[B5in]

Update: Took it to Autozone for a free code check and it came up as P0203 (#2 misfire) probably due to fouled spark plug or bad wires.

Thank you everybody for the advise & help!!!!


I was driving home and all of the sudden the car started hesitating and jerking and the engine lite was flikering on and off, then it stopped and the check engine light came on and stayed on. Any ideas?

It's a '99 1.8T w/tiptronic. It's got a Wett chip, K&N, & TT diverter.

and my wife just told me that when she got gas 2 days ago she filled it up with the lowest grade gas (WTF ) to save money.

Anyone with a Vag Com in or near Chicagoland/NW Indiana that can help?

Please, please, please

 

[atomicalex]

Not close to you, but sounds like a bit of bad or not so great gas. I think the fuel filter is a 40K item, have you changed it lately?

 

[B5in]

No I haven't, I've got about 48K on the car now. Where is it located and do you think it could be a DIY job?

 

[keon]

First go to Autozone, pickup a can of Octane Booster (103+). This should give your car plenty of octane to dilute the bad gas. While you are at autozone, pickup a fuel filter for your car. It is very simple to replace it yourself.

Since you have the check engine light on, you need someone who have a VAGCOM to download the code and then clear it. Autozone should able to download it for free, but to clear it, you'll have to find look for a B5er around you or pay $80+ to the stealership.

 

[pete1]

Fuel filter is definitely a DIY. I think there is a writeup around here somewhere.

Other things to maintain... new spark plugs at 40k. Get the OEM bosch or NGK. Knock the crud out of your K&N and put it back in. Clean and re-oil if its been over 40k.

Clean your throttle body. <-- do this first

Check to make sure you don't have leaves or other debris stuck in the airbox prefilter. <-- this is quick & easy, too.

Have you swapped chips more than once or twice? This could also be loose solder on the socket, where it is soldered to the main board of the ECU. If you have soldering experience, that's a DIY job too.

 

[B5in]

Thank you my fellow B5'ers

 

[Antelope]

Funny (or not)... Same thing happenned to me today. I was near an Autozone when the light went on and the car started sputtering. Autozone pulled the code... cylinder 1 misfiring. I bought some plugs, put them in and bam... Same problem.

So I went to trusty club5.com and found this thread:
http://www.clubb5.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=66779

Using the instructions from that thread I was able to diagnose the issue with the ICM. I already ordered a replacement from http://www.busdepot.com for $119. So if it isn't the plugs that are the issue, check out the ICM.

 

[PZ]

#2 cylinder is the one that misfires with a bad ICM. I doubt you have 1 bad plug,there are no plug wires.

 

[B5in]

#2 cylinder is the one that misfires with a bad ICM. I doubt you have 1 bad plug,there are no plug wires.

Darn, I was hoping to get away with just spending $20. Oh well, another dub another dollar.

It does it intermittenly(SP?) as of now I still haven't put the new plugs in yet and it is not doing anything bad, the CEL even turned off now. Weird huh?! Maybe the ICM is going bad, but hasn't died yet.

I'll post what happens after the new plugs.