2013 Passat SEL TDI shudder when cold

[Citykid]

I have been driving this car like this for about a year and it doesn't seem to be getting any worse. When I first start it in the morning it idles fine but studders like it is starving for fuel and I can't get above about 30 mph. As the engine temp increases it gets steadily better until it gets to operating temperature at which time it runs perfectly. I normally let it warm up for about ten minutes until it warms up and it runs fine. If I don't let it warm up it will throw code P1005.

There is a vibration sound at idle that seems to be coming from the belt side of the engine and the car seems generally louder than it did when it was new. It has 130k miles on it and has had regular maintenance. I do run Walmart brand DEF.

Thanks in advance for your help. Just don't want to start throwing expensive parts at this issue.

 

[DivineChaos]

I have been driving this car like this for about a year and it doesn't seem to be getting any worse. When I first start it in the morning it idles fine but studders like it is starving for fuel and I can't get above about 30 mph. As the engine temp increases it gets steadily better until it gets to operating temperature at which time it runs perfectly. I normally let it warm up for about ten minutes until it warms up and it runs fine. If I don't let it warm up it will throw code P1005.

There is a vibration sound at idle that seems to be coming from the belt side of the engine and the car seems generally louder than it did when it was new. It has 130k miles on it and has had regular maintenance. I do run Walmart brand DEF.

Thanks in advance for your help. Just don't want to start throwing expensive parts at this issue.

What maintence have you done?
I get the same missing during cold cold starts. For me it's because the fuel isn't igniting die to cold. It'll idle smooth, but under throttle almost as if it's missing.
I attribute it to the cylinder being too cold. Glowplugs could probably be replaced, fuel filter is due. I just rev it to 2k untill it clears up. That's after ideling for 5 min.

 

[DivineChaos]

I'll see if I can record a video the next cold snap. Has to be below 0 for my jsw to do it. I would bring up your fuel pressure and watch. Is your lift pump working?

 

[oilhammer]

Re-enter the injector calibration numbers. If that doesn't fix it, or at least improve it, new injectors will be needed. Quite a common issue on the CKRA.

P1005 points to cylinder #2 specifically, so you may be able to get by with just that injector if the recal doesn't do it.

 

[Citykid]

I did change the fuel filter (which was collapsed) but did not make a difference. Ambient air temp doesn't seem to make a difference other than it takes longer to warm up when it's cool. I'm in Houston so 50deg is cold to me.

I haven't checked the lift pump. On the filter canister, which line is under pressure? What should the pressure be at the filter?

I checked the fuel rail pressure and it seems like it was over 33,000psi? That seems really high to me but I don't know what is normal on these cars.

Thanks for the injector calibration input. I'll see if I can figure out how to do that and get back to you.

 

[oilhammer]

VCDS has helper boxes for that. It is in the Engine Adaptation section.

 

[mak474]

I have the same year, b7 and motor. @ 120k mi. The dealer has had the car for over a week now. I had the exact same shuddering issue when cold. They changed the injectors last week under warranty, said it was all good. I asked them to keep the car until the next day and drive it after a good nights cold soak. It still shuddered and lost power at around that 30mph range. This time it threw a code too for a transmission switch. Not sure what code. Anyway they have ordered a transmission and will be replacing it under warranty when it comes in. They say this code is covered under TDI warranty so I'm not sure what mileage your TDI warranty expires but you may look into that.

 

[lowlife]

Same issue same car here. Injector soft reset did not do it for me. Replaced injectors, runs well now. If it makes a knocking sound while missing that is detonation. A year of detonation would concern me. Yours may not be as bad as mine was

 

[LMM_HP]

Same. Exact. Issue. 2012 Passat 134k. Shudder happened pretty consistent on cold starts in cold weather on acceleration until car got to normal temp. Eventually threw a P1004 code - Cylinder 1. Cleared code & reset the injectors, which seemed to have worked...... for a few hundred miles. Ha since gotten worse now. Now, I threw a P1004, P0300 & P0301. All cylinder 1 - misfire. Bad injector?

 

[mak474]

Same. Exact. Issue. 2012 Passat 134k. Shudder happened pretty consistent on cold starts in cold weather on acceleration until car got to normal temp. Eventually threw a P1004 code - Cylinder 1. Cleared code & reset the injectors, which seemed to have worked...... for a few hundred miles. Ha since gotten worse now. Now, I threw a P1004, P0300 & P0301. All cylinder 1 - misfire. Bad injector?

If your under emissions warranty leave the code and take the car to the dealer. They did all 4 of mine and handed me a rental for free. My valve cover leaked oil after and that was on me since I didn't complain right then and there. If it leaks after they have to put a new valve cover in it.

Anyway if your not under warranty then pull the injectors. Make sure you mark them so you know which one goes where cause the computer has their location and serial number stored. You can have them professionally cleaned or just try cleaning them yourself. Direct injection engines build up a lot of carbon which coats your injectors heavy. Even after about 2k mi mine had quite a bit of carbon on them when I replaced the valve cover.

 

[danman38]

I have the same issue as well. When the check engine light came on, I setup an appt with the dealer, but it was a week later. The day before the appt, the light went out. When I showed up for the appt, the dealer said that since the light went out, they probably wouldn't be able to do anything because the testing procedure they have to use probably won't show a problem. Just having the code doesn't do anything.
I was pissed, but it didn't matter.
Now, every day I get shuddering and a really bad ticking until the car warms up completely. I'm sure my engine is going to just blow one day.
It really sucks.

 

[oilhammer]

The CKRA does really suck.

 

[cudabnu]

Mine had the same problem. Tried re-calibration, didn't work for me. New injectors and all is well!

 

[mak474]

I have the same issue as well. When the check engine light came on, I setup an appt with the dealer, but it was a week later. The day before the appt, the light went out. When I showed up for the appt, the dealer said that since the light went out, they probably wouldn't be able to do anything because the testing procedure they have to use probably won't show a problem. Just having the code doesn't do anything.
I was pissed, but it didn't matter.
Now, every day I get shuddering and a really bad ticking until the car warms up completely. I'm sure my engine is going to just blow one day.
It really sucks.

Yeah in-order for vwoa to pay the dealer they have to pull the code up on their machine. Next time it comes up I'd just swing by the dealer.

 

[danman38]

Yeah in-order for vwoa to pay the dealer they have to pull the code up on their machine. Next time it comes up I'd just swing by the dealer.

Great timing of this email. Now the Check Engine light goes on during my drive home, about 45 min. It goes off in the morning on the way to work.
I scheduled an appt and hope it continues the trend. I can't easily stop at the dealer because it's about 20 minutes in the other direction.
I'm getting ready to just drive it off a bridge and cut my stress dealing with it.

 

[AverageAndy]

My personal experience was only with P1004 code and shudder when cold. MIL would sometimes come on, then go away. I had to leave the car with the dealer because the light went off as I was driving to my service appointment! I asked them to drive it first thing in the morning, even if not servicing it at that time. What do you know, the light came back on!

So...here's to hoping your MIL light stays on!

 

[mak474]

My personal experience was only with P1004 code and shudder when cold. MIL would sometimes come on, then go away. I had to leave the car with the dealer because the light went off as I was driving to my service appointment! I asked them to drive it first thing in the morning, even if not servicing it at that time. What do you know, the light came back on!

So...here's to hoping your MIL light stays on!

Great point. I had mine in for other things and told them to do the same thing. They ended up replacing the injectors and the transmission because both days they drove in the morning it had an engine shutter then transmission codes.

 

[Franktank]

did it fix the problem? Did anyone shudder go away?

Great point. I had mine in for other things and told them to do the same thing. They ended up replacing the injectors and the transmission because both days they drove in the morning it had an engine shutter then transmission codes.

 

[mak474]

did it fix the problem? Did anyone shudder go away?

Hasn’t shuttered like it was since. It’s been so long I don’t exactly recall what it was doing. My Odyssey is the only car I have trans issues with currently.

It’s not deleted so it can sometimes be noisy under certain rpm loads uphill at lower speeds. But I toss it in sport mode and that changes the loading and the sound goes away. That’s not the shuttering you’re talking about though right? Like older manual transmission in too high of a gear for the accelerating you’re trying to do, shutter?