Big p.i.t.a. LCR boost problem (long text with pics)

[MisterD2010]

Hi All,

My LCR (AMK) is really starting to get the best of my. I just can't seem to solve my boost problem.

The problem:
I know my car, know how it handles and how fast it used to be. This is our 6th year together. For the past couple of months i spent a lot of time and money trying to solve a very annoying boost problem.

I had a boost- and oiltemp. gauge installed when i bought the beast.

My custom chip, installed 5,5 years ago, is set to a max boost of 1.5bar (22psi) and hold this to 5500rpm. Then slowly desend to 1.0bar (15psi) till the limiter ends the fun. My boostgauge confirmed this and for years i was destroying ego after ego.

But the fun ended when i noticed that the gauge stopped reaching the 1.5bar limit. 1.1bar (16psi) was the max is it was reaching. It also felt less brutal then before. My feeling was confirmed when a mate's Golf IV GTI edition started keeping up. During this period my errorlight (tractioncontrol) jumped only once or twice. Most of the time the light stayed off but boost just didn't get to max. When i finally got a hold of VAGCOM it was showing me 2 faults:

16487 - Mass Air Flow Sensor (G70): Signal too High
P0103 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent
17963 - Charge Pressure: Maximum Limit Exceeded
P1555 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent

After visiting my local seat dealer 3 times and spending a lot of euro's the problem wasn't solve. The MAF was replaced, the coilpack and even the spark plugs (NGK swapped for Denso). But no result. So i decided to give it a try. I ordered (was a lot faster the making one myself) a boostleaktester and started checking for leaks. The first leak i found was a huge hole in my (stock) TIP. I was very upset that the dealer didnot notice this! There was a big hole under the N75 connector. Sorry no picture of it... I replaced the TIP with the APR version. I also replaced my Hyperboost dv for the FORGE 007P (tried both the yellow and blue spring). Problem still unsolved.

Went to a different dealer in March for servicing and got a comment that my turbo was leaking oil! So a new (stock k04) turbo was ordered, but during the swap i got a call that the manifold was cracked! So both the manifold and the turbo were replaced by new stock parts. Picked up my car, went for a testdrive and....wow full boost!!.....but it lasted only for 1 day. Now the car has a new way of playing with the boostlevel. It either:

- gives me full boost for a few seconds, then gives a stutter (as if my foot is is pulled of the paddle), tc-light jumps on and then the boost drops to a superb 0.5bar (8psi). Limpmode?? Funny thing is that sometimes boost comes back to 1.1bar in a matter of seconds, sometimes after minutes and sometime it stays this limpmode. This is without stopping and restarting the car! If i stop when this happens, kill the ignition and then start again i can also start all over and the tc-light is also off again.

- gives me a max boost of 1.1bar. same as before the turbo and manifold were swapped. the tc-light jumps on bust boost stays and 1.1bar max.

So once again i checked for boostleaks with the tester. Bought a brand new compressor just to be sure. Found 1 leak and a cracked tube in this part:

Placed one major order at Forge and ordered every siliconhose availible (FM225DVRLK, FM225TH, FMKT007, FMSH159, FMTTBH, FMTTBHCS, FMTTUHOSE and the FMVT4B) for the LCR except the TIP.

Also ordered these VAG hoses and valve:

Continued ordering.....got a new MAF, replaced all coils again, replaced the N75 and installed the P-flo intake....Yep, you guessed it. Problem still not solved. From sunday till now i did a daily faultcode check with VAGCOM. I still get the same 2 errors:

16487 - Mass Air Flow Sensor (G70): Signal too High
P0103 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent
17963 - Charge Pressure: Maximum Limit Exceeded
P1555 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent

Tuesday i got this 3rd one added to the list, but after a reset i didnot receive this error anymore

16804 - Catalyst System: Bank 1: Efficiency Below Threshold
P0420 - 35-10 - - -

This morning i took my laptop with me to work and during my drive over here i got one error:

16487 - Mass Air Flow Sensor (G70): Signal too High
P0103 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent


So this is my boost problem....

Derrick

 

[JamJay]

Hi Derrick, I am sorry to hear that you are having these problems and I wish that I could help you. I hope that somebody knows something about these fault codes however, I can help you with one of them.

16804 - Catalyst System: Bank 1: Efficiency Below Threshold
P0420 - 35-10 - - -

This error code is produced by the O2 sensor located in the pipe with the Catalytic Converter. This generally means that it's detecting an exhaust flow that is too great, the car thinks that your Cat is broken essentially and allowing too much gas to flow through. Do you have a de-cat pipe or high flow sports catalyst? This error code normally causes the engine management light to come on, I have this dude to a 200cell sports Cat but it causes no running issues with the car.

 

[traumapat]

how long did you run a blue spring for? your turbo would of hated it!

 

[MisterD2010]

Hi Derrick, I am sorry to hear that you are having these problems and I wish that I could help you. I hope that somebody knows something about these fault codes however, I can help you with one of them.

16804 - Catalyst System: Bank 1: Efficiency Below Threshold
P0420 - 35-10 - - -

This error code is produced by the O2 sensor located in the pipe with the Catalytic Converter. This generally means that it's detecting an exhaust flow that is too great, the car thinks that your Cat is broken essentially and allowing too much gas to flow through. Do you have a de-cat pipe or high flow sports catalyst? This error code normally causes the engine management light to come on, I have this dude to a 200cell sports Cat but it causes no running issues with the car.

Hi,

Yes i've got a full Milltek system installed. So it could mean that my sportcat is breaking down?? i only got this error 1 time.

 

[MisterD2010]

how long did you run a blue spring for? your turbo would of hated it!

I tried it for a week. I didnot feel any difference with the yellow but switched because forge advised it.

 

[JamJay]

Hi,

Yes i've got a full Milltek system installed. So it could mean that my sportcat is breaking down?? i only got this error 1 time.

No, you're sports cat is meant to flow at a greater rate than the OE one, to be honest it's a wonder that your car hasn't thrown this error up before . If the error becomes permanent then simply install an O2 sensor spacer and clear the fault code, it should not come back then.

 

[traumapat]

check the wiring/connector to the maf. did replacing the maf have any effect at all? maf secure? filter not over oiled?

 

[MisterD2010]

No, you're sports cat is meant to flow at a greater rate than the OE one, to be honest it's a wonder that your car hasn't thrown this error up before . If the error becomes permanent then simply install an O2 sensor spacer and clear the fault code, it should not come back then.

The Milltekwas installed a week after i bought the LCR. So it's really amazing that after almost 6 years it gives me this error for the first time.

 

[MisterD2010]

check the wiring/connector to the maf. did replacing the maf have any effect at all? maf secure? filter not over oiled?

Nope, new maf didnt make any difference. the filter (p-flo) is also brand new (3 weeks) so i asume it's not over oiled. Everything is connected and secured. I could check the MAF wires. was reading on Rosstech that this error could also be caused by bad wires....

 

[MisterD2010]

During my drive home the boost was no higher then 0.5bar (8psi)! No error light, no errors in VAGCOM. I could hear the turbo thanks to the P-flo but boost was minimal. worst drive i had in ages!

 

[Trublu07]

8 psi is what I am getting at the moment but my code is a running rich one. When my eml comes on boost maxes at 4. When you replace the hoses in the inlet manifold make sure you remove the plastic plate and do it that way. I didn't and cut all my hands up. I am in a kind of similar situation regarding my car. Checked for Leaks. Would the milltek have corroded? I have the same one and the lambda is my next check.

 

[Cowie]

Hi Derrick, I am sorry to hear that you are having these problems and I wish that I could help you. I hope that somebody knows something about these fault codes however, I can help you with one of them.

16804 - Catalyst System: Bank 1: Efficiency Below Threshold
P0420 - 35-10 - - -

This error code is produced by the O2 sensor located in the pipe with the Catalytic Converter. This generally means that it's detecting an exhaust flow that is too great, the car thinks that your Cat is broken essentially and allowing too much gas to flow through. Do you have a de-cat pipe or high flow sports catalyst? This error code normally causes the engine management light to come on, I have this dude to a 200cell sports Cat but it causes no running issues with the car.

I get this all the time too mate,nothing to worry about and is as Jamjay has said,either get it mapped out or a spacer put onto the o2 sensor,I'm not great with cars but heck you've just about rebuilt the engine!!, intermittent as your fault is I'd really concentrate on the wiring especialy to the MAF
Good luck

 

[MisterD2010]

8 psi is what I am getting at the moment but my code is a running rich one. When my eml comes on boost maxes at 4. When you replace the hoses in the inlet manifold make sure you remove the plastic plate and do it that way. I didn't and cut all my hands up. I am in a kind of similar situation regarding my car. Checked for Leaks. Would the milltek have corroded? I have the same one and the lambda is my next check.

Yep i removed the plastic plate and the dipstick before i started replacing the hoses. Was very easy to do.

I made some VAGCOM logs but am not sure i'm using the right groups. I was thinking that maybe one of the lambdas isn't 100% or needs to be cleaned??

I was planning on replacing the Milltek for a complete BlueFlame, because of the downpipe. Was hearing and reading great comments about BlueFlame and on one of the Holland-forum several members complained about the poor quality and durability of Milltek the last couple of years. But during my MOT last week they did a full exhaust scan and i didnt receive any comments at all so i gues mine is still ok....

 

[MisterD2010]

I get this all the time too mate,nothing to worry about and is as Jamjay has said,either get it mapped out or a spacer put onto the o2 sensor,I'm not great with cars but heck you've just about rebuilt the engine!!, intermittent as your fault is I'd really concentrate on the wiring especialy to the MAF
Good luck

Thanks Cowie! Glad to hear that this error isn't as bad as it sounds.

I'm a little confused, because i thought the 02-sensor was the english term for the lambda. Were is this o2 sensor located??

I'll check the wiring this weekend. Also going to do another boostleak test.

 

[Cowie]

sorry mate for confusing.....see told you am not car minded haha, it is the lambda i mean.

 

[MisterD2010]

sorry mate for confusing.....see told you am not car minded haha, it is the lambda i mean.

Neither am i. Just an IT-guy spending way to much time and money on his car!

 

[Cowie]

haha yea know the feeling mate

 

[Trublu07]

Vagcom shows my lambda at a high minus if that helps. Think it should be between 1 and 0. I'm sure someone on here will know what it's meant to run at.

 

[JamJay]

O2 Sensor is the Lambda sensor

 

[MisterD2010]

Vagcom shows my lambda at a high minus if that helps. Think it should be between 1 and 0. I'm sure someone on here will know what it's meant to run at.

which groups do you use in vagcom to log this?