So today I set off to find out why my car isn't boosting. In a prior thread I talked about how it felt very sluggish. I drove it home yesterday from having a new/used tranny put in it because mine was shot. It drove and shifted fine, but it didn't have any power (this happened before I had the tranny replaced).

This morning I started the car and moved it over a bit in my garage so I'd have better access. I removed the airbox and turbo inlet pipe to feel whether the turbo was seized or whether there was any play in the turbo shaft. The turbo felt really good, so I fastened things back up. While I was there, I also felt the actuator to make sure the waste gate was being closed. Everything seemed in really good order.

One thing I'd been pondering is the ECU. I had it reprogrammed by Speedtuning USA about 2 years ago, and I heard rumors about the ECUs reverting back to the factory settings. Don't know how true this is, but I thought I'd just unplug it and wait, then plug it back up. When I unplugged it, I noticed a bit of corrosion on some of the pins. I cleaned them up and put it back together.

When I tried to start the car, it would turn over, but never would start. I removed the ECU again and cleaned the pins again. On the next try, the car started, but something didn't seem quite right. It was smoking like it was running rich, even after a few punches of the throttle. I turned it off and started it again. It started, but idled rough and threw a CEL. I turned it off and tried starting it again, and it wouldn't start.

I unplugged the ECU, took off the airbox and removed the MAF sensor. Plugged in the ECU and tried starting the engine...still to no avail.

I put everything back together and then checked all the plugs. They were all wet from gas being sprayed into the cylinders, but none had oil on them. The plugs aren't but about 6 months old anyway.

The car still won't start, so I'm wondering what else could be causing this.

Also, what is this noise?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VS0wv2LK8pg

 

the electrical like noise? that's the TB calibrating itself. it's normal. what code popped up? it sounds like an electrical problem and you're not getting spark

 

Right. I know it's the throttle body, but is the sound NORMAL? I don't yet know what the code is. I don't have an OBD scanner, but my neighbor does and he isn't home right now.

What electrical device would keep the car from starting?

 

*** UPDATE***

I had a friend with an OBD scanner come over and pull the codes on my car. It had FOUR codes.

P0118 - Engine coolant temp. sensor
P0322 - Engine speed sensor
P1544 - Throttle actuation potentiometer signal too high
P0123 - Throttle position sensor A circuit, high input

WTF???

My car has been extremely sluggish for days. It revs through the gears, but it just won't accelerate normally AT ALL. Then after inspecting the turbo & waste gate, I unplugged the ECU for a bit, and then it won't start after reconnecting the ECU. I'm confused!

 

At this point, you need to take it to a stealership for diagnostics..

 

F-that. Somebody knows something...I'm sure someone will chime in.

 

Bump bump

 

its sounds like a small seized motor or something, and that buzzing sound would be like the current trying to start it. Right? Like almost the same sound as if you hold tight on a regular house hold fan blade to prevent it from spinning, then turning it on.

im just thinking where would this current be going to try and start something. Maybe a alternator, or like the starer motor? Wild guess.

 

Turns out the ECU was toast...replaced it with a $35 one on ebay and everything is back to normal. Well......"normal" as in slow, factory spec 1.8T. But it is definitely quicker than it has been in a few weeks. I think it was in limp mode the whole time.

 

told ya it was some kind of electrical problem ; ) so what chip you gonna get this time?