Golf 118 TSI Engine - Revised Spark Plug issued

[RW1]

Now you have described the idle speed in more detail, thats not the plugs imo. More like an injector with a wrongly directed output pattern due to blockage. Had one with me to look at like that some 12 months ago and the problem was a bad injector spray pattern.

Give away was the injector in No.1 cylinder was spraying clean the No.1 plug so it looked like it had been in a spark plug cleaning machine when it was extracted. Idle was lumpy as you describe. There were also tell-tale spray wash areas on the piston crown. Question is, did they do all the injectors or has it been an unfortunate repeat (dirty fuel?). Or have you got burnt valves due to the earlier poor injector spray patterns they replaced???

New plugs or old. Given what I have just said, I think they are not the source of the rough engine. Don't know what your driving regime is ie. like mine or open road a lot of the time. If SOC as above yes new, if open road, try re-gapping and see how it goes but note the insulators should be cleaner than my photograph above.

[Sentinel]

The injectors are another possibility. Though I would hope that since they were all replaced under warranty at an authorised VW dealer workshop, they were placed correctly. Nevertheless, I'll keep that possibility in mind.

At the moment, my plan is to get a specialist VW tuner to regap the plugs and check the ECU settings. If there's still a problem, then fixing the injectors would be a warranty issue and I'd take it back to a dealer workshop.

That's mostly because the spark plug option is the easiest - checking the injectors would require removing the engine head (again), as far as I know.

[265coupe]

Is anyone aware if VWA has instructed (by service bulletin) it's dealers to use the updated plugs (03C905601A) during routine servicing plug replacement? And if so do you know when the change occurred?
I had mine serviced in April 2012 (Queensland VW Dealer) and the old plugs (101905626) were used as replacements.
Thanks

[RW1]

Not that I am aware of a bulletin. None has ever been issued. Parts "Alert" not sure.

ETKA - Golf 6 CAVD engine is the revised spark plug 03C905601A. It maybe the dealer had servicing stock on the shelf or the ETKA was misread as the CAXA 90Kw engine on the parts list line immediately above. CAXA still uses the 101905626 plug.

[fillmore]

Just had 60,000km service done and invoice states that 101905626 spark plugs were used. Should I be worried?
To the dealers credit though, as stated on invoice "found loud rattle on start up- found to require cam/shaft adjuster to require strip down and check" to which I must have grown accustomed to. Also "requires clutch kit" and "update (software) required to fix reported pining noise".
Tied up in hospital with broken leg at the moment so will have these issues attended to whilst recovering upon release.

[ope126]

Thanks for all the info in this thread. I will definitely look to get the Spark Plugs changed to 03C905601A (Platinum) or 03C905601B (Iridium / Polo GTI motor?) and check that it is re-gapped from 0.8mm to 0.7mm. I am not experiencing mis-fires, however I am looking at this as a preventative measure.

[ope126]

Thanks for all the info in this thread. I will definitely look to get the Spark Plugs changed to 03C905601A (Platinum) or 03C905601B (Iridium / Polo GTI motor?) and check that it is re-gapped from 0.8mm to 0.7mm. I am not experiencing mis-fires, however I am looking at this as a preventative measure.

Just contacted VW Parts today and they have specified 03C905601B Spark Plugs against my VIN No. They also mentioned that the "B" superceeds the "A" and has nothing to do with Platinum / Iridium?

I will look to change these shortly...

[kazsiddique]

Hey i have the same issue currently on my 118tsi. wondering how u guys went about removing coil pack NO.1 i read that u need to get a coil pack removing tool? screw driver won't cut it??

anyone seen a DIY on these replacement?

kaz

[gavs]

Just contacted VW Parts today and they have specified 03C905601B Spark Plugs against my VIN No. They also mentioned that the "B" superceeds the "A" and has nothing to do with Platinum / Iridium?

I will look to change these shortly...

Just as a follow up to a quite old thread:

The update between the 03C905601A and 03C905601B is the length of the plug.

The issues you have all been describing have nothing to do with the spark plugs, it is the fault of the injectors.

After a considerable amount of time developing a stage 3 tuned Seat running the 1.4TSI engine, another forum member has been through several tear downs and rebuilds with this engine. The reason for the misfiring is because the spray pattern on the injector fouls the spark plug, the spark plug is getting doused in fuel prior to ignition. The reason RW1 has probably seen an improvement by re-gapping their own plugs is because of a shorter, less resistant path for the spark.

The Polo GTI went through an engine facelift which replaced many of the defective parts built into this engine including faulty pistons, leaking injectors, spark plugs that were too long, PCV that didn't really work, oil blow by just to name a few.

Maybe it might be worth those who are having the misfiring issues in their golf 118TSi's to change over to the updated spark plug and see if it has an effect....

[blower]

Just as a follow up to a quite old thread:
The update between the 03C905601A and 03C905601B is the length of the plug.

Not true.....the plugs are the same length (I have both here and have checked).
The only difference between the two is 'A' is platinum and 'B' is iridium.
Both plugs also have the same gap - officially 0.8mm, but they will vary from 0.7 to 0.8mm.

The issues in 2009 & 2010 models with the sparks were the plugs from factory were 101905626 and gapped at 0.9mm - way too big a gap that was prone to misfires. They were platinums and the same length as well.