[salrbalz]

Hello,

I have a 99 B5 Passat 1.8T manual. Just recently (yesterday) i started hearing this high speak whistling noise whenever the car revs between 3000 and 4000 rpm, no matter what gear. I have lost some power, as when i am in 5th gear highway driving, i could have it floored, and never clear 140KM/h. The car had great pick up and travelled very well and high speed on the highway until yesterday. Has anyone experieinced a similar problem ever? Any suggestions? I have a mechanic checking it out tomorrow, but i always like to be prepared when talking to them. Thanks in advance.

 

[Sharky]

AC belt tensioners get loud like that, but it doesn't really explain your power loss.

 

[TwoLitreVW]

check your DV.

if that's not it, have them check your turbo's wastegate. earlier models had wastegate failures.

 

[salrbalz]

here is an update. Very strange i think. driving uphill, 3rd gear, low power as expected based on previous performance recently. Suddenly there is a slight bang, nothing major, and out of my rear view a small dust cloud. The car runs perfectly again. I called my local mechanic and suspects the Cat Coverter was clogged and blew itself out, which he admitted it is extremely uncommon. He suggested running it for a few days and gauging the performace. If it is still okay, to bring it in for a deep carbon clean. Sound familiar to anyone?

 

[ericpeterman]

Ha! That is wild! Now the question is: why the buildup?

You may want to check the PCV valve. Also, get some good fuel system cleaner like SynPower Fuel System Treatment or similar. That should help to de-carbonize.