A few weeks ago, the ol Jetta started doing weird things with power. It threw a CEL and I got codes P2293 and P0087 from it. It seemed like at about 1500RPMs, the engine would lose power or buck a little. The codes seem to indicate something about the fuel system or fuel pressure.
Youtube research showed a handful of potential causes, all having to do with the fuel system. After studying some more, last week I bought a cam follower, which I remember reading about way back in the early VW days. I don't know much about them other than they were the cheapest of the potential solutions, costing about $25 or so, and easy enough to verify.
After getting the part, I used a video, took the engine cover off, then the fuel pump and then fished out the cam follower. Sure enough, it was shot. Like literally.
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| That giant hole isn't supposed to be there |
The ride home was a little janky. I've taken to moving to manual shift when it pops up; that seems to help holding it at a certain RPM. It also seems better when not driving uphill, which around here, can be an issue.
YouTube research showed the next cheapest and quickest option was the fuel filter. It is located right in front of the rear right wheel and looked to be an easy replacement. I don't think the fuel filter has ever been replaced since I've had the GLI going on almost 7 years now. I broke my Amazon boycott for price and quickness and got the part here on Saturday. I put it off yesterday as I wasn't feeling great, and even though I felt lousy today (and stayed home with pink eye), I tried to swap out the part.
Videos showed it was easy enough. Jack up the car, remove the wheel (optional, but I did it), undo 3 tubes, swap out the filter. There would be some fuel dribbling out, but shouldn't take more than 10 minutes or so, and most of that time would be taking off and reinstalling the wheel.
For me, of course, it took maybe an hour or more. I probably spent 45 minutes trying to remove the third tube that sends the fuel from the back of the car to the engine. That MF tube had a clamp that was so tight to get to, laying on my back, threading my hands and fingers between tubes and wires, and with no room to get any leverage. I went back and forth. I had to call Mom and her doctor's office. I had to keep wiping my eye (pink eye goop). It was super frustrating.
Finally, I used a flathead screwdriver between the base of the tube and the filter, used another finger to press the clip, then cranked with the flathead. Poof, off it came. Had I done that first, I would've had that thing off in seconds. Then I struggled a bit with getting the frickin filter out of its clamp. Once I did that, it took all of 3 minutes to put it all back together, and then the wheel and we were good to go.
I reset the CEL and took it for a drive and it surged and bucked a little, but I took that to be the air in the line, like when I change the drinking filter in the fridge. Tonight after dinner, I took it to get my Rx and yup, more error codes. I'm going to order a fuel pump now and replace that. That should be pretty easy, since I had to remove the old one anyway to get to the cam follower. I don't know if I can see what's wrong with this one; maybe bits of the cam follower are stuck in it? No idea.
If this doesn't work, it's shop time. I wish I could just pull the f'n trigger and get an Ioniq 5, but man, it's just not the right time right now. Though I think it would be one of those things that would work itself out and 6 months from now, I'll wonder why I didn't get one sooner.
But for now, it's more DIY stuff with the GLI and, though I like doing it, it's sort of a pain. I sure would love a new/newer car right about now. I just gotta be patient.
