does this sound like MAF? quite worried!

[nick s]

hi guys, was driving my ibiza cupra the other day and suddenly it made a popping noise and died on me, everytime i started it up againa, the revs rose and dropped for a couple of seconds then the car cut out, did it again and tried revving it but it sounded like it was misfiring and the car would hardly move. so i unplugged the MAF and it ran fine. so i went to SEAT today to pick up a new one, all the time keeping it below 0 on my boost gauge just to be safe. replaced it for a new one in the SEAT forecourt, started the car up and it hadn't helped at all?! kept cutting out and spluttering again? now the parts guy said it could be possible that the new one is faulty aswell. but i'm not sure. also i tried quickly coming on boost on the way to work and it won't!? it won't go above 0psi. it sounds like the turbo is spooling up a bit. is this normal when you unplug the MAF?!?! no boost and engine management light on? help!!!!

even the guy on service said if you unplug the MAF and it's fine then that's the problem, he couldn't understand either so it's booked in for diagnostics next week. is there something you need to do or reset etc after putting a new maf in? thanks

 

[acidstrato]

you do need to clear faultcodes and a tb alignment isnt a bad idea BUT it should be instant transformation

 

[nick s]

hmm. no it definately wasn't. thing is. it seems strange that the car runs fine without it plugged in but won't boost?! is that normal?

 

[acidstrato]

nope, did it boost eventually? or did you drive for a while and it never hit any boost?

could be gimp mode but usually its fine if its just the maf...could be a secondary problem possibly

 

[nick s]

didn't hit any boost at all, only tried it a few times. i rang Jabba and they said it doesn't sound like the MAF. they said, it could possibly be coilpack failure. but i don't get why the car would seem to run fine (albeit no boost) with the MAF unplugged if that's not the problem?

 

[acidstrato]

yeah not sure how it could be a coilpack problem if it rectifies itself when the maf is unplugged, but the spluttering symptoms you mentioned could be a duff coil or 2

best get it on vagcom

 

[nick s]

will VAGCOM show exactly what's wrong?! will a diagnostics at SEAT show the same thing? i giess i need to find someone round my area with vagcom.?!

 

[acidstrato]

if the check lights on then there is a fault code, this will lead you to a problem. if its not on then you can still log maf and see if its operating or not, diagnostics at a dealer prob wont be vagcom but they'll take the same steps

 

[nick s]

ok, thanks for the help mate.

 

[David_smith_909]

where do you live nick? surely someone round your way has vagcom?

 

[Beaker™]

I'd put money on it being a hose popped off somewhere on route between airbox and inlet manifold (turbo/intercooler etc). Unplug each coilpack one by one and start the engine each time. If when you pull one the problem gets worse then its a coilpack. If the car behaves the same after removing each one then i'd check your pipe work for a popped off hose.

 

[nick s]

cheers beaker. that's a good idea. i did think i could have popped ah ose off cus it did make a loud pop noise before it cut out. would a loose hose or something explain the bad idling though?!

 

[Beaker™]

cheers beaker. that's a good idea. i did think i could have popped ah ose off cus it did make a loud pop noise before it cut out. would a loose hose or something explain the bad idling though?!

Yes definatly, if air is getting in anywhere other than the airbox/filter than it will cause bad a idle. I've had my intercooler hose pop off before now and that done the same thing popped loudly then just spluttered and died. A friend of mine had a hose pop off the turbo and that again done the same. IIRC if you unplug the MAF while you got a hose popped off the car should idle and run ALOT better. Try that.

 

[claudefrog]

check for intercooler hose blowing off... i done this on my 200sx once. it scared the **** outta me

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Yeah, when the reducer popped off the top of my turbo it spluttered and died but wouldnt rectify itself, it does sound the same though, loud pop beforehand. I didnt unplug the maf though as could see the problem quite obviously so dont know if it would run without it?
Have a look at the hose directly above your turbo, if yours is standard it will be black, if this is the prob iirc you need a 54-48 reducer

 

[acidstrato]

but the question then is how could anyone not realise a hose has popped off

but re-reading the first post you did mention you heard a popping sound, so its possible. I've had hoses pop off before and the car does stall and splutter. the sound is very gripping, almost like something snapping. BUT i have also found there is little to no power with a hose off...not just no boost..no power

gotta be checked though, including the turbo inlet pipe

 

[Sam@xtreme]

Nick, had this problem on mine! it was the MAP sensor on the the boost pipe.. 2 screws holiding it in!

 

[nick s]

cheers guys, i am going to go and check all the pipes now, i have a SAMCO TIP so will check all that. as you say beaker, taking the MAF sensor off has cured the idle so i think it could be a vacuum leak somewhere.

SAM, is that the same as the MAF sensor? i tried changing that but made no difference

sysmptoms are the same, the car is very gutless. no boost and no power.

 

[Beaker™]

cheers guys, i am going to go and check all the pipes now, i have a SAMCO TIP so will check all that. as you say beaker, taking the MAF sensor off has cured the idle so i think it could be a vacuum leak somewhere.
.

Hopefully its just a hose then, at least its not your coilpacks.

 

[nick s]

right, i think i found it! take a look at these pics guys. will this pipe go back into the rubber hose or will i need a new piece? also, because i unplugged the MAF sensor i am going to hav to get the fault codes cleared aren't i?

any ideas? is it a case of just popping that back in?