A3 TDI 140, HELP Overboosting, Limp Mode!

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Scholey3

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Hi, I have researched and read up on the threads on here about over boosting and have gotten know where really and it needs to be fixed... Soo the story...

I’ve owned my A3 for around 2 weeks now; it’s a A3 2.0 TDI 2004 54 plate. I’ve had some problems with it over boosting, going up steep hills and under hard acceleration it kept going into limp mode! I booked it into a garage and he diagnosed the problem was over boosting, he said that it needed the turbo reconditioning because of the veins in the turbo being clogged up with soot and rubbish, so I had the turbo reconditioned for £300, that didn’t cure it either.

Then read on some thread that the EGR valve would be blocked as well so after that I took it off and cleaned it and ordered new O rings for the boost pipes going into the intercooler and for the seal coming out of the EGR, after all this it still isn’t fixed although it runs a lot smoother and seems to pull better.

I should mention that the car has done 64’000 miles of motorway miles I believe because of the age of the owner with full service history, when I bought the car I also replaced the air filter just because I thought it would run smoother with a new one. Also when idling I have noticed the car juddering about (have also read up on this and got nowhere)

I have spoken to a few people most of them say I will have a small boost leak somewhere therefore the car will be thinking that is isn’t getting enough boost, giving more and therefore over boosting.

Others have said it could be the Mass Air Flow sensor? Don’t really know anything about this information would be great.

Any help or ideas would be very much appreciated because I don’t know where to go from here to try and fix the over boosting and the stupid LIMP MODE!!!

THANKYOUUU
 
i had this problem too i got a new turbo and the problem went but i know you dont want to be buying a new one. but it did fix my car ? mine is also a 2004.
 
well ive had mine a wk same sort of thing 04' and lost boost the other day going to call the garage to get them to check it out hopefully wont be anything major and can be sorted fairly quickly and under the warranty other problem is a bit of a shudder when its idling :p not the best start to Audi ownership reason i bought it was so i wouldn't have issues
 
mine shudders aswell mate when idlling i wouldnt worry to much my mates does the same. i hope it isnt ur turbo because it isnt nice knowing you need a new one.
 
BKD engines are renowned for turbo problems. I to had the same issues but also my turbo used to whine a bit like a faint police car. New turbo and problem solved. 10k miles and no issues so must have been the turbo. I got mine done under warranty luckily. Although what a pain that was. If it's been reconditioned I doubt ts that. You checked the MAF? could be dirty giving out irratic readings.
 
Graham89 said:
BKD engines are renowned for turbo problems. I to had the same issues but also my turbo used to whine a bit like a faint police car. New turbo and problem solved. 10k miles and no issues so must have been the turbo. I got mine done under warranty luckily. Although what a pain that was. If it's been reconditioned I doubt ts that. You checked the MAF? could be dirty giving out irratic readings.
Click to expand...

Havent checked the MAF mate wouldnt know where to start to get a new onw to be honest and I dont think my problems are due to the turbo its been fully reconditioned and still under warrenty soo thats why im now thinking its electrical :/ Cheers :)

EDIT: Seen one on ebay for 32 quid or so delivered soo will be purchasing one of them when im back from holiday see if that cures it.
 
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Ordered the MAF sensor as well as some windscreen wipers as i discovered today were also GOOOSED! :|
 
I have same problem, 05 plate with 91,000 miles and gone into limp mode twice, but when restarted runs fine with full power and siren police car noise, luckily have a warrenty with maindealer and waiting for approval and they say turbo, so glad as its 2k to fix they reckon.
 
Right lets hope this is the enddd of this horrible thread :)

Car is still overboosting after changing every O ring, MAF Sensor, and had the turbo "Recondition" (now been told you cannot recon a turbo and if you do they are still ****e!!!)

So just bit the bullet and booked into Statller in Sheffield to have a bran new turbo fitted, costing just over a grand but i have had enought of people telling me what it is and them being wrong, also i am fed up of having a lovely car that runs like a bag of spanners :)

Will post back up once its done this friday :)
 
hi Scholey3,why cant you recondition a turbo?who's told you that?.
 
nomis72 said:
hi Scholey3,why cant you recondition a turbo?who's told you that?.
Click to expand...

Hello mate, been talking to statller staff and they was saying fitting a recon turbo is one of worst things you can do as well as a big waste of 400 or how ever much they are,

When i first got the car it was overboosting and i was told to go to a guy in sheffield who specializes in diesel tuning, he fed me a load of crap about how it will run perfect after he had "reconditioned" it me thinking he would take it apart replace or clean out vains within the turbo put it back together with new seals etc...

The lad at Statller told me he would have taken it off sprayed come cleaner inside and tried to free up the vains what were making the turbo stick in the high boost and making the car overboost, then fitting it back on.

And the Obviously the turbo would just get stuck again (which it did!) and i would be back to square one, £300 down! (which i was)

Also a reconditioned turbo made by an actual company that makes them is still a turbo that is made from good bits of bad turbos! so when you purchase a reconditioned turbo your basically buying 2nd hand bits stuck together and made to look like new!!!

Dont even botther! Statller has told me stories of a reconditioned turbo purchased for £350 and blowing up in a few days after fitment!!

Hope i have enlightened everyone by my mistakes.... Dont take the cheap option just get it done the first time

Scholey.
 
My local Audi specialist refuses to install reconditioned turbos and insist on oem only. They say they had too many recon turbos failing, leaving disputes between the customer, garage and supplier as to who should bear the costs. So I stumped up for a new turbo but am reassured that the garage cover all parts and labour.
 
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Naj said:
My local Audi specialist refuses to install reconditioned turbos and insist on oem only. They say they had too many recon turbos failing, leaving disputes between the customer, garage and supplier as to who should bear the costs. So I stumped up for a new turbo but am reassured that the garage cover all parts and labour.
Click to expand...

Exactly same with me buddy! Best way to do it, at least a real specialist has balls to tell you the actuall price and make sure everything right and is covered by them.
 
Hi Scholey,have you seen the posts in the A4 section about cleaning the vains using Mr Muscle?they seem to have some success with theres,whats your opinion on this?i'm thinking at trying it on mine as the car is whistleing its head off(possible overboost?i dont know).
 
Ermmm just had a gander at this and tbh its probably what the bloke has done to mine to "recon" it just cleaned the vains to unstick them.
But i think it would just be a waste of time because not even 2 weeks after mine had become stuck again and i was down £300!
Llike iv put in my post if somethins wrong and you know how to fix it, just get it done the right way the first time :/ ino a grand is alot of money and it is to me as i am a student but at least after it will be sorted ;/

Dropped the car off today aswell guys :) sooo fingers crossed friday she should run like a beaut and not a bag of spanners haha!

Hope my advice helps you lot :)

Scholey
 
I hope your new turbo fixes it but I'd the same problem with the overboost DTCs and had it removed and reconditioned.
I saw it when it was removed and when it was put back on. The vnt vanes were totally jammed with crud when it was removed.
Went about 2-3 weeks without limp mode/overboost then they happened again.
The EGR was filthy as was the manifold so they were cleaned but about a week later it happened again :(
So I had noticed in this time that the coolant had been dropping slightly, then read about the dreaded cylinder head problems on the BKD engines. Coolant loss and limp mode got worse so bit the bullet and replaced the cylinder head.

Since then I've had no coolant loss, no limp mode, no overboost.
What I and my mechanics believe was happening was that as the coolant was being burnt off and the EGR circluates through the turbo this was worse than the normal exhaust gasses an was causing build up on the turbo. It seems the most plausible explanation.
If I was you I'd be blocking off the EGR valve anyway, it does nothing for the car and blocking it off will be better for your cars health.

Just letting you know how I fixed it, may be of some help to someone.
 
Yeah if the turbo was cleaned properly, there is no way it would get clogged that quick with just normal gases, would take years, so it has to be an addition to the mixture to clog in such a small duration.
 
Hey peeps, had the car since thursday now, picked it up ran like a champ! Hes even fixed the small coolent leak i had which was the EGR cooler it soo smooth and powerful... BUT!... drove down about that night and the dreaded engine management light came on :/

So first thing friday morning took it back to stattler he plugged it in and ran VAGCOM faulty MAF sensor.... i told him him id replaced it, he dropped everything and took out the sensor within the MAF and asked me if it was an OEM one (bosch) it wasnt, ebay cheap rubbish for £35 he then put my old one back in which i happened to have in the boot cleared the light and no light ever since... testiment to my other posts...

DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME anddd dont buy any cheap crap

No problems with the car now, im loving the pull and even had it remapped upto around 170 ish and it pulls like a train :) torque is unreal haha

Sooo hope ive given everyone some good advice and knowledge

Cheers Scholey :)
 
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Happy for you scholey you've got it all sorted pal,well done!!!!!
 
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