Why does my GTI sound like a WRX today :(

[blue_reality]

Driving home from work today in traffic and then all of a sudden...

"wub wub wub wub wub" horrible wrx style burble coming from my exhaust. Car starts vibrating when I accelerate - loss of almost all power, and RPM needle fluctuating, and the back lit dials of the MFD are glitchy - like an irregular power source almost in time with the burble. Really gotta get on the gas just to stop stalling while driving. I turned car off for a minute and then started again, in case it was something random, but still no good.

Any idea why? And anyone know where to start trying to fix the problem?

[Tim]

sounds like you have lost spark to a cylinder.
disconnect one coil at a time (whilst the engine is off perhaps) and see if by pulling one of them it makes no difference to the way the engine runs.

these things run individual coilpacks per cyl dont they? maybe one of them has died.

[Mr Messy]

Why does my car sound like a WRX?

Because you tried out four fully sick BOVs in the last week!

Nah, it's probably running on three cylinders. My old Laser did that once when a plug lead came off.

[velly_16v_cab]

Yes the 1.8T's did have coil packs per cylinder....very common that these go down.

[Golf Houso]

I'd say it was an individual coil-pack as well, or you've fouled a spark plug.

[glidn]

yeah coil pack

should be cylinder one or two generally that go first. No idea why.

[MIS.18T]

could be a coil control module, very very common its on the side of the air box...

[Golf Loon]

could be a coil control module, very very common its on the side of the air box...

True words this and it will throw a coilpack code.

I have ones cheaper than VW if you are in need

[Mrk_Mickey]

lol this thread reminds me of the saying...

''how many forum members does it take to answer a question?''

!! lol

[blue_reality]

Well I had to go out tonight and got in the car an hour later. Magically fixed. Amazing. Then literally 5 minutes later while going slowly in 2nd gear up a hill "wub wub wub wub" again. I may as well of had ugly chrome wheels, the loudest blow off valve you've ever seen and fluffy dice.

Thank you for all the above replies. Any idea on how I actually do the suggested? And if it is possible for it to be intermittent?

Thanks gang.

[watercool]

I had this problem, it was intermittent for a while then became consistent

Went and saw Seb and he fixed it up, it was a black little box in the top right of the engine bay (sorry not sure of the name) If your over that way go and see him

Cheers

[h100vw]

If it's intermittent that's not unusual, it will probably get worse pretty quickly.

I assume you have bolt down coilpacks which don't fail that often at all. The amp in the side of the airbox however is a likely candidate.

I reckon the place that did your flash the other week will be able to scan the ECU for you.

For a possible free fix, have a look at the sparkplugs.

Gavin

[dubbed]

Seeing as you guys run the Mighty Car Mods series, I'd suggest buying a VAGCOM and running an episode (or part of) on one. This will throw up all the fault codes and can also feed you data such as air flow readings.

Back to the initial problem, if it's not the coil amp, or a coilpack, I'd say the MAF has died. My GTI suffered the exact same problem and it turned out the MAF died which is a common problem as well. It was about $300 to replace.

[goodfella]

If you want to test the MAF, i have a spare one you can borrow... its for my Mk4 Bora v6, but I think its a compatible part.

[99gti]

Th easiest way to test the maf is by disconnecting it. The car will still run normaly without it how ever it will just run a much safer. It wont be as quick but it should be firing on all 4.

When the maf sends funky readings it does go into limp mode. If you were going slow up a hill and just started to come on boost there's a good chance it could be that but my money would be on the amp.