Hi, I have a 2002 Octavia 1.8t 20v 4x4. It has the haldex gen1 system. It has a reoccurring error P1296 Powertrain Cooling System Error. The car runs fine.

Now, before we get into the temp sensor and thermostat, the car started to run like a bag of spanners had fell in so the thermostat was recently replaced and although it (the "old" one) was new it wasn't seated correctly so that was redone and replaced along with a brand new "green" temp sensor. This was 2 weeks ago.

A month or two prior, a new intake gasket was fitted due to it sucking bits of the old one in.

Prior to that the car was laid up sorn for the best part of two years but passed its MOT in February just gone.

Any clues to what else can cause P1296 if it isn't the temp sensor or thermostat?.

All and any help or reasonable suggestions arr greatly appreciated!

Have the codes been cleared and then this has come back?, if not , clear them down and see what comes back.

 

For info - http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/17704/P1296/004758

Hi kentphil, yes the codes have been cleared. Vcds picked up nothing while it has been misfiring but recently p1296 and p0300 - p0304 are showing again. Car randomly idles bad but runs great with lots of power available. It's trying to surge at speed too. The engine won't die while idling. It just continues struggling for as long as you like.

I'm completely baffled.

Edited 21 September, 201510 yr by shivadow

Hi , more assistance here if you need it, in all honesty, I would be looking at the ignition coils, specifically cylinder number 4. Have they been changed under the recall at all?.

 

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/16684/P0300/000768

 

http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/16688/P0304/000772

I honestly couldn't tell you if it was subjected to the recall or not so i have asked the mechanic it is with now to replace all 4 (already brand new) coilpacks with oems as the ones i currently use are made by "fahren". I assume these are 3rd party packs as they were only £20 each.

The mechanics first word was exactly "coilpacks" as he reckons from experience that VAG engines generically don't like cheap parts. Maybe you can verify that?.

So, looking at the list you kindly provided, if its not coilpacks i may as well consider a replacement engine as it looks expensive to tick all those bits off the list.

If it works out bad that way I am Considering a BAM engine as i had a good quote for swapping and use the head off the borked engine I already have but not sure if BAM will mate to a gen1 haldex. Any help here is greatly appreciated. I'd love a 220hp 4x4!.

Thanks for taking the time to help me like this.. I really am at a loss here and not sure how this will all pan out but i love this stupid car too much to scrap it as its in mint condition at 94k on a 2002 car.. Other examples are at least double the mileage. I'd consider selling it to a loving owner for the right price but they won't buy it while its running like it does..

Cars eh.. Shoulda got married.. Less stress!.

Thankyou kentphil, i appreciate your input a lot!.

If you still had your original oem coilpacks in the car, the recall would replace them f.o.c at your local dealer, regardless of the age of your car.

 

VAG cars do not sit well with certain cheap electronic replacements, coils and coolant sersors come easily to mind - buy cheap, buy twice.

 

The list on the links I posted is only a guide to possible solutions to your problem, not all on the lists will be at fault, and certain items cross over between codes thereby helping to narrow down the field of play.

 

And as for getting married - yeah do it, why should you be happy, when you can be like the rest of us......................

The coil packs I took out were rusty and got binned. They had no markings on them to prove what they were, and naturally I didnt know about the recall situation until about 2 or 3 days ago. The old ones looked in bad enough condition to call them original but seeing as it sat up in a driveway for nigh on 2 years they probably weren't oem, just more like rotted from neglect. I'm honestly shocked the body is in such good condition because all the money is going on oem bits for powertrain and running gear, except the coil packs of course but I've learned the hard way not to be cheap with it.

Would you happen to know what the brand name of oem packs are?. I'd like everything to be as factory as much as possible.

That's a negative, sir!.

OEM coilpacks fitted to all 4 cylinders and it's still misfiring. No vacuum leaks,fuel pressure is good. Compression is 180 on all 4. Maf working fine only thing i have to go on is p1296. Wasted £150 notes.

Any other suggestions?.

If it has been standing that long, it could be a faulty injector that has got gummed up with old fuel or a perished injector seal.

 

You could confirm this by swapping the injectors between number 1 and number 4, and if it is an injector fault, the code will move with the injector to cylinder 1 also. It also means a visual inspection of the injector seal can be done at the same time to see if they are damaged in any way.

 

The other thing they could/should have checked while fitting the coils is that the loom that connects to the coils has not hardened with age and heat and started to crack in the insulation and short out. There is also an earth point bolted to the camcover to earth the coil loom which you could give a quick once over with the wire wool to eliminate it at minimal cost.

 

The code basically means the ecu can't fire the cylinder - for whatever reason that may be. Your compressions would tend to eliminate a lack of compression, your good vacuum would suggest the injector and manifold seals are ok, but as you would be looking at them to swap the injectors, it is wise to check anyway. The new coils guarantee a spark , but they do not eliminate the loom that connects to them, so either you have no spark because of a loom short or you have no fuel due to a sticking injector - does that give any help?.

Its funny you should mention the loom as i suspect it too.. I've sent it to someone who has vcds to see what that says. When i get it back I'll definitely inspect those. I'm even thinking gummed up fuel system due to perishable piping. All speculation at the moment but with perseverance we will prevail!.

It's so disheartening this broken car malarkey..

Thanks again kentphil. I'll post back with any progress..

It would be helpful if you post the results of the VCDS scan when you get it, but please edit the VIN out first as you never know who hangs round the tinternet and is looking in.

Right, can't get a copy of the report but i was told that the maf was reporting the wrong values and needed a reset/recalibration. Will be running the car out later to see if it made a difference..

The problem shows as a persistent p1296 even though you have a perfectly fine temp sensor and thermostat.

Its symptoms are an intermittent lumpy engine, mostly after a long run out or heavy labour on the engine (be careful labouring the engine as I found my cv had a weakness and exploded it). At idle it will tick fine and then "bump" every so often. You can hear the bump at the exhaust. The bump is a misfire. These misfires give you p0300, P0301, p0302, p0304. One cylinder will not give a misfire code, i don't know why. For me the cylinder was cylinder 3 (p0303). The bump is accompanied by a flicker of the interior lights.

After a while, starting the engine from cold even on a warm day activates the secondary air injector which is a loudish whistle from the engine bay. Its job is to heat up the catalytic converter. This kicking in most likely is a sign of air induction problems so look at the maf or intake gasket. My car doesn't do this now.

MAF needed a clean and reset via VCDS. 30 quid to fix. Made a world of difference!.

Thanks kentphil, i appreciate your efforts!. Keep up the good work.

I hope this helps someone because it did my head in for weeks on end!.

Cheers Buddy   Good luck and enjoy.