im not sure of the layout under the bonnet of those, but theres a good chance that pipework would have to come off to do the belt and injectors. if one of those was not reseated properly then you could easily get the running issues mentioned above.
Passat (B6) Hesitation
- Thread starter manic_man
- Start date
im not sure of the layout under the bonnet of those, but theres a good chance that pipework would have to come off to do the belt and injectors. if one of those was not reseated properly then you could easily get the running issues mentioned above.
I've had a quick look and a listen, but I couldn't see/hear anything suspect.
You'd hope my £57 diagnostic fee would have covered them checking this as it does seem pretty obvious... problem is there is so much pipework under there it's very hard to know what I'm looking at, I'm no expert at the best of times and frankly these PD engines are as complex as I have ever seen...
Soldato
Can you take it to another VW to inspect the work that was done?
Many moons ago when I had a Corsa (i know i know), I took it in for its timing belt/chain recall (i cant remember what it was now) and when I picked it up they hadn't connected the air intake pipe, so basically it was sucking in unfiltered air.
I shoved it back together and took it to different Vauxhall and complained, they gave all the work a good once over. Also replaced the gearlinkage at the same time too...
Many moons ago when I had a Corsa (i know i know), I took it in for its timing belt/chain recall (i cant remember what it was now) and when I picked it up they hadn't connected the air intake pipe, so basically it was sucking in unfiltered air.
I shoved it back together and took it to different Vauxhall and complained, they gave all the work a good once over. Also replaced the gearlinkage at the same time too...
Heh feeling the VW love!
As a thought, is there any chance that other people experiencing this could disconnect their MAF and try and run without for a while? It really doesn't effect how the car drives much and is very easy to do. It's the large connector going into the pipework directly after the airbox.
You can read that it's an "air flow sensor" on the side and chances are it is made by bosch, it looks just like a pipe of the normal hard plastic tubing. Just disconnect it (careful not to snap anything of course) and tuck it away in the engine bay so it doesn't flap around and then see how the car drives. Would be very interesting to see how you get on.
As a thought, is there any chance that other people experiencing this could disconnect their MAF and try and run without for a while? It really doesn't effect how the car drives much and is very easy to do. It's the large connector going into the pipework directly after the airbox.
You can read that it's an "air flow sensor" on the side and chances are it is made by bosch, it looks just like a pipe of the normal hard plastic tubing. Just disconnect it (careful not to snap anything of course) and tuck it away in the engine bay so it doesn't flap around and then see how the car drives. Would be very interesting to see how you get on.
Soldato
Out of interest, anyone in here found that your car stalls when downshifting?
Not me, apart from the stutter on acceleration, it pulls like a train and stops smoothly.
Soldato
I get it sometimes and now i'm starting to wonder with the occasional hesitation between ceratin rev's if I should try to rule out the MAF.
Just unplug it and go for a drive and see hat happens. It's really easy to do.
Soldato
I know but it doesn't do it on every drive, so it'd be hard to tell by unplugging it whether it was the MAF actually at fault.
Caporegime
I'd log using vagcom, note the time of the 'event' and take the log to VW.
Hi all,
Sorry for the lack of updates, I have been away for work over the past few weeks.
Anyway, as it turns out my work has been with a fairly large motor sport company, so I have been having lunch with some pretty top end automotive engineers. It was one of them in fact that suggested I disconnect the MAF and see if it smoothed things out. Anyway, I told him this time that I had and it had, I also pointed out that VW wanted £60 to even look at it and should they decide the MAF was at fault, a new one is £208 fitted.
He then pointed out that just because the MAF was giving out erroneous values causing the jerking, that didn't mean the sensor was at fault (in fairness the guy at VW was genuinely surprised someone was asking about the MAF, he said they had literally never replaced one on the B6 or B7), and was I sure that the air filter was OK (ultimately the MAF is fed directly from the filter, so a blocked or faulty filter will mean the MAF gets a bad airflow).
As the car has a full VW service history, including a full "major" service only 6k miles ago, I assumed the air filter would be fine, but I got out my screwdriver and checked. To my surprise, the filter was black from top to bottom, much of the "ribbing" that keeps the folds of the filter open was cracked (meaning the filter can close in on itself if a gust of air blows it that way) and more to the point, it was dated 2007! My car is an early 2008, so basically the filter has never been changed in its life!
I was just about to phone VW and kick up hell, when I thought I'd check the service book. Sure enough, the official VW service schedule only calls for the filter housing to be opened, let alone the filter checked, at 60k or 6 years... (mine is 46k and < 5 years)
Anyway, long story short, I picked up a new filter from VW (£17!!), unscrewed the 8 or so screws, cleaned out the housing (good blow + hoover, it was FULL of dirt and leaves and bugs as you'd expect), replaced the filter (making sure I didn't lose the small rubber seal that sits in the apparently useless portion of the air box directly below where the MAF is) and it has been silky smooth since.
No word of a lie, my MPG has gone from 50 to 60 (give or take 5 depending on traffic) on my morning run to work, it feels smoother at idle, it's smoother through the revs and (touch wood) so far I have had no jerking while in traffic.
Assuming this has fixed it, I'd suggest anyone else having similar problems to check the filter (especially if you've had it service by VW all its life) and I shall be writing to VW HQ asking why on earth their air filter schedule is so ridiculous, it never even crossed my mind it hadn't been changed!
Sorry for the lack of updates, I have been away for work over the past few weeks.
Anyway, as it turns out my work has been with a fairly large motor sport company, so I have been having lunch with some pretty top end automotive engineers. It was one of them in fact that suggested I disconnect the MAF and see if it smoothed things out. Anyway, I told him this time that I had and it had, I also pointed out that VW wanted £60 to even look at it and should they decide the MAF was at fault, a new one is £208 fitted.
He then pointed out that just because the MAF was giving out erroneous values causing the jerking, that didn't mean the sensor was at fault (in fairness the guy at VW was genuinely surprised someone was asking about the MAF, he said they had literally never replaced one on the B6 or B7), and was I sure that the air filter was OK (ultimately the MAF is fed directly from the filter, so a blocked or faulty filter will mean the MAF gets a bad airflow).
As the car has a full VW service history, including a full "major" service only 6k miles ago, I assumed the air filter would be fine, but I got out my screwdriver and checked. To my surprise, the filter was black from top to bottom, much of the "ribbing" that keeps the folds of the filter open was cracked (meaning the filter can close in on itself if a gust of air blows it that way) and more to the point, it was dated 2007! My car is an early 2008, so basically the filter has never been changed in its life!
I was just about to phone VW and kick up hell, when I thought I'd check the service book. Sure enough, the official VW service schedule only calls for the filter housing to be opened, let alone the filter checked, at 60k or 6 years... (mine is 46k and < 5 years)
Anyway, long story short, I picked up a new filter from VW (£17!!), unscrewed the 8 or so screws, cleaned out the housing (good blow + hoover, it was FULL of dirt and leaves and bugs as you'd expect), replaced the filter (making sure I didn't lose the small rubber seal that sits in the apparently useless portion of the air box directly below where the MAF is) and it has been silky smooth since.
No word of a lie, my MPG has gone from 50 to 60 (give or take 5 depending on traffic) on my morning run to work, it feels smoother at idle, it's smoother through the revs and (touch wood) so far I have had no jerking while in traffic.
Assuming this has fixed it, I'd suggest anyone else having similar problems to check the filter (especially if you've had it service by VW all its life) and I shall be writing to VW HQ asking why on earth their air filter schedule is so ridiculous, it never even crossed my mind it hadn't been changed!
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Soldato
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The air filter should have been changed at the major service, it has came up on some owner forums that several seemily major issues with power loss were being caused by clogged fuel filters which the dealers should have also replaced.
In fairness, if you check the service book it specifically states that the air filter should be changed and the housing cleaned at 60,000 miles or 6 years, whichever comes first.
I just phoned VW and had this verbally confirmed also, so the dealers aren't at fault.
The fuel filter was changed at 40,000 (i..e my last service) as it should have been, so the dealers are following the schedule set out for them, it's just that VW have got it very wrong in the case of the air filter! It's a (relatively) cheap part that can have a huge effect on modern turbo diesels and imo should be changed at every major service as it has been for every other type of car I have owned. It smacks of VW trying to find small ways to cut corners...
I just phoned VW and had this verbally confirmed also, so the dealers aren't at fault.
The fuel filter was changed at 40,000 (i..e my last service) as it should have been, so the dealers are following the schedule set out for them, it's just that VW have got it very wrong in the case of the air filter! It's a (relatively) cheap part that can have a huge effect on modern turbo diesels and imo should be changed at every major service as it has been for every other type of car I have owned. It smacks of VW trying to find small ways to cut corners...
Soldato
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They changed the schedule according to my dealer and the book you have may be out of date. Mines is old and shows the 6 year interval for the air filter and 60k for the diesel fuel filter and the dealer changes my air filter every second service (I have a petrol).
If you go to VWs web page the fixed price servicing for time/distance the major service includes changing the air filter and diesel fuel filter or spark plugs every two years or 20k, I would be asking VW why they recommend changing items under this at different intervals.
http://www.volkswagen.co.uk/owners/servicing/fixed-price-servicing
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Quite right, I'll make sure to bring it all up. I'm just drafting a letter to VW UK now (not the dealer) as I have spent money and more importantly, much time fixing something that should never have been an issue!
Just spoken with VW UK customer service and she looked up the schedule for me. Indeed the air filter maintenance schedule is 6 years / 60k miles.
I asked her why a dealer who had my car for a day and charged me £57 didn't check the filter and she couldn't comment. I then asked that it be officially logged that this schedule is frankly dumb (not those exact words) and she did. I suspect nothing will come of it, but if enough people ask (she had someone asking the same question a few weeks earlier) then hopefully VW will modify the schedule. She also couldn't comment as to why the service website didn't point out that the filter replacement was down to each vehicle and wouldn't just be done as par for course.
I have to say, the VAG group really need to buck their game up in terms of their servicing and dealer networks. I appreciate them cuttings costs to be more competitive, but other manufacturers get the basics right...
I asked her why a dealer who had my car for a day and charged me £57 didn't check the filter and she couldn't comment. I then asked that it be officially logged that this schedule is frankly dumb (not those exact words) and she did. I suspect nothing will come of it, but if enough people ask (she had someone asking the same question a few weeks earlier) then hopefully VW will modify the schedule. She also couldn't comment as to why the service website didn't point out that the filter replacement was down to each vehicle and wouldn't just be done as par for course.
I have to say, the VAG group really need to buck their game up in terms of their servicing and dealer networks. I appreciate them cuttings costs to be more competitive, but other manufacturers get the basics right...
Soldato
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Did you ask why it shows a different schedule on VWs web page ?
She had no answer and didn't appear too interested (or surprised) that this was the case.
They really aren't propagating their premium image...