Hi - have i bought a nail?

[Tyson10]

Hi everyone - sorry first post is not a nice one Will say hello in the newbie bit!

I bought an 04 1.5 dci last week, its my first diesel ive ever owned so dont know anything about them! I got it for the extra room and cheaper to run than my last car ( 97 golf gti 16v)

Anyway, ive noticed coming out of 2nd or 3rd theres hardly any power. At first i thought it was normal as its a 1.5 diesel but someone said to me today "its got a turbo it should still be quite nippy coming out of those gears"

The mpg is sitting around 47mpg around town - not really been on a long run but drove it home 15-18miles and it said 54mpg. Theres not lots of smoke coming out but on the bumper where the exhaust exit is theres a little black soot...is that normal?

Im now starting to think the turbo has gone or something....whats your thoughts guys

Thanks for any help or advice!

[morganjake1544]

When was it last serviced? A clean air filter may improve things along with correct oil and filter..

Another cause could be that the EGR valve needs cleaning.

Maybe a fuel additive would clean the injectors, etc and help some.



Always going to feel sluggish versus a Golf GTI though.

FYI - My 1.5dCi does 60mpg (according to the trip computer) on my 11 mile commute, which is town and A roads, and has never dropped below 55mpg even when the missus borrows it.

[Tyson10]

It's done 116k it was last serviced at 99k so not entirely sure when. The computer says next service in 4k. I read about the EGR earlier so will give that a go aswell.

Where the best place to buy all the service parts? Is there a checklist somewhere?

I know it's going to be alot slower than the old golf & that doesn't bother me at all, I bought it as a comfortable family car & its low running costs. It's just the loss of power when accelerating out of a junction or off a roundabout. On a straight I struggle to get over 3000 revs in the lower gears.

Also is there any way to check if the turbo is working?

[Keyholder]

probs find you have a blocked EGR. My nail was the same when i first got it and had to strip it and clean it all out.

best way to check for a worn turbo is checking the shaft for play.. you should have about 1mm push / pull movement.. but no side to side movement.

Is the turbo noisey ?? that can be a sign its on its way out.. Rebuild kits are around the £30 - £50 mark.

[Tyson10]

probs find you have a blocked EGR. My nail was the same when i first got it and had to strip it and clean it all out.

best way to check for a worn turbo is checking the shaft for play.. you should have about 1mm push / pull movement.. but no side to side movement.

Is the turbo noisey ?? that can be a sign its on its way out.. Rebuild kits are around the £30 - £50 mark.

There's no noise at all from the turbo - like I say this is my first diesel & I actually didn't know it had a turbo! If I leave the car running & open the bonnet or I drive it all I can hear is the engine running. I dont know what I'm looking for to be honest!

Will get the EGR removed & cleaned on Sunday...thanks for the help so far!

[taffyhl]

Hi there,

Recently bought a 1.9 diesel and just getting used to the difference too!

You wouldn't notice the turbo when idling as wouldn't be running at idling speed. Not sure when it does start but I can't feel the effect on my car until 2000 rpm and there is a noticeable increase in acceleration. If your turbo was completely shot I would expect warning lights on the dashboard.

Certainly wouldn't give up on it until you've cleaned the EGR valve. I'm gonna put some diesel cleaner through mine too - diesel detox or BG244 Diesel Fuel System Cleaner. Car's running fine but a little shaky at idle when warm.

[AlexB]

No, it is supposed to pull well up to 4500 rpm, and then the computer limits the revs. This is unless it is a low bhp model with an old wastegate turbo. Do you know what engine you have? 1.5dci-s come in different flavours...

Regarding servicing. Always change oil/filter at 9000 miles or 1 year and only use RN0710 or MB229.5 oil with OEM filters - consider this to be a warranty on the engine! Standard oil drain intervals and oils supplied by garages are inadequate. I use Mobil 1 0w40 in my 1.9dci, £30 5L at Costco. Never use engine flush! Do not over-fill oil!

Fuel additives are not very efficient. Better switch to Shell Extra (Fuelsave or whqatever it is called now) diesel - it cleans the engine gradually and gives a couple of percent extra miles. If you must use an additive, then try Comma Diesel Detox - add it and burn the whole tank on long fast journeys. Most other additives are either useless or harmful, particularly those in small bottles. The other three usable are Forte, Amsoil and Motul, but they are more difficult to buy.

Drain any water from the fuel filter - there is a bleed screw at the bottom. Check the clear pipe to the high pressure pump for bubbles of air.

Yes, you need to clean the EGR valve and the crankcase ventilation system. Oils supplied by dealers and other garages cause deposits and blockages there. You may also want to use an OBD reader (see ELM327 on ebay) to check the sanity of readings coming from various sensors in addition to checking the stored fault codes. A Bluetooth version of ELM327 will work with your Android phone.

Once you are done with the basic stuff ask about the advanced things...

It's done 116k it was last serviced at 99k so not entirely sure when. The computer says next service in 4k. I read about the EGR earlier so will give that a go aswell.

Where the best place to buy all the service parts? Is there a checklist somewhere?

I know it's going to be alot slower than the old golf & that doesn't bother me at all, I bought it as a comfortable family car & its low running costs. It's just the loss of power when accelerating out of a junction or off a roundabout. On a straight I struggle to get over 3000 revs in the lower gears.

Also is there any way to check if the turbo is working?

[Keyholder]

Hi everyone - sorry first post is not a nice one Will say hello in the newbie bit!

I bought an 04 1.5 dci last week, its my first diesel ive ever owned so dont know anything about them

Thanks for any help or advice!

You gotta remember that diesels arent as responsive as petrol models as im sure youre well aware of now, that is untill the Turbo spools up which then you should feel the boost and the diesel come to life..

As alex B suggested change all the filters especially fuel filter as this can cause major headaches, with you just purchasing the car Do the whole lot.. It cost me in the region of around £25 ish Trade ( £34 ish public ) Make sure u also do the oil.. for all you know it hasnt been changed in over a year maybe 14k miles.. u dont know.. thats why now pretty much well in my opinion , when i get a car i change all filters, oil, plugs etc all for peace of mind so at least u know where u stand.

once youve cleaned the EGR valve out later on today then give is a blast down the road safely of course.. and see if you have boost again.. infact if you do u might see a pile of black crap come out the back also reminding other road users your driving an oil burning diesel shed lol ..

If you sit in the car whilst its idling rev it up to about 2k , not constant but jsut tap the throttle to 2k rpm ish then let it drop again,, you should hear the turbo spin.

If u wanna put a diesel injector through the car then ill suggest you this product - https://www.powerenhancer.co.uk/product. ... el-cleaner - Cleans anything it touchs from fuel tank to exhaust .. Infact its that good if u put it in your golf, gave it a quick drive down the road and back, youll see that the top of your pistons would be completly clean and you would actually be able to see the markings on the piston crown this cleaners that good!

But still there are lots to choose from..

Keep us all posted on how you get on today.