Mk6 Golf and EGR valve issues

Hefster101

Hefster101 wrote: »

Just to say an amazing well done to randomguy82 and everyone else for providing such a useful forum thread.

I've just had my 2010 mk6 golf 1.6l SE diesel estate (automatic DSG) in for an annual service. It's got 24k miles on the clock. Coincidently 5 days ago I had the flashing coil warning light come on the dashboard and then the engine management light permanently on. I've noticed occasional difficulty with the car trying to change up the gears from 3rd.

VW have phoned. They've done the service but the problem with the warning lights IS......WAIT FOR IT...the EGR valve needs replacing. So far they've said VW will provide a free part and they'll pay for 30% labour. I've got back to them to say I think it's still within the 1 year warranty as we bought second hand (as a 2 year old car) from the same dealership in October 2013. So hoping I won't have to pay, but we'll see.

I'll be putting a complaint into VW Customer Care saying it's a defective part/design.

Updates soon...

Just heard from VW that LUCKILY my car is just within the years secondhand 1 year warranty so the EGR valve repair will be free, together with the good will of free part/goodwill labour.

Hoping that that'll be the end of it, although not pleasing to hear that replaced modified EGR valves go wrong again after another period of time.

Have reported to Watchdog, and will contact VW Customer Care once the car is back.

[Deleted User]

Hefster101 wrote: »

Just to say an amazing well done to randomguy82 and everyone else for providing such a useful forum thread.

I've just had my 2010 mk6 golf 1.6l SE diesel estate (automatic DSG) in for an annual service. It's got 24k miles on the clock. Coincidently 5 days ago I had the flashing coil warning light come on the dashboard and then the engine management light permanently on. I've noticed occasional difficulty with the car trying to change up the gears from 3rd.

VW have phoned. They've done the service but the problem with the warning lights IS......WAIT FOR IT...the EGR valve needs replacing. So far they've said VW will provide a free part and they'll pay for 30% labour. I've got back to them to say I think it's still within the 1 year warranty as we bought second hand (as a 2 year old car) from the same dealership in October 2013. So hoping I won't have to pay, but we'll see.

I'll be putting a complaint into VW Customer Care saying it's a defective part/design.

Updates soon...

Our's is the Bluemotion hatch, same year and mileage etc. Main dealer warranty runs out in Dec 2014.


Zero issues with the car in our ownership but starting to worry now...


Even though car does long runs on m'ways and A roads it sounds as though it's destined to fail...

darkmatter101

jeepjunkie wrote: »

Our's is the Bluemotion hatch, same year and mileage etc. Main dealer warranty runs out in Dec 2014.


Zero issues with the car in our ownership but starting to worry now...


Even though car does long runs on m'ways and A roads it sounds as though it's destined to fail...

What fuel do you use? Regular or V-power nitro diesel/BP ultimate?

I have found on diesels that a little additive every now and then really helps. Try Millers Diesel Ecomax. Heard very positive things about that product.

Also, I'm not so sure about modern DPF diesels but in the older TDI's its good to let her rev every so often.

BeenThroughItAll

darkmatter101 wrote: »

Do you specifically mean diesels with DPF's only? Because older diesels before 2008, without the DFP, can definitely be driven under 12k and do short journeys without too much trouble. OP isn't having DFP problem, just a blocked EGR valve, not sure whether the cause for that is short journeys?

No, I don't. I mean diesels in general - and BTW, there are loads of pre-2008 diesels with particulate filters. Peugeot were fitting them back in the early 2000s.


Diesels have always been able to handle big mileage, but they've always burned a dirty fuel. Short runs = never being hot. Never being hot = burning fuel least efficiently. Burning fuel least efficiently = build up of sooty deposits.


This is made worse on EGR equipped diesels, as the way they're plumbed often means oily crankcase gases from the breather mixing with sooty deposits from the exhaust gases when running rich, which creates a lovely thick gloopy sludge ideal for bunging up EGR valves and inlet manifolds.


My 12 year old V70 D5 has 130K on its original EGR valve, and when I took it off to inspect it there was only a very light covering of soot which would rub off with a finger. The inlet manifold is similarly clean, and the oil I put in 7K miles ago is still translucent and a dark gold colour, not black as you'd find in many diesels after a mile or two.

BeenThroughItAll

darkmatter101 wrote: »

What fuel do you use? Regular or V-power nitro diesel/BP ultimate?

I have found on diesels that a little additive every now and then really helps. Try Millers Diesel Ecomax. Heard very positive things about that product.

Also, I'm not so sure about modern DPF diesels but in the older TDI's its good to let her rev every so often.

After about four hundred thousand miles in various diesels, I can honestly say I've tried every manufacturer's fuel, and all the additives under the sun, and not one of them has made any significant difference to the running, fuel consumption or emissions.


Ultimately, diesels are their own worst enemy; they're economical so people buy them thinking they'll save them money then only use them for short runs; and they're torquey at low revs, so people don't ever give them the opportunity to really spin up.

randomguy82

@megan0_03: I'm not sure if the issue you have is EGR based, but, it may be worth considering a local, recommended indy garage looking at it. If it was EGR, I'd expect a more continual problem with driving the car.
Personally, the only time I have ever had black smoke blow out of the exhaust was when I (stupidly) overfilled the engine oil on a 2000 petrol Astra back in the day. Lesson learnt and luckily no lasting damage as it was drained soon after pulling off.


@Hefster101: Thank you for your post and I hope this thread helps get the outcome you want.
Please do speak to VW UK and report it to Watchdog. I still haven't heard anything back, but it wouldn't surprise me if Watchdog can only act on things when they receive a certain amount of reports.

JustinR1979

darkmatter101 wrote: »

I have found on diesels that a little additive every now and then really helps.

What does it help with?


Also if you have a variable vane turbo like mine, you need to give that a good clear out too, too much pottering around and it jams up


The amount of people that buy a new diesel and do a few miles here and there a week, is only asking for trouble.

[Deleted User]

darkmatter101 wrote: »

What fuel do you use? Regular or V-power nitro diesel/BP ultimate?

I have found on diesels that a little additive every now and then really helps. Try Millers Diesel Ecomax. Heard very positive things about that product.

Also, I'm not so sure about modern DPF diesels but in the older TDI's its good to let her rev every so often.

ASDA 99% of the time.


Cheers

jimjames

BeenThroughItAll wrote: »

My 12 year old V70 D5 has 130K on its original EGR valve, and when I took it off to inspect it there was only a very light covering of soot which would rub off with a finger. The inlet manifold is similarly clean, and the oil I put in 7K miles ago is still translucent and a dark gold colour, not black as you'd find in many diesels after a mile or two.

Having read suggestions about EGR cleaning I decided to do that on my 2002 Golf PD TDI with 240,000 miles. EGR was very clean and valve was free moving with no blockage.

BeenThroughItAll

jimjames wrote: »

Having read suggestions about EGR cleaning I decided to do that on my 2002 Golf PD TDI with 240,000 miles. EGR was very clean and valve was free moving with no blockage.

Amazing, isn't it? Use something the way it's designed and it works.


Number of my colleagues who think 100K is certain death for a car, it's no surprise.