Running issues after head gasket -help!

[Mollygoogle]

My 1.9 130 started using lots of coolant. Off to the garage it went where the fault was diagnosed as the head gasket. The head has been skimmed and the new gasket fitted. Garage have reported that the coolant pressurises correctly, etc, everything is good. BUT, he says it doesn't boost correctly if at all and isn't pulling over 3000 revs. He claims that everything is connected as it should be.

It it must be related so what can the problem be?

i need the car back tonight so need to try and help diagnose it

 

[krisavant]

Sounds like limp mode??
As he cleared engine codes or read them to find what problem could be?

 

[Mollygoogle]

He's done nothing annoyingly. He's put me at the back of the queue as he is stumped

 

[AlexGSi2000]

My immediate thought is the Vacuum system.
Make sure all vac hoses are plumbed in correctly and secure - also ensure the vac pump is installed correctly.

 

[Mollygoogle]

Will do, thanks

 

[Mollygoogle]

Thanks chaps. It was an annoying experience but it certainly seems that it was the vacuum system.

I called the mechanic and told him your suggestions. He argued and said that wasn't the case. I went to get the car as I needed it back. When I got there the mechanic said that he had checked the vacuum system and swapped some pipes around just to satisfy me though he said it had made no difference. Strangely he then asked me to test drive just in case. Funnily enough the car was fine. I wonder how that happened...

 

[AlexGSi2000]

Getting the vac lines back in the correct place can be a pain if not noted down beforehand.
Glad its all sorted anyway.

 

[Mollygoogle]

Well after a day of driving it I can safely say it's down on power. It just doesn't accelerate as hard as it did and it's noisy when starting from cold which it wasn't before. Not sure where to look next to resolve this

 

[mattyb6]

Torsion angle maybe out mate, need vcds to check if. But basically it means you timing is 5 degrees +\- Mine sounds like a tractor when cold. LolSome other members will be able to shed some light this though as I haven't done it yet.

 

[mattyb6]

Plus jut realised your from darlo, I'm just up in Durham mate

 

[Mollygoogle]

Thanks for that. I might be calling on you for some advice. I have VCDS and can hopefully borrow a cable tomorrow. Where am I looking?

 

[mattyb6]

Thanks for that. I might be calling on you for some advice. I have VCDS and can hopefully borrow a cable tomorrow. Where am I looking?

Engine measuring block and I think it's 004. Just have a look through its on the far right of the screen, it's labelled anyway

 

[Mollygoogle]

To update on this. It went back to the garage over Christmas, they had it for a fortnight. They got local specialist Vasstech involved too.

All the vacuum pipes were removed and refitted. All electrical connections checked. Timing checked. Injectors checked. Car now runs perfectly with the exception of a cold starting issue that wasn't present prior to the work, detailed in a separate thread.

To address some of the concerns found on here and other forums about PD heads. These comments are not given as facts, just the information relayed to me through my garage by Vasstech and I take no responsibility for the information, just feel it worthy of mentioning. I gave a list of my concerns to the garage comprising of information amassed through here and other sources.
The main answers were that
A PD head has a 'skim gauge' cast in to it that shows the maximum amount of skim, therefore intimating that it can be skimmed. An Audi technical bulletin details that a PD head must be skimmed when changing a gasket by one thousandth of an inch to clean the face. PD injectors are spring loaded and adjustable and are adjusted when fitting the head so the skim does not bring them too close to the valves, etc

Does any of that ring true?

 

[neilA4]

it would take more than .001" ( a thou ) to clean up a bowed head. that's .0254mm which is **** all

I'd be impressed if the top and bottom head faces were parallel enough to just drop the head on the table and it be flat within .001" in the first place.

 

[Viking]

Did they replace the head gasket with one of the correct thickness (there are three different ones)?

VW specify that the PD head should not be skimmed, and I've heard of horror stories from people who have had theirs skimmed much more frequently that people having issues not skimming one.

Edit: which garage did the work initially?