MK3.5 Cabrio BIG running problems. misfiring dying etc

[bigdirtyturbo]

OK, I'm helping my friend with his new car.

Its a 99 2.0 8v cabrio highline

engine code is ATU..which ive never seen before. But we live in Spain so god knows. to me it looks like a AQY.

Vagcom is showing p0300 p0302 p0304

I'm aware these are misfire codes but whats causing them is the mystery.

The car struggles to start, and when it does it wants to die. If you gently feather the throttle you can get it to rev high, but the second you press on the accelerator pedal over say a 1/4 the engine will die.

Disconnected MAF and it got worse

It idles.. Kind of... Around 5-600rpm

The car drives out on the road, but as I'm sure you can imagine it's got no power and wont rev freely.

The car has had new plugs.. VW ones. and the firing order is correct.

I've looked for any loose connections and cant see a thing. Plus vagcom is only pointing me to a missfire.

I've got a few ideas, and would appreciate any useful input or past experiences with the issues were having.

The first things that i thought of were:

1 - Coilpack

2 - Fuel filter

3 - Fuel pump relay (but no vagcom fault code?)

4 - Serious air leak somewhere

5 - I wish he had bought a MK2

 

Any Ideas guys please..

Cheers

[G601950cc]

Go back to basics. Check cam timing and ignition timing if possible swap dizzy for a known working one. A process of elimination.

[bigdirtyturbo]

timing belt is new, but fitted by the garage that caused the running fault.. is it likely these symptoms would come from a wrongly fitted belt?
cheers

[itavaltalainen]

dizzy drive shaft is probably not in the same position as it was before..... i.e. the ignition timing is off.

go to vw and get them to adjust the timing correctly - if it can be adjusted.... might be that on this engine the dizzy is dowelled.... I.e. you will need to correct the issue by correctly positioning of the shaft at the cambelt end, rather than turning dizzy which you can with some engines if they are only 1 tooth off.

[G601950cc]

It sound like a miss aligned cam belt. Take it back to garage tell them the problem if they politely tell you to go away and it's not there problem. Then you can tell them " trading standards" " mis selling of goods act 1974. They can't sell or supply good or services that not wot you pay for

[G601950cc]

If you put up with cam belt 1 tooth out Ye it will run but won't do engine any good long term  plus if driven hard chances are you may catch a valve or two. You may be able to time it better. But honestly if engine is standard and cam belt has been changed it isn't going to be that dizzy has moved. Timing marks are there for a reason not just to look technical. Go back to garage.  If they refuse notify trading standards of wot has happened tell them you don't want to take car back to garage for repair take car to vw garage then send bill to other garage

[gazareth]

fully agree with the fella above.