I really need your advice people!!

[JamS3]

I've been having long standing loss of power problems (see my numerous other posts) and at the minute my car is well down on power and no-where near like it used to be (APR 265bhp). The throttle response is dead, it does not seem to make a difference how much you press down on the pedal the same acceleration is there.

The characteristic "shove in the back" in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gears has gone and well most gears really. The dealer acknowledges there is a problem but can not find anything wrong with it (not showing any fault codes at all), they have been excellent with the time spent looking into it and what i've been charged.

To cut a long story short I have replaced:

DV
N249
N75
Lambda Sensors
MAF
Spark Plugs
Checked all hoses for leaks etc
Removed and Cleaned Throttle Body
Coils are of new type as is coolant temp sensor.
Boost control sensor (one on right intercooler pipe)
I thought it had a boost leak between the 2 intercoolers but this turned out to be wrong.

I've also taken it to a idendependant specialist who when looking at it on vag-com performed a "readiness test" and it showed failures on cat temperature and oxygen sensors?? Thats why I replaced the lambdas but to no avail. They said it was running rich and failed the emmission test but the lambdas have not sorted this.

The only other thing is I appear to have a "old" APR chip where it has been soldered in instead of the original being flashed on a computer. I have noticed that when selecting the chip programs via the cruise control the selector light (ECU light) flashes werid and not in sync to select the programs. APR have reccomended a removal and soldering of a new one in with new software and i'm beginning to wonder if this is the problem all along but I've never heard of a chip braking down and losing its programme??

Can somone please shead any light on this or offer another avenue to explore as I'm all out of ideas and it's really getting to me. This has been going on for months and at the minute I just want rid of the car.

It's on a 2001 Y (facelift but 210bhp when it was standard) and has done 51k.

Thanks

 

[madvw]

tbh, a faulty eeprom isnt impossible.

and given the fact that you've tried almost everything else, it sounds like the next step to me.

 

[HTC]

You've pretty much covered everything I would usually suggest.

As you mention, I would try to swap the ECU for a standard item. Swapping ECU's can be done yourself if you have VAGCOM. You don't need the SKC, which is helpful.

Unfortunately a new ECU is about £640 inc vat for your car :-(

 

[recomdos]

Sh!t Jam /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif hope you get it diagnosed and sorted soon mate. I have VAGcom if it's ever of any help - just let me know - not particularly sure what we'd be looking for...but it's there if ya want bud.

 

[a3tdi]

I have VAG-COM in Stockton if you need it.

 

[JamS3]

Cheers people!

I'm back off to Awesome tomorrow to get the old chip taken out a new one put in with the APR software flashed onto it. Hopefully it might be the chip that was playing up as you can't select the programmes properly on the cruise control....

I'm going to get it put on the rolling road to just to see what power and torque figures we are getting and to rule out hose collapse.

Just a thought is there any form of sensor in the throttle pedal itself to register how far/hard it is being pressed? I checked on vagcom and it registered 100% throttle when it was pressed to the floor but it may not be working properly on part throttle??

 

[JamS3]

Well I went to Awesome and still a no go! They have no idea what is wrong with it even after replacing the chip and flashing new sofrtware onto it.

The chip selection light (ecu light on dash) is still flashing werid and you can not work out what programme its on and no-one seems to know why...

I could not put it on the rolling road as no one there could work it and the only person that could was on holiday. It's a shame because I would have liked to get some power/torque and boost figures to see what exactly is happening and also to rule out the air box hose collapsing on itself.

I'm well pi*sed off now because nobody can seem to help and all this so called fault finding is costing me a fortune. It seems that this is not the sort of ordinary fault and it will be something obscure....can ANYBODY help PLEASE!!!

Oh just on a aside, the turbo which seems to woosh now instead of the usual whistle (sounds as if it's blowing out somewhere) is alot louder (whistle) when the car is cold and seems to not be very loud when the car is warm which did not happen before when it was running ok??