Running out of ideas... car still running horrible.. please help!!!

[hopelessbugowner]

Ok.. I don't know where to start with this. I have a 2002 1.8T bug, that I bought Sep of 2008. It has roughly 108000 on it. I bought it used from a side of the road dealer, as is and it ended up having a crack in the engine. I had the whole engine removed (nov 08), welded back together and also redid the timing belt and water pump. Got the car back and it would barely run. It just died out on the highway and hated to accelerate. It got to the point where it would barely accelerate at all. Brought it to VW dealer (dec 08) they replaced a diverter valve and re-connected a vaccum hose. Went 30 miles and the same not accelerating problem was back. Short story... I had 7 codes. Since the VW dealer I have replaced... Mass air flow sensor, two coils, spark plugs, Fuel filter, BOTH O2 sensors... now I am down to one lonely code that will not go away. "System to lean" ... except the system is not too lean. So I am burning through my gas and only getting 200 miles per tank... where I used to get roughly 400 ... and I am spitting out tons of black smoke. Mechanic after mechanic are just dumbfounded as to whats wrong with my car... We have checked nearly everything. And now I'm left feeling this is just hopeless... it's never going to get fixed. Does anyone have any ideas or similar problems???? Please I need help!

[FarrisK]

Originally Posted by hopelessbugowner

I bought it used from a side of the road dealer, as is and it ended up having a crack in the engine. I had the whole engine removed (nov 08), welded back together and also redid the timing belt and water pump.

Who welded an engine block back together and called it good? I have never EVER heard of that being done.

[antonym]

I am no expert, but...

..my advice. Stop dumping money into a hopeless situation. It would have been nice if you have come here BEFORE you decided to weld the engine block and pump all that money into it (too late now - cut your losses and try something else).

My advice.. get a used engine. They are fairly cheap (about $1,500... less than what you have already spend I speculate...but you then have to consider labor..)

OR.. stick 225 hp 3.2 liter VR6 engine in there

All the best!

... and welcome!

[Snomel]

Here's some info that may help

VWvortex Forums: -= 1.8t Technical Forum Guide { FAQs | Tuning/Modification Assistance | Troubleshooting } =-

VWvortex Forums: cleaned my IAT sensor = butter smooth idle

good luck!

Snomel

[hopelessbugowner]

sadly.. I wish I had the option of just getting out of this but I owe 5000 roughly... I just recently got divorced and am facing bankruptcy due to my ex... my dad helped me get the loan for this bug. and now he is in a position where he cant help me anymore. so i am stuck with a bug that wont sell for 5000 and a loan i have to pay off. and once the bug is gone.. i am left carless, with a huge loan.

i am going to try to check for vacuum leaks this week... no one has TRULY looked into that for me.
I have heard of people replacing "all" their vacuum lines...? How would I go about this? Are there kits or packages with all the lines?
Thanks for the advice tho! Very much appreciated.

[hopelessbugowner]

Originally Posted by Snomel

Here's some info that may help

VWvortex Forums: -= 1.8t Technical Forum Guide { FAQs | Tuning/Modification Assistance | Troubleshooting } =-

VWvortex Forums: cleaned my IAT sensor = butter smooth idle

good luck!

Snomel

Thank you! That helped a lot!! I'm going to try looking for a vacuum leak.. and I may just be having a real blonde moment.. but what is a "CTS"? Or a "TB"? And.. "AIT" sensor? I'm trying to find an answer to the poor gas mileage and all of these could be the case.

[00132936]

Well, I think that a good troubleshooting starts with a scanner.
Try to scan your car with a scanner compatible with Vag-Com, then post all the fault codes.
Also try this link:
Main Page - Ross-Tech Wiki
Good luck....

[mernst]

Originally Posted by hopelessbugowner

Thank you! That helped a lot!! I'm going to try looking for a vacuum leak.. and I may just be having a real blonde moment.. but what is a "CTS"? Or a "TB"? And.. "AIT" sensor? I'm trying to find an answer to the poor gas mileage and all of these could be the case.

check the Air pump and the air value... My was splitting apart... had it changed and no more engine light...

[Too Cold NB1.8T]

If the car is storing a too lean code then the first thing you want to look at at is both idle and run adapt "fuel trim", a Ross-Tech scan tool or factory vagcom will need to be accessible.

For some reason the ECU feels that the engine is running too lean, this might be due to a fuel restriction, bad FPR etc. and/or too much air/(or un-metered air) entering the system or a pressure leak somewhere causing an Air/Fuel ratio imbalance, either way, stay out of boost until you repair this.

You say that the engine is not running lean, how are you coming to this conclusion?

You will want to look at the fuel trim readings via a scan tool on Block #32 and let us know what they are, make sure that these readings are taking only after the Readiness Codes all read "Pass".

FYI, the welding of an engine block or cylinder head is not uncommon, it all depends on the extent of the damage, the location and the skill/knowledge level of the technician, this has been practiced with success for decades.

A CTS is a Coolant Temperature Sensor, this sensor can distrupt fuel trim if it fails, a TB is the Throttle Body, it is the unit attached to the right side of the intake manifold.

[hopelessbugowner]

Originally Posted by Too Cold NB1.8T

You say that the engine is not running lean, how are you coming to this conclusion?

Well, it is giving off the "too lean" code, Yet, it is burning all my gas and spitting out black smoke. So what our thought was.. is that the comp is telling the car it's too lean.. so it's trying to give it more gas to compensate.. but it's giving too much? My engine flooded once just from idling when I started it... it runs rough and spits out black smoke whenever I first start it.

Thank you for all the ideas and info... I am bringing it to my cousins shop either tonight or tomorrow night and I'll post what codes exactly are coming up..
Stupid question I'm sure, but my cousin is just using his shops computers... how do I know if it is vag-com? Does it say it on there?

[noR]

Easy answer: It won't be unless it's a vw shop. So you probably won't be able to get into the measuring blocks.

[Too Cold NB1.8T]

It is possible to own a VW vagcom but it is very unlikely that he has one since they run about $20,000 or so, he probably has a Ross-tech or some other type of scan tool, anyone with at least a Ross-Tech scan tool will be able to access measuring blocks and much more.

It is important that you first view and document the readings in nblock #32 then printout any fault codes before erasing them, please post exactly what you find here along with any fault codes.

The fact that your engine is flooding at times and emitting black smoke is an indication of too much fuel present, however, if the ECU detects a serious lean condition, yes, it will try to add more fuel to compensate thereby creating a rich condition, I would have to agree with the ECU's assessment at this point in that the actual cause is a Too Lean condition.

This is a perfect example of how one or more malfunctions can lead to other issue or the appearance other issues and cloud/mask the actual culprit, making the diagnosis of the the true problem more difficult, gotta think outside the box on this stuff.

It sounds to me like you have a large pressure leak somewhere or maybe a MAF sensor or (FPR) fuel pressure regulator that is not functioning properly, I would start by viewing/examining "every" single hose connection for integrity, start with the lower intercooler plumbing on the right front (passenger side) behind the front wheel.

Check for hose damage, loose clamping or for a hose that has simply popped away from it's connection.

Let us know...

[Smileybug]

You can still get a vag-com from Ross-Tech for a few hundred dollars. Its still good and legit and still can perform a ton of functions that a generic obdII reader can't.

[2000buggy]

take carb cleaner and spray it on all you vac hoses wile the car is idling if possable if the car idles fine you dound you leak mine happend to be the brake booster the main vac line had a nasty crack wich was throwing 9 codes i fixed teh leak im down to 1 coad and thats the mass air meter hope this helps good luck