Evening all,

unlike most faults I've had while owning a Skoda over the years, searching for this one hasn't come up with lots of owners reporting the same fault so any similar experiences and end results would be welcome.

When warm (about 15+ minutes into a journey), my Fabia 1.9Tdi has started to misfire or judder when at 2.5-3k revs. It won't do it when cold or when it's up to 90 degrees but after about 15 minutes or so it starts.

It doesn't matter what gear I'm in but is most noticeable in 3rd or 4th.

I recently had it serviced as a matter of course and they could not find anything so I presume it was cold when tested.

Has anyone had a similar problem and if so, what was the result and dare I ask how much it cost to put right?

Many thanks.

Dave.

Id hazard a guess at the maf sensor. Have you tried driving it with the maf unplugged?

Not tried that but will give it a go for tomorrow's commute.

Thanks!

I disconnected the MAF sensor plug before coming to work and am sorry to say that apart from making the car run like a 1.2 petrol engine, it did not cure the juddering problem although it was not as noticeable presumably due to the car feeling like it was running without a turbo.

Any further thoughts from anyone?

Could possibly be engine/gearbox mounts or dual mass flywheel.

DB

I would say flywheel. Mine is just starting to go. (Im confident its that anyway) I checked my engine and gearbox mounts and they appear to be fine. I never spank mine from a standing start so hopeing to prolong its life a little.

Maybe I should explain what I mean by 'juddering'...

It doesn't feel like a physical judder, it may be better described as the engine trying to back off or cut out.

Does this help any more?

Exactly, almost like it cuts out for the minutest of moments.

Fuel filter, when was it last renewed.

Maybe worth disconnecting the battery for 30 mins, ensure that everything is switched off, then re-connect and leave the engine to idle for 30 mins, this re-sets the ECU. It certainly made a difference to one of my cars.

DB

Quick update:

@mogwye - thanks - tried the reset of the ECU but has not worked. Would a fuel filter in need of replacement not cause a problem all the time rather than only when warm and from 2.5k revs though?

I tried it when stationery when back home tonight and it does the same thing so it's not only when under load.

It does seem to be getting worse as it was stuttering at just over 2k revs in 5th tonight so I'm getting it warmed up tomorrow morning and will take it to the local Skoda dealer for assessment. They could not find it when serviced only last week but presumably it had gone cold by the time they got to it.

Well, I took it to Skoda today and the mechanic who drove it and experienced the 'misfire' said he'd never come across it before. :think:

He put a bottle of cleaner additive in the tank and we're waiting to see if it's a blocked injector but they said not to hold my breath...

Anyhow, on the way home tonight I gave it a good push up a long slow hill to run the revs high and the ASR light came on and it was running a like a dog at all times and sounding like a Chinook helicopter!

Turning it off and restarting it cured that but I'm now getting worried this is going to be ££££ to fix

Without hearing/seeing it, it could possibly be a faulty camshaft. The lobes wear, and this can cause a misfire/juddering whilst druving

I have asked you previously, when was the fuel filter last changed?

By adding the injector cleaner may have softened up some of the 'gunge' in the fuel filter (assuming it was more than partly blocked) which has now been dislodged and found it's way down to the injectors.

Just a thought.

DB

Mogwye, I'll get back to you later today when I've dig out the paperwork for this. Thanks.

I drove it rather delicately this morning on way to work so as not to aggravate anything and did not notice the 2k rev misfire even when warm but will give it a poke when getting back near the house tonight and see if it's still doing it.

Fuel filter was changed at last major service at end of Sept 2012.

Problem there again tonight when driving 'normally' - can almost time it to 18 or 19 minutes into the journey now.

Well, so the service book may say it was changed, however it may it have have been filled with some dirty vegetable oil or something similar that could have 'gunged' it up, but for what the cost is, I would certainly change it. It sounds as though it's being restricted of fuel thus only allowing 18-19 minutes worth through at a time, hence a filter change.

DB

Thanks DB.

Would this still be your suggestion with the fact that it will run happily and not 'misfire' when not pushed about 2.5k revs?

I would think so because it's obviously not needing as much fuel until it's pushed.

I once had a similar experience on a MK1 Escort, (I know very well it's a petrol engine) it would run OK tootling around, but when pushed it would run OK for 5 minutes and then start to splutter and struggle to run.

After months of trying everything, a friend reckoned he knew what it was - it was as suggested a small gauze filter just above the float needle in the carburettor which was full of 'you know what' cleared it out and all was OK !!

Your engine problem sounds very similar in as much as it's being starved of fuel.

DB

Any news on the problem?

DB

Nothing as regards chaging the fuel filter I'm afraid, that will have to wait til Tuesday as I was unable to get out to a motorfactors yesterday being rather out in the sticks.

I did take it for fuel though and had the orange Engine warning light come on again and although I stopped and shut everything down it would not go off this time and drove like a dog the short distance til I got where I was going. I tried again about 8 hours later and it still it stayed on although drove home as per the original problem - it was only about 15 minutes so no problem showed.

I disconnected the battery overnight and running it for half an hour or so this morning seems to have persuaded the light to go off so will try not to drive it and get a fuel filter on Tuesday morning.

Any news? I've been reading this with great interest as my Skoda Fabia 16 V (petrol) is doing exactly the same thing. It judders at below 2K revs and somtimes the orange engine light comes on.

Goodluck,

Julian

Busy at work today and by the time I got to a motor factors they did not have a filter in stock abut would ring me tomorrow with a price.

Will report back as soon as I can.

Ok, I got the fuel filter yesterday and it looks as though the threatening use / waste of £20 has cured it.

I could not make it recreate the problem despite taking it for an extended drive on the way home.

The only other theory I have (apart from it's eventually cured or it is intermittent) is that the heavy rain yesterday could have something to do with it, in which case in my simple mind it points to a wiring / electronics issue somewhere that was shorted with the addition of water.

It's stopped raining now and the roads look to be drying out so will give it another "go" tonight.

Is it cured?

Well, it's now been driven 'as normal' in both wet and fully dry and now comparatively hot conditons but the fault seems to have vanished.

It was therefore, either an injector blocked and the cleaner has moved it on or an intermittent fault that has cleared itself up.

One thing I have noticed it that it has now started doing the c3 sec long gurgling/scratching noise it did ever time I turned the key to glow-plug warm setting i.e. half way, which I think it had stopped doing during the fault.

I'm puzzled but keeping everything crossed that it has been cured. I'll keep the new and unused fuel filter just in case though!