I recently experienced a problem where with full throttle I was unable to get any more that 1000rpm (roughly idle). Without doing anything the problem went away. Now, occasionally I experience a flat spot in the power around 3500rpm where the turbo would usually start to do its stuff. I keep my foot planted then after a couple of seconds I seem to get all of the power in one huge burst. At first I thought I had a loose connection in the drive-by-wire throttle mechanism but now I'm worried that it might be a problem with the turbo itself. Any thoughts?

 

How many miles do you have? I think your supposed to change the turbo's around 100k.

 

The turbo will last well over 100K.

Sounds like your problem could be plugs, coilpacks, or possibly a bad MAF. The best thing to do is get a hold of a copy of VAG-COM. First thing to do is check to see if there are any fault codes that have been recorded. After that do a WOT in 3rd gear from 2000 RPM to Redline while logging channels:

002: Mass air G/sec
118: Intake temp/N75 Duty Cycle/IC pressure
204: Command, IC, and Manifold pressures
032: Partial throttle , Mass air G/sec

 

Damn! That's all Greek to me, mate!

Had something like what you descibed happen. When driving in 4th/5th gear the turbo warning light would flash with absolutely no response to throttle. If I lift off the gas I would slowly lose speed - if I didn't I would simply continue on at what ever speed I was at. Then one time I was frustrated and disengaged the ESP and I regained control. Drove about 2 or 3 miles like that and reengaged the ESP and all has worked well since - crossing my fingers.

Does anyone know what that was all about?

 

Cracked / blown line in the turbo system? Get a boost guage!!

 

Idiot question #14 and counting... lol

What will a boost guage tell me exactly, mate? And I'll have the turbo checked here tomorrow, thanks!

 

No such thing as an idiot question! ....just annoying ones :P


Juuuust kidding, just kidding. We've all got to start somewhere, right? Well, a boost guage is basically going to tell you the PSI (pounds/sq. in.) of your turbo system. Search this and the audiworld forums for specific information about where your turbo should be boosting. You can also (crudely) log your boost @ RPMs (in a specific gear, 3rd is usually used for this). Ideally, you want to have the car scanned by someone with 'VAG-COM' software. You can buy your own, but you'll need someone to explain your results. You could also post them in here!

Anyway, about the boost guage -- with a little research, you will be able to determine if your turbo system is boosting properly.

I bought a boost/vac guage, awaiting delivery now (just getting the car tomorrow). It's a great way to diagnose your turbo system's health!