CR TDI vRS down on power - strange symptoms

[silver1011]

Do you have numbers on this or are we just rabble-rousing (no offence intended but it does happen a fair bit on here)

See the link in post #21, a quick search will reveal a few others too.

I also count 8 people on this thread alone claiming to have experienced the same thing

[The Ships Cat]

I'm not talking about a fuel filter - this is a breather filter which if you regulalrly brim the tank, turns to mush and causes poor running / loss of power

I was talking about the fuel filter , in agreement with post #2 and #11, It cured the problem with mine. 105,000 miles since April 2009 and runs smooth as anything, Only run on Shell performance diesel.

[nick74]

I'm not talking about a fuel filter - this is a breather filter which if you regulalrly brim the tank, turns to mush and causes poor running / loss of power

AFAIK that's petrol versions only.They don't usually bother with a tank breather filter/cannister on diesels as derv isn't that volatile.

[Dallan]

^^ this.

If it was just when going down steep hills I could live with it as its pretty flat where I live, but the fact that it is now constantly feeling like its being starved of fuel is doing my head in. Gonna book it back in tomorrow, they can keep it until they rectify it. Hopefully it will be something simple like the fuel filter as mentioned above...

Funny though, considering so many people have had the downhill issue, according to my dealership Skoda uk say they've never heard of it?!

Hey, any update from the dealer, its funny lately (past 6-9 months) i have the same felling with mine that its just not quite right power wise

[Mash]

Hey, any update from the dealer, its funny lately (past 6-9 months) i have the same felling with mine that its just not quite right power wise

Not yet - been so busy with work haven't had a chance to book it in. And typically since starting this thread I haven't noticed the symptoms quite so much Now I've written that they'll probably start again, so will book it in when I get a chance...

[Mash]

Ok, am taking the car in tomorrow to have a puncture fixed, so at the same time will get them to swap the fuel filter and see if that makes any difference. Will update once I've driven it for a bit...

[prionailurus]

So my CR170 vRS (MY59) lately seems to be down on power. I have sent it back in to the dealership twice now but they come back saying there's nothing wrong with it.

I find it hard to describe the symptoms but it seems to have started since I noticed the power cutting out on the crest of certain hills, which now seems to happen when going all the way down very steep hills, and I'm sure I'm not getting paranoid but it seems to happen on normal flat roads just for a split second - almost as if it's not getting enough fuel. It sounds rougher than usual aswell. It only seems happy when you've got your foot flat to the floor, which obviously isn't exactly practical. I can only describe it as the car not breathing properly. It doesn't drive half as smoothly as it used to.

Fairly new to my CR but could this be a MAF issue? I've had a few cars where the intake sensor was 'ignored' by the computer on full throttle and only the lambda used for air/fuel mixture control. When coming off the gas pedal the MAF would then come back into play, and if its not quite functioning right, then the fuel map (remapped or standard) will be thrown out by 'bad sensor' data.

I'd try cleaning the MAF, a delicate job but free if you can do it yourself.

[Mash]

So having taken the car in about 3 or 4 times for the same issue (including having the fuel filter replaced), Skoda still said they couldn't find anything wrong with it.

Was completely hacked off with the car, but on deciding to clean it at the weekend, I thought I'd pop the bonnet and in doing so immediately noticed that something wasn't quite right. (In my defense, I haven't actually looked under the bonnet to see if anything obvious was wrong as having had the car in for a service, and Skoda having looked at it numerous times I wasn't expecting to see anything).

Anyway, I noticed that there was a cover missing from the air scoop behind the grill and therefore the air wasn't being directed down the pipe and through the air filter. (see red circle in image, ignore the red arrow).

Was quite surprised that something so blatantly obvious was missing - I'm far from mechanically minded and noticed it straight away. Luckily I found it wedged between the wheel arch and the engine. Put it back on, and hey presto now the car is running so much better. I say that with all fingers crossed, touching wood etc just in case, but it seems to have done the trick.

Guess it must have been left off by Skoda when it went in for a service, I can't see that it would just fall off as you need a screwdriver to get it off. Have to say I'm pretty disappointed that they never found out what's wrong...

[Mash]

hey presto now the car is running so much better. I say that with all fingers crossed, touching wood etc just in case, but it seems to have done the trick.

Damn, I knew I shouldn't have said anything....symptoms came back tonight

[Mash]

Just to update on this, I took the car back as the engine management light finally came on - seemed it was the exhaust pressure sensor - first one I've had go on the CR engine - My last PD170 had 3 go.

Also had an ECU update while it was in and so far so good....Am not saying it's perfect yet as I don't want to tempt fate until I've driven it for a while...

[Chris485VRS]

Hi Everybody... digging up an old thread but I thought it would be useful to log my comments here for those who think this problem is all in our heads! 

 

I have just bought a 2009 VRS 170 CR. It runs well in general (as far as i can tell) but there is one little 'bump' on a back road I travel on where my car always does this. The best way I can describe it is like the feeling you get when cruise control holds the car back, or for anybody who has driven a car with a speed limiter, it feels like when you hit the limiter.

 

I am going to turn off ESP on the way home tonight to eliminate that (because it was mentioned earlier).

i haven;t seen any flashing lights though to say ESP is kicking in.

 

This doesn't happen on my car when simply driving down a hill, but just after going over a 'crest'... similar to a hump back bridge.

I also travel on a good stretch of motorway with a steep incline and it doesn't happen so it's not caused by the car being at a particular angle.

It seems to be only when you are going up hill then quickly afterwards down.

 

In theory it could be something to do with the weight of the car being momentarily lighter.... although I'm hardly attempting to get airborne!

Perhaps the fuel gets pushed to the back of the tank and doesn't level out quick enough or something... i don;t know where the fuel is taken from the tank, just speculating.

 

My car has done 68k, full service history with the most recent service just before I bought it.

It has no modifications.

 

Mash.... It;s been a while now so could you tell us if the problems stayed away after your exhaust pressure sensor was replaced?

 

thanks!!!

[Chris485VRS]

I have just got back from taking my 'new' Octy to my mechanic for a once over.

I told him about this random issue and he said it happens to him in his 320d beemer.

he described it exactly the same way as I and many others have done here.

I'm pretty convinced it is nothing to do with fueling and more likely to be traction control.

I'm turning mine off for the rest of the week to see if it still does it....

[mattvrestate]

This was a common complaint a few years ago but isn't a fault. The CR was designed to do this and VW (VAG) brought out this TPI (Technical Product Information) bulletin to explain to any customers with conscerns about it.