96 B4V Missing When Cold, Corresponding Noise Under Dash

ssnick

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2010
Location
Alameda, CA
TDI
97 Passat
I've had a number of B4 Passats over the year and just bought my first B4V. Very excited to do some Mexico camping in the next week or so.

It has an interesting issue that I'm hoping someone might have seen/heard before. When starting cold, it will start right up but then sound like it's missing. There may be some smoke that occurs when it's missing but not always. It's irregular but will continue until the engine warms up a bit, then it will occur less until it's close to 190 degrees and will then run properly with no misses. Once warmed up, no problem to shut off and restart as long as the engine doesn't cool down too much and then it will happen again.

Here's the interesting thing, when it is missing, I can hear a noise like a valve opening and closing that sounds like it's from behind the passenger side dash. When colder and I'm raising the RPMs, it is surging and the missing perfectly corresponds to the noise.

I've tried listening from the engine compartment but the missing doesn't seem to happen at idle, and I can't hear the valve noise from the engine compartment. When inside though, I can still hear the valve noise behind the dash but it doesn't seem to effect the idle, only when I raise the rpms.

One possibility is that it's the turbo actuator and the missing is it loosing boost. However, I couldn't hear anything from the engine compartment and thought it was strange that it only happens when it's cold.

I also read another thread that something similar was caused by a bad idle control relay.

It's a 96 B4V with 360k, with what sounds like a tapping lifter or exhaust leak. I found 2 exhaust manifold nuts today that were finger tight and one that was holding a bit but was stripped. Tightened them up but didn't seem to change the tapping. The timing belt was changed 13k miles ago. I'm planning on checking the timing as soon as I find someone local with a Vagcom.

Once warm, it has good power and drives very well.

Anyone recognize the valve sounding noise behind the dash?
 

ToddA1

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 3, 2011
Location
NJ 08002
TDI
'96 B4V, '97 B4 (sold), '97 Jetta (scrapped)
Interesting... the only actuator I’m aware of on the ps, is the black fresh air solenoid. It’s vacuum actuated and is by the kick panel, and mounted pretty low.

I’d get a helper to increase the idle, while you’re poking around. What’s an idle control relay?

-Todd
 

ssnick

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2010
Location
Alameda, CA
TDI
97 Passat
To clarify, I'm not sure if the sound is coming from inside the car under the dash or from the engine compartment behind the passenger side dash. It makes more sense that it would be from inside the engine compartment but sounds like it's inside.

I was refering to the turbo wastegate actuator. The turbo is right there behind the passenger side dash so maybe the sound is passing through it? It's just pretty loud and I've never heard it before on other B4s I've owned. One theory I have is that it is sticking and causing a surging limp home mode when cold but I don't understand why it would happen only when cold. It hits a certain temp and then just stops happening. Maybe a sticking wastegate that unsticks when the oil warms up and gets less sticky? I just found the procedure for testing it using compressed air so will try that. And you're right, getting some help while I poke around would be very helpful.

I thought I read a reference to a idle control relay on another thread but can't seem to find it now. I may be remembering it's name incorrectly now.
 

ssnick

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2010
Location
Alameda, CA
TDI
97 Passat
Today I figured out what the sound that sounded like it was coming from behind the dash was. It's the N18 EGR pressure converter that's located next to the fuel filter. When cold, it periodically opens up and spills vacuum. The sound I heard was it opening up and then closing which causes the rpms to fall like it's missing. It randomly does this until it warms up and then stops spilling vacuum.

I found in another thread that I can test the electrical input from the ecu which should be a 5 volt pulse and check the incoming and outgoing lines for vacuum.

I can also switch the N18 and the N75 as they do the same thing and see if anything changes.

Going to give it a try tomorrow.
 

ssnick

Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2010
Location
Alameda, CA
TDI
97 Passat
I tested the electrical input to the N18 and it's reading a steady over 13 volts. When I disconnected it and revved the engine, it was smooth and no surging. Also, when I plugged it back in and disconnected the vacuum line at the egr I could feel vacuum at the hose and it also revved without surging.

Does this mean that it's getting bad input from the ecu? I had read that the voltage should be a pulsing 5 volts. The N18 looks new and I think the previous owner had said he had just replaced it.

I still might switch the N75 and N18 and see what it does but it started raining on me and I'll try when it stops.
 
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