Tiguan 2.0 SE

[henrywalker]

Hi
I own a 2009 VW Tiguan SE 2.0ltr Diesel! It has gone into "Limp Home Mode" I suspect but without the usual warning lights! It wont exceed 2500 rev/min
I topped up with Diesel this evening & when leaving the station forecourt I was forced to do so lively to avoid heavy traffic from both directions! I have no idea how many RPM it was doing when like magic the car slowed violently as if the brakes had been applied! AT 72 I am not a "boy racer"
Yes I used Diesel not petrol! The engine isn't making any strange sounds & will accelerate up to 2500 but no more! It was serviced by a main dealer in September 2015 & passed an MOT without any advisories! It has 24557 miles on the clock! The car is a 138 BHP version with scintilating straight line acceleration! Normally! If I disconnect & reconnect the battery is there a chance it will reset the ECU please! When first switched on all dash lights illuminate & then go out leaving the seat belt light (red), the Battery charge light(red), the handbrake symbol (red) & the engine symbol (orange) All are extinguished normally, except the h/brake symbol, when the engine is started but 2500rev/min cannot be exceeded!
Is it possible to "over rev" a modern diesel please? In my day the diesel engines were "governed"

[Rob69]

Hi, welcome to the forum.
You really need to get the car scanned to see what has been logged by the ecu. I wouldnt recommend disconnecting the battery and hoping it goes away, as the code has been logged and is holding it in limp mode. I don't know if yours is one of the last PD engines or a common rail or if it has a DPF fitted. Common limp mode causes are turbo nozzle vanes sticking, turbo actuator problems on the common rail turbo. Yours is very low mileage - mostly short trips?
Can you edit your post to include the engine code, 3 or 4 letters shown on the car build data sticker or page in the handbook. A scan has to your first line of diagnosing this problem.

[rowdy-999]

Hi!
The only way to over rev a modern engine is to so mechanically! ie change into 2nd gear rather than 4th at 75mph!
Your problem is unrelated!
Get it scanned!!!!

[henrywalker]

Hi Rob69! Thanks for the reply! I bought the car in September 2014! It belonged to an 84 year old farmer who used it for trips to the shops! It had 18777 miles on the clock when I bought it!
Since then it has made 2x round trips to Somerset & 4x round trips to Whitby! It is the "common rail" engine! The EA/169 2.0 ltr with a recall over the VW cheating scenario! I have received two letters from VW so far! The vehicle was purchased with extended warranty which I renewed last September so the Turbo shouldn't be much of an issue if it needs replacing? I phoned the local main dealer yesterday after the incident but all their technicians went home at 4 o'clock so I was told I would be contacted on Monday! There are no engine management lights showing on the instrument cluster! I have "assumed" limp home mode" because the 2500 rev limit is consistant with hitting a rev limiter like on my motorcycle (12500 in that case though!) I have driven non-turbo diesels & know of the time taken for engine revs to rise! It isn't like that! Throttle response, though limited in revs, is immediate with no roughness or undue engine noise! Like the engine is being controlled by something else!
When it happened there was no deceleration! The car just stopped accelerating violently enough to throw me forward against my seat belt but the engine didn't falter or stop but I noticed the limitation going up a hill! I revved the engine in neutral several times by pushing the accelerator pedal all the way down but it stopped increasing revs at exactly 2500 rev/min every time!
Because of the lack of engine management warnings I assumed there were no error codes logged! I have a VAG scanner but don't know where to plug it in!
Best Regards
Henry

[henrywalker]

Thanks for your reply Rowdy! In my day, with the likes of Gardner 150's & 180's, they had mechanical centrifugal governors & no electronics?
I will be getting it scanned because it is covered by extended warranty anyway! But with the abscence of warning lights I was unsure & just presumed "limp home mode"
because of the repeatability of 2500 rev/min whenever full throttle was applied! I also assumed that because of no warning lights no error codes would be logged
& I could safely reset the ecu by disconnecting the battery & reconnecting it?
Best Regards
Henry

[Rob69]

Sounds like you're pretty well covered warranty wise so hopefully get it sorted Monday. Pretty unusual to get one with such low mileage as well.
Know what you mean about the old stuff, served my time on CAV pumps, Leylands and Gardner LXB's. You knew where you stood with them !

[henrywalker]

Hi Rob! I bought the Tiguan because it was "like" new inside & out! One or two stone chips on the bonnet & a mark on the drivers door where it had caught something low down when being opened! I had a Honda CRV at the time with 75000 miles on the clock but that was 2.0 ltr petrol & drove like a truck! We had just bought a new Passat 2.0 ltr "executive style" when my wife spotted the Tiguan & thought it was new! At £14000 it wasn't cheap but a massive improvement over the "V" which we had used for five years to take four of us to Somerset & back each time covering more than 1000 miles! No Turbo on it! & 27mpg!
Ive found the DLC on the Tiguan! On the drivers side above the pedals! Used my VAG code scanner! No error codes? But the engine still won't rev above 2500 rev/min so I suspect your diagnosis is correct! The Turbo has died? Hopefully the dealer willl contact me tomorrow & take it in for investigation & use their equipment?

[henrywalker]

Hi Rob! The most amazing thing! The Tiguan is OK! I've just tried it on the road & it will rev & accelerate OK! I'm still going to have it scanned at the dealers but whatever it was has obviously cleared! & no! I didn't delete any error codes I just looked! found nothing & then switched the "ignition" off & removed the scanner!

[Rob69]

Fair enough! What sort of code scanner are you using, a basic OBDII scanner wont pick everything up. As you say, a scan at the dealers for peace of mind!

[henrywalker]

Hi Rob! It's a VAG 305! Just got back after a run out & the car performed pefectly! No limits on revs! no warning lights! The car will be taken to the main dealer in Doncaster tomorrow & I will ask them to scan for error codes! When I bought the car it was a year past it's timing belt replacement requirement! I complained so they replaced it FOC (their error) but they also found error codes for glow plug problems which they also replaced free of charge because they had missed the codes during the previous service!
Best Regards
Henry