FSI or TSI ? I have seen and had the P0171 code pull up when I have had a bad coil pack, coil packs are cheap , get one as a backup,second as to cover unscrew the little volcano shaped penises that cover grommets plug into and get them turned down a little or ground down, way too big and just makes cover a pain to put back on and off, silicone grease the rubber grommets ,as to cover cracks in it do not matter unless letter crap by the filter which will contaminate the MAF . PCV service is easy to do, any service records?

 

Sorry, should have specified that it is an FSI and not a TSI.

I actually started reading a post a few down from mine talking about the engine making the hissing sound after turning the car off and mine is doing the exact same thing as well. Like I said I did a ton of google searching the past week or so. So would that be safe to assume it's the PCV causing that too?

Not sure on service records, the things I listed above are the only things I know to be quite honest. The car has right around ~105k on it from a miles perspective.

 

I may just get a 4 pack of coils & new plugs and change them out to be safe and ensure that's not the problem. Fairly easy fix if so. If that doesn't help it, I can always then try the PCV as that doesn't look overly hard to do myself.

I'm by no means a car person, but tired of paying an arm & a leg for jobs I feel like I can figure out myself!

 

yeah, plenty of help here, PCV system easy to do as is VC gasket, not as much "traffic" as on B5 forum but the 2.0s are similar enough that a lot of problems are similar in nature and although the parts and repairs are different, strategy and repair approach the same.

 

I'll be ordering some coils & plugs here soon to try this first, but one other thing I wanted to ask about. I also have had this happen to me pretty much every time I drive to or from work towards the end of the drive (about a 20-30 minute drive depending on traffic). Any clue why this happens?

 

indicating tranny in "limp" mode... however not sure... but on B5.5 half the time the tranny is fine ,since it is driving fine,but passenger side floor recess where transmission computer is or has flooded do to clogged sunroof drains and wires getting goofy do to water ingress

 

Couple quick things. I ended up taking out the coils to check them before purchasing new ones and they actually look brand new like someone has already changed them fairly recently, so I left them alone and don't believe that's the source of the issue.

On the PCV Valve, the connection on one of them actually appears to be slightly loose and I've got a hunch that is where the vacuum leak is coming from. before getting a new part I'm going to try and throw some electrical tape around it to see if that's the real cause.

As for the picture I attached, I know that I read somewhere on this board that on the B6 models they actually moved the Transmission Computer to under the front fender on the driver's side. Car seems to still run fine even when it does (no different at least). I know that the previous owner had an accident and the body shop replaced the entire front of the car (bumper, etc...) so I suppose it's not impossible that the TCM got messed up in the accident and needs replaced?

 

I would get cable and download from Ross-Tech Vagcom Lite so you can go "deep" into system and codes that will get you started, like I said learning everyday about the B6 ,make sure you have a good clean connection from computer (wherever it is ,lol) at the transmission, it may have just wriggled loose and or pinout/bonnet connector compromised with oil/water or detritus

 

Quick update.

I have replaced the PCV Valve but I did not replace the Breather tube that is located behind the coils/plugs because I didn't have the part and I'm not sure I personally can get back there to do it myself being a car novice. After I did that, I turned the engine on and the idle seems a bit better. I took the oil cap off to see if I still heard a suction noise when I took it off. I did hear that and then it would make almost like a 'coughing' sound where the engine would jump because of it being off.

Again, not being a car expert that didn't seem great, but from reading I did it sounds like that is just normal for it to happen if the dipstick or oil cap is off because of letting air into engine?

Still having some misfiring issues between gears 1-2 but gears 2-3 seem to be doing better. I went ahead and inspected all coils again and they all look basically brand new. I suppose I could look into taking out the plugs but again, if the coils look like they're new then I'd have to imagine the person who did the coils did the plugs as well.

I'm trying to get to the bottom of at least the P0171 code and worry about the rest of the stuff later. Anyone have any thoughts of what I should try next? Should I have the breather tube changed out as well?

 

yes breather tube is behind cover,sort of a corrugated tube and has an internal check valve.....not that bad just got to lay quilt down on motor and crawl on over , little plate to insulate recirculated heat from turbo hose,technically easy,physically challenging for those with only two hand and not double jointed.... as to "warranty" work done VW dealership of local, what kind of plugs are you using also?

 

I mention the internal check valve as it can get gummed up and not work....

 

I may just try to purchase that specific part and see if I can get a local mechanic to change it out for me if I am providing them with the part since it shouldn't be too difficult for someone with the proper tools as well.

I do think the vacuum hose leak was related to a bad PCV valve though given the engine sounds when I took the oil cap off (also did the same thing with the dipstick) seems to me it would have done that as well when I still had the old PCV valve on it and it never did, just eliminated the hissing noise.

 

Something interesting I just stumbled upon looking more closely at things that may be throwing the code. The 5 pin MAF Sensor Wiring Harness only has 3 wires, not 5 that are connecting to the MAF sensor? That doesn't seem right, does it?

 

Hey, I scanned the thread and there's a lot to dive into here. It's been a long day and I don't have the mental energy to respond to everything right now but I'll hit some highlights and if you PM me I'll give you my phone number so we can text or call. I can help you with all these questions and I'd be happy to but not sure I'll get the time to sit down and type it all out. Here's a couple things:

1) Right of the bat, let me just tell you this: VWs are NOT A-to-B cars by any stretch, as you are finding out. Getting one cheap only seems like a deal, it usually winds up costing you more in the long run. Not sure exactly how far you are into the money pit yet but I'd seriously consider getting out before you get any deeper. These are not A-to-B cars. This is coming from someone who knows them extensively (especially your FSI) and who loves them; but I love them for other reasons and I NEVER recommend them to people looking for reliable A-to-B. Read my posts on this thread and if you're not convinced enough to sell it yet then I'll help you get this thing sorted out: http://www.passatworld.com/forums/v...lkswagen-passat-b6-discussion/537897-2009-vw-passat-2-0t-sedan-reliability.html

2) If the engine cover is cracked near the intake or airbox in the rear then it absolutely can be the cause of your lean code and what is masquerading as a rough shift issue but is actually not directly/mechanically related to the shifting itself. Determine if the crack is in either of those two locations affecting airflow through intake and past MAF and replace if it is.

3) For suspected vacuum leaks get a scan tool capable of data logging like VCDS (which pays for itself fast if you plan to stick with your VW) and then get a can of brake cleaner. Hook scanner up to car, start car, start logging data for fuel trim (memory block 032 in VCDS if I recall correctly) and spray small amount of brake cleaner near suspected vacuum leak. If fuel trim goes rich briefly you have a leak in that location, otherwise you do not.

4) The rear PCV breather is a metal corrugated tube and is bolted to turbo inlet. It is pretty unlikely to be your issue as the only way it could fail is if it cracked (highly unlikely because it is metal) was loose (also pretty unlikely) or the check valve failed. The check valve for the rear PCV breather is not nearly as prone to fail as the front PCV and even if it did I'm not convinced it would be your problem in this case. However should you choose to replace it I have a brand new OEM one I could ship for cheap (not that it is very expensive part to begin with).

5) How did you determine that the coils were "almost new"? Because coils tend to look almost new for a very very long time. They aren't subject to hardly any source of corrosion and one could easily be failed and still look new. I'd replace them for good measure anyway (all of them). Make sure it's the newest revision OEM part and that you do all 4 at the same time.

6) There are software updates for auto trans that the dealer should provide at no charge. You should also make sure you have the latest software for the TCU.

7) What exactly is going on with the scanner not interfacing with the ECU correctly. I swear I read something like that up above and it was interfering with your ability to run data logging on the fuel pressure? Being able to log data is crucial to diagnosing so we need to sort that out first. If you wind up having poor fuel pressure it could be the fuel pump control module for LPFP. It's defective. VW has a recall in the works for it (took em long enough!). Since the recall has been "in the works" for over a year and not actually made official you'd need to just buy one on your dime. It's much cheaper than the pump itself and is a good first step. I also have a lightly used on in my parts bin that I could ship you for cheap (I have alllll kinds of good working parts for the FSI!)

 

Thanks for the detailed info.

Will try to sum everything up. I am about $1,000 in at this point as I personally have had replaced the valve cover gasket, the thermostat, and I did the PCV Valve yesterday.

The previous owner of the car who I know had the valve body re-done under warranty. He also had a fender bender and had a whole new front end put on the car. He said he also got the oil changed every 3k miles.

The only codes showing are P0171 (too lean) & P2540 (low fuel pressure).

The mechanic I took it too said they couldn’t get their machines to connect to the fuel pump to test it.

When I personally checked the coils, they looked like new Duralast coils that you get from AutoZone. I didn’t take out the plugs to check them but certainly could do so.

The engine cover is cracked just above the oil cap to on the left side and up to where the cut out is between that and where the MAF sensor would plug in. I thought about getting a new cover but not sure exactly where to get from.

Lastly from time to time the dash lights up all the gears and defaults to 2nd gear (on screen anyway) which I have been told is transmission going to ‘limp mode’ which seems ridiculous if the valve body was just re-done.

End of day, I drive roughly 25 miles a day (Mon-Fri, occasionally weekends) with this car and am trying to get 2-3 years out of it if possible.

I like the look of it and am willing to learn/sink in a bit more money, especially if I can expect longer lifespan than I mentioned above, but not much more to point where the ROI isn’t worth it.

I’ll shoot you a PM as well. Thanks

 

Another thing I’ll add trying to look at the KISS method. The sticker on the last oil change says 5w-30 Magnatec. Is it possible they are using the wrong oil and thus a cause of some problems? He just took it to a local quick change oil place it appears because he probably didn’t know any better.

Should I look into draining the oil and doing a synthetic 5w-40 which I have seen recommended on these boards when doing a search?

Thanks

 

Will try to sum everything up. I am about $1,000 in at this point as I personally have had replaced the valve cover gasket, the thermostat, and I did the PCV Valve yesterday.

The previous owner of the car who I know had the valve body re-done under warranty. He also had a fender bender and had a whole new front end put on the car. He said he also got the oil changed every 3k miles.

$1,000 is NOTHING when it comes to VW maintenance and repairs. You are not yet deep in the money pit for a VW and since you got it cheap you could turn it around and break even. If the problems are to the extent that you think it'd hurt your ability to sell to someone who isn't a friend then we can try to get them fixed and then sell for more and you can probably still break even or maybe make a small profit. Something to consider.

On the other hand, IF you trust the person who sold it to you or IF they can provide you with evidence that they did these very timely oil changes AND used a VW 502.00 spec approved FULLY synthetic oil AND an OEM Mann oil filter (which is absolutely crucial on these motors for proper oil pressure to be maintained) then you can probably get your 3 years out of it with minimal problems from here on out from a motor reliability standpoint (that doesn't necessarily include all the peripheral stuff which is notoriously fluky on VWs). I cannot stress enough how important it is that your acquaintance/friend made sure the oil changes were always a VW 502.00 spec approved FULLY synthetic oil AND an OEM Mann oil filter. If the car was always serviced at the dealer then they would have made sure this is the case. IF the car was serviced at any non-dealer or shop/garage that was NOT a euro-specialty shop then it is entirely possible they did not use an approved oil or OEM filter. VWs are EXTREMELY picky and dependent on these more than other cars. Many cars can get along fine with oils that aren't technically approved as long as the viscosity is what is recommended by the manufacturer. Many shops mechanics will truly think that they are doing fine if they use the right viscosity and use a semi-synthetic (half synthetic/half conventional oil) blend and many others don't even realize they are using semi-synthetic when they are; there are very convoluted laws around labeling of these oils. All oil manufacturers try to get over on their buyers by labeling their semi-synthetic oils with things like "synthetic technology" or "full synthese technology" and shit that is very close to the words "fully synthetic" but is NOT exactly those words. IF the bottle doesn't literally say "Fully synthetic" it is NOT and a lot of people, even a lot of mechanics, DO NOT know this and will accidentally use oil that is not suitable for a VW. Likewise they will also use the cheapest oil filter they can get a hold because they don't know that this actually matters too (because it doesn't in most cars). But a aftermarket filter of different size or just different ply will lead to oil pressure issues in these VW FSI/TSI motors and is well documented for pretty quickly causing serious engine reliability/longevity problems.

So moral of the story: learn from the above and make sure this was followed religiously or else the longevity of your VW cannot be guaranteed at all. It's just not enough to say that the oil was changed every 3K miles, we need to know about the specifics above to have a shot at estimating how reliable this thing is going to be. See this thread I posted on (post #6 has links to the best oil you can use and the proper filter: http://www.passatworld.com/forums/v...ums/volkswagen-passat-b6-discussion/556585-help-i-used-non-502-00-spec-oil.html). With that oil it's totally fine to run 5-6K oil change intervals instead of the old-school 3K change rule. Just don't get carried away and listen to VW on their "10K oil interval" crap. That's just marketing. Wear will increase noticeably between around 6K - 10K miles as the additives responsible for wear protection start to shear a bit, even in a very good fully synthetic like the one linked above. You CAN do 10K miles between changes on fully synthetics but you SHOULDN'T if you want as much longevity out of your car as possible (as in if you want to see if you can get more than your 3 years, as many more years as possible).

The only codes showing are P0171 (too lean) & P2540 (low fuel pressure).

The mechanic I took it too said they couldn’t get their machines to connect to the fuel pump to test it.

Oh I see, I thought you meant they tried to data log from the ECU on fuel pressure and couldn't communicate with the ECU. It sounds like they tried to hook up equipment to test manually which would be difficult. Fortunately, that is not necessary. You can get accurate fuel pressure data from the ECU with VCDS/Vagcom. It's not cheap, but if you are planning to keep this vehicle it pays for itself MANY times over VERY quickly. It would pay for itself with the issues you are having because it would help diagnose things much quicker and more assuredly. If you ever sold the car and swore off VW you could sell the VCDS cable in a heartbeat on the forums and make most of your money back because it is in high demand. Alternately you could try to find someone nearby who has it and is familiar with data logging techniques. You're going to want to do one of the two and when you have either got VCDS or got someone with it let me know so that I can tell you how to log fuel pressure data and what to look for. There are a number of things that could be contributing to low fuel pressure code and ruling them out is going to require data logging to narrow down the possibilities.

When I personally checked the coils, they looked like new Duralast coils that you get from AutoZone. I didn’t take out the plugs to check them but certainly could do so.

Duralast coils (or any non-OEM coil) are a huge "no, no". You need to replace all 4 with the latest revision OEM coils. Earlier revision coils can sometimes be find for a tad cheaper but are not as reliable. Coil pack reliability has plagued VWs since the 1.8T/B5 generation particularly, and still does with your generation. This is why I stress the correct, latest revision. The link below is to the latest revision and is a great source for OEM parts cheap. This is a dealer out of NJ that runs this parts site and they get parts in bulk from VW so they can sell them at VERY VERY reduced prices compared to any other dealer. This is one of the cheapest places you'll find VW OEM parts on the web or physical stores in most cases. In this case, this is definitely the best price you'll get on the newest revision coil packs, I doubt any other place has the newest revision for cheaper than $25/each.

https://www.vwpartsvortex.com/oem-p...DUmcj0xJmE9dm9sa3N3YWdlbiZvPXBhc3NhdCZ5PTIwMTAmdD1rb21mb3J0JmU9Mi0wbC1sNC1nYXM=

There are also other sites to consider if you even find that the above site doesn't have the cheapest parts. ECSTuning is a good supplier (but rarely the cheapest), FCPEuro is a smaller supplier but with good prices and service too.

The engine cover is cracked just above the oil cap to on the left side and up to where the cut out is between that and where the MAF sensor would plug in. I thought about getting a new cover but not sure exactly where to get from.

I deleted my stock engine cover a long time ago and run a completely different intake system (also deleted the entire PCV system and run a custom routing with no failure prone check valves), among many other custom replacements for unreliable systems on the car, and I bring that up because frankly I haven't looked at the stock engine cover in a long time but if my memory serves then a crack going all the way up to near the MAF sensor slot is DEFINITELY cracked right over the air-box itself where the air filter is (If you take apart the engine cover you'll find the air filter is inside that larger compartment in the rear near the MAF). I would strongly recommend replacing it as this could be the culprit of your lean issue at least. Leaks and MAF issues can also present as "shifting" issues sometimes as well, although they have nothing to do with shifting in the mechanical sense and the timing/symptom is coincidental. Use any of the above suppliers to get the cheapest option. Expect to spend $100-$150. Replace the air filter for good measure too, with an OEM Mann part (only $10-$15). The engine covers MIGHT come with a new filter but I'm not sure, please verify before assuming they do.

Lastly from time to time the dash lights up all the gears and defaults to 2nd gear (on screen anyway) which I have been told is transmission going to ‘limp mode’ which seems ridiculous if the valve body was just re-done.

I am not intimately familiar with the DSG/auto trans on these cars like I am with the rest of them as I have never owned an auto (and hopefully never will, I'll keep my B6 forever and rebuild it time and again if the market decides to stop making manual trans). I'm a little old school when it comes to manual vs. auto. Auto trans of today are indisputably better (better fuel economy typically and faster shifting than even the best manual drivers) but they just aren't as enjoyable so that's where I'm coming from. BUT, that's just my personal taste, and not really important. All that to say, I was just pointing out I am not super familiar with the auto trans on your car so if this winds up being something really involved I may not be the best source of info on this one. But I can say this confidently for now: you had better take it to the dealer and insist they flash your TCU (transmission computer unit) to the latest software update. There definitely have been shifting issues solved with TCU software updates on early DSG trans (which I believe yours is one of). You had mentioned you're afraid the TCU could be damaged from that accident earlier I think; well you'll find out when they try to flash it with the update. If they can flash it successfully then it should be fine. They may charge labor time for the flash but that should be the only charge and it should be no more than 1 hour. It takes them less time but most dealers don't charge anything under 1 hour. You might be within your right to insist they don't charge as software updates are technically something you are entitled to as a VW owner. I don't know what the specific rules around suspending labor rates on those entitlements are though so to win that argument you'd probably need some documentation or else they'll just talk you down and insist on the labor rate. Well most dealers. Some are genuinely looking to do right by the customer. It's luck of the draw.

Also, you should have the trans gear oil flushed and refilled with whatever VW OEM gear oil is specified for the car. ABSOLUTELY NEVER use anything but the OEM gear oil on a VW DSG/auto trans, they are much more picky than manual trans from what I know. There might be some exceptions but I'd leave that to the companies that build race cars out of their VWs with DSG, for anyone else stick to the OEM gear oil for a DSG/auto trans. This probably isn't too hard to do yourself but you'll need to find a DIY. I can't help when it comes to DSG/auto oil changes as I've never worked on one. Probably not too much more involved than a manual but it will surely be messy as they usually are so you may want to just have the dealership do it when you get the software updated. This will likely cost a couple hundred. I would NOT trust a non-dealer or non-Euro specialty shop to do oil changes (whether engine or trans oil), for reasons pretty much stated in the opening paragraph. That brings up a good point; if you plan to keep the car find a good euro-specialty/enthusiast shop near you as a cheaper alternative to the dealer. They will provide similar or in some cases better quality of specialized knowledge/service but for a bit cheaper on labor rate.




Edit:

When I was talking about coil packs I forgot to mention that you should change the plugs too for good measure since you don't know how long they've been run and it is possible they are the original or were only changed once in the life of the vehicle. The platinum plugs that come from the factory can actually operate up to 100K miles before they have serious issues BUT that is certainly by far the exception rather than the rule and they will still not be working even close to optimally by that point. You should change them out since they are cheap and could be an issue or become an issue within short order. It's just a good thing to rule out now since it's so easy. You have a few options including some dealer/OEM options and some technically non-OEM options. I am going to present to you the non-OEM options because they are OEM equivalents and because they are cheaper and just as fine. Please keep in mind that this it is RARE that a non-OEM option is actually just as good for your car, especially when it comes to electrical. 95% of the time, OEM is the best/only way to go if you want stuff to work right and reliably.

1) NGK BKR6E - copper plug. Dirt cheap ($3 each at autozone). Works perfectly well for your application and should be gapped correctly (0.032 gap) right out of the box. Only downside is they don't last very long. I wouldn't run copper plugs more than 15K miles at most, personally. Normally I change them every, or every other oil change.

2) NGK BKR6EIX - Iridium version of the same plug. More expensive ($12 each at autozone). Last way longer, you can comfortably run them for 50K miles with no issues assuming everything else with your engine is proper. They could go longer but I wouldn't stretch them past 50K personally.

Please note: when tightening spark plugs they only need to go in at about 20ft-lbs which is basically snugging them up and then giving them a quarter turn further. DO NOT overtighten or you run the risk of stripping the soft aluminum threads of your motors head and then you're in a world of shit.

 

So you covered a ton here, so let me try to just hit the points you hit.

The crack does not appear to affect the air filter as I have actually just changed that as well. The crack is not near that part.

I will look into getting OEM coils potentially and will see if I can get someone to flush/change the oil and oil filter and I’ll get the correct stuff for them to do it with.

The nearest VW Dealer to me is nearly 100 miles away so the TCU flash is probably not going to be something I can have easily done unfortunately.

You have honestly got me scared to the point where maybe I just need to sell it while I’m not too deep in and call it a day.

 

I did not see your post about the oil the previous owner used and what not until just now, you must have posted it while I was in the middle of posting my previous reply. It sounds like you're referring to Castrol GTX Magnatec 5W-30. The 5W-30 viscosity is not a concern. 5W-30 is very very similar to 5W-40 and some 5W-30 oils are VW 502.00 spec approved too. Now the tricky part is that there are some Castrol Magnatec oils that are semi-synthetic and there are some that are fully synthetic, likewise some are VW spec approved and some are not, so unless he happens to have some invoices from the shop that specify which was used we won't know which was used. We also don't know what kind of filter was used. Lastly, the quick oil change and brake change type shops do so much of the exact same thing a day that a lot of the mechanics there, who aren't typically the best/most dedicated mechanics either, don't pay a whole lot of attention to the specific oil capacity of the vehicle they are currently servicing because they have 10 more to do and they're in a rush. So often times they will just round on how much oil they put in. Sometimes they don't put in enough, sometimes they put in too much. Both are equally bad. It happens all the time with these PepBoys and Firestone, and similar, type shops. I tend to be averse to a car that has seen all its maintenance at such a shop. The odds that one or more of the many, many oil changes he had done at this shop over those 89K miles were done with the wrong oil or filter or with too much/too little oil are fairly good. But we just don't know either way so lets not speculate one way or the other. Here is what I am going to recommend to you:

1) Hold off on any of the other stuff we discussed for now, just for now

2) Make it your priority for now to get as much info from the previous owner as possible for the oil that was used at this shop and anything else you can get in the form of invoices/repair orders, etc. and let me know what the info reveals. If he does not keep these records than you can contact that shop and, with the previous owners consent, they will pull up all records from the vehicle being serviced which they are required to keep electronically by law. If he had it maintained at one shop and they have all the records and the records check out then that is good. If he took it to a bunch of shops and can't remember them all and you're therefore not able to get enough records, and then have big gaps in known service history, that is not good because we then don't know enough.

3) Have a Blackstone Labs oil analysis kit mailed to you (free). Then go and change the oil yourself or at a shop that will let you watch them do it because you/they are going to be using this oil analysis kit to catch some oil for a sample at a specific point in the oil drain (about at the middle of the drain). Read the instructions and info on Blackstone's website and it'll all make sense, be prepared to understand what you're doing before you get into the middle of the oil change. You're basically taking a sample of the oil in the engine to send to a lab for analysis of the wear metals, etc. in the oil for an idea of engine health and what sort of oil was used. You'll mail it to them and pay $28 for an analysis and report which will greatly help us determine whether you should keep the car.

4) While doing the oil change check the filter in there and determine if it is an OEM Mann filter. If it is it will be clearly labeled as such. If it is AND if he had it serviced at the same place continually then we can assume with relative certainty that wherever he was getting his oil changed was smart/cared enough to use the OEM filter and probably also the fully synthetic variant of the Castrol oil. If the oil filter is NOT an OEM Mann oil filter (or possibly an OEM equivalent Perlator filter, Perlator is owned by Mann) then sell the car. Dead serious. If the filter IS an OEM Mann or Perlator equivalent then at that point the oil analysis is will be the determining factor to get an idea of how healthy the engine is and how much wear metal content is in the oil. If there are alarmingly high wear metals then sell the car. Blackstone will determine this for you and you can send me copies of your lab results to look at to too. If the results look good or pretty good AND the filter was the right kind then I'd say you could consider keeping the car and we'll look to sort these things out.


Let me just be clear. All this about the oil type and filter is NOT about your problems. It has nothing to do with your codes or your symptoms, it has everything to do with whether you should even bother keeping the car and getting those things sorted out.

The crack does not appear to affect the air filter as I have actually just changed that as well. The crack is not near that part.

Okay well based on how you described the crack originally ("up to where the MAF sensor is") it sounded like it was definitely an issue but if you are 100% positive the crack on the engine cover does not go anywhere near any of the intake air stream whatsoever, and is just a superficial crack, then your engine cover should be fine. But if you're not 100% positive I'd replace it.

I will look into getting OEM coils potentially

If you do wind up keeping the cars this should not be a "potentially".... it should be a definitely. You really do not want to run Duralast or any non-OEM coils on your VW if you care about it.

The nearest VW Dealer to me is nearly 100 miles away so the TCU flash is probably not going to be something I can have easily done unfortunately.

That is unfortunate. It would be wise of you to find the nearest Euro-specialty shop that deals with VW/Audi, BMW, Porsche, MB, Volvo etc. and hope you have one pretty close by because unless you plan to learn to do everything yourself you're gonna want one of those kind of shops when you own a VW.

You have honestly got me scared to the point where maybe I just need to sell it while I’m not too deep in and call it a day.

Do as I recommended above with the engine oil change/analysis and we'll proceed from there. It will help you determine whether it is wise to keep the car at this point or not. I'll provide feedback/advice when we have those results.

 

Its your fuel system/ injectors its clogged.. use some Lucas high mileage fuel system treatment its in a grey bottle. Also get smoke test done I had a bad valve cover gasket and my intake manifold hose connected to my brake booster was ripped from clamp being too tight..honestly its either vacuum leak or your fuel system clogged. i replaced so many unnecessary parts for this annoying code.

 

So I’m back. Car still had the check engine light on but was running ok, but I went to jump another vehicle with my car, and heard a louder hissing noise.

Went near the upper radiator hose where the sound appeared to be coming from and all of a sudden, one of the pieces broke and coolant started gushing out. I turned off the vehicle and of course it stopped until it cooled down and some more came out.

My question is, what specifically do I need to replace? It appears to have been the piece that connects between the main piece and the piece goes ‘up’ towards where the hose runs up and back behind the valve cover.

Sorry for the description, but am not the best on cars. Is this something I’ll be able to replace myself or need to tow to a shop?

Thanks in advance for help

 

Sorry for late reply, this forum has been dropping the ball on e-mail notifications to threads I’ve posted on...

Yeah to be honest that description is pretty vague but I’m willing to bet you’re talking about the nipple on top off the piece pictures below based purely in the fact that you said upper rad hose and that this nipple is super notorious for cracking and leading to exactly your issue. Yea you can easily replace it. If you haven’t already lost most of your coolant then just clamp off all the hoses that go to this junction unit, then remove the junction unit and replace. It’s extremely easy and the part is cheap. Afterward make sure to do a good coolant flush and top off with 50% genuine VW G12 coolant and 50% distilled water. DO NOT use convenience store coolant or any other coolant besides genuine VW G12 coolant. VWs are extremely finnicky about coolant and you can cause significant engine problems if you use other coolant. This is not an area to cheap out on. You’d be better off running straight water and taking it easy in the car til you can get the VW G12 than you would be to use incorrect coolant. Dead serious

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine...-pipe/1k0121087h/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMItdiW_pG83AIVnbjACh1n2gDWEAQYASABEgJwOvD_BwE