2003 Volkswagen Jetta Tdi Deisel Engine Loses Power Intermittantly And Light

The turbo vanes are stuck and need to be freed-up.

The vanes are vacuum controlled... vacuum applied = more boost, no vacuum applied = less boost.
Carbon deposits build-up around the vanes and restrict their movement.

Here's a video of me working the vanes back & forth to free them up.

Thomas

Which TDi engine do you have? ALH or BEW?

There are differences in design & control... I'm assuming yours is an ALH.

Thomas

Forgot video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK9dFNS-ddM&feature=plcp

I presume that you are referring to the waste gate? i was curious so i had a look at your video, it looks like the waste gate control you are freeing up, is this so?

Actually not a wastegate... a wastgate dumps exhaust before the turbine so that the turbine does not spool-up or stops
spooling-up.

The Variable Vane Turbo uses an actuator rod / pod that repositions the vanes ahead of the turbine wheel... a narrow
passage through the vanes causes quicker exhaust flow to hit the turbine... spread apart vanes cause the exhaust to
hit the vanes at a slower speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc2awh0O0Bc

Thomas

OK, don't do a lot on Vw's always like to learn something new, even after all these years i still will ask questions myself, thanks for the info.

Had a TDi in yesterday with the same problem... 20min of working the vanes back & forth and all is fine again.

I wish people who asked questions would reply with a follow-up!

Thomas

I find that if you get about 1 in 10 following up your doing well, not much you can do about it, just hope that you have fixed their problem and move on to the next one!