Golf 118 TSI Engine - Revised Spark Plug issued

[RW1]

I don't know if you guys know but at the end of September (2011), VW have revised the 1.4TSi 118Kw Spark Plug.

101 905 626 has now been replaced on the 118Kw 1.4TSi engine by 03C 905 601A.
Its on the European ETKA as of the end of September against the Scirocco 1.4TSi 118Kw engine, engine code CAVD.

No direct info as the 101 905 626 plug is not part marked by NGK with their own plug number (NGK list plug PZFR6R on their own list as the NGK replacement).

The change is the gap setting as far as I can tell.

Personally I have solve the misfire issue on mine by narrowing the plug gap from 0.92mm (36 thou) as set by NGK and supplied to VW at the factory to 28 thou (0.71mm). The plugs have gone from looking hot and scorched to a normal plug colour as you would expect in any correctly set mixture/timed engine. The engine runs very smooth and the DSG is seamless plus it holds gears better at the lower rpm end, rather than change down a gear.

(NB: You have to be very careful re-gapping fine wire spark plugs that have very small diameter platinum or iridium alloy electrodes. Feeler gauges or wire gauges should be used with gentle care when testing the gap by comparing with the feeler gauage. Otherwise the central electrode tip will be damaged.).

[Dimbles]

Thanks for posting

[hentaiboy]

Spark plug gapping fixes DSG woes...yeah right

[RW1]

Spark plug gapping fixes DSG woes...yeah right

Woes! Don't have any of the gear change issues on here (at the moment!). The post above I made refers to the way a fully serviceable DSG operates v engine rpm. .
Less disturbance on the torque sensor means the DSG doesn't make the change gear unnecessarily such as on hill inclines.

Try the adjustment!

[Brian]

Woes! Don't have any of the gear change issues on here (at the moment!). The post above I made refers to the way a fully serviceable DSG operates v engine rpm. .
Less disturbance on the torque sensor means the DSG doesn't make the change gear unnecessarily such as on hill inclines.

Try the adjustment!

Thank you, my friend for politely putting the OP in his place. I doubt that he would know a spark plug if he sat on one! I for one will try this minor mod to see the rewards of your endeavors. Sometimes the basics of car mechanics can do wonders. Takes me back (lots) of years to when we used to fiddle with plug and points gap to achieve optimum performance from our hacks. Well done old mate!
Brian

[RW1]

You will need VW coil puller tool T10094A or similar. The "A" has been missed off in the post link below. The coil packs are a good tight fit and and on top of that, they have thick damp proofing insulation grease applied which all adds up to a very stiff extraction. Prising the coil pack head could damage the electical internals in the coil pack top.

This post of mine which has been "borrowed" politely by a forum member I moderate on for his own shows the T10094A in the top right corner of the orange tray. Volkswagen Club Malaysia, VW Golf GTi, TSi, Polo, Passat, EOS, Scirocco, Tiguan, Touareg, Golf R, Scirocco R (My own forum won't show photos without being logged in.) Two pronged affair with a T-bar handle. The rest are the tools I use to take out the plugs. The two screw bolts are the Torx bolts that hold the oil breather pipe in place and need removing together with two electrical connections between cylinders 1 & 2 to get at No.1 coil pack and extract it (how its done in the workshop manual.).

Be warned, No1 Coil pack is awkward and you need 3 hands or prop the oil breather up a few centimetres with a small block of wood. Practice by starting with No.4, then 3 in that direction.

So hopefully this all reads across to the Golf 6's 1.4TSi 160PS 118Kw as its the same engine as the Scirocco.

VW have just advised a dealership in the UK to fit plugs 101 905 626A from a Passat 1.4TSi 160PS twin charger for a Scirocco 1.4TSi 160PS. Different again from the change originally posted above....

The dealer had pulled this engine apart several times with new original plugs sets (101 905 626) several times (some lasting only a few hundred miles), coil packs, pump etc. The workshop manual gap setting on plug 101 905 626A in the Passat 1.4 is 0.5mm - 0.6mm! The repair took place on Friday (14thOct) - Monday(17thOct), so its not known yet if the plugs will last this time round.

So hopefully this all reads across to the Golf 6's 1.4TSi 160PS 118Kw as its the same engine as the Scirocco.

[gavs]

Well that information is contrary to everything else I have seen, read and measured so I'm not so sure that the updated part number is in fact the correct updated part number in Australia, I really don't know why they would be the same length.....

The whole point of shortening the spark plug was so it was no longer wet with fuel which was one of the leading causes of the misfire issue in the 1.4tsi, if people have a VCDS and hook it up, under the live viewing section you can actually see the car continuously logging misfires when warm.

A shouldn't be platinum either, both should be iridium, A was factory fit to the polo GTI and is an iridium plug according the service department!

Shouldn't be surprised when it comes to VAG though, saying one thing and the truth being vastly different....

[blower]

Well that information is contrary to everything else I have seen, read and measured so I'm not so sure that the updated part number is in fact the correct updated part number in Australia, I really don't know why they would be the same length.....

The whole point of shortening the spark plug was so it was no longer wet with fuel which was one of the leading causes of the misfire issue in the 1.4tsi, if people have a VCDS and hook it up, under the live viewing section you can actually see the car continuously logging misfires when warm.

A shouldn't be platinum either, both should be iridium, A was factory fit to the polo GTI and is an iridium plug according the service department!

Shouldn't be surprised when it comes to VAG though, saying one thing and the truth being vastly different....

I've never heard that the genuine VW ones were shorter - only that shorter was recommended for the reason you state, to stop the fouling of the plugs with the wider spray pattern of the newer revision injectors that came out in 2010.

Around the net it is recommended to put in NGK BKR7EIX plugs - which are noticeably shorter and also one step colder.

VW have 3 versions of plugs in these engines:

101905626 - 0.9mm platinum tips
03C905601A - 0.8mm platinum tips
03C905601B - 0.8mm iridium tips

Heres a shot of all 3 from left to right, these are genuine plugs pulled out of my engine over the years....the part numbers match the data history for CAVD engines on ETKA:





All 3 the exact same length and the iridium tip can be see (its slightly thinner than the platinum tips).
I'm now on NGK BKR7EIX, put in after changing all the injectors out for the newer revision ones (03C906036M).

There are 3 sets of injectors in CAVD/E engines too:

03C906036F (factory up till mid 2010) - Narrow spray pattern, less efficient air fuel mixture causing unburnt fuel to pool on piston crown.
03C906036M (mid 2010 onwards) - Wider pattern, suspected to foul plugs.
03C906036N (2012/13 onwards) - used only in CAVE or CTHE engines, unknown what the difference is at this point.

I believe there are batches of faulty injectors out there that have gone unrecognised by VW. I know there was a recognised batch of faulty injectors from 2009 - but i believe some of the newer 2010 and 2011 ones have faulty batches too. The faults ranging from leaking injectors or incorrect flow. I bought a set of 2011 2nd hand injectors off ebay and had them ultrasonically cleaned and tested....when put in the car all 4 were badly carbon fouling the plugs, and at least one was confirmed leaking under high pressure (despite testing saying they were leak free). I replaced them all with brand new injectors of the same part number and there is no fouling of the plugs - even the genuine VW plugs that are not short, didn't foul.

I have a hunch that there are faulty injectors out there that are fouling sparks when they shouldn't be, and switching to a shorter plug such as the BKR7EIX is alleviating the issue. None of my plugs have ever fouled with the original injectors nor the replacement brand new ones - just this one batch of 2011 ones did, and i suspect the recognised batch from 2009 also foul the factory plugs.

I never had misfires on 03C905601A or 03C905601B (logged with live counters on VCDS), the bigger gap 101905626 did misfire slightly though but it is known the gap for these plugs should be 0.7 - 0.8mm.

[ope126]

Mate that is a detailed post there, thanks for that!
I am sure that will help others if they ever need it.

Also, thanks for the part numbers on the injectors also - that will come in handy!