Loss of power on my VW Golf when overtaking

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I have owned the car since new and always had Volkswagen carry out all servicing and maintenance.  I have the same old loss of power problem reported by others.  It has recently been loosing power whenever it gets up to 70 mph in 4th or 5th gear, usually when overtaking.

Do these symptoms sound famliar?

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If engine switched off and on again, it goes back to normal (until next time).  The car has also suffered from serious problems starting when cold (Usually takes 20-30 seconds!)  The fault started shortly after a regular service at the Volkswagen garage.  It has been back and they replaced air mass meter (which I paid for).  Unfortunately this did not solve the problem.  They then replaced the air mass meter again with a different one - still no good.

the dealer admitted that they didn't know what the problem was or how to solve it...

The next likely candidate for the problems was a solenoid valve on the exhaust flow.  That didn't fix the problems either.  Next they tried another electronic sensor linked to air mass meter.  Guess what?  Still the same problems!

They did a full day diagnostic on the turbo and said there were no faults there and that it performed well.  In total there were seven opportunities to fix the fault and they failed every time.  I even drove it to the garage in this state for them to plug in the VW computer which again identified a fault which had already been dealt with twice before.

The dealer admitted that in all honesty, they didn't know what the problem was or how to solve it.  He said I wouldn't have to pay for the further work since they hadn't resolved the problem.

I have now put up with this crappy VW Golf for 3 months and learned to never try overtaking.  Out of the blue I received a bill for nearly 500 on top of the first bill for unnecessary work.  Lesson - My VW Golf 1.9 GT TDI (110) is a pile of rubbish.  DON'T believe people when they praise their Volkswagen Golf!  The car is too complicated even for their "so called" experts to fix and parts and labour are stupidly expensive.

I am going back to my Ford Escort - 230K miles and still going strong; oh and cheap to run with the advantage that I can fix it myself if it goes wrong.

By: Paul

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Tams

Iv had this problem with my golf a few years on and off but just recently it got worse and started juddering at the same time as the loss of power. Finally showed up on the computer as 1 of the injectors and air mass mtre so changed the injector and air mass metre then showed up fine after changing the injector and is loads better however it's juddering slightly in 4-5-6th gear between 45-70mph so back to the garage and air mass metre is showing faulty again and another injector is out?? I'm having the next one changed next week as it seems it is the problem as since replacing the first iv not had to turn the engine off at the side of the motorway and was having to do it daily before.

25/10/13 Tams

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boblet

Q. I admire your approach to your problem. I took the same approach a few years back. I now know more about cars & tractors than all the mechanics I come across, & I do mean all..

29/09/13 boblet

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Quinny golf mk5

Hi I'm having same prob with my mk 5 golf. Not a mechanic but started taking things off and noticed waste gate was 5mm thick in soot. Cleaned it off n put some grease on the inlet manfold(which was sticking when covered in soot) now drives like a dream. If ur manifold is sticking shut like mine was that's why your loosing power. The ecu tells the turbo to stop before it causes engine damage(emergency limp mode) hope this helps all you golf owners( waste gate comes off the throttle body just to the left of your rocker cover. It's a big black pipe with all the pipes that run to your diesel filter clipped on to the top of it.

29/09/13 Quinny golf mk5

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davie 68

I've a problem with my VW Golf 1.9 TDI 2003. The break sensor light has been on for the last two weeks. Today the car has started to shudder when reaching speed. It goes ok when driving slow through the gears. When stationed pressing the accelerator down to max all seems normal. I'm wondering if the ABS is coming on,as it feels like the car is breaking.

16/09/13 davie 68

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boblet

Shatvinder pigeon is pigeon. fact is fact. Truth is a bit iffy as is faith.

19/08/13 boblet

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boblet

No Satvinder with your pigeon English you are wrong. Also with a few other folk on the WG you pose a question then proceed to answer it. Who are the Brethren? Who is Mr Fahey? The asian girl in the VW next to me at the lights an hour ago in bradistan however is a fact. Her German bully machine had tinted windows, she was on her mobile, her music playing so loud I could hear it in my car as we waited for the lights to change.

18/08/13 boblet

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boblet

I own up to going on about driving in bradistan. But every gripe I read on the WG could be multiplied by 3 here. They do not park their Audi's. VWs Beamers or Lex, (These are the people you are buying your used motor of) they abandon them. They hold long jabbering conversations whilst blocking the road both ways. Some road sides are lined with untaxed cars, sporting for sale signs. Using a mobile whilst driving is a requirement. There is not one motoring offence accept possibley drink driving, god forbid if they had a drop as well, that is not multiplied by the bradistanies. The police do absolutely nothing.

17/08/13 boblet

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Hate my passat

It's crazy when you search the amount of problems VWs have
I'm literally driving a time bomb, I bought second hand from a garage 6 months ago and it is a pile if crap a 07 2L tdi. To date it has had 2 new fuel pumps, a crack in manifold fixed, dirty diesel (suspicious) as this was 2 days after they changed my fuel pump and car died while doing 100 nearly killing me. And now I have chugging at start up, for 5-10 minutes, there is not much power when I accelerate and it feels like it will die at any stage. Car is no longer in warranty can anyone suggest what this may be, local garage reckons EGR valve but all together it's €400 and only a maybe, please help.

17/08/13 Hate my passat

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now suicidal golf driver

My petrol 1.6 mk5 fsi has also lost power, after 6 miles or so when it warms up ?? it decides to cut all my power even though it was fine before. It wont rev past 3000 rmp!! Its dangerous!! Furthermore, it now wont talk to the diagnostic computer and after having the sum cleared out, a new fuel rail pressure regulater and the valves being reseated it still does it and it is now running worse the twating thing ! I do not expect this from a vw of all cars what a discrace.

VW say our unleaded is not good enough and that I should only put super unleaded fuel in my car ? I still have half a tank of so called shitty fuel left

02/08/13 now suicidal golf driver

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@carefulmum

Paul, I have been having problems with my Golf, VW are replacing the clutch, but I have lost confidence to drive it given the problems and recalls in other markets. I cannot afford to lose power in the outside lane of the motorway and be shunted from behind because of no break lights showing.

I spoke with VOSA but because I am experiencing juddering (and roll back, slipping), which is forewarning of a problem, my issue is not relevant as they only deal with problems that occur whitout prior warning. Please, please report your loss of power on VOSA's website. That is the sort of issue they can deal with I believe.

It is a sad reflection that we have no recourse to driving a shoddy vehicle that potential puts out lives and the lives of other road users at risk if we are forwarned of a potential fault.

VW have told me my chassis number is in a group of chassis numbers that are 'all clear' from DSG faults??? What??? They have not been straight with the people in other countries why would I believe them?

Three are a few streams on twitter worth looking at and a central site on facebook collecting worldwide problems with DSG related issues.

The Asutralian gearboxes that were recalled were made in Europe, I guess we have to wait for a very serious accident for anyone to listen in the UK.

28/07/13 @carefulmum

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AndyChips

After my 2003 Passat TDi came back from a service, routine cam belt change and brake service it exhibited similar problems; no power with revs below 2500. I took it back to the garage expecting them to say "Oh, sorry. We forgot to attach the hoses back to the turbo. Our fault. Many apologies". They phoned me later to say that the N75 solenoid valve was faulty and they wanted £185 to fix it. I couldn't believe it. How come it was FINE before it went in and then SUDDENLY went faulty whilst they were working on it.
Anyway, we had a stand up argument about it and they agreed to pay for the diags and labour, leaving me with the parts cost: £61. I decided it really wasn't worth arguing any more at that price, so I reluctantly agreed the deal.
Still got a bad taste in my mouth though.

24/07/13 AndyChips

-18

tasha

I've just had this very same problem on my Leon tdi. Turned out to be a lot of crap in the fuel system. You need to thrash it to clean it and then take your fuel cap off and put some cleaner in it. Took weeks for us to work out the problem.

16/07/13 tasha

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Vee Dubz

I would take your car to a reputable garage (not main stealers!) and get them to run a diagnostics. I have owned a golf mkiv gti for the past 6 years and have not had any problems, I drive a 2003 plate and the car runs nicely, loads of power! Good luck!

10/07/13 Vee Dubz

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stewmair

My Peugeot lost power. The fuel pump sucked air by an ill fitting fuel pump gasket. Perhaps the pumps should be lower, even in the tank

05/06/13 stewmair

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boostmad222

ok its not the same car but my 98 tdi galay done exactly the same fing, was told its the maf, unplugged it and the engine nearly stalled, not that, then got told it was the n75 sensor, changed that.. nothing, got told my turbos gone, got under the car and its a shiney new 1, not that, even removed it and put it on a pals car wearnt that, replaced all (or so i fort :).) the vacum hose 4 silicone hose, nudda. in the end i found out that there a poxi vacum INSIDE the ecu, spent all day tryna find ecu, behind dash clock, hole in the hose result, so in what your saying it sounds like the ecu map pipe, locate that on the inlet side blowing thro it didnt really work so what i did was preasure test it with a bmx tyre valve use a foot pump (by hand) with a tyre presure gauge, pump to 8 psi go make a cuppa if ur preasures gone down uve found ur problem, then long off the egr

03/06/13 boostmad222

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