1.2 TSi P334A error code

Our 2011 1.2 TSi ST has started throwing up the EPC light and going in to limp mode. The code I'm getting is P334A. The car is fine when cold, but gets the issue when it's stood for about 20 minutes after a drive. Its almost like heat-soak.

I know that this is to do with the wastegate actuator and that there is a modification (a spacer and a ecu update).

I've been trying to find out if the work has been done. After 3 messages to Seat UK and promises of return calls that never happen, I gave up on Seat and phoned the supplying dealer. It appears that our car hasn't had the modification.

So, my question is this; is it possible to obtain and fit the spacer without doing the software update?

My reason for asking is that I'm a 70 mile round trip from the nearest Seat dealer, who won't look at the car unless the error is present, which means getting the car to them on a recovery vehicle as it goes in to limp mode. Also, I'm perfectly capable of undoing 2 bolts and fitting a spacer.

RUM4MO said:

Scratchman, it seems like that you can read that fault code form the car, so can you not print it off and use that, along with the fact that this is a known problem that VW Group has a fix for, and you have talked to SEAT UK about it, to come to an agreement with your local SEAT dealer to implement this workshop update at some convenient time? Prior to booking your car in, make sure that your dealer or their tech knows if they can locate and down load the S/W update that goes with this hardware change, you will get charged for the labour to do this work but any new parts and the S/W will be free.

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My conversation with the nearest Seat dealer was "interesting", to say the least. They wanted me to bring the car to them with the fault still present. When I pointed out that this meant a 35+ mile drive in limp mode we ended up going round in circles. I think I can sum them up as singularly unhelpful. My personal feeling is that they know it's a 61 plate car, out of warranty and I'm not going to use them again if I can help it. They talked of turbocharger and actuator replacement and a substantial bill. No mention of software updates or spacers.

So, after a chat with a mate who's been on the spanners for nearly 4 decades and does a fair number of VAG cars, we decided to try a carbon clean, and guess what? The car's been absolutely fine ever since. I just give it a good blast up some dual carriageway every month or so to make sure the carbon doesn't build up again.

sebi90tl said:

i have exactly same problem, when the motor is hot i get EPC light when start/stop. only in 1st gear or reverse. same error! have you done something? (sorry for my bad english)

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It's carbon build up. A common problem in the TSi engine I'm told. If you only do short trips and don't drive it on boost the carbon makes the waste gate actuator stick.

We had our engine hydrogen carbon cleaned and the problem has gone away. To keep it that way a 10 minute drive on boost and 3000 to 3500 revs once every month or so will help. At least it has with ours.

KXL said:

Question, did you mean once a month or so, keep the car in gear till it goes past 3-3.5k rpm a few times then shift up or you meant keep it in lower gear @ that revs for cruising on 40-50 mph in 3rd gear or something? This sounds like DPF regen method..

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I take ours for a blast down the local dual carriageway leaving it in 4th for about 5 minutes to keep it on boost.

Basically, from our experience, it appears that if these engines are driven constantly for economy and / or used sparingly, (until we got it, our car had only averaged 6000 miles per year) that they "coke up" and this causes the wastegate to stick.

It's a bit like Back to the Future for me, as I'm old enough to remember de-coking my old Vauxhall Firenzas and Chevettes in the late '70s. Then, cars that did lots of miles and motorway cruising didn't really suffer as they got hot enough to burn the carbon off, those that did short trips sooted up. With the advent of fuel injection and lean-burn engines it became pretty much unnecessary, but these small displacement turbo petrol engines do seem to have issues with carbon build -up.

I'd imagine anyone whose daily drive involves a nice sustained blast along some motorway (or who drives it like they stole it) doesn't have the problem.

Just when I thought it was safe....

Mrs Scratchman took the car out today and it died totally on her on the brow of a hill on a country road. Luckily one of our neighbours saw her and they managed to get the car to a safe place and it eventually re-started; but with the engine mamagement light back on.

She came straight home and I read the fault code, it's P0653 which apparently is ECM Module over voltage.

Anyone got any clues????

JonnyH said:

Unsure about the newest fault code without seeing it myself I couldn't help you but with regards to the turbo actuator, the flash update for the ECU and the spacer is only required on certain models. Although they are all the same engine code and same power output some of the 1.2 tsi engines use different turbo's and actuators. The flash update and the spacer being added is only required for a small number of engines and in the 4 years I have worked for SEAT I have only ever had to do this once. Most engines simply need a straight forward actuator replacement and basic settings carried out.

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Interesting. I had been informed that the actuator cannot be replaced on its own and both turbo and actuator should be replaced as they are "calibrated" together. presumably changing the actuator on its own then requires the basic settings to pair it with the existing turbo.

The car has come back from our local garage and it appears that at some time in its life the loom to the actuator has been cut and a new connector and cables spliced in. Apparently these were not very well made off or secured and they have done what they can with them and the car seems to be running OK on the very short trip back from the garage.

I have a horrible feeling I'm either going to have to throw a large chunk of cash at the car or get rid of it soon.

PeterA said:

My actuator failed at 18k (64 reg),it is available separately and the cost is 300 quid fitted, fair play to Seat UK they covered the cost

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As ours is a 61 plate on 53k, I think the chances of them doing that for us are pretty slim.

Took the car out this afternoon and it was fine until the engine was put under a bit of load climbing a hill, then it went straight to limp mode. I got it home and read the codes, which were:

P0653
P0191
P334B

The first two appear to be related to the high pressure fuel pump and fuel rail pressure sensor. The last one (which was a pending code) to the wastegate actuator. However, I'm wondering if the HP fuel pump hasn't been the culprit all along, given the car is only giving a problem when under a bit of load. Every incident has been when climbing a hill. Unfortunately, we can't get out of the village without having to go up a hill at some point. I may try and isolate it a bit further when I have more time.

Time to say goodbye....

Well, I thought I'd got this sorted. I fitted a new fuel pump and fuel pressure sensor and everything seemed peachy for all of 60 miles, then the car started bucking and dying again.

So I Stripped and re-built the wastegate actuator and the car was behaving well, but Mrs B is at the end of her tether with it having been left stranded on more than one occasion.

So yesterday we waved it goodbye while it was still running OK and traded it in for a nearly new Sandero.

A real shame as (when it worked) we both loved the car, but head had to rule heart.