foot on the accelerator (engine running) it takes over a second for the engine to actually rev and after another second I can clearly hear the turbo spool up.

I'm getting my own VCDS soon so will be able to check the pressures etc.

Just had a closer look at the engine.

The EGR was smothered in engine oil, I've cleaned it and will check again tomorrow if it's the cause of a small oil leak I have.

The intake pipe downstream of the MAF had oil and gunk in it after the point where the crankcase breather pipe joins it.

I managed to get a tiny peak into the EGR at the intake end (from intercooler) and it had a lot of oil in it as well. There was some caked on soot but not much - I could only see the butterfly valve (it's actuator works fine).

I checked all the vacuum hoses as much as I could, there is some chaffing on the line to the EGR actuator on top.

Then I checked the turbo VNT actuator. The actuator rod was caked in gunk on the outside and I couldn't move it by hand. Vacuum hoses were still attached.

When I put my foot on the accelerator (engine running) it takes over a second for the engine to actually rev and after another second I can clearly hear the turbo spool up.

I'm getting my own VCDS soon so will be able to check the pressures etc.

Any update on this bud???

If the turbo is gunked try this, get it hot and get out on the motorway in the early hours of the morning, set yourself a 40 mile drive so 80 in total, be enough over the speed limit not to get a tug for sustained periods of time, this should get the turbo nice and hot, this should then burn off the muck, you don't need to rev it hard, simply being in cruise mode at the right speed will be enough, I would replace the air and fuel filters as well as dropping a fuel treatment in before you do the run, this will get the breath right and also give you an optimum cleaning profile, you could drop half the bottle straight in the filter for a power cleanse as well.

Putting any liquid whatsoever into the intake of a diesel engine risks a hydraulic lock. Don't do it.

rotodiesel.

Putting any liquid whatsoever into the intake of a diesel engine risks a hydraulic lock. Don't do it.

rotodiesel.

I meant in the fuel tank and filter NOT the engine or turbo Roto

Any update on this bud???

After months of long hours at work and a part-time degree I still haven't sorted out the car. But I can report that the turbo actuator works fine and I don't believe the MPG figures: I get about 600 miles out of a tank, same as my old AWX. Still have poor pick up and acceleration though.

I have noticed there is an induction noise which is more apparent when the engine is cold. It's not like the 'police siren' sound that a dodgy turbo makes but rather like an owl and lags behind the hiss of the turbo. I believe there is a boost leak somewhere and I think it's escaping out the dodgy EGR (which is always caked in oil).

I will update again soon, hopefully I can find someone helpful in the N-NW London M25 area to help me fix the damn thing (if anyone knows somebody let me know).

After months of long hours at work and a part-time degree I still haven't sorted out the car. But I can report that the turbo actuator works fine and I don't believe the MPG figures: I get about 600 miles out of a tank, same as my old AWX. Still have poor pick up and acceleration though.

I have noticed there is an induction noise which is more apparent when the engine is cold. It's not like the 'police siren' sound that a dodgy turbo makes but rather like an owl and lags behind the hiss of the turbo. I believe there is a boost leak somewhere and I think it's escaping out the dodgy EGR (which is always caked in oil).

I will update again soon, hopefully I can find someone helpful in the N-NW London M25 area to help me fix the damn thing (if anyone knows somebody let me know).

Sounds to me like the timing belt was fitted a tooth out. Increased induction noise and low power and smoke on idle all point to that, as it seems you have already eliminated several other plausible options. Was the t/belt changed by any chance shortly before you bought the car??

On 30/11/2011 at 16:18, P51 said:

After months of long hours at work and a part-time degree I still haven't sorted out the car. But I can report that the turbo actuator works fine and I don't believe the MPG figures: I get about 600 miles out of a tank, same as my old AWX. Still have poor pick up and acceleration though.

I have noticed there is an induction noise which is more apparent when the engine is cold. It's not like the 'police siren' sound that a dodgy turbo makes but rather like an owl and lags behind the hiss of the turbo. I believe there is a boost leak somewhere and I think it's escaping out the dodgy EGR (which is always caked in oil).

I will update again soon, hopefully I can find someone helpful in the N-NW London M25 area to help me fix the damn thing (if anyone knows somebody let me know).

Anything new?

In the nearly 13 years, there must be something new happening.

41 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

In the nearly 13 years, there must be something new happening.

Haha sure. 
Having a similar problem with my 1.9 TDI pd.