Need Help, 3,000 rpms i hit a wall

[91 TSi GP]

Alright ive been trying to figure this out for a week now. Heres the story, i built my motor got it running and i didnt have any issues (like what im having now). I ended up throwing a rod through my block so it was another rebuild time. Built another motor and got it put it. Everything seemed fine. Got it started, idles fine. Its running rich but that shouldnt effect it like it is.

When i went for the initial drive it would just cut out when i hit around 3,000 rpms. And it does it in every gear. I initially thought i had a bad boost leak. So i ran a boost leak test. I ended up finding about 4 small leaks, and fixed them. I thought sweet im going to be fine now, went to take it for a drive and same deal, right around 3,000 rpms it just cuts out and wont go any further. I should mention that the car doesnt stall during this its just as if it wont accelerate past 3,000 and if i shift its fine. I'm running out of ideas here and am wondering if there is anything else to look for. Do these have a limp mode like a honda?

By the way its a 91 TSI AWD M/T

 

[4g63owns]

Does it run way rich or just a high ratio?

 

[91 TSi GP]

Does it run way rich or just a high ratio?

on my wideband its reading --.- most of the time so yeah way rich... i was thinking though, i didnt have these issues until i hooked my wideband into my ecu. im going to try and unhook it tonight and see if the issue gets resolved...

 

[TimG]

Sounds like a mixture of a poor tune and or your MAF isn't plugged in. Do you have any check engine lights on? Either way, check and make sure your MAF is plugged in and check via the logger/DSMLink if it's reading consistant airflow in Hz.

 

[4g63owns]

+1 on the maf being unplugged. I did a boost leak test, somehow bumped my maf hookup and made it not want to run for sh*t. Check there first.

 

[Lofer]

i had the same problem, it was the maf sensor i had to replace it.

 

[91 TSi GP]

Well i tried the whole unhook the wideband wire thing last night, that didnt help. I check The MAF wires, still good and in tact so i unplugged it while the car was running and it made the car die so its working. Went back through everything to see if i missed something and still im coming up with nothing. I adjusted my CAS a tiny bit and I was able to accelerate to almost 3500 this time but the it cut out again so i kind of kept giving it gas and it did one of these deals
Bahhhh........bahhh......bahhh.....bahhhh.....bahhhhh (shifted) same deal in next gear.

Is there anything else i should check? Is there anything on dsmlink that should/ shouldn't be enabled/ disabled that might cause this? I want to get this thing running and im running out of ideas. Any help would be awesome

 

[risknjtsi]

have you checked the possibility that your hitting fuel cut

 

[91 TSi GP]

that was my guess but i have to wait till tonight because my laptop doesnt hold a charge so my friends bring his car adapter thingy over tonight so i can actually datalog this whore and see what it is doing..

 

[risknjtsi]

also i was working on a friends 2g car was mostly stock and for some odd reason it didnt want to rev past 4000rpm checked everything and finaly i checked the plugs and the gaps were way off and just top ask what kind of plugs are you running

 

[91 TSi GP]

also i was working on a friends 2g car was mostly stock and for some odd reason it didnt want to rev past 4000rpm checked everything and finaly i checked the plugs and the gaps were way off and just top ask what kind of plugs are you running

The copper NGK plugs

 

[chanley talon]

How old are the spark plug wires? I have seen this do this first hand because when the car gets under boost the spark is to weak to keep up. So how old are your wires and did they get in oil ?

 

[91 TSi GP]

How old are the spark plug wires? I have seen this do this first hand because when the car gets under boost the spark is to weak to keep up. So how old are your wires and did they get in oil ?

You have a point here, the wires are probably getting pretty old because ive had the car about 8 months and they were on it when i got it and they looked pretty old then. And yes they have been exposed to some oil i believe. I think im going to be picking up some new plugs and wires tonight...

 

[91 TSi GP]

Awesome Summits got some nice Taylor Wires in stock, im heading up there tonight to pick a set up and see if this works..

 

[chanley talon]

Let us know if it is fixed by the wires?

 

[91 TSi GP]

Let us know if it is fixed by the wires?

well last night i was busy i managed to get to summit though. they didnt have the wires i wanted in stock (bastards) so i picked up a nice set of ngk's and some new ngk plugs. tonight i will put these on and pray it works!

 

[risknjtsi]

dont forget to gap the plugs to .028

 

[91 TSi GP]

dont forget to gap the plugs to .028

yeah i always double check the gap ever since i got 3 out of 4 were like .15 or something before

 

[91 TSi GP]

new plugs and wires didnt help much.. so i got my hands on a car adapter for my laptop finally. It looks as if im hitting a hella big fuel cut and im running lean as it is already. A good tune and i should be good to go.

 

[DSM_Zak]

Two words, Seven letters, and the most common DSM problem:

Fuel Cut.

get it tuned, or turn down the boost to see if it helps or changed anything.

 

[91 TSi GP]

i figured this out last night. i was almost certain i had a bad head gasket so i started taking things off to get the head off.. well i was taking my charge pipes off and decided to take my MAF off just to check things out and bam water poured out. my damn innercooler was filled with water causing my MAF to be constantly wet and causing the whitish smoke i was seeing. This whole time and it was something simple like that. Anyways i got my innercooler and MAF here at work and im going to spend my whole lunch break blowing these things out and trying to get them dry