Shuddering and noisy cold startup, with a fast buzzing noise/very fast fan whirr is probably the secondary air pump getting the cat up to temperature.

I found mine was doing this a bit excessively - a very noticable buzzing due to the fan going at a fair rate of knots, and revs sat at 1200 for exactly 60 secs, then dropped to 1000 at the same time as the 2ndary pump turned off. It's like the car has now calmed down enough to be driven comfortabley - driving off before the pump had calmed down often meant I had to slip the clutch, or give it full throttle to prevent a jerky start to my journey.

Anyway, I got the dealer to look at it and they said they cleaned the throttle body and airpump. This has helped - the airpump no longer screams during the warm up period.

I know that a few people have reported an improvement in jerkiness-at-idle after having the throttle body cleaned out, but I remember from my days on an Audi forum that some had problems with flat spots on acceleration that I don't they ever got to the bottom of.

After I had TB cleaned on my old A3 1.8T it improved engine smoothness too. Makes sense, and I think that when people let their tank run low, or change to a fuel like BPUltimate or Optimax that it might wash crap from old fuels into the TB and help prevent it self-adjust as much as it would like.

Hope some of this might be of use.

Cheers,

Ben

My vRS is booked in at a local skoda dealer (Ive got three or four to choose from). This one was reccommended by another vRS owner who rates them highly.

I rang them at lunchtime and explained the symptoms. They have heard of it on a number of occasions and believe the fault to be the dirty plenum and a turbo pipe (although it may be the intercooler pipe or maybe vac pipe).

Its booked in for a week on saturday so I will be very interested to see if the problem goes away and will let you all know.

They reckon around £100 to do the work and it'll take 1.5 hrs.

Fingers crossed

PROBLEM SOLVED YIPPEE - THANKS FAINTREE GARAGE - BRIDGNORTH - SHROPSHIRE

I can thoroughly reccomend these guys to any and everybody who has a probelm with their Skoda. These guys DO actually KNOW THEIR STUFF and as if that wasnt enough theyre not so far up their own ar$es that they dont listen to their customers and they actually take time to solve their customers probelms unlike a chain of skoda dealers in Shropshire whove lightened my wallet of in excess of £200 trying to solve the problem.

The solution - the throttle valve was stripped and cleaned and a turbo pipe was replaced - i think that the majority of the problem was due to the gunked up valve but whilst they ahd it we decided it was a good idea to do the pipe.

All of these are photos of the valve AFTER cleaning. Before there was a load of black gunk on the inlet side of the valve which stopped air from passing into the head causing the mixture at idle & low revs to be incorrect which make the running/jerking/stuttering occur. Whip it out, clean it so its smooth metal with carb cleaner, whip out the sensor a bit further on, reassemble and voila - no more problem.

You can see in the first photo the air gap that should be present on the right hand side, there is one on the left too but its not as visible due to the angle i was holding the housing at.

These two pics are of the hose that was replaced which was done at the same time - I dont think that the oil is anything to worry about but i could be wrong.

Either way the splutter is GONE and I'm over the moon. Very easy job to do too and i'll get some poics of the engine bay soon to show which bolts to remove & which hoses to remove so that you guys can see if yours is gunked up too.

I think I havea solution to the splutter!

As fast as you can put the vRS into 2nd/ 3rd and put your foot down (WOT) to increase the injectors duty cycle pre turbo spool.

After this problem goes on my vRS!

When my car first started doing this I was really worried, it sounded like a really unhealthy diesel!! My VRS is especially bad first thing in the morning so i leave it running for a few mins before the revs drop and I drive off, and if its cold, and been standing around alot during the day, I let the engine run for a bit again before I drive off. I also use super unleaded all the time. I have heard this is a common problem and my turbo sometimes seems to make a whurring noise also when the spluttering is happening, and it has been suggested to me that this is linked to the pressure relating to the turbo???? i sometimes find also that if the car is still cold, when im excelerating the power isnt as it should be, and the car is almost sluggish, and then i get a massive surge of power to where and how it should be. Does anyone else get that?

any other tips would be most appriciated as im a totally non-mechanically minded girl!

Davethefish... Nice colour mate did you paint the car?

Thanks for pics Jos.Managed to clean my throttle body out at the weekend.

Car now runs nice and smooth and have n't noticed any splutter at all.

Cheers

Oops I think I forgot to say that I sorted mine. When it came down to it it was the sensor in the throttle body that was at fault. 27 notes later and the car runs fine,even when cold.

Took mine in to the Stevenage delaer (is it MKG) who immediately diagnosed the MAF sensor - they replaced it yesterday and so far so good...no splutter

Your problem is most likely a faulty MAP SENSOR ( thrust sensor ). Part No 038 906 051B , approx

Your problem is most likely a faulty MAP SENSOR ( thrust sensor ). Part No 038 906 051B , approx

Just to confirm 'JOS' is 100% correct this is the fault!

A realy good clean = progressive non lumpy power wich makes the car more responsive, it also make the clutch and accelerator relationship much smoother for a far more pleasurable pull away.

I have had to clean this twice on my car now, I do have photos (can I upload these?) -

Next question: Why does this happen, where does the oil come from?

Thanks all!

how do!

im so glad i have found you guys my beloved has been pourly for two weeks now my local dealer has basicaly said its the way i drive thats making the car splutter .

this is a poor excuse because after 6 hours of looking ,new coil packs ,new plugs they didnt have a bloodie clue !

if anyone knows of a good garage in the huddersfield area can they let me know !

thanks for posting your experiances it will be used as fire power on monday ill let you know how i get on.

Very easy job to do too and i'll get some poics of the engine bay soon to show which bolts to remove & which hoses to remove so that you guys can see if yours is gunked up too.

Hi

are these pics anywhere on this site?

cheers

G

Guys just to let you know, I cleaned then reset my throttle body and its running like a dream now, a quick and easy job!

I had to reset the throttle body with VAGCOM so if you dont have that, keep this in mind.

thanks to this site for the help!

Had a 10k service done @ Jabba yesterday and just happened to mention the symtoms i had(inconsistant throttle response/splutter when pulling away changing down).So he then reset the throttle/sensor and now the car drives 100% smoother,another top job done by the Jabba boys and girls:thumbup: :thumbup: It has only taken 19 months for me to say something to a garage :eek: :eek:

Hello all

please could someone put some photos up of the throttle body and valve as i have got the same problem???????

I'd be interested to see the photos too. I'm assuming they are of the throttle body.

I've removed, cleaned and refitted mine, then did the allignment with vag-com, but had no improvement. One of the rubber hose beneath the inlet manifold attached to another with a large rubber strap was perished. I replaced it and saw a big improvement, but things have since deteriorated again.

I've got the same problems too - does anyone know whether I try out a new MAF, is it a bolt-off, bolt-on procedure or does the car need any electrical plugging-in - or does the car learn that it's got a new MAF itself?

The splutter is probably a combination of things. First of all Skoda recommend use of a high octane (97-99octane) or premuim fuel for the vRS, I personally use Shell V Power although I am keen to try Tesco 99 Octane. And secondly I would try and keep the Octavia above 1750rpm. That and the combination of a high octane fuel should at least reduce the problem.

Fuels I would recommend:

Shell V Power

BP Ultimate

Tesco 99 Octane

The fuel has not made any difference to the spluttering on mine, but I do run high octane fuel as well, as it is generally smoother.

Mine had the split hose under the inlet manifold, which I noticed by accident whilst staring at my engine, thinking what else can it be! Replacing this made a big improvement.

I have disconnected and reconnected all electrical connections to the engine, again I saw a slight improvement.

I then replaced the dog bone engine mount bushes with Powerflex ones, this has made the splutter barely noticable. I think the problem is amplified by soft dog bone bushes.

Warning, if anyone replaces these, it will be quite alot harsher and noisier for the first 1000 miles or so. Mine has done around 1000 miles on the Powerflex bushes and is just settliing to near standard noise and vibration levels.

Warning, if anyone replaces these, it will be quite alot harsher and noisier for the first 1000 miles or so. Mine has done around 1000 miles on the Powerflex bushes and is just settliing to near standard noise and vibration levels.

I had forgetten mine has been done till you mentioned it, If anyone needs a testament to how much it softens up and becomes unoticable here it is

HTH

Jos's pics now come up as red 'x' s

Can someone post some pics of the location, and how to remove the throttle valve etc. would be very much appreciated.

I'll mention it to my dealer when I take it in next week, but would rather do it myself if it is easy

Mine is spluttering when giving it 3/4 throttle, full is fine.

Want to get it sorted!

ive got similar problem splutter and chugging from cold start and at low revs .

Dealer tried to find fault but did not show on diagnostics they said it could be fuel sensor.