Make a donation

Author Topic: Spark plug gaps  (Read 49534 times)

Offline r5gtt

  • Just look at my post count
  • ******
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 342
  • -Receive: 334
  • Posts: 5586
Re: Spark plug gaps
« Reply #150 on: November 17, 2016, 09:00:10 pm »
Pain in the butt I bet. Mk7 brakes noce what discs and pads you going with?.

Offline AJP

  • Global Moderator
  • Just look at my post count
  • *
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 392
  • -Receive: 316
  • Posts: 3212
Re: Spark plug gaps
« Reply #151 on: November 17, 2016, 09:28:18 pm »
Pain in the butt I bet. Mk7 brakes noce what discs and pads you going with?.
Pagid 340mm discs and probably DS2500 pads. Got some braided lines on the way from AKS so I'm just waiting to see if any Black Friday deals come up on pads.

The calipers have been sat in a box for months, it's about time they actually went on the car!

Offline r5gtt

  • Just look at my post count
  • ******
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 342
  • -Receive: 334
  • Posts: 5586
Re: Spark plug gaps
« Reply #152 on: November 17, 2016, 09:39:04 pm »
Yeah I remember when you mentioned the calipers  :signLOL:

Yeah I'm waiting for next week Friday too as I need some pads for my Porsche 911 turbo calipers.
I have the same discs  :happy2:

Offline AJP

  • Global Moderator
  • Just look at my post count
  • *
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 392
  • -Receive: 316
  • Posts: 3212
Re: Spark plug gaps
« Reply #153 on: November 17, 2016, 09:44:44 pm »
Yeah I remember when you mentioned the calipers  :signLOL:

Yeah I'm waiting for next week Friday too as I need some pads for my Porsche 911 turbo calipers.
I have the same discs  :happy2:
Let me know if you hear of any deals!

Offline r5gtt

  • Just look at my post count
  • ******
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 342
  • -Receive: 334
  • Posts: 5586
Re: Spark plug gaps
« Reply #154 on: November 17, 2016, 10:13:38 pm »
Yeah I remember when you mentioned the calipers  :signLOL:

Yeah I'm waiting for next week Friday too as I need some pads for my Porsche 911 turbo calipers.
I have the same discs  :happy2:
Let me know if you hear of any deals!
will do  :happy2:

Offline pudding

  • Global Moderator
  • Just look at my post count
  • *
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 2
  • -Receive: 690
  • Posts: 8354
Re: Spark plug gaps
« Reply #155 on: November 18, 2016, 04:42:48 pm »
Sounds like a momentary lean condition.  The transient fuel demand when flooring it after a gear change can be pretty huge. 

Either that or something is amiss and the ECU is pulling back.  Over boosting maybe?  Anything revealing in the logs?  As always, best to use VCDS in turbo mode.
Did some logs a while ago before the refurbed injectors went in (and the misfire was really bad) and the car behaved itself so left us clueless.

Since fitting the injectors it's like a different car... apart from this very rare but specific hiccup which manifested after the injectors went in.

I don't have VCDS, and even if I did I'd be waiting weeks or months for it to happen again. It seldom happens. I don't know if the fact I'm still on a Stage 2 map but with a Loba pump has any bearing on it, but logic tells me that if anything I should have more fuel headroom than if I was on 2+, so I doubt that.

I know I'm just guessing without doing more logging though. Although if it was momentarily overboosting like you suggest then it might have stored a code.

Not always.  An event the ECU doesn't like needs to happen a bunch of times before it logs it as a fault.   Unless of course it's a wiring/sensor fault, then it's logged immediately.

When I was fitting my downpipe, I'd disconnected the battery.  So the first few times I went into boost again afterwards, the ECU majorly threw a fit and pulled it back.....like hitting a wall as you say.  A big time overboost as it felt way quicker than usual before the ECU pooped the party.  No fault codes!  It's been fine ever since it's relearned and sorted itself out.

Occasionally I'll get a stutter in 6th when flooring it from 2500rpm after a period of cruising.  Pretty sure it's not coils or injectors as they were new not long ago.  Standard car didn't do it, so it could be a glitch in the map for that specific load scenario.  I've been meaning to get to my mapper for ages, just can't find the time!

A dyno might be the only way to troubleshoot it.  Nothing was spotted during your mapping?
« Last Edit: November 18, 2016, 04:51:38 pm by Pudding »


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D

Offline AJP

  • Global Moderator
  • Just look at my post count
  • *
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 392
  • -Receive: 316
  • Posts: 3212
Re: Spark plug gaps
« Reply #156 on: November 18, 2016, 05:30:01 pm »
Sounds like a momentary lean condition.  The transient fuel demand when flooring it after a gear change can be pretty huge. 

Either that or something is amiss and the ECU is pulling back.  Over boosting maybe?  Anything revealing in the logs?  As always, best to use VCDS in turbo mode.
Did some logs a while ago before the refurbed injectors went in (and the misfire was really bad) and the car behaved itself so left us clueless.

Since fitting the injectors it's like a different car... apart from this very rare but specific hiccup which manifested after the injectors went in.

I don't have VCDS, and even if I did I'd be waiting weeks or months for it to happen again. It seldom happens. I don't know if the fact I'm still on a Stage 2 map but with a Loba pump has any bearing on it, but logic tells me that if anything I should have more fuel headroom than if I was on 2+, so I doubt that.

I know I'm just guessing without doing more logging though. Although if it was momentarily overboosting like you suggest then it might have stored a code.

Not always.  An event the ECU doesn't like needs to happen a bunch of times before it logs it as a fault.   Unless of course it's a wiring/sensor fault, then it's logged immediately.

When I was fitting my downpipe, I'd disconnected the battery.  So the first few times I went into boost again afterwards, the ECU majorly threw a fit and pulled it back.....like hitting a wall as you say.  A big time overboost as it felt way quicker than usual before the ECU pooped the party.  No fault codes!  It's been fine ever since it's relearned and sorted itself out.

Occasionally I'll get a stutter in 6th when flooring it from 2500rpm after a period of cruising.  Pretty sure it's not coils or injectors as they were new not long ago.  Standard car didn't do it, so it could be a glitch in the map for that specific load scenario.  I've been meaning to get to my mapper for ages, just can't find the time!

A dyno might be the only way to troubleshoot it.  Nothing was spotted during your mapping?
Yep that's why I said 'might' as it's happened a few times now so could be enough to store a code, although it's a bit optimistic. Live logging while it misfires would be ideal but it's not the most convenient thing.

Mapping was fine, the only comment from Niki was that it was struggling a bit for fuel in the midrange. I subsequently got some fuel cuts, as expected, then fit the Loba pump which sorted that. Then came the really bad misfires under load which were eventually sorted with refurbed injectors (initial change to new coils and plugs didn't work). Things have largely been fine since then except for this one little hiccup going from 3rd to 4th.

I should really be on a 2+ map by now but the way I see it the car should have plenty of headroom running mostly 2+ hardware on a Stage 2 map. I'd expect problems if it was the other way round.

Steve at Statller did say the map was "pushing a lot of timing" or words to that effect. I'm not sure if that was deduced by the logs I sent him in the summer or just by driving it.

The only reason I haven't gone down to Hinckley for the 2+ update is that I'm hopefully going k04 soon, so it'd be pointless.

Offline kuriisenbo

  • Can't Read PM's Yet!
  • *
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 0
  • -Receive: 0
  • Posts: 6
Re: Spark plug gaps
« Reply #157 on: December 09, 2020, 09:40:33 am »
I should have never bought this car, it has too many issues for my liking.

Offline ClaireSuther

  • Can't Read PM's Yet!
  • *
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 0
  • -Receive: 0
  • Posts: 5
Re: Spark plug gaps
« Reply #158 on: December 09, 2020, 10:31:10 am »
I feel you man, the DSG is a complete nightmare. I guess he was referring to the case when Volkswagen had to call back a lot of cars due to the scandal with emissions. Plus DSG automatic gearboxes are indeed very prone to defects in the early stages of the car's life and they cost way too much to repair. I have been reading a Jetta forum and I didn't find a single owner to be pleased and want to keep that car. Of course all cars have flaws but no german brand has as many as Volkswagen. You can find a lot of information regarding this issue at https://atfulldrive.com/e3-spark-plugs-vs-ngk.
« Last Edit: December 15, 2020, 12:13:17 pm by ClaireSuther »

Offline pudding

  • Global Moderator
  • Just look at my post count
  • *
  • Thank You
  • -Given: 2
  • -Receive: 690
  • Posts: 8354
Re: Spark plug gaps
« Reply #159 on: December 12, 2020, 05:28:53 pm »
I should have never bought this car, it has too many issues for my liking.

Well that's a chunky dose of controversy to drop into a 4 year old thread.  Care to elaborate?

Such defeatism these days when it comes to cars.  Looked after GTIs have very few show stopping issues.  Name me a car, ANY car, that has zero issues? 

I know of 200,000+ mile GTis and Edition 30s still going strong with no major repair work, just maintenance.  I don't consider that a bad result for the world's first mass produced DI petrol engine.

Maybe you would like an electric car which has one or two moving parts.


2007 ED30 | 2009 TDI 140 | 2016 BMW 330D