My Golf sounds like crap...help please

[Faz123]

The initial message was deleted from this topic on 08 January 2015 at 23:54

[rich83]

Could be the throttle body.

[kor0]

From the first page of Google:

p0221 and p0121 are throttle body codes. You need to try to set basic settings on the throttle body with a vagcom or scantool if it fails test you need to replace throttle body.

[IanCress]

The symptoms sound like a coil pack issue to me. Perhaps the diagnostic codes have been there for a while and don't relate to the fault, as I can't see how a dodgy throttle position sensor would cause the rough running.

[rustyabarth]

IanCress said:

The symptoms sound like a coil pack issue to me.

Id say the same. Its not uncommon on the VAG range

[rich83]

rustyabarth said:

IanCress said:

The symptoms sound like a coil pack issue to me.

Id say the same. Its not uncommon on the VAG range

Usually a dodgy coilpack resulting in misfires will throw an EML rather than ESP light

If it sounds like a Subaru then it could be coil/spark

[IanCress]

I agree with rich83 that a misfire wouldn't put the ESP and EPC light on - this is what you get when you have a TPS fault, which also puts the car in to limp home mode.

However the shaking and Subaru sound must be a mis-fire, most likely caused by a coil pack. It seems you have 2 seperate faults, as unlikely as it sounds.

My only other thought is that your alternator might be on it's way out, and it's causing a number of electrical problems. Any other symptoms?

[IanCress]

Coil packs tend not to fix themselves, once it's gone it's gone. You'll need to get this fixed as driving any distance with a mis-fire will wreck the catalytic converter.

I had the same TPS fault in a Leon. Occasionally it would drop in to limp home mode. Pulling over and restarting the engine fixed it, but after a while it became a pain. Luckily fixed under warranty, so no idea what the cost was.

[rich83]

Faz123 said:

I've had the limp home mode happening to me before because of the P0221 fault code, but it has never sounded / felt as bad as it did when parking up last night.

You may well be right with it being 2 separate faults.

What would you suggest I replace first?

Well a new throttle body plus fitting is around £400.

Coilpacks are about £80 for a set (Replace using R8 red ones google "Genuine VAG Red Coil Pack Set - 2.0TFSI" and there they are)

Spark plugs about about £40.


Try and get the car scanned with proper VCDS software.... If a coilpack/plug had gone then it would throw up as a misfire.

[graham22]

Wouldn't a car of that age qualify for the 'free' updated coil packs? I had 3 replaced free on my 2005 A3 2.0T (one was already the newer coil pack).


As stated, the rough running sounds like coil packs - the EML flashed whenever any of mine went, my Ibiza Cupra however flashed the ESP light when I disconnected the MAF to see if it was faulty.

[va1o]

Ring up vw uk quoting the vin and reg no. Yours should be eligible if it hasn't already had it done

[IanCress]

Be aware that you haven't actually had it diagnosed as coil pack failure yet. Could be something as simple as plugs or leads, or a crack in the engine block.

[rich83]

Ill say it again... I dont think its plugs/coilpacks.... as no misfire is logged.

Get it scanned properly with VCDS....

[anonymous-user]

If a coil pack had gone couldn't you isolate it by removing a lead at a time?

Is there no way to manually reset the throttle body?

[rich83]

You can do a basic settings reset on the TB... but you need VCDS. And chances are if its goosed, then its goosed and a reset won't work.

[motorhole]

If it's throwing TPS codes, then that's where I'd be looking rather than worrying about coil packs for time being (not writing the coil pack off, just saying follow the error codes to begin with).

I don't know much about modern Golfs, but I'm assuming it has two TPSs because one is the sensor for driver input and the other is for traction control/ESP.

If the TPSs are removable from the throttle body (most are simple plug-in sensors on modern cars), see if you can test these first. Again I'm not sure about VAG specific stuff, but if there is a forum, somebody on there may be able to give you test procedures and upper/lower resistance limits for these so you can test them with a multimeter. Also pull the protective rubber boot off the sensors and check the wiring where it goes into the sensor, I've known repetitive under-body heat cycles to decay the insulation sufficiently for wires to touch, causing intermittent errors.

If they are shown wanting - replace, if not, then move on to other potential causes.