Afternoon All

 

Looking for a bit of advice for my 58 plate 140 BHP TDI Superb twindoor.

 

I got a workshop warning with the Glow Plug lamp flashing a few times during some short journeys at the end of last week. Finally after about the 3rd short incident the EML came on and aside from a couple of instances has been permanently on pretty much since Saturday. I took it to my indy garage to get them to check the code on Friday but there was nothing in the code that appeared abnormal. He reset the fault and told me to drive it over the weekend and get it checked this week with him.

 

Now when the car is being driven the EML is permanently on and every now and again the glow plug light starts flashing for a minute or 2 with the same workshop warning.

 

It was booked in today for a full investigation but so far there has been nothing found and he cant reset the system. A brake light needed to be replaced which was done as I have seen that linked elsewhere to causing EML problems but it hasn't cured it.

 

I need to travel the best part of 100miles tomorrow and I am worried I my end up doing serious damage to the DPF if it is not regenerating.

 

Has any one else got any experience in order to fix this?

 

Should I stop driving it and get it into a full dealership to inspect it straightaway?

 

Paul

Something isn't right here.

 

A flashing glowplug light will log a fault code.

 

The EML will also log a fault code.

 

The flashing glowplug and EML together will result in limp-home mode (reduced power) - which again will result in a fault code.

 

You mentioned your local garage 'cleared the fault'. Ask him what the fault code was, this is the only way to accurately determine where the fault is originating.

 

He is a comprehensive list of all the possible fault codes...

 

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/Category:Fault_Codes

 

If the garage is running a simple or basic code reader then they might not be able to correctly read the fault code.

 

These types of issues usually point towards sensor, turbo, or EGR valve problems, a duff sensor may prevent the DPF from regenerating, however a 100 mile journey should be OK, assuming the car isn't in limp-home mode, then this could be quite stressful if on the motorway.

Edited 10 March, 201511 yr by silver1011

Thank Silver

 

Sorry I should have said the cars performance is not being affected. There is no limp mode happening - I have seen that before and don't want that again.

 

He is using what looks like a proper code reader with screen that you can drive down into the faults.

 

Will see what I find out in the next hour.

Hmm, that is strange, I've only ever known a flashing glowplug light and EML together result in limp-home mode.

 

I'll be interested to see if you can get hold of the fault codes being generated...

Just picked the car up. No charge as he couldn't solve it.

 

He scribbled down the codes for me - P0546 (G235) and S3273 but there is also 01350 written on the post it as well. Not great sorry.

 

One thing he did add was that the codes couldn't be cleared in the same way he did last week. IE the codes were already on once the engine was restarted. Not sure if they are the same codes but I believe so. 

 

He recommended an auto tech in Newport and I have  booked the car in for Thursday morning to get them to look at it. After that I don't know!

Perfect, you have your fault diagnosed.

 

The exhaust gas pressure sensor (G235) is a well documented weak point across the VAG range.

 

The fault will read something similar to this...

 

001350 - Sensor 1 for Exhaust Temp Bank 1 (G235): Short to Plus 
P0546 - 006 - Short to Plus - MIL ON
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 11100001
Fault Priority: 5
Fault Frequency: 7
Reset counter: 40
Mileage: 86904 km
Time Indication: 0
Date: 2000.00.00
Time: 07:52:21

See here, access looks to be realtively easy too, the part will be somewhere close to £80 plus roughly an hours labour (inc. diagnostics) @ £50...

 

http://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/octavia-mk2/power_unit/1.6/55;_66;_77_kw_tdi_cr_engine/exhaust_turbocharger_g-charger/charge-air_system_exhaust_gas_turbocharger/removing_and_installing_the_exhaust_gas_temperature_sender_1g235/

Great thanks.

Is this the same as the DPF pressure sensor? This was done previously in Oct 13 when i last had engine management issues although it was more severe with limp mode activated.

Another observation tonight was for some reason the flashing glow plug sign turned off. Then it cut back in and out a couple of times. It was almost as if there was a loose connection that was made and unmade with the cars movement.

Thanks for your help on this Silver

Edited 10 March, 201511 yr by pdrisc

Total guess but I'll say if you put a cheap reader in the daig port it will come back with a Glow Plug #1 reading

There are several sensors, there are three gas pressure sensors alone.

 

The DPF utilises a number of different sensors to operate effectively.

 

I had a very similar issue to you on our Octavia Scout.

 

The glowplug light would flash on and off, not a set rhythm but as though a loose connection was making it illuminate over bumps and round corners etc.

 

It turned out the wiring to one of the gas pressure sensors had somehow become damaged. The garage repaired the wiring which fixed the issue for 6 months but the fault returned, this time the whole sensor was replaced and all has been fine ever since.

 

See my thread here...

 

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/301691-001350-008320-fault-codes-skoda-octavia-scout-pd140/

Update on this.

 

Diagnosis showed it was a Exhaust Gas Temperature sensor that was failing. Unfortunately it was 1 of 3 so an hours labour was needed to find the dodgy one.

 

All three are normally replaced at the same time at the dealer rather than find the failing one but this is usually wise because they all have the same about of wear and tear. In fact I have been advised that the sensor close to the turbo is likely to fail shortly.

 

When they eventually got it out the cable was shorting at the sensor which explains the intermittent fault that I have seen when driving.

 

total cost was £314 with £134 for the sensor from the main dealer. Expensive but way beyond what I could have done.

 

In other news it turns out that one of the rear tyres is shagged so thats more cost. Annoying!

 

Thanks for your assistance this week and I thought I would let you know the final outcome.

Thanks for updating the thread, wow that was a pricey fix.

 

I think they are feeding you a bit of a story on the diagnosis, it is very possible to determine which of the three sensors is at fault (see my thread linked earlier, G235 is sensor No.1 of three).

 

£314 for labour suggests well over three hours, it shouldn't take anywhere near this long.

 

On a 58 plate now your car is out of warranty I would suggest you find a local trusted VW specialist instead, that is what I did on the Octavia and my bill was closer to £200 all in.

As I suspected and predicted by the garage the EML has come back on. They said there was another sensor which was intermittent when they did the work last week. No flashing glow plug light or loss in power with limp mode though. 

 

The garage will code read again without cost to confirm but I think they said this was the sensor in behind the turbo. I have a mate who services VWs so will probably head to him.

Don't take it back, £314 for a sensor is extreme.

 

Your mate sounds like a better idea, as long as he has VCDS to calibrate the sensor after fitting.

I had the flashing glow plug light recentley on my Superb.

The car would run on very much reduced power, I think I lost the turbo

After much research, I found it could be a number of problems.

I took it to my local garage and he diagnised the problem as the turbo thrust sensor. He replaced the sensor which didn't make any difference but advised me it could be a wireing fault in the engine comartment which may require the front of the car to be stripped down.

The garage coudn't fit me in so I decided to take the car to my local Skoda dealer. I had to sit down to recover when the dealer told me the cost of putting my car on the machine but decided that that was the way to go.

The dealer diagnosed the fault as a broken wire in the engine compartment between the ecu and the thrust sensor. The wire was replaced with about two hours labour and the car is back to normal.

I wonder if I would have been better taking the car to the dealer in the first place and having the fault diagnosed and repaired at the same time.

Diesel engines used to be THE reliable thing in life, once started, feed oil and fuel.....never stop

 

what happened? 

Edited 31 August, 201510 yr by lichfielddriver

Diesel engines used to be THE reliable thing in life, once started, feed oil and fuel.....never stop

 

what happened? 

Emission control regulations