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looking for other BBW owners

10K views 45 replies 4 participants last post by  Nick09 
#1 ·
i have some questions on the timing on the BBW engines. i have replaced the timing belt correctly which includes removing the timing cam sprocket and replacing it finger tight then slipping the belt on while the back of the cam is locked with the proper tool. i then double checked the crankshaft mark to make sure it was dead on TDC. put the belt on. my question is, do you adjust the tensioner before you lock down the bolt on the camshaft sprocket or after. i cant seem to get it perfect in order to keep it from throwing a code or two.
 
#2 ·
everything should be lined up and tightened down when you pull the pin it is the last step. if done properly, the tensioner should tighten and put tension on the belt, not move it. manuallly turn the car over 3 times before reassembling to insure the car is still in time. when you say a code or two are you putting the whole car back together and turning it over with bad timing?
 
#3 ·
what pin are you speaking of?
let me start from the beginning so you can wrap your mind around my whole issue. car was running fine. it stalled at a red light. it turned out to be a bad fuel pump. but before i figured out the problem i had cranked the crap out of it and ended up stressing out the belt popping a few teeth off. installed new fuel pump. ran shiitty. my wife then went to try and start it while i was at work and stripped more teeth off the belt resulting in a bent exhaust valve. so i stripped it down to the block and had a new valve installed and had the head tested to make sure it was good to go. installed head following the bently manual to the tee. moved the crank back to TDC from a quarter turn back to rest at TDC. installed the new tensioner, new water pump, then removed the bolt from the camshaft sprocket and removed the sprocket and cleaned it. i then put it back on the camshaft lightly snugging the bolt so i could still move it. i then slipped the belt on. tightened the bolt down to the required newton meters. i then adjusted the tensioner back and forth five times as per the manual and tightened the tensioner so the pointer was on the correct mark. hand cranked it three times and everything was fine for a few miles then i got two codes "misfire in #1" and "random misfires in all cylinders" so i popped the cover off and looked with a mirror at the tensioner and it was slightly off the mark. re adjusted it and tried again. now just one code "misfire #1 cyl"
 
#4 ·
ignore what i said, i missed your BBW engine code. i saw mk4 and assumed 1.8t as the vr is chain driven. your crank is at TDC, turn the cam to lock in the tool (#1 TDC), put on your belt over tensioner and sprocket, then tighten tensioner THEN tighten cam sprocket. The cam pulley has to be loose. the belt can then be tightened to lock it down with the tool in place with the crank at TDC
 
#7 ·
let us know how it goes. i have seen a perfectly running vw with a very small bit off on timing, even from the factory. if you think youre lined up and still have a misfire on #1. move your spark plug on your ignition coil to a different #. #1 is closest to you from in front of the vehicle and proceed to #4 away from you. careful removing them they love to break off the harness rubber. if the misfire moves to a different cylinder your spark is junk. sometimes bad compression from bent valves can cause plugs to foul if left fuel soaked from misfire. #1 have valves interfere?
 
#8 ·
want to hear something odd? when i was trying to locate the problem initially, (the fuel pump) my scanner showed misfire in cylinder# four. so i pulled the plug wire off and tested the ohms and it had zero. before the fuel pump went out it was running like a champ! my wife thinks that every time i fix one problem another one just happens to pop up. she thinks this car is cursed!
 
#10 ·
i have noticed on all the VW sites, when people check in with timing belt issues, i have never seen one that specifically said to remove the camshaft sprocket and put back on loosely in order to make sure the timing is correct. (BBW) i've seen many people say "why cant i find the timing mark on the cam sprocket"?
 
#11 ·
elsa pro (online bentley in all VW dealerships) doesnt say remove either, only loosen

word for word:

-set cam to TDC and insert tool
-Loosen camshaft bolt until camshaft sprocket can be turned by hand
-install timing belt on crank and water pump pulleys

...skipping a few steps about guards and miscellaneous stuff...

-turn crankshaft in engine direction back to TDC
-turn camshaft sprocket so counter hold tool can be inserted
-place belt on tensioner roller and sprocket
-tighten tensioner roller
-tighten camshaft sprocket
 
#12 ·
ok, i'm back. i installed the timing belt and camshaft perfectly. ran it around by hand three times. still perfect. cleared the codes and started it. almost instantly got a blinking code showing "random multiple misfires" and m"misfire cyl#1" misfire cyl#2"

i'm about to squirt lighter fluid in the dash vents and burn this ***** to the ground!

it all started with a bad fuel pump! now the car seems to want me to slowly replace every moving part on it before it will show "no codes"!

whats next? all the spark plug wires were at almost 6k in ohms before i did the timing job
i've sprayed carb cleaner around all the vacuum lines and intake gaskets.
i read that a battery that will start the car still might not be good enough to maintain the brain function in the ECU. so i'm trickle charging the battery last night through today to make sure its up to snuff.
any ideas?
 
#13 ·
ok so stupid question, but, i wanna go back to the beginning. first, what happened to your car to start the fuel problem break down.

from there, when you bent a valve; did you pull the pistons? your sure the head is not toast?
 
#14 ·
the car stalled. it would almost start but not quite. so that threw me off about thinking it was the fuel pump. so i looked everywhere else first for the problem. i was told that because i was cranking it so much trying to start it that i stressed out the old timing belt resulting in the tooth strip. luckily went the belt did go, the car was at an idle and it only slightly bent one valve. (there wasn't even a mark on the piston where it hit. the machine shop pressure tested the head after installing the valve and the rest of the head was fine.

i really appreciate you advising me on this. I've been a mechanic for a long time but it was all american. i built mostly hot rods and muscle cars for clientele- never got much into the German and European cars
 
#15 ·
i wish more VWs had harmonics and chains ha. ive done plenty of busted ass valve jobs that make the pistons look like tree rings after so much tap. but it sounds like you know your stuff and if your rolling it over by hand and have good timing im gonna say that your head, timing and internals, are solved, pending maybe a compression test. only thing ive seen that you may wanna double check is cheap ass belts that are off that throw timing. still showing matching marks?

youre not getting any other codes, just the 300 code random misfire and 1 and 2? no fuel trim, rich or lean, or g70 or anything. if we can eliminate fuel and air were at spark and the list is pretty small.
 
#16 ·
the marks are still showing true. (i'm using the ones at the crank sprocket end) i cant figure out the whole little window at the flywheel with the bubble crap. must be a German thing. i have heard so many conflicting stories about the flywheel mark. i'm just going to put a piece of duct tape over the window and forget about it.+
(just for reference, the bubble is right at the top of the window)

i am going to replace the plug wires. they don't look bad, but they don't look new either. the plugs looked good but at like four bucks each, might as well while i'm in there. when the plugs are out i'm going to do a compression test again just for shits and giggles!

i'll get back to you once i have eliminated all these avenues.

i should get a BBW merit badge if i can get this bi-arch running!
 
#17 ·
i should get a BBW merit badge if i can get this bi-arch running!
for sure. and for doing it your f*cking self ha. check for cracks in your coil pack too. especially on 1 and 2. if the car is misfiring right away at start you can only do a visual test. but if the car runs for a few seconds, spray the coil with a little bit of water in like a mist bottle. if shes starts sputtering like crazy you may have some cracking in your coilpack.

but im with you, my feeling is leaning toward spark. its pretty damn rare to get a random misfire code without any kind of lean, trim, rich air or fuel code to hint a vac leak or maf or injectors or something to point you in a deirection. makes me thing electrical. makes me think spark.
 
#20 ·
that was heat cracked where it came off the intake manifold. i replaced it with a better quality material making sure to keep the check valve intact and facing the right direction. but it goes from the intake manifold to the brake booster then it looks like it continues down and underneath the car along the exhaust tunnel. i wondered where it lead to
 
#21 ·
ok, long weekend. i checked for intake leaks, vacuum leaks, replaced the plug wires. now it seems to be fine while driving but when at an idle it chugs a little and the check engine light comes on and blinks. as soon as i take off and start driving it goes off and stays off while at a higher RPM. any ideas?
 
#22 ·
inconsistency and sounds like vacuum leak. i know thats stupid to say since you spent all weekend looking for them but, low RPM inconsistency starts with vac leaks. now that your car is running-ish. start it up, and spray your coilpack with a mist of water, look for arcs. eliminate that as a problem.
 
#24 ·
ok- since you brought up EGR- i DO have a minor exhaust leak after i was all done. i wasn't sure if i accidentally cracked the flex pipe while disconnecting the exhaust manifold from the head or if i didnt sock the EGR tube down tight enough on the bottom when re installing it. i did it as tight as i could but my arm was contorted quote a bit trying to reach down around the back of the engine and up underneath the exhaust manifold to reach the damn nut! i'm taking it by a midas today to have them take a peek at it.
also thank you for all your help and insight in this matter. man i wish you lived in the Chattanooga area, i would buy you a beer for sure! KCCO
 
#25 ·
I think I might have found the problem. first of all I replaced the plug wires. then I re-checked the tensioner alignment arrows and it was off so I adjusted it and got the pointer to rest squarely in the middle where it is supposed to be. I am now down to one code P0301 cylinder# 1 misfire. I had already had all the injectors cleaned while everything else was apart. I checked the resistance of the # 1 fuel injector and it was within spec. next I checked the plug leading to the injector. if I am correct, you turn the key on and put a test light probe on the wire in the plug that supplies 12 volt power. I got the test light to light once and now nothing. is it supposed to have a constant power supply when the key is on? if it is, I think I have narrowed the problem down to a bad power supply wire leading to the # 1 injector. I'm not sure where to go with this. should I peel back the wire loom to see how far back the wire is dead? do they sell a wire harness for the fuel rail? any ideas?
 
#26 ·
your powertrain module would more than likely throw an injector wiring fault, not a cylinder misfire. that doesnt mean it cant happen, im not eliminating it for the sake that this car is out to get you. use a multimeter, not a test light. get a number.
 
#27 ·
i'm hoping its not the PCM. i was looking at the wiring diagrams and the power supply wires for the fuel injectors dont run thru the PCM just the pulse wires do. so i'm hoping to peel back the harness covering and follow the cylinder#1 power wire back to the junction of the other three power wires and see if i can replace the bad power wire. i'm sure that below my name on my gravestone will read the phrase "BBW killed him"
 
#28 ·
ground the driver wire from the PCM to #1. with the power on, the injector will fire. if 2-4 work and 1 doesnt, problem solved. thats essentially what the fancy injector testing machines do at shops and dealerships.
 
#29 ·
i'll give that a shot first to make sure. in your opinion which VW engine in the MKIV is the best to have. i would like to add another Jetta or Golf to my collection but i want to avoid the demon engines
i currently have a 2005 Jetta, two 1979 Fiat Spider convertibles, and a 1996 ford F-150 and a wallet with moths living in it! LOL
 
#30 ·
well you managed to get the only 2.0 in existence that is this much of an asshole because it is typically not a hassle. 1.8t has dreadful timing belts, VRs get lifter tick and spin bearings, FSIs chew through cams, TSIs chew through water pumps. I like my straight 5 2.5 motor quite a lot in the mk5/mk6 eras even if the block is WAY too heavy. I have an FSI motor as well that has given me 0 problems but i have a buddy who bought his a week before mine and is on water pump number 2 at 35k. 1.8 8v/16v (i like 8 better) in the mk1 and 2 is a gem. but the best vw motor ive owned....a flat 4 aircooled. blast to work on.
 
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