Help please, Smoke from new coil packs and engine struggling :( :( :(

[FroggyLCR]

Hey everyone, your help please.

I have spent this afternoon doing a spark plug and coil pack change on my 2003 MK 1 LCR 1M with the AMK engine.

Got it done and started her up for a quick check before I was planning a quick test drive, how never got as far as the test drive. She started first time and ran fine for about 10-15 seconds then as I got back round to the engine bay from starting her up I could see a grey ish smoke coming up from the coil packs and at the same time she started spluttering and almost cutting out for the time it took me to run around and turn her off again.

All 4 spark plugs were changed and new ones are NGK Iridium IX, model BKR7EIX, all the coil packs are the TFSI ones from Awesome GTI with the adaptors. Previuos coil packs were standard units. All new coil packs are fully down.

When I took out 3 off the 4 old spark plugs out they did have some fresh oil on them. When I took them out they weren't in very tight, and so I didn't over tightern the new ones as I didn't one to crack them, just a bit tighter than the old ones, however never had an issue like this with the old ones.

Only other thing I can say is she has recently been running a bit lumpy at a standstill at idle, with quite a bit of vibration through the wheel espesially. (Dog bone has been polybushed). She has not long been serviced with oil (fachs fully syth from opie oils) she has been running very well other wise boosting strongly and no fault codes.

Any ideas anyone please, as she is now off the road till I can sort this.

Many thanks!!

 

[W11TTX]

I had oil on my plugs when I changed , Iv done the exact same as you, bkr7eix plugs and tfsi packs but I got the plastic adaptors instead of the overpriced alloy ones, my oil was on the plugs and coils was down to the dome seals on the rocker gasket so just nipped it all up and it seems fine. I'd take all the plugs back out and make sure there isn't any oil on contact points top and bottom of the plug.

 

[FroggyLCR]

Thanks mate, will be following your advice there

 

[FroggyLCR]

Well, took all the coil packs and plugs back out, made sure they were all spotless and refitted them. Plugs are tight and all the coil packs are down against the adaptors fully.

Took her out for a quick low speed, off boost run around to see whats what and see was running like a dog. Briefly had the amber check engine light flashing too, for about 10 sec.

Took her straight home after that.

looking on my liquid gauge, I had no fault codes prior to setting off but on return I had,

16684 P0300 Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected

and,

16687 P0303 Cyl.3 Misfire Detected

Coil packs are still fully down.

So now just waiting for engine to cool back down so I can go back to the origionl spark plugs and oem coil packs.

Grrrrrrrrr lol!

Any ideas any one?

Thanks!

 

[W11TTX]

Leave the plugs in and just try it with the old coil packs and vise versa with old plugs new coil packs and see what happenes, like I said I have done the same as you so can't see what's wrong unless one of the plugs or packs is at fault

 

[richybigman]

Sounds like a faulty coilpack. Swap cylinder 3 coilpack with cylinder 2 and see if the fault moves with the coilpack, if not then it's the plug

 

[George657]

As said, it will be a process of elimination unfortunately.
I would leave the new plugs in, Double check there torqued correctly though.
Re-fit original coilpacks and if the fault is rectified, i would then take all 4 new coilpacks back and get them swapped.
Same with the plugs if its the plugs.

 

[andycupra]

its the old classic of 'new parts' so they cant be faulty can they?
When i would say the opposite, particularly with electrical components that they can often be faulty new, fail immediately or last a long time...

My advice when reading the post was change one at at time to identify which part / cylinder is failing.
In this case you have done some digging and it appears to be cylidner 3.

Now what does this mean, - well in short cylinder 3 isnt working correctly, but it could be any of the following:
1 - new coil isnt working
2 - new spark isnt working.
3 - spark gap incorrect
4 - electrical connector isnt connecting properly / has been damaged
5 - wiring to cylinder 3 has been damaged / failed.

So as already suggested id swap cyl 3 items with one of the others and see if it follows the parts, - if it stays with cylinder 3 then it could be the wiring / connector for cylinder 3. hopefully not something worse..
or put a known good coil / spark on cyl 3 to test.

 

[grahams81]

Like its already been said, there are a few possibilities -

it could be a duff coilpack or a dodgy plug..... Check by refitting old stuff. Don't assume cos its new its not broke.

I would also look at what possibly could have been disturbed in the process any pipes been knocked off, like vacuum pipes / vacuum tank.

It's very possible that the wiring loom is breaking down to the coil packs (quite common on 1.8t's) and maybe when the connectors have been disturbed there could be a short or perhaps a break.
Check the insulation to see if there hairline cracks on the wires, if so look to see if you can protect any exposed wire.

I would first be putting the old stuff back in (that you knew was ok) - if the fault is still present start checking the loom etc.

Good luck with your issue.

 

[FroggyLCR]

Cheers everyone, very much appreciated.

Well have put the orgional plugs and coil pack in and all is good again

Will have a play soon as I get a chance, try the new plugs with the orgional coil packs, then new coil packs with orgional packs.

As you say, if I get another cylinder miss fire I'll swap around between the cylinders.

More to follow..........