I wonder if anyone will be able to help with an issue I have with my 07 PD170 Octavia vRS, engine code BMN. I did used to have an account on Briskoda when I had my Fabia vRS but have had to create a new one today.

 

I bought the car back in February and am starting to wish I hadn't! I thought it was a reasonable buy as it had just under 50k miles on the clock, full Skoda service history, injector recall done May 2011 along with a new cambelt and water pump in 2011 so it appears to have been looked after. I have already spent £1500 on various bits for the car - tyres, discs and pads all round, new bushes, rear windscreen

motor, rear dampers and a full service done by VAGtech in MK. Before taking it back to them for investigation I wanted some advice onto what others think the issue might be.

 

I thought that the problem was intermittant but I'm starting to think it is always there, just not always as noticeable. The symptoms are:

 

1) The car appears to have a general hesitancy between 1500-2500rpm along with a jerky/stuttering feeling on light/part throttle. This jerkiness doesn't appear to always be there and on full throttle it doesn't seem to do this.

2) Sometimes the idle can be lumpy, from cold or warm, although the revs do not fluctuate, sitting at around 800-850rpm.

3) The car has cut out on me several times (it did this morning on my way to work) and this always occurs when slowing and dipping the clutch before getting to a roundabout. I simply start the car again and there is not EML displayed.
 

4) In colder weather sometimes the car won't start first time despite waiting for the glow light to go out.

 

My gut feeling is a clogged/faulty EGR valve but reading around it seems as if it other suggestions might be DPF, MAF sensor, injectors or even wiring. I'm not convinced of the DPF as it can be lumpy from cold and the DPF regen shouldn't occur until the engine is above a certain temperature. Also the DPF light has only ever come on once when I had an issue with a failed G450 Exhaust Pressure sensor which I replaced, clearing the fault and initialising the new sensor through VCDS.

 

My daily commute is a 45 mile round trip and a mixture of dual carriageway and A roads with some sitting in traffic. I average around 46mpg (on board computer calculation) and get around 500 miles out of a tank of diesel. No fault codes are logged, although it has been a month since I last checked, and I have also cleaned the MAF sensor with electrical contact cleaner, although I know this won't fix a faulty sensor it was something to try.

 

Any suggestions greatly appreciated as the way I feel currently I could quite happily trade the car in but that would mean taking a massive hit and still having to find something else!

 

Many thanks,

Geoff

Hi

 

 I had a similar sounding problem a few weeks ago with the car hesitating on acceleration and being lumpy like you describe.  Then like yourself it started to cut out when slowing down to islands and dipping the clutch. Booked it in to Skoda garage, it was a stuck flap on the Inlet Manifold. There is a motorised flap that regulates the air going into the engine. They cleaned it and the car has felt much better but not sure how long it will last. Anyway Skoda quoted over 430 quid to fix, but have found an independent VAG specialist who has quoted 285 all in (part costs about 170 quid from places like parts4less,etc) which is a lot better. So when symptoms re-occur I know what to get done. It sounds very much a like but I did get the glow plug symbol light up  a few times which can be a number of engine issues. May be worth checking out.

Thanks and that sounds like the EGR valve to me so I'm still thinking that's the first place to look. One part of me is tempted to do the EGR delete and DPF delete but I don't want the issues to still be there after I've done those! A friend has suggested blanking off the EGR to Inlet hole to see if that makes the issue go away but I'm not sure that would work.

Sounds a bit like a sticky egr to me as well. I believe blanking the egr will throw a warning light on the dash but should have the desired effect.

I'm having exact same fault bar the cutting out bit.

Is egr an easy job to remove and clean? Again 07 vrs pd 170.

Rob.

Don't bother cleaning it, it is a messy job.

Just blank off the take off pipe and see if it makes a difference first. It will trigger the EML, but if it runs smoother you have found the fault.

I would just remove the entire EGR system and get it mapped (but I would say that)

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I think I am going to bite the bullet and buy a blanking plate to fit between the EGR and inlet manifold as a test. I'm not too fussed about the EML being on so long as it doesn't put it into limp home mode, although that will be about the same as how it drives sometimes now! If that works then I might look to do the EGR delete but I don't really want a performance remap.

 

flat-eric - I started to remove the EGR valve the other week but gave up when I couldn't get to one of the bolts out using my tools...think I need a different size torx bit? Instead I just cleaned the MAF sensor instead. There is a good guide here on how to fit the blanking plate if you are interested http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=60689

 

andyvee - Don't suppose you remember what the bolt sizes where when you removed your EGR do you as I think you had the electronic controlled EGR valve like I have on mine?

Mine was vacuum operated on a PD140, all the bolts holding it to the inlet manifold are the same size, just that the rear one is a pig to get to.

For just a trial why not make a blanking plate out of a bit of a coke or beer can - use the existing metal gasket as a template.

You can just have the EGR mapped out, so a Stage 0 EGR delete map.

You would like a Stage 1 though :-)

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Oh, blanking plate goes between EGR and the take off pipe that goes to the exhaust manifold, not between EGR and inlet manifold.

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Thanks for the correction andyvee...I meant exhaust manifold or at least the pipe that connects to the EGR valve using the 2 bolts! I've just bought one from eBay for £2.98 with free P&P which should be here Monday or before.

 

I had a free remap on my old Fabia vRS (one of the benefits of working for Superchips at the time!) so I know the benefits...I also know that I became a little too right footed!

Just because you've got it you don't have to flaunt it :-)

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Your faults are all too similar.

 

I suffered all the issues you describe (and more) including the engine cutting out at the exact same point 45 miles into my commute each morning.

 

Lumpy idle, poor cold starting (you think its bad now, wait until the winter in sub-zero temperatures!)

 

All these problems appeared immediately after the injector change.

 

You'll soon see repeated DPF regens. My turbo failed shortly after too.

 

Check to make sure your engine oil level isn't rising (diesel leaking past the injectors, diluting the engine oil, poor running, DPF and turbo failure and bore wash).

 

I just sold my 2007 (57) PD170 vRS as it was fast becoming a money pit - all thanks to a botched injector recall.

 

Some bed time reading for you...

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/276169-3-turbos-in-15-months/?hl=%2Binjector+%2Brecall

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/189502-cold-start-problems-with-a-pd-tdi-170/page-1?hl=+injector

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/197422-vag-170-ps-diesel-injector-failures-vosa-action/page-1?hl=+vosa

Edited 4 July, 201312 yr by silver1011

For anyone who maybe following this thread I thought I would post an update. It's been over a week since I fitted the blanking plate to my EGR valve and so far everything appears to be much better. The jerkiness I had before has dissappeared, the idle can still be a little lumpy but it is much better than before and only happens when the engine is cold. Fuel economy doesn't appear to have improved, but maybe that's becuase it feels like it is pulling better now so I'm using the power a bit more than I used to?

 

EML is on but there has been no limp home happen and so far the engine hasn't cut out on me, but this was intermittant in the first place. I've done a little over 300 miles so think that the issue may have been identified. I now need to decided whether I replace the EGR for a pass through and get the light mapped out or simply get the EGR set to closed all the time and get it mapped out. Unfortunately I'm not able to get the EGR out so I would have to get a garage to do this for me, although I have a friend who can map the light out.

 

For a £3 part I'm happy at the moment!

Are you sure you have a friend who can map the light out? There are multiple places in the map that need altering to do the job properly. Don't forget you also have an EGR cooler, I would get that removed as well. Go the whole hog and get a darkside EGR delete pipe.

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I think i am in the same boat. 

 

I was coming back from the Peak District yesterday after an epic days biking when the coil light started blinking. Car seemed fine with no real difference. After that the exhaust control light came on. Car was still driving home and about 20 miles later the DPF light came on and went off about 15 miles later.

 

Car drives no differently except a slight judder occasionally at low revs which is barely noticeable. I have just had the EGR vale off it and its fine, pretty clean and even cleaner now. The flap inside the egr seems to be working ok (well its not stuck) and i am still showing the exhaust control light on with the flashing coil light.....

 

Any ideas?

 

Might have to bite the bullet and pop to the garage tomorrow as i dont have vcds. 

Hi geoffr, how's the car going?

 

I've had all the same sort of issues with my 56 PD170.

Started not long after getting it - with 45k-ish on the clock.

EML and limp home almost on a weekly basis, i took it into the local Skoda guys (bizarrely they happened to be the closest garage to me!) and they said, its probably the DPF playing up, not re-genning blah blah...

 

SO, had the DPF deleted and mapped out by Ben at Shark perfromance (top bloke! lent me his car so i could carry on upcountry to get to a wedding!) which solved the DPF related issues and havent any problems with plug/exhaust light coming on since.

 

BUT, i think i've ALWAYS had the stutter/hesitancy at about 2500ish rpm, getting more violent the more my foot's kept planted.

I've replaced the EGR gasket - didnt really do anything. Now i've had the remap from Ben that he thought would banish the infamous 170 stutter for good...alas it hasnt!

So, blanking off the EGR sounds like it might be the next step?

Hi geoffr, how's the car going?

 

I've had all the same sort of issues with my 56 PD170.

Started not long after getting it - with 45k-ish on the clock.

EML and limp home almost on a weekly basis, i took it into the local Skoda guys (bizarrely they happened to be the closest garage to me!) and they said, its probably the DPF playing up, not re-genning blah blah...

 

SO, had the DPF deleted and mapped out by Ben at Shark perfromance (top bloke! lent me his car so i could carry on upcountry to get to a wedding!) which solved the DPF related issues and havent any problems with plug/exhaust light coming on since.

 

BUT, i think i've ALWAYS had the stutter/hesitancy at about 2500ish rpm, getting more violent the more my foot's kept planted.

I've replaced the EGR gasket - didnt really do anything. Now i've had the remap from Ben that he thought would banish the infamous 170 stutter for good...alas it hasnt!

So, blanking off the EGR sounds like it might be the next step?

 

I've had mine done at Shark also, only difference was I had fitted a darkside racepipe to remove the egr completely and Shark mapped it out.

 

done 10k since and not missed a beat, only downside is it takes an age to warm up on cold mornings now :-(, but I get 50mpg and is a pleasure to drive 100 miles a day!

Interesting....

Was the EGR racepipe fitting a tricky job?

Ive got the STS kit from Ben, so could ask him for an "EGR delete - destuttered - DPF off remap" and give it a whirl.

Did you try blanking it off prior to the delete pipe fit?

davross - My car had been running fine with the EGR blanked off but I have just had the EGR valve replaced at my last service a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't afford to have the bypass done and the light mapped out so decided to simply have it replaced. As I'm friendly with the garage where I get mine serviced then only charged me for the part. So far all issues I had before (stuttering/bad idle/hesitancy) are gone with the new EGR, so it confirms that it was definitely faulty. I would suggest blanking off the EGR and see how you get on...for a £3 part it's worth it.

 

I know I am taking a risk in that the car will need a new one again in the future but if it lasts another 60k then that's not too bad - hopefully my increased miles and long runs will help extend the life. The car has cut out on me a few times in the past even with the blanking plate fitted so am pretty sure that is the whole DPF regen/dipping the clutch issue that others on here have said they have experienced. TBH it's not too much of an issue as I know when the car is doing a regen and watch out for it.

 

So at the moment I am happy and the car seems to be going well.

Just ordered the EGR blank plate, im guessing that after i fit it the dash will light up, but it shouldn't go into limp home mode?

Edited 21 January, 201412 yr by davross

Just ordered the EGR blank plate, im guessing that after i fit it the dash will light up, but it shouldn't go into limp home mode?

I fitted the blanking plate, EML came on straight away and I managed only 2 days until limp mode and dpf lights came on, car would not rev above 3k and was dangerous to drive.

 

Race pipe was easy enough to fit once the egr system was out of the way, just torx bits etc. or better still, ask the guys at shark if they will fit it? I'm telling you now, don't blank it!

Just ordered the EGR blank plate, im guessing that after i fit it the dash will light up, but it shouldn't go into limp home mode?

 

you need it mapped to tell the car the egr isnt there/turned off. The car will flip out otherwise, too many electrics in these cars to do things on the cheap im afraid

I had the blanking plate fitted for 6 months and the car drove perfectly with it on. Yes the EML was on (it came on around 50 miles after blanking it off) but the car never once went into limp home. Mine is an 07 with the PD engine and the electronic EGR valve.

Do any of you guys with a stuttering PD170 vRS find the problem appears if you are driving gently? My motor only starts coughing and farting if driven this way. 'Exercise' it regularly with a heavy right foot and it goes like a train with no hesitancy.

Excision - I always noticed the hesitancy on light/part throttle. Never found it happening when giving it a blast.