ADVNTURR
Well-known member
I have an 03 Golf at ~228k miles that threw a P0252 OBD-II code a week ago and once scanned with VAG-Com I get: 17656 Start of Injection Timing Regulation, P1248-35-00 – Control Deviation. At the time of the light there was no noticeable change in the Golf (I was on the highway and suffered no loss of power or other ill-effects).
The car has been running rougher as time has progressed but there have been no tidal changes. My power has dropped some at the low end and my fuel economy is not as high as it has been but I am running on the rich side with an 11mm IP and 520 injectors (VAG-Com shows ~3.8 on IQ). The car has been smoking more recently but I had been attributing it to the more than adequate fueling. I have also had a cold start (engine not ambient) issue for quite some time 40k+ that I have experimented with changing glow plug timing with minimal effect. The engine has always started fine when warm or when on the block heater (FrostHeater) regardless of ambient temp.
After the light came on and I scanned with VAG-Com I did a timing check and found that I was “too advanced to plot” so I retarded the IP and got it within range. I cleared the code and drove it around a bit to confirm everything seemed OK which it did. The next morning the car took a lot of cranking (several 3-4sec cranks spaced out over a minute or two) before finally starting with a huge cloud of smoke. This was repeated after work that day for the return trip home, acting almost as if the IP had lost its prime and had air in the line. I tried to check timing when I got home but it was saying that the coolant temp was too low (despite a 15min drive in 75+F air temps). I parked the car for a couple of days, changed to a new fuel filter and refired the car (same as before with a lot of cranking and a lot of smoke), drove it around until the coolant was above 80C and checked timing again only to be told that it was once again too advanced and this time it also told me my fuel temp was too high.
Service history (aside from 10k oil/filter/cabin/fuel changes using Mann filters and AMSOIL 5W-40 European oil):
- 100215mi – Full Timing Belt Service w/ Water Pump by Dealer
- 126500mi – MAF Sensor Replace
- 152630mi – New Battery Installed and new Injection Pump installed by dealer
- 177500mi – New Intake Manifold Installed and EGR valve was cleaned (I also adapted the EGR down using VAG-Com)
- 194200mi – New Glow Plugs
- 194215mi – MAF Sensor Replaced
- 200208mi – Full Timing Belt Service w/ Water Pump & Serp Belt done by me with engine out of car using Metalnerd Tools; Oil Pan Gasket and Rear Main Seal Replaced; used (151k) 02J 5spd swapped in place of original 01M Auto along with associated PS lines and other components
- 203513mi – Liqui Moly Diesel Purge to clean the fuel system
- 204545mi – Installed Bosio 520 DLC Injectors
- 205449mi – Installed new soft lines between fuel filter & pump (both black, should have gotten one clear I know)
- 205900mi – New Coolant Temp Sensor
- 219800mi - New Battery
Known issues:
- My anti-shudder valve is disabled and has been for 70k+
- There is a fair amount of oil leaking from the PCV? Valve in the valve cover. I’m not entirely sure what to do about that short of replacing the whole valve assembly.
- I do have a valve cover oil leak stemming from my timing belt service that I intend to rectify when I get to the 230k oil change
- I have an oil leak at my oil cooler which I recently replaced the seals on to no avail at the 220k service and will attempt to fix again at 230k
- My flex-pipe has failed due to using an aftermarket down-pipe that didn’t quite fit right which makes things a little on the loud side especially the turbo spool whistle). It is on the list of things to correct along with some suspension bushings and such assuming I can get the car back to running properly.
Any thoughts or direction would be greatly appreciated. I have had less than stellar luck dealing with the local VW service departments and I would prefer not to waste my time or money.
The car has been running rougher as time has progressed but there have been no tidal changes. My power has dropped some at the low end and my fuel economy is not as high as it has been but I am running on the rich side with an 11mm IP and 520 injectors (VAG-Com shows ~3.8 on IQ). The car has been smoking more recently but I had been attributing it to the more than adequate fueling. I have also had a cold start (engine not ambient) issue for quite some time 40k+ that I have experimented with changing glow plug timing with minimal effect. The engine has always started fine when warm or when on the block heater (FrostHeater) regardless of ambient temp.
After the light came on and I scanned with VAG-Com I did a timing check and found that I was “too advanced to plot” so I retarded the IP and got it within range. I cleared the code and drove it around a bit to confirm everything seemed OK which it did. The next morning the car took a lot of cranking (several 3-4sec cranks spaced out over a minute or two) before finally starting with a huge cloud of smoke. This was repeated after work that day for the return trip home, acting almost as if the IP had lost its prime and had air in the line. I tried to check timing when I got home but it was saying that the coolant temp was too low (despite a 15min drive in 75+F air temps). I parked the car for a couple of days, changed to a new fuel filter and refired the car (same as before with a lot of cranking and a lot of smoke), drove it around until the coolant was above 80C and checked timing again only to be told that it was once again too advanced and this time it also told me my fuel temp was too high.
Service history (aside from 10k oil/filter/cabin/fuel changes using Mann filters and AMSOIL 5W-40 European oil):
- 100215mi – Full Timing Belt Service w/ Water Pump by Dealer
- 126500mi – MAF Sensor Replace
- 152630mi – New Battery Installed and new Injection Pump installed by dealer
- 177500mi – New Intake Manifold Installed and EGR valve was cleaned (I also adapted the EGR down using VAG-Com)
- 194200mi – New Glow Plugs
- 194215mi – MAF Sensor Replaced
- 200208mi – Full Timing Belt Service w/ Water Pump & Serp Belt done by me with engine out of car using Metalnerd Tools; Oil Pan Gasket and Rear Main Seal Replaced; used (151k) 02J 5spd swapped in place of original 01M Auto along with associated PS lines and other components
- 203513mi – Liqui Moly Diesel Purge to clean the fuel system
- 204545mi – Installed Bosio 520 DLC Injectors
- 205449mi – Installed new soft lines between fuel filter & pump (both black, should have gotten one clear I know)
- 205900mi – New Coolant Temp Sensor
- 219800mi - New Battery
Known issues:
- My anti-shudder valve is disabled and has been for 70k+
- There is a fair amount of oil leaking from the PCV? Valve in the valve cover. I’m not entirely sure what to do about that short of replacing the whole valve assembly.
- I do have a valve cover oil leak stemming from my timing belt service that I intend to rectify when I get to the 230k oil change
- I have an oil leak at my oil cooler which I recently replaced the seals on to no avail at the 220k service and will attempt to fix again at 230k
- My flex-pipe has failed due to using an aftermarket down-pipe that didn’t quite fit right which makes things a little on the loud side especially the turbo spool whistle). It is on the list of things to correct along with some suspension bushings and such assuming I can get the car back to running properly.
Any thoughts or direction would be greatly appreciated. I have had less than stellar luck dealing with the local VW service departments and I would prefer not to waste my time or money.