TCS light stays on

[dave_6]

ok, 2001 ibiza cupra, running jabbasport remap

standard airbox


a week ago now, driving along, and traction control light comes on TCS, it wont let me turn it back on

EPC also flickers a couple of times but stays off


I ignored it, was fine next time i started the car

then 2 days later, traction control light on again, TCS and EPC, constantly on, car then goes into limp mode

disconnected battery, got about fine.


noticed fuse box, right 30amp fuse had melted above battery, changed fuse box and fuses today, no better



tonight, changed fuse box, did throttle body alignment.

started car and it's even worse now, TCS and EPC on all the time, started to idle at 1200 as normal as it was cold, then it missed a beat and sunk to 1000 revs for a second, then back to 1200, it held at 1200 for 3 seconds, then dropped to 1000, then back up


turned off car, unplugged maf, car then idled at about 1000 but sounded pretty rough, engine light also came on as expected


I thought it was to do with the fuse box, or the throttle body, as vagcom listed the only fault as being the throttlebody


plan is to

clean maf
clean throttle body
check abs sensors

that sound about right

any suggestions

abs sensors easy to check, what am i looking for, just seeing if its all plugged in fine and no wires broken or snagged


the maf is shown below right?

with the 4 blue wires and one red coming out

also whats the connection straight after the throttlebody, to the left

thanks

 

[PhilW]

Put that pipe back on and buy a new maf if the TCS light stays on.

Or better still, get it on vag com.


Did you buy that car with the work done?

 

[dave_6]

yea should have said, that pipe is only off in the picture as I was checking the throttlebody butterfly

vag com only mentioned a throttle body malfunction, nothing else

bought the car, probably about 6 weeks ago with all the work done

17953 - Throttle Valve Controller: Malfunction

P1545 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent


could a dodgy maf cause the problems, even after a throttlebody alignment the car idled fine, but when hot it idled at 1250, could the maf be the cause of all of this

 

[PhilW]

Does it feel better when you drive it with the MAF unplugged?

Log 002 to see what kind of figures your pulling on the maf.

 

[dave_6]

didnt drive it with the maf unplugged tonight

just started it, it didnt idle very smoothly so i turned it back off,

tomorrow will clean the maf and check the sensors, then go for a drive, if no luck then i'll unplug maf and try and drive it

 

[__B3NNY__]

just unplug your maf and drive it this will tekk you stright away if its fooked, its possible to clean then with a contact cleaner but 9 times out of 10 a new one will be best.


David.

 

[dave_6]

Update

disconnected battery, cleaned maf

reconnected battery, TCS and EPC already on before starting and never went off, car started, ran at 1200 revs and didnt drop down after 2 minutes, I had done a throttle body alignment aswell

took car for a drive, drove ok really slow, assoon as I tried to put any power down at all it cut back on me, cut the power sharply, a couple of times of that and then into limp mode it went

disconnected maf, idled at about 1000 and was fluctuating a bit and didnt idle smoothly

took for a drive, exact same thing, assoon as power down and it cut the power on me


what shall I do, buy a replacement maf and try that?

or could the throttle body be screwed? surely thats doubtful and maf more likely

 

[__B3NNY__]

Im FAR from a expert and i only know what i have learnt from this site, but from what i have read it shouldnt be your maf thats causing your problems if its still doing the same as before once the maf is unplugged. Have you not got access to Vag-Com?


David.

 

[dave_6]

vag com showed an intermittant fault at the throttle body

not many posts on that though so unless i have a rare problem?

hoping to hook up to vag com this weekend but might get a maf asap anyway

 

[__B3NNY__]

Like phil said log the maf (002), before you buy a new one anyway. You should be seeing around 160gs for it to be doing its job.

 

[PhilW]

vac leak if it has a dodgy idle?

 

[__B3NNY__]

Next question, Do you have a boost gauge? If yes what are you boosting too, with what mods?

 

[dave_6]

boost gauge yep

was fine, boosting to 22psi with no problems

ko3s jabbasport remap, green filter in the airbox
intercooler

everything was fine


then one day, traction control turned itself off, car still drove fine
next time I started the car, traction control was fine again

day after, turned itself off again, and EPC light flashed a couple of times aswell

problems just got worse, then traction control went off, EPC light on, and into limp mode

Cambelt replaced and Metal Water Pump @ 50,000 miles.
Custom Jabbasport remap producing 250bhp / 285 lb.ft
K03s Sport Turbo (k03-058 unsilenced)
Custom FMIC
Red Forge Turbo Intake Pipe
All vaccum hoses replaced with red silicon
3" Blueflame 100cell race cat Downpipe leading to 2.75" Catback Scorpion, heatwrapped.
Silicon Hoses
Green Panel Filter in smoothed airbox
Heatwrapped Charge Pipe
Aquamist set at 12psi.
Forge 007p DV
4 Bar FPR
15mm spacers on rear

 

[dave_6]

UPDATE

Still really stuck


Today, I have checked the maf isn't the problem, jabbasport thought thats what it might be, it isnt that maf

I took off and cleaned the throttle body fully

checked the ECU area and it's got a nice cover to protect it from getting wet by the looks of it

disconnected the battery for 20-30 mins while doing the work

Did a throttle body allignment and then started the car


TCS and EPC permanently on, car was idling fine at 1200 revs
Then after 30 seconds it suddenly missed and went from 1200 down to 1000 revs, then it shot back up again to 1200, and did that a few times

then it decided to struggle really badly and was struggling and running rough at about 1000 revs

holding revs to 2000 and then letting them drop and it didnt settle or help

the only fault came up last time with vag com was
17953 - Throttle Valve Controller: Malfunction

P1545 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent


Might hook it up to vag com again later, someone local has it, but what shall we run, last time we just ran a general fault test I think and then cleared the faults

Is it looking like maybe the throttle body needs to be replaced, 2nd hand or new one

I'm stuck and not far off booking it in with Seat

dirty throttle body, not really that bad though is it

cleaned up

 

[TTS Roadsport]

Has your ecu filled with water at all?

 

[dave_6]

the ECU, in the top pic, it would be under that grey covering wouldnt it?

I saw the cover there and didnt take it off as it looked like it would be safe under there


I found this post by someone on the forums
"Could well be the throttlr body
My 1.8t one went a couple of weeks ago. It lost resolution at the bottom end, and eventualy wouldn't tick over propperly. It threw this code.
17953 - Throttle Valve Controller: Malfunction"

 

[dave_6]

All I can think of is

throttle body has had it

or ecu is wet, but it looks safe if i think its where it is

 

[dave_6]

UPDATE from today

went back again, this time I took of the throttle body plastic side part and cleaned the electrics with electrical cleaner, didnt look coroded inside anyway

reconnected battery, did throttle body allignment, started the car

started better than before

Traction control TCS and EPC lights still on, but it was idling fine at 1200 revs, sitting steady, then after 2 minutes it all went wrong

revs just died to 1000, didnt lower gently like it should down to 900, just stuttered and then ran rough at 1000 revs

turned off and hooked to vagcom


faults at the throttle body, clear them and it comes straight back

and also an abs fault which explains the EPC and TCS lights


few scrappies have cupras in at the moment , one is local so going to try them tomorrow and hopefully get a throttle body off them to clean up and then try

as you can see the ecu is safe under here, water proof cover

inside the throttle body

 

[pdcupra]

id be a bit worried why that has a cover over the ecu in the first place? has it had problems with water in the ecu before you had it?

 

[dave_6]

its been remapped by jabbasport so at a guess its been put there either by them or the previous owner for safety as its a crap place for the ecu to be