My youngest went up to the cottage last Wednesday, he took the Passat, said he made the trip in record time and all was well. Thursday evening he calls to tell me the CEL is lit and the engine is rough running. I assume that it probably needs new ignition coils, because all Passats with 1.8T with flashing CEL and rough running respond to new coils? well the net is full of it.
Buy 4 coils at VW dealer. No, you don't get a discount buying 4 on a Friday afternoon before a Canadian long-weekend from VW, I digress. Parts tech: "what's it doing?" I say flashing CEL and rough running..."well, these should fix you up." $ 271 CAD and I'm away.
Get up to cottage in the Ford Flex, wife drives. Arrive at 10:00pm Friday evening. Saturday morning, I set up my operating theatre for the coil-ectomy, done in 11 minutes (checked oil level) and then youngest confirms that it still runs like crap. What?
Not a bit of improvement. Asks me if I even opened the hood yet?:wrench:
I go get my Autel 619 scanner, after some VW OBDII to non-german speaking software dialog, I get P0302 and P0202. Cylinder 2 misfire and Cylinder 2 Open Circuit in Injector. Pull out more tools and remove injector # 2 and see if there is something plugging it? nothing obvious. Drat. Closest VW dealer= 2.5 hours. Drat again. Put all back together, and enter planning stage. Part of me is happy that the Autel managed to communicate with the VW, my past efforts with the Autel 619 + VW were silent.
We decide to head home early, with Dad (me) driving the old CEL flashing VW running on 3 cylinders ? I manage to get her home, it sort of managed to run okayish if you kept it over 95km/h or kept cruise on all times. Biblical rains on the way home, but made it in 4 hours with 1 stop for fuel. Last 2km were the highest stress, as she wanted to stall at lights.
Now the Passat sits at my German mechanic waiting for him to find it Tuesday morning and tell me what a doofus I was to spend $271 for 4 new coils when I should have just got 1 new injector? I decided Saturday afternoon that this car needs professional attention, no more throwing parts at it to see if I solve problems.
Buy 4 coils at VW dealer. No, you don't get a discount buying 4 on a Friday afternoon before a Canadian long-weekend from VW, I digress. Parts tech: "what's it doing?" I say flashing CEL and rough running..."well, these should fix you up." $ 271 CAD and I'm away.
Get up to cottage in the Ford Flex, wife drives. Arrive at 10:00pm Friday evening. Saturday morning, I set up my operating theatre for the coil-ectomy, done in 11 minutes (checked oil level) and then youngest confirms that it still runs like crap. What?
Not a bit of improvement. Asks me if I even opened the hood yet?:wrench:
I go get my Autel 619 scanner, after some VW OBDII to non-german speaking software dialog, I get P0302 and P0202. Cylinder 2 misfire and Cylinder 2 Open Circuit in Injector. Pull out more tools and remove injector # 2 and see if there is something plugging it? nothing obvious. Drat. Closest VW dealer= 2.5 hours. Drat again. Put all back together, and enter planning stage. Part of me is happy that the Autel managed to communicate with the VW, my past efforts with the Autel 619 + VW were silent.
We decide to head home early, with Dad (me) driving the old CEL flashing VW running on 3 cylinders ? I manage to get her home, it sort of managed to run okayish if you kept it over 95km/h or kept cruise on all times. Biblical rains on the way home, but made it in 4 hours with 1 stop for fuel. Last 2km were the highest stress, as she wanted to stall at lights.
Now the Passat sits at my German mechanic waiting for him to find it Tuesday morning and tell me what a doofus I was to spend $271 for 4 new coils when I should have just got 1 new injector? I decided Saturday afternoon that this car needs professional attention, no more throwing parts at it to see if I solve problems.