VW Golf 1.6 16v 2003 idling rough,engine shaking,revs bounce
Discussion
I have had my VW Golf 1.6 16v Petrol 2003 for about 10 months and it has always idled roughly and shakes the engine and the revs start bouncing but no garage seem to be able to get to the bottom of it?? to date i have had new egr valve, catalytic convertor, new lambda, service with air, pollen, oil filter, new plugs, alternator, smoke test for pipes leaking which is ok, map sensor is working fine, test after test and scan after scan but nothing showing on the scan and everything seems to be working fine apart from this lumpy idling and engine holding back sometimes when i put my foot down? i was told that the coil pack/coils would show up on the scan? i enquired about having a service at my local VW Dealership as i am at the end of my patience now and asked if they included a proper scan and updates included but of course it didn't! it is another £99 for a proper scan and more if it needs updating! they quoted £149 service + £99 + £39 = nearly £300 if it does need software updates! no wonder nobody goes there! I have researched this and it does seem a common fault with these engines! love the car and don't want to get rid of it but it is really getting to me now! 2 mechanic's have said it could be an injector? one said inlet manifold has a flap worn inside which warps and doesn't close so the whole inlet manifold needs replacing? any help would be much appreciated! Cheers Guys!
Compression test failing that as said injectors take them off send for cleaning and test.
Sounds like a fuelling,air spark or timing issue. Could be a cam or crank sensor
Is the timing checked? if one tooth out then it won't be happy especially on idle
That's the problem with old cars and why many get scrapped or sold on. No one wants to spend the cash when they are worth so little.
I feel for you I bought a 2003 golf 1.4 brand new and am still keeping it going sweetly. Sometimes you have to keep throwing money,parts and time at them to keep them running well. I do have a vcds so can scan for faults and have an idea of what to do next.
I suppose one option is to buy a crashed 1.6thats running well but written off and start swapping parts but that's a worst case scenario. I believe problems don't always throw a fault code.
Sounds like a fuelling,air spark or timing issue. Could be a cam or crank sensor
Is the timing checked? if one tooth out then it won't be happy especially on idle
That's the problem with old cars and why many get scrapped or sold on. No one wants to spend the cash when they are worth so little.
I feel for you I bought a 2003 golf 1.4 brand new and am still keeping it going sweetly. Sometimes you have to keep throwing money,parts and time at them to keep them running well. I do have a vcds so can scan for faults and have an idea of what to do next.
I suppose one option is to buy a crashed 1.6thats running well but written off and start swapping parts but that's a worst case scenario. I believe problems don't always throw a fault code.
Edited by gvij on Sunday 11th January 07:36
Defcon5 said:
The small petrol engines of this era from VW are prone to coil pack and HT lead issues.
Would have been the first think I'd check, not sure why they haven't already been swapped - will be about £120 for the lot IIRC
Absolutely buying one coil pack and one injector is perhaps the best solution and swap around to see if fixes it.Would have been the first think I'd check, not sure why they haven't already been swapped - will be about £120 for the lot IIRC
So maybe this first then in order
Compression test
Sniffer test
Timing check
Cam and crank sensor coolant temp sensor actually maybe that's first thing to do they run bad if that has failed use OEM only not ebay Chinese febi is ok. All these sensors need replacing anyway at this age to get another 5 or 10 years of reliable motoring
Go from there
Edited by gvij on Sunday 11th January 10:15
Thanks guys for the replys, forgot to mention i have had a new Temp Sensor but will try new leads first as i have had new plugs recently, read somewhere else on here that cleaning Map Sensor and Idle control sensor makes a big difference, i know where the map sensor is but don't know where the idle control valve is? does anyone know? cheers.
Similar issues with 2003 1.6 16v Golf 4 BCB engine - MIL light on - emissions fault and cylinder misfire - finally traced to the airbox leaking water from condensate - old airbox had warped over time at the joint directly over the ht leads onto the ignition coils and shorting them out - removed air box and problem disappeared. Bought cheap K and N adapter and cone filter on ebay for 40 quid to replace the large vw airbox. Shorting will cause white powder type residue on HT coils and the airbox - have a look on the underside of the airbox directly over the HT leads. Hope this helps - these cars are really great - paid 1k for mine and still happy 26k miles later.
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