1.4 TSI DSG 

 

Well this issue was a bolt from the blue! My car has been absolutely fine in all aspects until last night's visit to the chippy!

 

Drove into town for some milk and then parked outside the chippy (probably 3 miles journey). I left the engine running as my Mrs was in the car and wanted the heater on.

 

Upon returning to the car which I had left in park and the hand brake on, I noticed the whole car was juddering and my Mrs said it just started a few minutes before.

 

I drove off and acceleration was very much reduced like it was in reduced power mode. It still changed gears without issue and got me home ok but the engine warning light was flashing intermittently.

 

After an hour, I went back out and fired the car up again. A brief error message flashed up which said stop/start system error but then it went away. No judder this time.

 

I will try it around the block this morning and I do have AA breakdown cover if it comes back while I'm on the go (as long as I'm over a quarter of a mile from home).

 

Tyres on the drive offer a mobile diagnostic check for £50 which is cheaper than garages do it, so it's got to be worth having that done even if it is ok this morning.

 

Any thoughts? 

 

 

?

How many miles has the car done?

Has it had Servicing recently, needed spark plugs changed, the air filter done or anything else?

 

?

Have you bought fuel recently, any chance of a mis-fuel?

 

If you can get the AA out to read any fault codes and it costs nothing then good.

The responder can check the spark plugs if there are Mis-fires logged, or they can check anything else.

 

If you have a Mobile Diagnostic done will the person then be able to replace the spark plugs if required or the coils or any sensor? 

Edited 9 April, 20224 yr by roottoot

32k miles

 

Serviced in January this year (basic oil change service) but had it's first major service last year. Not sure about spark plugs without digging out the invoice to check everything that was carried out on that.

 

Cambelt due this year if I change it at the 5 year interval. A mechanic told me that 5 years is ridiculously conservative and these belts are good for more years, especially with my low mileage.

 

I filled up on the 29th of March with Esso super unleaded which I've been using for a while. It didn't seem as smooth on the E10 stuff. Got just under half a tank left.

 

The mobile diagnostic guy is purely to check what is showing and then give me a print out so I can then obtain quotes from various garages because I will know what the issue is (assuming it shows up on the diagnostic check).

 

The AA won't come out to my house unless the car won't start. I need to be over a 1/4 of a mile from home for a call out.

 

I have driven it around the block this morning no issues. Also the oil level is fine.

 

Driving over to my mum's now which is about 12 miles away. We will see how it goes.

Oh and I fitted a Pipercross lifetime panel filter a few weeks ago. I've checked the pipes and everything under the bonnet this morning and all secure. 

 

The car was remapped by Superchips mobile guy back in December but has been running fine. Had it been on the move, maybe my thoughts would have turned to that first. However it started while simply sat there in park.

EDIT.  After seeing the above post.

So now you tell us.   

 This is a possible issue with Remaps.  It can be an issue and sometimes you need that removed if the issues after one can not be resolved. 

 

Maybe go put in Tesco Momentum 99 or Shell v-Power Nitro+

The Superchips remap was suited to the use of a higher octane petrol was it not.  So 97/99 ron as there is no 98 ron in the UK as 'Tuning Companies' like APR, REVO, Superchips show on the 'Might get improved ps/ Nm' charts.

 

 

The E5 Esso Super unleaded should not be an issue, but no harm going out and putting in a tankful from someplace else.

Hopefully it is not a Fuel Filter issue.

 

********The spark plugs are not due a replacement but all 4 inspected is sensible.*************

 

First you need checked if any Fault Codes are showing. 

 

 

Edited 9 April, 20224 yr by roottoot

Had I not had it remapped and this had occurred, we would have to consider something else. 

 

I feel at this stage it's a knee jerk reaction to blame the remap and almost too easy to point the finger at it. 

 

I'll have to get the diagnostic check done at the very least to get some answers. 

Check that Air Filter you fitted again closely and see the lid is sealed and the intake and outlet fitted OK.

 

The spark plugs removed and checked after cooled down after a good hot run where they get nicely warmed up and any oil / carbon burned off is worth doing and free.

Then the gap checked.

 

If doing that you are as well to have new spark plugs ready to fit.      Remaps are great but you want them done to a well serviced engine. 

3 hours ago, Doctor_Strange said:

I noticed the whole car was juddering and my Mrs said it just started a few minutes before.

I notice the car is a 2017. If it's on the original battery and you're getting issues with the stop/start, I'd get the battery tested properly, and suspect you need it replaced.

Perhaps, even though it hasn't reoccurred on the 12 mile drive to my mum's today, it would be worth ringing the AA when a bit closer to home but still over a 1/4 of a mile away. They will be able to run diagnostics without me having to shell out for it and will of course be better placed to carry out repairs. 

 

I could easily tell them it did it just before I phoned because much like last night, it cleared when the engine was switched off and back on again a short time later.

You shelled out on a remap and on a 'Performance filter'. 

It is then sometimes the case you have to shell out on finding out why there can be an issue because you changed from the Manufacturers Engine Management.

 

I have no issue with Remaps,  but i had with REVO that did a crap mappjng for 1.4 TSI / TFSI Twinchargers, and also the one SuperChips did, yet some swore by it and them. 

3 hours ago, Doctor_Strange said:

They will be able to run diagnostics without me having to shell out for it

Yes and? IME most fast fit places will do the tests for free if you buy a new battery (if required) from them.

Well this screenshot from Google plus the link below suggests this is most likely to be spark plugs.

 

Funnily enough, when I had my car serviced in January, the guy asked if they had been done when I had the major service done the year before. I can't remember and will dig out the invoice today to see if it mentions them.

 

He said that if not, they will be getting ready by now. 

 

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.arnoldclark.com/newsroom/2502-the-most-common-causes-of-engine-misfires.amp

An Engine Management light / Exhaust Management light can be a Brain Fart of the car / ECU.

There can be a misfire, there can be a fuel issue, there can be an many issues including the car sitting ticking over too long and then a bit of sooting up, over fueling or under fueling, it can be a ca sitting in the sun and the under bonnet / airbox getting hot and the ar starting.

 

Arnold Clark Techs are the ones that can have a car infront of them and be clueless unless the machine tells them exactly what is wrong.

So any websites or help generalising is not much cope IMO & IME. 

 

Skoda have always shown the Spark Plug replacement as @ the 2nd Major Service, so @ 4 years / 40,000 miles even though people had 4 year / 40,000 mile services and paid £269 or later  £279, then £289 an might not of got them changed.  Paid the same price though.

(VW did 2nd major Services @ £305 and did change Air Filter & Spark Plugs and did not just charge for them and not change or even check if the Fitter / Tech decided not to bother.)

 

Some Staff would say they were not due until 65,000 miles because 'they are special long life plugs'  Extra Expensive.  They just say any old crap.

(They can be fine long after 4 years / 40,000 miles, but then if not and one or more is in the way out you car end up needing a coil or coils, so you check.)

 

So now Skoda show SPARK PLUGS again in the new regime as still @ 4 years / 40,000 miles.   That is a recommendation.

THEY SHOW THE AIR FILTER REPLACEMENT AT 6 YEARS / 60,000 MILES. 

 That is just mental if the Air Filter is not just getting inspected at each service.

 

Common sense before remaps is you check the spark plugs ans since removing ignition coils ans plugs you change them.

You usually change the plugs ans air filter pre 'Remap'  and run the car and feel all is well first.....

 

 

Edited 10 April, 20224 yr by roottoot

Well I guess it is common sense to those that have some degree of knowledge about the more technical or mechanical side of things. During my research of which I have done lots through Google and emailing different remap firms and providing my cars details, it is something I haven't come across.

 

In any case, the genie is out of the bottle now so just got to roll with it and see what happens.

I think that anyone expects the Man or Woman in a Van or whatever vehicle that comes to do a Remap knows the most basic stuff and gives advice on Spark Plugs before doing what they are there to do.

Even tuners in buildings might do Remaps on cars and not look in the Air box or check Spark Plugs.

 

Or spark Plugs are checked replaced and the Coils are damaged while doing them.

This is why a car should be well serviced and running OK and checked for fault codes having been run before then going on a dyno before and then after a remap.

 

But then that is just my opinion. 

4 minutes ago, roottoot said:

This is why a car should be well serviced and running OK and checked for fault codes having been run before then going on a dyno before and then after a remap.

 

But then that is just my opinion. 

My opinion too.

Rather than guessing at what the problem is I would get it looked at by a VAG specialist. Sometimes what appears to be the most obvious problem actually isnt. This might be a failing cam sensor which can cause similar issues.

But it is a good idea to change the spark plugs and check the coil packs. If you get a mifire on a cylinder you can move the coilpack to another. If the misfire moves you know it is the coilpack. If it doesnt then you know it is the spark plug, injector or a harness issue. I used to change my plugs every 10,000 miles. The new iridium tips plugs are better at lasting than plugs of old. But the cores are still the same and prone to breaking.

Equally I would ditch the aftermarket filter as they offer no increase in performance and poorer filtration. The standard filter will flow more than enough air for a mapped Golf R so will easily flow enough for your car. Sometimes aftermarket filters can induce turbulence over the maf sensor and cause fluctuations and rumning issues. I have experienced that on my mk2 VRS TFSi. Had a boost fluctuation in the mid range which went when I refitted the standard filter and that was running 280bhp.

I've managed to find the paperwork for the major service which shows the work carried out did include spark plugs. 

 

I also have the paperwork for the MOT which involved a diagnostic check at the same time. The engine warning light would come on for a few seconds at the most along with a stop/start error message. So I asked them to look into it and they cleared the error codes which did not return. At least until now potentially.

 

The garage is a local VW specialist 

Also, the AA are on their way. I decided to deploy them after the light came on briefly whilst in town. Left the car and walked home, a nice evening for it!

 

I will take the paperwork with me.

So, the AA have been (well it was outsourced to a local partner garage) and he plugged in a code reader and there were no error codes at all.

 

The car fired up smoothly and no warning lights. I gave him the rundown of the above paperwork, the aftermarket air filter and the remap. 

 

He said that going by recent experience of a lot of callouts they have had, his bet is the fuel filter. Apparently, with the fuel crisis, some petrol stations have let their tanks get very low before topping up and this leads to gunge and stuff to go into the fuel tank. When it causes a clog in the filter, it causes a judder at idle and the car goes into limp mode. 

 

In a lot of cases, it clears when the car is left and fired up again later. However, some have had to be worked on. Apparently, Shell have a policy of not allowing less than 2000 litres in their tanks, so they stop selling fuel at that point. He does not know the policy of other companies.

 

He advised me to book it in at a garage for an in-depth check, so I'll ring Manders tomorrow who did my service and MOT.