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General Information => Troubleshooting => Topic started by: jaw174 on February 06, 2008, 09:03:16 pm

Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: jaw174 on February 06, 2008, 09:03:16 pm: The otherday i was driving home from work in my 1999 MKIV early 1/2 year Jetta TDI. i started the car normaly, and started to drive home. pulling out of work i stall the car... i thought, ok its just my transmission issue, (gear retainer damaged, but drivable if you hold the stickshift in gear...) but no, it was not that issue..

the car does not rev up.

you can be in first and floor it and it will ever so slowly accelerate, as if it is in a stage 2 limp mode all the time.

i am used to the turbo cuttin out on me on the highway, that was normal for a while, but now i cant even get up to highway speeds quickly enough. the turbo never spins up, and it feels like i am driving a car a lawnmower under the hood.

it is not safe to drive, it runs so slow. i would cause accidnet on the highway going 40 mph.... or slower up hills.

any ideas what to look at? i get no codes other than my standard turbo code for deviation, and i know that is jsut the sticky vanes on the turbo.
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: jtanguay on February 07, 2008, 04:50:19 am: well if the vanes are stuck that should throw the car into limp mode... you're basically running like a N/A diesel which does not have much balls...

sounds like you should get your intake cleaned and also tear into the turbo to clean it out, and then use the vag com to get rid of the codes and out of limp mode.
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: the caveman on February 07, 2008, 07:04:12 am: if the check light isn't on it could also be your MAF . before going out and spending the money also check the snow screen at the intake of the air filter box.
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: jaw174 on February 07, 2008, 02:06:47 pm: this is far beyond limp mode.
I have hit the limp mode area before, this is like stage 2 limp... its running so poorly you can literaly stall trying to shift gears if you dont watch the rpms.

the rpms stay low the whole time.
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: burn_your_money on February 07, 2008, 02:17:17 pm: how old is the fuel filter?
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: MikkiJayne on February 07, 2008, 02:48:56 pm: It does sound like a fuel thing. Even with no turbo surely it would be driveable? But just like limp mode?

I had an (unmentionable non-VW POS) do something like this once because of a bad (but brand new) fuel filter. It idled a bit lumpy and had no power at all, and changing the filter fixed it.

Doesn't the 99.5 have a lift pump in the tank? Maybe that died or blew a fuse?
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: jtanguay on February 07, 2008, 03:14:42 pm: Quote from: "MikkiJayne"
It does sound like a fuel thing. Even with no turbo surely it would be driveable? But just like limp mode?

I had an (unmentionable non-VW POS) do something like this once because of a bad (but brand new) fuel filter. It idled a bit lumpy and had no power at all, and changing the filter fixed it.

Doesn't the 99.5 have a lift pump in the tank? Maybe that died or blew a fuse?

no lift pump.. the injection pump sucks all it needs. any bubbles in the fuel lines???
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: jaw174 on February 07, 2008, 06:13:53 pm: no air bubbles, just a regular steady flow - no jerking or lurching... a steady haze of smoke, most prominant upon initil start and idling, lessening as it warms up.

i have already (recently due to CEL, which said sensor so i replaced) replaced the coolant sensor located on the top rear part of the engine. i have an early 99.5, so it was the round blue instead of the green square connector.

previously it has seemed if i let it idle for 20+ minutes it would regain is power, so i thought it might not be thouroughly combusting the fuel, but in my last test, that was not the case. i let the car idle for 5-10 minutes, then took it out on the highway. it was late afternoon, and luckily light on traffic. it probably took me a good mile to get up to 60 mph.

if the vanes were stuck in one particular position, would that do something? like this, such as allow all the exhaust gas out too quickly? could it be a "back pressure" issue?

what could cause it to start quickly, idle ok, smoky, but run bad?!?!

what type of tests should i be doing? i have a compression tester, and have gotten 500 psi in the three cylinders i could test.

the broken glowplug didnt allow me to remove it but i beleive it still to be operational if i jam the connector back in. i plan to test thre resistance of the glow plugs to see if there is a difference in resistance, at least on the ones i know work.

anyone in Connecticut? :)
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: jtanguay on February 08, 2008, 04:46:35 am: get a cheapie boost gauge and go from there. my money is on vanes stuck closed. no power and smoke = most likely lack of boost.
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: the caveman on February 08, 2008, 05:41:47 am: if the turbo was shot the motor should still wind up, maybe not redline but there wouldn't be anything stopping it. If the turbo or wastegate was at fault your MIL should come on because the ecm is going to see a lack of boost. If the MAF is shot, the lack of fuelling demanded from the faulty MAF will keep the engine from winding up. It also would not set of your check light because as far as the ecm is concerned there isn't anything wrong, it is only using the information it is being given. Not impossible that both things have failed . Seen it happen almost at the same time and is hard to trouble shoot because the faulty MAF doesn't read the lack of boost= no MIL for the lack of boost +lack of fuel because of the bad reading from the MAF
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: jtanguay on February 08, 2008, 11:43:40 am: yea true... those maf's are pretty sensitive... and expensive
Title: timing
Post by: jaw174 on February 11, 2008, 06:59:34 pm: someone suggested i check the timing. said that this is how a car runs when the timing is slightly off.

any validity to that?
Title: Re: timing
Post by: jtanguay on February 12, 2008, 01:14:15 am: Quote from: "jaw174"
someone suggested i check the timing. said that this is how a car runs when the timing is slightly off.

any validity to that?

does it sound really loud? the computer should control the timing...
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: the caveman on February 12, 2008, 06:19:07 am: yeah i would also check the belt timing. maybe it jumped a tooth, or possibly just really loose.
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: jaw174 on February 13, 2008, 05:58:44 pm: trying to adjust the timing. so far i have tried to advance by 1 degree, and retard by 1 degree. seems to have a pulsing or bucking sensation when this is done.

how does it sound and how much smoke when overly advanced vs overly retarded? if i can tell which way i should go i can use the "adjust and try" method.

i only have the free vag-com software, and i cant find data blocks 02 and 09.
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: lord_verminaard on February 14, 2008, 07:45:41 am: My vote is for the turbo. I think it's beyond stuck vanes, I'd be willing to bet that the shaft has snapped. When the turbine cant turn, it's like having a brick in the exhaust. :roll: Plus, I'd also be willing to bet your intake is clogged which only hurts things more. Find a cheap boost or pressure gauge and temporarily hook it up and see if you get anything.

Brendan
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: the caveman on February 14, 2008, 07:54:36 am: don't just check the pump timing. check the belt. not impossible that it's off by a 1/2 or one tooth, or that the adjustment is loose.
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: jameezzzz on April 20, 2008, 06:46:40 am: Hi, did you ever find the route of this problem? i have the exact same issue with the engine in my van GTD (SB code) this was after putting a full tank of bio diesel in (ran it a few times before on bio) tried everything but im stuck now so any help would be apprichiated!

Cheers,

James
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: Possum79 on April 21, 2008, 11:40:53 am: I dont know crap about turbos but I do know that if there is something blocking your exhaust your cant go anywhere. My sister has a 87 blazer that the cat died on and was blocking the exhaust. Acted like it didnt want to shift(auto) or get fuel.

So if theres something stuck in there it wont go past like 40mph and getting to that is damn near impossible.
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: jameezzzz on April 22, 2008, 04:07:40 am: the exhaust seems fine, ive replaced the downpipe and gasses seem to be flowing fine through the back box! was thinking it may be something to do with the fuel, mabey blocked injectors????
Title: 99.5 TDI MKIV no power, feels like 3 cylinders, max 40mph.
Post by: Tintin on April 23, 2008, 05:42:16 am: On all TDI VE pump, at a certain milleage, the pressure regulator retainer sleeve goes out and cause the engine to run very bad, when I got a TDI in my garage, even if its a turbo problem the first thing that I check is the pump regulator, all the time on a fine running engine, the retainer is at the half way to goes out.