Ok, got a very strange issue, the other day i gave it a little bit of beans, after coming off the gas, i had a pop out the rear of the exhaust and the car ran like it had just 5 cylinders, i gave it a quick rev and it was back to normal and driving lovely and was all the way up till parking it up last night.

 

This morning id decided to get the laptop out and check error codes to see if there was anything on there, started the engine and the idle is lumpy as hell, i have no smoke coming out of the exhausts, the engine temp is fine, but there is a noticeable shake to the car now, took it for a quick spin to see if it would sort its self, but had to come home as it was hesitating, didn't seem like it wanted to go and on idle again running rather rough.

 

Things i have checked.

 

ECU connection where the traction control is installed in case of wire issues, but everything is fine.

Checked all connections in the Engine bay including, coil packs, VTC connections, injectors, CAS, temp sensors, PTU (series 2 by the way) and all fuses in the engine bay.

Ive checked all vac lines, all intake couplings, the MAF connections to the intake system, and the intercooler pipes

 

im at a loss as to what it could be.

never mind, try the link again, i was using the wrong one lol

 

Would bad fuel do this? last time i filled up was Thursday at Texco (or what ever the garage is called), put £30 in the tank, Thursday after noon it all started

Edited March 31, 201411 yr by vodkashots

Jeff, i tried checking the timing............ My fan ate the timing light lol doh!, didnt notice the cable dropped down as i was putting the sensor onto number 1 injector :/ haha yes i know, should of been paying more attention.

Thank Christ it wasn't your hand. Pay more attention Ian, lol.

Thank Christ it wasn't your hand. Pay more attention Ian, lol.

 

Stupid thing was, i connected the timing light, laid it well away from the fan before starting the car, started the car, picked the timing light up, as i went to put the sensor into the number one coil pack area, the cabled must of slipped off the plenum, next thing you know, the sensor was gone out of my hand and on the floor, with the cable ripped from inside the timing light. tried to solder it back up, but the ferrite inside the sensor was all smashed, so it no longer works doh!

 

One of those days, still have this odd idle, ive finally used most of the fuel i put in on the friday all this started and filled her up with some V-power, hoping it might of been bad fuel, but still no go, its just really odd.

So, borrowed a ECU, although it was mapped for boost jets only, car started up and ran fine until the temp came up, then i had a mental hunting idle. didnt check to see if any error codes as didnt want to run the car too long incase i caused damage to the engine, although it was on idle with a little blip of the throttle to see if the hunting idle would sort its self out.

 

But still no wiser on this issue, with my ECU in, its like it will idle fine for say 10 seconds, then the revs will drop for say 10 seconds, then the idle will pick its self back up, then drop again, arrrggggghhH!, really wish something would just stop working so its easier to find the issue and sort it out.

 

Sorry, should of said, car is acting like its got a major air leak. only question is, looked everywhere and still non the wiser on that one.

Edited April 4, 201411 yr by vodkashots

Update on this:

 

Well, ive now checked all the spark plugs, checked all the Coil packs, checked all injector cables, stripped down everything over the weekend and renewed all vac hoses having deleted the PRVR's, AVI's and Carbon canister to simplify the system more, checked the turbo outlet hoses, one did need tightening, Drivers side that is usually hidden beneath all the loom and connectors on that side of the engine. removed the HKS boost controller and plumbed in a Greddy profec B spec II with all new vac hose, got rid of all the old vac hose and replaced for silicon vac hose. ECU was unplugged long enough to reset its self while doing all that.

 

Really am running out of things to check on this. still have a audible burble to the rear exhaust, like a miss but not a miss, like the spark is there, but its not strong enough, but its in stages, 10 seconds of normal idle, then the revs drops as though its trying to stall for 10 seconds, then the revs pick up again and it idles normal, then drops again.

 

Acceleration before boost is very very laggy, like something is trying to hold it back, it does boost fine now though and all the way to 21psi, but the initial pick up is terrible.

 

Gave it a fresh oil filter and oil change, seems to have sorted out my noisy tappet i had on a cold start for some castrol GTX semi synthetic 10 - 40. Really am running out of ideas on this one. I suppose the next thing would be to start on the expensive stuff and try and rule out that. :/

Really silly question, your water temp gauge ecu take off is ok right? Almost sounds like the car it's trying to warm up etc then changing it's mind. Equally check the air idle valve at the back, those connections get crappy.

And have you actually done a boost leak test?

I`ve just taken my fuel ecu out as my car won`t idle and just dies when cold. I`ve done pretty much all the things you have. Guess what..the idle valves (aav) and fuel pump ecu are in bed together according to the wiring diagrams. My ecu board had a more dodgy joints than Bob Marley, especially on one particular capacitor. Putting mine back in tomorrow and see what happens. Worth a look?

Also main ecu shows no error codes.

Edited April 7, 201411 yr by santa

In the past, I have experienced the very same symptoms.

Mine turned out to be an electrical short due to a corroded connector plug in the drivers foot well next to the fuse box.

I had checked the plug a couple of times and all looked good, it wasn't until I dismantled the casing so as to check internally that I found my problem.

There was green corrosion across several of the individual crimped connectors causing a short.

A quick way of checking would be to put a meter in line with the live side of the battery and see if you have the same parasitic voltage drain as I did.

With everything off I think you should see about 80 milli amps. (I was seeing 1.5 volts until I cleaned the corrosion out)

Was back to a healthy 80-90 milli amps afterwards and the problem was solved.

It may be a coincidence, but I also have the dreaded leaking targa top.

 

Just another thought, it may be the same problem but on a different connector located elsewhere, so you may have to look at several.

Also, it may be related to your strange error codes as some look similar to earthing problems.

Edited April 8, 201411 yr by redwine300

So, had all the interior out, had a look for corroded connections, especially down by the fuel pump and around the ECU area, even though i had a leaky targa, everything still looks like new, noticed that the car is worse from cold with what feels like having an elastic band attached to the back of the car, you get power, then nothing for a split second, then power again, once the engine has warmed up, its just idle issue with sluggish pull off, really pulling my hair out over this one as running out of things to check, going to check my throttle bodies and see if they are balanced correctly once i dig out Jeff's thread on it, something has to be causing this, its getting to the point im hoping what ever it is, fails so i can at least say "aaah"

So, had all the interior out, had a look for corroded connections, especially down by the fuel pump and around the ECU area, even though i had a leaky targa, everything still looks like new, noticed that the car is worse from cold with what feels like having an elastic band attached to the back of the car, you get power, then nothing for a split second, then power again, once the engine has warmed up, its just idle issue with sluggish pull off, really pulling my hair out over this one as running out of things to check, going to check my throttle bodies and see if they are balanced correctly once i dig out Jeff's thread on it, something has to be causing this, its getting to the point im hoping what ever it is, fails so i can at least say "aaah"

Did you sort this Vod?

I am getting hesitation today, had a long drive up the road to Gillingham, quarter tank full to replace my slow puncture...

Ran fine.

 

On the way back it rained and started to get hesitation.

I have a Blitz SUS metal micropore air filter. It's apparently the dogs nuts, doesn't need cleaning... cost me £££

I'm wondering if it's tiny spots of rain and may need to put a cover over the cone to stop it as it's hanging just above the top open part of the bumper... maybe rain is getting in?

 

If not... I used nearly all the fuel from quarter tank; I had vpower, then topped it up £5 normal unleaded from some weird garage, then back to £20 of vpower... I'm thinking the different fuel mixtures are telling the ecu mixed info.

 

Or a bit of both?

Did you sort this Vod?

I am getting hesitation today, had a long drive up the road to Gillingham, quarter tank full to replace my slow puncture...

Ran fine.

 

On the way back it rained and started to get hesitation.

I have a Blitz SUS metal micropore air filter. It's apparently the dogs nuts, doesn't need cleaning... cost me £££

I'm wondering if it's tiny spots of rain and may need to put a cover over the cone to stop it as it's hanging just above the top open part of the bumper... maybe rain is getting in?

 

If not... I used nearly all the fuel from quarter tank; I had vpower, then topped it up £5 normal unleaded from some weird garage, then back to £20 of vpower... I'm thinking the different fuel mixtures are telling the ecu mixed info.

 

Or a bit of both?

 

Defiantly shield your air filter. Being exposed to rain like that will cause malfunction and sooner or later failure.

Did you sort this Vod?

I am getting hesitation today, had a long drive up the road to Gillingham, quarter tank full to replace my slow puncture...

Ran fine.

 

On the way back it rained and started to get hesitation.

I have a Blitz SUS metal micropore air filter. It's apparently the dogs nuts, doesn't need cleaning... cost me £££

I'm wondering if it's tiny spots of rain and may need to put a cover over the cone to stop it as it's hanging just above the top open part of the bumper... maybe rain is getting in?

 

If not... I used nearly all the fuel from quarter tank; I had vpower, then topped it up £5 normal unleaded from some weird garage, then back to £20 of vpower... I'm thinking the different fuel mixtures are telling the ecu mixed info.

 

Or a bit of both?

 

 

Wet maf is totally different to the hesitation im suffering, if you get a wet maf while driving, its usually fine under normal load, its when you give it a bit of welly where the water is being draw through the filter and it hits the maf, then you get a sudden "buck" of lack of power.

 

Still not sorted this, waiting on something to carry on my trouble shooting.

Ok mate.

I'll keep a watch.

Still got this horrible running issue, seems to be worse from cold, would a turbo on the way cause this? im not smoking or anything and neither is the car, if im coming to a stop it bunny hops at low revs if my foot is off the clutch, still have this strange rotating rattly type sound at low revs with the clutch engaged as well, just a few things i missed when putting up the original post. :(

Sounds as weird as hell Vods

Ok finally found out what the issue was, car is now smoking like Thomas the tank engine as he chuffs down the track, seem to have a naff turbo, cylinder 6 is also dropped due to the vast amounts of oil build up in the upper plenum, hardly any boost at all not that i was trying. smokes from idle, clears under normal driving, but smokes on boost (all 3 psi of it lol). guessing seized turbo.

 

or the rings / piston has gone on cylinder 6. need to comp test the engine again. wondering if the comp test i did a few weeks back, was showing fine due to oil, but not enough to cause smoke.

Edited May 4, 201411 yr by vodkashots