Sudden total power loss - please help.

[Erik Lupo 3L]

I was cruising fast at 3000 rpm, and eased of the gas. When I pushed the pedal again, the car had nearly no power.

No lights went on, and there was no lack of water or oil.

The engine didn't have any strange noises and could be started without problems, it just doesn't rev to more than 1500 rpm.

Please tell me that it could be something that doesn't cost a fortune.

It was towed to a local stealer, who will look at it today (I hope)

It's almost 2 hours drive from my home, so I can't just go there and see what they do to it.

The car is a VW Lupo 1,2 TDI PD with 61 HP

Until this, the car went very fine cruising at 150 to 160 km per hour on the Autobahn.

 

[runonbeer]

was it raining when the power loss occured? does it rev up at a stand still?

 

[Erik Lupo 3L]

Yes - it was raining a lot. I had been driving several hours in rain before, then a ½-hour wait for the ferry, 50 min crossing time, and then it happened after some 15 minutes and 20 miles. I didn't try reving up in neutral, but it had only the power to parking manouvres.

The stealer says it could be something with the EGR valve, because when they unplugged it, the engine did rev up.


Could the EGR also cause lack of high-speed power build up after easing off the trottle and flooring it again?

I experienced this sometimes, but not always, on this holiday trip, but wrote it of as being headwind and/or unnoticeable uphill causing it.

I must buy or seek out a VAG-COM to check the engine and put the EGR to sleep.

 

[runonbeer]

it was raining a lot.

well there you have it. throttle position sensor aquired some moisture. hopefully it will go away.
don't think its related to the egr.
good luck!

 

[Erik Lupo 3L]

The stealer found the fault - The cathalytic converter had melted down and was blocking the exhaust. Price of new one: $2500. After me asking for it, it turned out that VW will cover the cost of the cathalytic converter 100%.
I suspect he would have charged me the $2500 and gotten the cathalytic converter from VW for free if I hadn't asked.
I would just like to know what caused it to melt down.

 

[duuudeman]

Erik Lupo 3L said:
The stealer found the fault - The cathalytic converter had melted down and was blocking the exhaust. Price of new one: $2500. After me asking for it, it turned out that VW will cover the cost of the cathalytic converter 100%.
I suspect he would have charged me the $2500 and gotten the cathalytic converter from VW for free if I hadn't asked.
I would just like to know what caused it to melt down.

Any particulate leaving the engine and entering the converter could have caused blockage in the honeycomb shaped material inside the converter. What type of particulate ? I have no idea - this is usually caused by old cars where rust flakes off the inside of the exhaust manifold and falls into your catalytic converter. Or something your engine burned. No clue.

Do you remember a sulfur smell ? That is a clear indication of Catalytic converter meltdown ...

Congrats on the 100% coverage. $2500 is money I'd rather spend somewhere else !

 

[weedeater]

On a gasser it would be something causing too rich a mixture.

On a diesel?