2.0 FSI ESP Light on AND Limp Home mode.....

[Super76]

Hi,

I have posted this as part of a reply to the thread with the ESP light stuck on. However, after reading through even more threads I haven't seen any others with the power loss connected with ESP light on.

The ESP light coming on is the reason I have been trawling the net and the reason I have just joined this forum!!!

Bought my 54 plate 2.0 GT FSI on thursday last week. Yesterday after driving the car for about 100 miles, I stopped at some services. About 10 minutes after resuming my journey the ESP light came on, the car lost power and slowed to what became 40mph (while i was overtaking in a train of cars on a dual carriage way). I managed to get into the left lane, and fortunately a lay-by wasn't too far ahead. Pulled over, ESP light still on, engine very uneven on idle. (Regularly uneven though if that makes sense). I switched off the engine. Waited a moment and then restarted. ESP light went off and car ran fine. Continued my journey home including long and short stops with total distance 300 miles. No further problems.

The car has now run okay, but I am concerned about the potential danger of the car going into limp home mode if I find myself on the inside lane of a motor way.

Any thoughts much appreciated. I am wondering about coil packs and MAF sensor. I had already noted that on idle the car had displayed a very slight lumpy feel which would also manifest itself when driving slowly as a "lurch", for this reason I was already considering coil packs. Kind of need to know if this could cause the ESP light to come on and throw the car into a limp home mode. Only had the car for 3 days when this happened. Not yet contacted previous owner (private cash sale). He seemed genuine but right now I feel more than a little aggrieved!

As a little aside, once home after buying it and under certain light conditions, I was also able to find that a significant portion of the car has been resprayed. Needless to say he didn't tell me about that when I asked about accidents. Either he'd never noticed, or he chose not to tell...:(

Thanks

John

[Crasher]

You need a fault code read to know where to start, don’t throw parts at it. Even if you fitted the right part, the light would stay on.

[Super76]

Hi Crasher,

Thanks for your reply. I've seen on other related threads that you were the mechanic with the good ear and in the end the correct diagnosis!

Just to note though, my ESP light is no longer on. It went out when I restarted the car and the fault has not yet returned. I have a friend with access to the VAG com system so I will get a fault code at some point.

After literally just buying the car I've got the fear of this £1500 bill I've read about all over the net!!!

Will find a fault code and take it from there. Maybe it will never happen again, however, suddenly slowing down in the fast lane is not something I want to have in mind every time I overtake!!! yikes!

[Crasher]

The light should not have gone out but the code will still be stored. Don’t worry about it until you have the code and I hope it will just be the brake light switch which is cheap and easy.

[m12oby]

Same thing happened to my wifes 2.0 GT FSI. It did it twice in the space of 5 months. Fitst time was ok when it was turned off and re started. 2nd time stayed miss firing. called local indi specialist and he diagnosed over the phone! took car up to him and one coil was faulty. he checked the codes and found another had thrown up an error. changed them both to be on safe side and touch wood, car has been fine since. He said its a very common thing on 2.0 FSI engines (Audi, VW etc) and charged me a very reasonable £93.87 including vat!!

[Super76]

m12oby,

thanks, thats very reassuring. so did your wifes car also have the ESP light come on during this power loss escapade? I did suspect the coils due to the ever so slightly uneven idle, but have been fearing the worst.

But as Crasher says, I need to get the fault codes read just to see what its throwing up. I'm feeling a whole lot more positive than when I was worrying I was going to get a £1500 bill of some sort for the ESP / ABS issue I've heard about. Been out in the car today for 20 + miles of town type driving. Its driven nicely, bar that slightly uneven idle (its so barely noticeable but I can feel its there like a tiny hiccup every 5 or so seconds. I'm growing to love the car now. I hope its all works out. Once I get fault codes I'll update this thread.

Thanks all.

John

[m12oby]

Yes, ESP light came on. All been OK since coils changed ( over a year ago).

[Xabu]

Hi Super76

Hope it all worked out for you if it didn't then I think I bought your car at the weekend. I have exatly the same problems as you on a car of the same age. Did you sell it the last couple of weeks?

Its at the dealers now and they are telling me there is no fault code stored, does anyone know it that can happen or are they lying all the way to the bank?

[Super76]

hi Xabu,

I haven't been on to reply since because I haven't even taken it for fault codes yet. I can assure you I haven't sold it though :-) I basically decided to carry on driving it because nothing had happened in the couple of hundred miles on route home following that incident, and in fact, nothing has happened in the subsequent few hundred miles. I still have the slightly unbalanced idle which is annoying, but no problems like before in about 400 miles i think maybe 500. Thats included town driving, and at least one long trip across the country, so my mind has been put to rest regarding the issue and unless it happens again i plan to take it for a service when the time is due, and ask my mechanic to fault code read it specifically focusing on coil packs and the esp. Just see what he comes up with really.

I wanted to reply to your post though because i can quite imagine how you are feeling! Is your car un-driveable or did you just decide to take it for code reading for peace of mind?

S76

[Xabu]

Hi S76

Its drivable, in fact its very drivalble.

As I only bought it from a dealer at the weekend I was trying to decide if I should just reject the car as the fault happened within the first hundred miles.

As it turns out once the ignition was turned off and on again the problem went away and it was fine.

I'm still getting the dealer to get it hooked up the the local VW diagnostics before I take it back as some of the threads I've read with this fault have been very pricey to repair.

Glad to hear yours has been trouble free since, hoping mine will be the same.

btw I have read that the FSI engine is prone to a slightly rough/loud idle due to something to do with the FSI engine and better fuel economy gained from the technology, mine is noticably louder than other similar or higher performance petrol cars i've had but once your on the move it seems fine.