TD4 lacks power after going through puddles

Hello everyone, I'm new here but have been reading the forums for sometime but never got round to registering...........until this problem I have arose

I have a 2002 TD4 5 speed manual which I have owned for about 5/6 years with relatively trouble free motoring excet for having to replace clutch, water pump/thermostat and both fuel pumps, shes now on 165,000 miles and still drives really well, except for when it meets puddles

The problem first surfaced a couple of months ago when we had a heavy downpour and I was going through numerous puddles on my way home from work (puddles were no more than 4 inches deep) and the engine lost power virtually within a minute of going through the puddles. It would tick over smoothly and could rev upto 2000rpm but as soon as I attempted to drive it would not go above tick over, this would continue for about 20 minutes after and then would go back to normal as long as I avoided the puddles.
Then last week we had another downpour and came across a 6/8 inch puddle stretching across the whole of a road, so I crept through the puddle at tick over speed, hoping whatever was causing the problem would not be affected, unfortunately it still did the same and ended up sitting on the side of the road for 20 minutes waiting for the lack of power to clear.

The first time it happened I was thinking maybe the water was flooding a sensor in the engine bay, but after going through the puddle last week at a snails pace I'm wondering if the ABS sensors can cause the engine to go into limp mode????????

Any advice/ideas welcome

Strange one that, mate, and welcome by the way. I have 2003 Td4 been through 12 inches of the stuff sometimes deeper, never had any issues.

Normally limp mode is the injuns way of self preservation, cant see the ABS sensors putting it into limp mode, perhaps water getting in somewhere else? air intake? soaking your air filter and 20 mins wait drys it out? Any dash lights on?

Hi Cox325, thanks for the welcome

No warning lights coming on at all, it just rapidly loses power until it can only tick over. If I park up and try revving the engine it will gradually rev upto about 2000 revs, but will drop to tick over as soon as the engine gets any load put on it. Maybe it could be water in the intake, but the last puddle I went through I deliberately went slow so as not to throw water up the O/S wing area
I used to go through deepish water no problem at all.....just getting a bit embarrassing when you start to worry that its raining and it would be safer bet to go out in the Golf :doh:

Think there's an air intake at the front offside wing. Must go into a cavity between inner wing and mud guard. Maybe there's a hole in it? Just a thought.

Hi - had a similar problem with my previous TD4. Mine would recover immediately if I turned it off an restarted but would soon return when driving.

On mine, it turned out to be the turbo boost soleniod. Cost about £35 amd was relatively simple to change. I think there is a thread in the forum somewhere.

more than likly to be somthing to do with turbo and it could be boost solenoid as they are at the back of the engin and water can get thrown up there

hi, just wondering if you ever got to the bottom of this problem, just today i went through water and the engine now seems to go into a limp home mode... i was on my way back from a days shooting and took a short cut down a back road with a ford... the ford was crossed with ease and everything seemed okay, after about another 5 miles the engine warning light came on, i carried on round some corners to get to a safe place to pull over and in doing so the engine revs dropped to 2000rpm and wouldn't go any higher. on turning the engine off and back on, the light comes on for about 10 seconds then disappears, to return randomly from anywhere between 2 and 5 miles...

have yu checked yo air filter?

i haven't tried anything as i got home in the dark and im waiting for tomorrows daylight..
i was just wondering if anyone had had the same problem and knew of the remedy, thanks for the advice.

i've been through some really deep water ( not planned just very deep pudles on the A59 at 50 plus) and no problems, also 2 feet plus on the Malham road and still no issue....

Hi all,new here,I have had same problem on FL1 TD4,water in boost solenoid and in line air filter for same hope this is of help.

just noticed the original post is a year old, ,

but im guessing it was a turbo related issue, maybe sticking vane actuator map sensor?

wwwoz 69 are you still with us ?

mad hat man,, are you still in basingstoke

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