Engine cutting out when driving. Help please!

Joy

New Member
Hi all, this is my first post. Hoping someone can help with a serious issue. Sorry its very long!

We have a 2018 T6 DSG which keeps cutting out intermittently and is also going into limp mode now and then. We've had a few separate issues which I'll list. I ended up in quite a serious situation a few days ago and I'm now too scared to use it. It might be irrelevant but we had a ghost immobiliser fitted in August 2022 but we're pretty certain that's not causing the fault.

1st problem- I got in the van, turned on ignition, entered the code and started the engine. I drove forward about 2-3 metres and the engine cut out completely, like it had stalled. The hazards started flashing. Tried to cycle the key to start but it wouldn't start until I took the key out and started again. This problem has happened quite a few times now. We did originally think it was something to do with the ghost but now not sure.

2nd problem- a few weeks ago my husband was driving the car and it went into a limp mode. There was a spanner symbol flashing on the dash and it wouldn't change up or down the gears. He managed to pull over, turned it off and restarted and it went back to normal. He did a code read on it and it came up with, gear actuator 2 cannot be regulated-intermitent.

Since then the engine management light has come on to say glow plug #1 needs replaced.

3rd problem! 4 days ago I was driving home and had been in the van for about 15 minutes in heavy traffic. I joined a dual carriageway and as I accelerated, it went into limp mode, the spanners flashing, I'm in 4th gear but it won't change up or down. I knew there was a lay-by about 200 metres away so I decided to limp my way there to turn it off. I moved from lane 2 to lane 1 and just as I approached the lay-by the van very suddenly cut out and stopped dead. I was probably doing around 30mph. It lost all power and the hazards came on, it was in Drive at the time so didnt roll and felt like id just hit a wall. I frantically tried to restart it by cycling the key but nothing. I was still in Drive so shifted into Park. It started but when I put it into Drive it wouldn't move. I decided at this point to get out as there were cars flying up behind me in the dark doing 50mph and it felt very unsafe! I stood at the side of the road for about 15 minutes, waving to other drivers to alert them. An ambulance pulled over and offered to give me a push. I asked them to stay parked behind me so I could jump in try it again. Got in, punched the code in and it started straight up!!! My husband came and drove it home as I was in a state of utter panic. We did another code read and got the following list of faults. They've all been erased and only the glow plug one comes back on.

P067100 glow plug 1, electrical fault on circuit- intermittent

P223800 connection for the pump current of oxygen sensor 1 short circuit to ground - intermittent

P157000 ecu blocked - intermittent (pretty certain this from the ghost. Starting up without entering code)

B139700 function limitation due to crash signal - intermittent

P176C00 gear actuator 3 cannot be regulated - intermittent

P305B00 transmission in limp home mode - intermittent

Can anyone offer any advice or have any experience of this happening to them? We don't think any of these codes could be causing it to just cut out like that. We had the ghost removed the very next day, just to rule it out but we're pretty sure it's not that as once it's disarmed it can't come back on.

Thanks for reading and apologies for the long post
 
Woooo! That’s quite a serious issue if your vehicle cuts out. I would get the Van recovered to a reputable garage - preferably where they know transporters - don’t use it until it’s fixed! Without full diagnostics it’s a guessing game and a process of elimination.
I hope you get sorted soon :)
 
Electrical? Check the battery connections and earthing?
 
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Also check exposed wiring, cables etc. for fox / rat / mouse damage.
 
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Thanks, we've done that. Wondering if it's somewhere we can't see. Definitely sounds electrical though
 
Woooo! That’s quite a serious issue if your vehicle cuts out. I would get the Van recovered to a reputable garage - preferably where they know transporters - don’t use it until it’s fixed! Without full diagnostics it’s a guessing game and a process of elimination.
I hope you get sorted soon :)
We are the reputable garage!!!
 
Yes, that one did raise eyebrows with us too. I wondered if that had flagged up due to the way I stopped so suddenly. I think it's something to do with airbag sensors, but would this cause it too cut out?
 
Yes, that one did raise eyebrows with us too. I wondered if that had flagged up due to the way I stopped so suddenly. I think it's something to do with airbag sensors, but would this cause it too cut out?

The others aren't ever so uncommon, this one is the one that stands out to me, although I'm no expert.
Yes, that one did raise eyebrows with us too. I wondered if that had flagged up due to the way I stopped so suddenly. I think it's something to do with airbag sensors, but would this cause it too cut out?
 
Sorry! I keep replying on the post rather than clicking to reply to the individual comments ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
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Cutting power and hazards coming on are activated when the crash detection kicks in. Couple that with crash detection fault recorded, that is a thread I would pull.
 
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