Beware the judder man

[rachelisadog]

Something i've noticed last few weeks and, i am for now, putting it down the lower temperature but when i start the car in the morning, from a garage, the car/engine judders.

Start car and the display shows, say, 3 degrees C and i look at the rev counter and it seems to be bouncing in beat with the judder, never going over 1,000, or if so, by very little but bouncing down to about 900 without ever stalling

Then, as i drive, the judder can, and does continue but not every day and it doesn't seem to be temperature dependant.

I can live with it, doesn't seem a big issue but was curious, just me? I know i'm at an advantage, it being in the garage and all but, anyone else?

[WeegieBob]

Take your car to the dealers "Rachel" - better you get it checked out by their workshops.

Pop in and have a chat with the service manager and explain the problem. Almost certainly he / she will ask you to bring the car in when the fault is evident and as often as not (in Glasgow they do) they'll check it while you wait.

That said, they may not be able to fix it there and then, but at least they'll hopefully be able to identify the issue and if needed either book it in for adjustments or order the part(s) to resolve the problem.

WeegieBob. ;)

[nc7503]

ive got this on my 56 plate tdi jetta anyone have any ideas:o mines only done it today when it was -5,i waited on my drive for 5minutes before it started to sound half decent

[Keithuk]

i waited on my drive for 5minutes before it started to sound half decent
You shouldn't let it idle for long hoping it warms up just get in startup and drive. ;)

[percymon]

No judder from mine, even when i spent a week last winter at -14'C to -18'C temperatures and that's with the car left outside.

I do notice slightly more audible harshness from the engine on accelerating for the first minute or so.

[rachelisadog]

Apologies for dragging up an old thread but perhaps it has been resolved - time will tell.
Car went in today for it's 12 month service and i mentioned the issue with juddering, half expecting it to be dismissed as a, "well it didn't happen to us" but i was pleasantly surprised this evening to be told that the service team also experience the judder on idle.
I have been told that they have performed a software update, didn't ask to, from which version, so apologies in advance but we'll see over the next few days if it has helped; sure hope so :)

[Keithuk]

Yes but have you lost any power with this software upgrade?

[rachelisadog]

Yes but have you lost any power with this software upgrade?
Short answer - don't know.
I only drove a few miles back from the dealer to home and didn't notice but the way i drive the car, i am not likely to, i hardly go for power - more tortoise than hare.
Having said that i hope not - but the more i read it does sound like a generic update as opposed to a repair for my issue which does disappoint me somewhat.
Mind, saves me going back in a few weeks if this becomes a recall as opposed to an update

[MacHighlander]

Anymore information with regards to this judder problem?

Has anybody else with a TDI noticed this?

I've experienced a judder very infrequently but it happened to me again last week - 3 times within the spaces of about 2 minutes. It usually occurs within minutes of starting up from cold. I've only ever experienced it when the car is stationary, ie, sitting at traffic lights (in neutral). The car starts to judder - sometimes quite severely - and the rev counter is bobbing up and down around the 1000 mark. The sensation is almost as if the car is stalling. A quick tap of the accelerator and the juddering stops.

[garboy1]

I have had exactly the same lumpy idle experience, especially when just after start up took it to the dealers for a service and mentioned it to them.
To my surprise they mentioned the car had a fault code and that is also juddered when they drove it. Dealer e-mailed VW with the fault code and they recommended that the injectors be replaced which they duly did at around £250 each !. This did cure it for a few weeks but the car did it again last week. I am wondering if its because I use Tesco diesel and the car doesn't like it the dealer did mention that mpg would improve if i used non supermarket diesel ? I am only get 48-52 mpg at a steady 68mph commute to work on the motorway despite new injectors !

Golf 1.6 TDI SE 59 plate

[Keithuk]

Well I wouldn't recommend Tesco fuel to anyone I've read lots of reports on how crap it is. A friend of mine with a Seat Leon his suddenly developed white smoke on acceleration and he did all checks and found nothing. I told him about Tesco fuel so he used up all the fuel in the tank and filled up with Shell and the white smoke disappeared.

It maybe cheaper if you spend £50 in store but is it worth it? Just Google tesco fuel is crap and see what comes back?

[MacHighlander]

That's interesting what you say about Tesco fuel. I don't tend to use it, as the BP is on my way to work and that's when I tend to get caught out and need to stop.

On the very odd occasion when the wife has given me a 5p off voucher, I have filled up with Tesco diesel.

Of course, I have no way of remembering if this coincided with my judders. Off the top of my head, I've probably filled up with Tesco fuel as often as my judders have occurred so there just might be something in it.

I don't want to particularly go back to Tesco to test this theory (after reading the comments here) so I'll just stick with BP from now on and then see what happens (hopefully nothing!).


I have had exactly the same lumpy idle experience, especially when just after start up took it to the dealers for a service and mentioned it to them.
To my surprise they mentioned the car had a fault code and that is also juddered when they drove it. Dealer e-mailed VW with the fault code and they recommended that the injectors be replaced which they duly did at around £250 each !. This did cure it for a few weeks but the car did it again last week. I am wondering if its because I use Tesco diesel and the car doesn't like it the dealer did mention that mpg would improve if i used non supermarket diesel ? I am only get 48-52 mpg at a steady 68mph commute to work on the motorway despite new injectors !

Golf 1.6 TDI SE 59 plate

[percymon]

Well i'm not looking to open another debate on supermarket vs branded fuels, but for what its worth i've done 36k miles in my 1.6TDI on about 90% supermarket fuel (mainly Waitrose, sometimes Asda, very occassional Tesco) and had no juddering or smoke issues.

When the high pressure fuel pump failed (reason unknown) i was running a tank that was 95% Esso.

[Liamlewis93]

Did anyone get anywhere with this judder as it happens to mine but only in cold morning start ups? Thanks in advance