VW 1.5 tsi jerky acceletation

[fastwunz]

Hey guys,

I’ve got the latest VW Passat with the 1.5tsi engine.

it’s been fine for the past few months but has sat pretty idle for the past few weeks for obvious reasons - apart from like a few mins drive a week or so ago.

Got in it today and drove for ten mins only to realise there was something very wrong.

I have read about the well known kangaroo engine performance you can get with this engine and it seems I may be afflicted all of a sudden.

the cat almost ‘bounces’ under spirited acceleration in second, third and fourth gears and the Rev needle can be seen reflecting this. The engine noise also reflects this - it’s very prominent and quite horrible.

It’s a company lease car thank god so I’ll get it booked in for a repair with the dealer when they reopen but my basic research suggests that this is a very common issue with this engine in particular and that it’s a software fix that’s needed - anyone any experience of this issue?

thanks

 

[fastwunz]

some friends with a seat with the same engine had the same issue. Software fix and it's been fine since.

that’s good to know - hope the garages are open lol

 

[fastwunz]

the 1.5tsi in the Golf [and others] was blighted w/ this issue, I did read that it was only when mated to a manual gearbox but i'm not sure if that's right. as far as I can say though, you would have noticed that for the start, as it was an engine management issue that needed a software fix as M1k3H says; if yours has just suddenly started doing it, it would suggest something else has happened.

Hmmmm yes mine is a DSG box. The car literally hasn’t moved for weeks but has only done mine 4000 miles since new and driven perfectly.

how could anything actually go wrong with it all of a sudden? Could it’s lack of use have caused this?

 

[fastwunz]

I had a brand new Seat leon 1.5 tsi manual 130ps which I successfully rejected last year - kangarooing when cold, hesitation and just overall an awful experience.

It's a known issue where a software fix should sort it - however as there are so many variations of trim/model this engine is fitted too it took a while for the fix to be distributed throughout the manufacturers. For my Leon after around 9 months of waiting the fix still hadn't been released for my model.

By now there should be a software fix for it - so you should be fine. From what Seat were saying - all the VW models have a fix now in place.

except my issue hasn’t been from new and mine is a DSG 150bhp model..... hopefully it’s the same remedy lol!!!!

 

[fastwunz]

If it's been stood an Italian tuneup should sort it out!

this is true - a good long run might be helpful.

but I remain confused by what it could actually be - blocked fuel line perhaps? The rev needle bounces around like anything under acceleration though - it’s bad - wish I could upload a video or something

 

[fastwunz]

That sounds more like a clutch / gearbox issue than an engine management problem. The rev's shouldn't physically be able to "jump", they should be smoothed by the rotation of the wheels & engine.

Does your car indicate what gear it is in? Is it jumping between gears maybe?

yep - it’s a DSG box with gear indicators - I can see each gear I’m in at all times on the digital display.

It isn’t jumping between gears - the gear change is typically very smooth - it’s the acceleration when it happens with symptoms such as a bouncing/jerking of the car, Rev counter and corresponding engine sound. It’s seems to happen in all gears not matter what also.

 

[fastwunz]

i'm no expert, but i'd think crap in the fuel lines from sitting unused etc would likely affect emissions and you'd probably get a light on the dash. we could speculate endlessly, the only sure way is to get it to the dealer so they can hook the computers up and monitor what's happening.

True true - think I’ll see what it’s doing today and report back also

 

[fastwunz]

Damn - just found out all local VW garages are closed.

Bloody marvellous.

 

[fastwunz]

Just took it for another run to the shops and it’s still happening.

Massively jerky from about 2800 Rpm onwards under any form of acceleration.

if I keep it under 3000rpm you wouldn’t know about it. It’s less noticeable in second but as you rise through the gears it becomes utterly intolerable.

I’m stumped and I can’t get I fixed. Makes me mad lol

 

[fastwunz]

How old is the car ? Looks like VW cheap'd out and only give 1 year road side cover. If it's got VW Roadside Assist give them a call 0800 777 192 they will come out to the car and check it. They can do minor repairs on the drive Audi Roadside Assist can do software updates I would expect VW to be able to aswell. They can also get parts and come back they changed the turbo actuator on my mum's car on her drive I would expect them to have a stock of coil packs in the van.

It’s less than 6 months old - Lease car through work. The lease company is closed however

 

[fastwunz]

How old is the car ? Looks like VW cheap'd out and only give 1 year road side cover. If it's got VW Roadside Assist give them a call 0800 777 192 they will come out to the car and check it. They can do minor repairs on the drive Audi Roadside Assist can do software updates I would expect VW to be able to aswell. They can also get parts and come back they changed the turbo actuator on my mum's car on her drive I would expect them to have a stock of coil packs in the van.

thank you for the help! VW are on their way to the rescue!

 

[fastwunz]

I'll put 50p on it being a duff coil pack.

apparently not sadly - the guy is stumped. Says it needs to go into the dealer - which isn’t open lol

 

[fastwunz]

So I turned off the radar system, the drivers warning system and all other aids (road sign recognition, blind spot monitoring etc) and then drove for 10 mins or so.

the problem went.

I then turned it all back on again and it’s still ok.

thank god - I think it may have been an issue with the front mounted radar providing highly intermittent and false readings thus constantly trying to slow the car. Who knows. The VW technician did say there had been some sparsely reported errors reported by the ECU on that front although he said it had been ok for weeks since the last error report and that it seemed ok now.....

 

[fastwunz]

Did you ever get this sorted? @fastwunz

Got a 1.5 DSG
Had the engine update about two weeks ago, after some diagnostics at the main dealer, it’s still happening.

Wish I realised and rejected it as soon as it arrived. Didn’t notice it too much, and was on a new car high after not having one for a while.
Put it initially down to maybe not being driven for a while.

Under warranty with independent dealer I got it from who are covering costs of any diagnostics.
Had it about a month, contacted about rejecting it awaiting response.

Just a ball ache as like the car, but that engine issue and eye brow raising poor fuel economy has ruined it for me

Unsure what it could be seems common though from googling which is annoying.

A number of software updates eventually fixed this issue.

However the infotainment system regularly doesn’t load up at all - it literally does nothing and renders the system completely useless.

However. Many MANY more problems sprung up since this thread.

The car has required:

1. An entirely new radar system including all new cameras and sensors
2. An entirely new engine management system including the physical board and module within the glovebox which is programmed specifically per vehicle - waiting for a new one of these was certainly fun….
3. An entirely new infotainment system including the screen and associated gubbins
4. An entirely new SOS module in the roof including panel and communication module
5. An entirely new gearbox after VW found metal lying inside the box whilst it slowly chewed itself to metallic death
6. Brand new disc brakes all around (the fronts were faulty)
7. Replacement speakers due to blow outs (this is a fault - the standard speakers are crud)

Circa £15k of warranty work.

The car was only on around 22k when all this was being done.

The lease company have agreed to let me hand it back early and my company are allowing me to order a new company car.

Suffice to say, I have just ordered a fully loaded BMW 330e Msport Touring in Brooklyn Grey, the upgraded 19” alloys in black, the pro pack, comfort pack and a pano roof.

I will never, ever, voluntarily drive a VW or associated manufacturer product again. Over priced, cheap interiors and awful tech issues.

 

[fastwunz]

Amen to that. Every VW I've been in in the last couple of years has been extremely disappointing from a quality point of view.

Also a colleague of mine has had loads of really quite dangerous issues with the tech in his. Reading phantom speed limit signs on the back of trucks and braking down to said limit while on the motorway. Randomly deciding it is driving on the right and braking mid overtake on the motorway because it thinks it is undertaking, that sort of stuff.

Oh yes - my car has many times emergency braked on my behalf with no danger in sight.

The radar cruise is a joke on the motorway too - it sees cars when there are none and can’t be relied upon at all to keep up with traffic.

When it works it’s quite good but sadly you loose faith with it which ultimately breads a fear of it and a complete reluctance to use it.