Octavia 1.4 TSI ~ 80k miles.

 

I've owned this car for five years and every summer without fail I get the same issue.

 

Basically, then idling in the heat the revs dip and it starts to stutter but never stalls. After about 30 seconds the check engine light will start to blink. After about another 30 seconds, it goes into limp mode and I have to restart the engine and clear the fault code later.

 

The fault code it throws is P0303, misfire on cylinder 3.

 

So this happens normally when stopped at lights. Most times I get away before it goes into limp mode and the check engine lights stops flashing once I'm moving again. Simply revving the engine stationary doesn't help.

 

Under normal driving, not idling, there are no issues. Also this only happens in SUMMER. Over winter, it's fine. Engine gets up to temp normally, idle is fine, no lights, no codes. It actually failed MOT last summer because it was stupidly hot and it went into limp mode when they were checking emissions.  I cleared the code/light and gave it back and it passed.

 

I've changed the spark plugs and swapped the coil packs over and it still points at cylinder 3.

 

Any help much appreciated!

21 minutes ago, voteforpedro said:

it still points at cylinder 3

Check the injector duty cycles, at a per cylinder level.

I'd be thinking along the lines of an ignition coil perhaps.

 

When we're the plugs last changed?

36 minutes ago, Phil-E said:

along the lines of an ignition coil perhaps

He says he's swapped coil packs about, but the fault has stayed on cylinder 3.