MC 10159012 9999 PDF
MC 10159012 9999 PDF
MC 10159012 9999 PDF
Technical Tip
Topic 15-19-01TT - Misfire, Off of Idle or at High RPM
Market area United States 444 Volkswagen of America, Inc. (6444)
Brand Volkswagen
Date March 1, 2019
Condition
ATTENTION:
VIN Range
Model(s) Year Eng. Code Trans. Code VIN Range To
From
Technical Background
Vehicles experiencing a consistent cylinder specific misfire, primarily off of idle or at high RPM.
Misfires may not occur at idle. A broken valve spring may be the cause.
Service
Swap spark plug and ignition coil to other cylinders. Through control module On Board Diagnostic (OBD),
clear ECM faults 3 times in a row within 15 seconds and re-evaluate the concern.
If misfire is still present on the same cylinder, perform compression and leak down testing on all cylinders.
Compare the readings with the cylinder of concern. Note percentage of leakage and if the pressure loss is
occurring in to the intake, exhaust, or crankcase.
On the suspect cylinder, compression may be lower or similar to other cylinders. If a broken valve spring is
present, leak down results may display less than 15% leakage on all cylinders. If the valve is stuck open,
100% leakage will result on the cylinder with the misfire. Pressure loss through the intake or exhaust can be
noted during leak down testing, if this is the case. There are instances where all readings will remain
consistent. If so, a running compression test can be performed on the suspect cylinder and another cylinder,
for comparison. Results showing a difference of 7 PSI or more (difference between cylinders) indicate a valve
train issue. This could be due to a broken spring, spun cam lobe or valve guide (sticking).
1
Technical Tips
Continue with removing upper cylinder head cover and camshafts. Push on each valve and closely inspect to
determine if there is a broken valve spring. If 100 % leakage was found in the leak down test, perform a leak
test again while pulling up on the valve found with broken valve spring. If acceptable leakage is then achieved,
replace broken valve spring per ELSA procedure. If the valve is damaged, cylinder head replacement will
most likely be needed.
Additional Information
Revision History
Revision Number Released Date Reason For Update
2054179/1 3/1/19 Original publication.
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