BEW engine misfire under load

[gvan]

Today on a 90 mile highway trip our 05 Jetta Wagon started to shudder under load. Downshift to higher RPMs smooths it out. It was mild at first but by the end of the drive the car is almost undrivable. Idle seems a little rough also. Just did an oil change, replaced the air filter, and fuel filter changed a couple of weeks ago because we were getting some intermittent hesitation on acceleration over the past month.

VCDS below from this evening. The MAS airflow sensor issue has been chronic for over a year since just before our turbo went out.

What to look at and in what order? Injector connection, harness, injector?

Anything here to suggest camshaft or lifter damage? Owned this car since new and have always used the correct oil at regular service intervals.

Thanks in advance, anyone willing to offer insight here.

vanman

Chassis Type: 1J (1J - VW Golf/Bora IV (1998 > 2006))
Scan: 01 02 03 08 15 16 17 19 22 29 35 36 37 39 46 47 55 56 57 75
76

VIN: WVWSR61J25W047009 Mileage: 392130km-243658miles
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Address 01: Engine Labels: 038-906-016-BEW.lbl
Part No SW: 038 997 016 R HW: 028 101 181 2
Component: R4 1,9L EDC G000SG 0282
Revision: 12345678 Serial number: VWZ7Z0D0759191
Coding: 0150031
Shop #: WSC 23411 444 58605
VCID: 2D5FDE74B73D7DEE88-513C

3 Faults Found:
16485 - Mass Air Flow Sensor (G70)
P0101 - 000 - Implausible Signal
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 2016 /min
Torque: 0.0 Nm
Speed: 92.0 km/h
Temperature: 30.6°C
(no units): 135.6
(no units): 0.80
Temperature: 90.0°C

18074 - PD Unit Injector; Cylinder 1 (N240)
P1666 - 000 - Electrical Malfunction
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 2184 /min
Torque: 226.0 Nm
Speed: 99.0 km/h
Load: 0.0 %
Voltage: 14.29 V
Inj. Quantity: -0.14 mg/str
Temperature: 44.1°C
(no units): 16.0

16685 - Cylinder 1
P0301 - 000 - Misfire Detected
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 819 /min
Torque: 58.0 Nm
Speed: 35.0 km/h
Load: 0.0 %
Voltage: 13.98 V
Inj. Quantity: 2.96 mg/str
Temperature: 78.3°C
(no units): 128.0

 

[Tom Brown]

Perhaps injector. Might also clean your MAF with MAF cleaner or brake cleaner. Many warn against brake cleaner. Many, but not me.

Quick story.

I drive Regina to Calgary, a couple of times per year. When I first got my 06 TDI Wagon (almost the same car as yours), I dumped in a bunch of Lucas fuel injection cleaner and set out. When I got there, the car was noticeably smoother. Not rough before but like velvet at the destination. So, I kept doing it each trip.

The last time we went, it was an emergency trip and no Lucas fuel injection cleaner. When I got there, the car ran like velvet. lol!

This isn't a caution against using Lucas FI cleaner. I'm going to keep using it, every couple of years. Perhaps it's more to point out how good long highway trips are for a TDI.

 

[Tom Brown]

It might be interesting to swap injectors between #1 and another cylinder, clear the codes, and see how they come back.

 

[gvan]

Thanks for the input gentlemen! I forgot to mention a few things.
1. no smoke in the exhaust, so the cylinder is not getting fuel I guess.
2. I did try fuel cleaner and it made no difference to the hesitation on acceleration. Then this profound shudder on acceleration developed.
3. I did clean the MAF sensor. Then replaced with a new OEM one, then cleaned the new one. It is still throwing the code but the car seems to run fine. Maybe a bit low on power at the low end before the turbo kicks in.

So -- inspecting the injector wiring sounds like a next step. Wondering how to assess the harness for connectivity? Is there a way to electrically assess the injector itself?

 

[gvan]

So I drove the car yesterday. All the symptoms went away until the car was up to normal running temperature, then the hesistation and shuddering on hills started again. Oddly enough, after about 10 km of shuddering, the car drove normally again the last few kms. Its acting more like an intermittent electrical issue than a mechanical one.

 

[oilhammer]

I have a BEW doing the same thing. And as Danny pointed out, it is an electrical issue with that injector, not a mechanical problem (so cleaning, etc. is not going to do anything). It could be the harness, as suggested, or it could be the injector itself. Mine will start and run fine cold, as soon as some heat gets in there it drops that cylinder. It may come and go but usually once it drops it stays dead until the engine cools back down.

 

[Shenandoah]

Folks,

Having the same problem with my 2005 Beetle, 276k miles, 6 speed manual. I replaced the injector harness and thought the problem was solved, but the engine started missing a couple days later. It only starts to miss once it's warmed up. It also seems to go away briefly if I turn the car off and restart it. I do have a set of PD150 injectors I can swap out, if I can narrow it down to a failed injector(s).

Eric

 

[gvan]

l still have not solved this problem, but I have a bit more experience with it. The car runs fine until it warms up. Even then it may run fine, but other times it starts to drop the #1 cylinder, and once it starts, it gets worse the longer it is driven. What I have found is that if I shut the engine down and then restart, the problem goes away and doesn't come back that day. Is there a power supply for the PD injectors? Anyone heard of this failing on higher mileage cars?
oilhammer or Shenandoah, have you been able to solve this problem on your PDs?

 

[Shenandoah]

gvan,

My 2005 Beetle actually has gotten worse. Fortunately I have several other VWs to drive while I figure out what the problem is with my Beetle.

Once it warms up, it will start to miss, then quit. I mean flat out quit running. If I turn the key off and restart the car it will run fine for 10 seconds then quit again. I'm at 276k, so maybe I've got a bad injector? I need to scan it with VCDS to see what other codes it's throwing.

Eric

 

[Shenandoah]

gvan,

Just did a VCDS scan:

8 Faults Found:

17668 - PD Unit Injector: Cylinder 1 (N240)
P1260 - 000 - Implausible Signal - Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 1596 /min
Torque: 20.0 Nm
Speed: 60.0 km/h
Load: 9.4 %
Voltage: 14.21 V
Inj. Quantity: -0.05 mg/str
Temperature: 63.9°C
(no units): 0.0

17677 - PD Unit Injector: Cylinder 4 (N243)
P1269 - 000 - Implausible Signal - Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 1596 /min
Torque: 26.0 Nm
Speed: 60.0 km/h
Load: 9.8 %
Voltage: 14.21 V
Inj. Quantity: 1.01 mg/str
Temperature: 63.9°C
(no units): 0.0

17674 - PD Unit Injector: Cylinder 3 (N242)
P1266 - 000 - Implausible Signal - Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 1764 /min
Torque: 114.0 Nm
Speed: 65.0 km/h
Load: 37.6 %
Voltage: 14.21 V
Inj. Quantity: 0.09 mg/str
Temperature: 63.9°C
(no units): 0.0

17671 - PD Unit Injector: Cylinder 2 (N241)
P1263 - 000 - Implausible Signal
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 2142 /min
Torque: 246.0 Nm
Speed: 79.0 km/h
Load: 67.1 %
Voltage: 14.14 V
Inj. Quantity: -0.19 mg/str
Temperature: 67.5°C
(no units): 0.0

16705 - Engine Speed Sensor (G28)
P0321 - 000 - Implausible Signal - Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 189 /min
Torque: 118.0 Nm
Speed: 0.0 km/h
Load: 20.0 %
Voltage: 10.72 V
Bin. Bits: 00001100
Idle Stabilization: 0.0°KW
RPM: 0 /min

18075 - PD Unit Injector; Cylinder 2 (N241)
P1667 - 000 - Electrical Malfunction
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 2058 /min
Torque: 170.0 Nm
Speed: 77.0 km/h
Load: 51.0 %
Voltage: 14.29 V
Inj. Quantity: -0.54 mg/str
Temperature: 38.7°C
(no units): 0.0

16683 - Boost Pressure Regulation
P0299 - 000 - Control Range Not Reached - Intermittent
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 2142 /min
Torque: 196.0 Nm
Speed: 79.0 km/h
Load: 57.6 %
Voltage: 14.29 V
Bin. Bits: 00001100
Absolute Pres.: 2080.8 mbar
Absolute Pres.: 1499.4 mbar

18072 - Control Circuit for PD Injectors
P1664 - 000 - Electrical Malfunction - Intermittent - MIL ON
Freeze Frame:
RPM: 1827 /min
Torque: 204.0 Nm
Speed: 69.0 km/h
Load: 57.3 %
Voltage: 14.14 V
Bin. Bits: 00001100
Temperature: 63.9°C
Bin. Bits: 11010000


Readiness: 1 6 0 0 1

I'll have to do some more research to see if I can figure out what the problem is. Based on the scan above, something might be going on with injector #2.

Eric

 

[wonneber]

Don't know if this will help here but I found an interesting readiness code list:

https://www.snapon.com/Files/Diagnostics/UserManuals/VolkswagenAudiReadinessCodeCharts.pdf

Thought I'd just pass it along.

 

[gvan]

So, In plain language, are you saying to replace the injector wiring harness first, and then if that does not resolve the problem, to replace the malfunctioning injector, 2nd?

 

[wonneber]

I know there's more labor involved but swapping two injectors to see if the problem follows to the next cylinder would only cost the sealing washers or such.

Do you have a meter to check the resistance if each injector (mentioned above) when the motor is hot?
It looks like there is a plug where the wires come out of the head.
If the resistance isn't the same (or close) that would be a pointer.

 

[Shenandoah]

Folks,

Bumping this back up to see if GVAN or Oilhammer found the solution to their BEW problem? Just put a batter in my 2005 BEW New Beetle. Started it up and it runs fine, but once it warms up it will just all of a sudden quit running. Scanned with VCDS and see 18072 Control circuit for PD Injectors and 16705 Engine Speed Sensor. It will start back up, but might run fine, or it might just quit again. Only seems to do it when it's warmed up.

Probably will swap the Injector Harness with a new one (tried one that I had on hand that was only used for about 100 miles) and see if that does anything.

Eric

 

[Sky King]

Glad I found the thread. I just started a new one about my 2006 New Beetle having problems at 2200 RPM. Does fairly well at other RPM ranges. Makes me think I got an electonic issue with the injector. I have 220k miles but replaced the engine at 128K. I think she needs some love so I'll run the VAGCOM and probably pull the intake for cleaning and poke around a bit. I have another set of injectors if I need to replace anything. I have checked to see if the problem is there prior to the engine warming up. I drive it daily and the miss isn't a problem but I want to fix it, it will likely only get worse and hurt something.

 

[Lurker92]

I just started having these exact same symptoms. Vibrates on acceleration and is more frequent when hot. Shut the car off for a few mins and it runs fine after. Very odd issue and definitely electrical in nature. Anyone have luck finding the issue?

 

[Shenandoah]

Lurker92,

Currently my 2005 BEW New Beetle will not start. Probably going to replace the injector harness and see what happens. The lift pump is working, so I'm getting fuel. Kind of frustrating. At least I have other cars to drive.

Eric

 

[Sky King]

How much of a pain is it to replace the injector wiring harness? My problem just got worse which is a good thing. I wasn't getting any fault codes but a cylinder died Saturday and I finally got a code. Misfire #2 Yay !! I have 4 spare injectors 220k miles in the New Beetle. Should I just buy a new injector wiring harness?? I don't mind at all. I like having the parts to fix it when I get started. Input is appreciated.