My car is in the garage having the turbo replaced so I’ve been using my wife’s Touran for my 100 mile commute.

On my drive this morning it starts shuddering briefly and then the glow plug light starts flashing and it runs into limp mode.

Several more restarts, driving and returns to limp mode I finally manage to get it to a garage.

No error messages on the scanner.

We change the fuel filter, as that’s cheapest first option, but it runs through an almost cyclical failure mode where it:

Starts on a button, runs beautifully for almost exactly 55 seconds then dies completely.

When driving the car it does the same thing but the momentum of the car carries it through the engine cut out so all you get is a brief splutter then you continue.

No error messages, EGR is fine, Glow plugs, fuel injectors, MAP, MAF etc all good.

It had the fuel injector recall in 2011 where they changed the loom and two injectors.

Anyone have any ideas?!?

56 plate 115k miles with full service history and generally good condition, not a murmur in the 8k miles we’ve had it for.

I’m desperate. No car, I work 55 miles away and we have a 2 month old baby. 🙁

‘s the defeat device innit? Get it to a laboratory and it’ll run like a sweetie.

Strange that the ECU wouldn’t log the fault. Any time I’ve heard about that fault on VAGs it’s generally related to the EGR valve but it could be the throttle position sensor which was to blame on my cousins Exeo iirc.

The flashing glow plug just denotes an engine management fault (I think).

Had the same symptoms on a passat, it was Camshaft Position Sensor failing. That said the ecu logged that so your issue may me different if it isn’t giving that code.

agreed jimjam, there should be something especially as the flashing glow plug does suggest engine management fault.

Actually the TPS could be a good shout, might explain why it’s fine then suddenly cuts out.

I wonder what scanner they’re using?

Anyway- I’d also be checking the lift pump in the tank.

Have you tried driving with the reader plugged in to check the codes as they happen? I had a problem with a van dropping in to limp mode due to a turbo problem – it stored no codes and only running the diagnostics plugged in enabled me to find out what the problem was.

We change the fuel filter, as that’s cheapest first option, but it runs through an almost cyclical failure mode where it:

Starts on a button, runs beautifully for almost exactly 55 seconds then dies completely.

Sounds like a fuel pressure problem?

Mis-fuelled? Got some petrol in there maybe?

You didn’t full up at Asda in Small Heath Birmingham did you? They messed up big time and put petrol in diesel tanks and visa versa and they have no way of contacting folk who have mistakenly fuelled their cars with the wrong fuel! I’m guessing such a thing may not throw up any fault codes!

Definitely didn’t mis-fuel, it runs lovely and smoothly but every 50 secs it stops, so that when I’m stationary it’ll die but if I’m chugging along the mass of the car allows it to push through the cut-out.

Ran the car with the diagnostics plugged it and it was all fine, normal readings on everything.

Air leak or air lock in the top of the fuel filter/ pump housing…..check the air bleed valve bolt is done up…..stuff that doesn’t throw up a code is normally something obviously simple in my experience with VW diesels. Also check that the fuel lines not been crushed at any point between tank and pump and return flow pipes too.
Any damp diesel soaked fuel pipes should be replaced as any tiny holes in them can cause a similar problem to that you have described.

In case anyone needs to revisit this issue or a similar problem, after a bit of fault finding and further diagnostic work it turns out to be the crank speed sensor.

Inductance test showed it to be dead as a doornail, but it didn’t throw up a fault code for ages.

Swine of job to change but now it’s fine, just wish I can sort the cold start reluctance now!

Thanks for any previous tips/advice!

Sensor failure, how typically VW. Nothing wrong with the engine, just some crappy unnecessary electronics. If they took all the stupid bloody sensors out of their shitty engines, reliability would improve 1000-fold. I speak from bitter experience!

@mike_p its an issue with all manufacturers, handily for them sensor issues mean lots of expensive trips to the garage for specialist advice