Q3 Fault Codes

[tomds]

. 

Hi Everyone,

I brought a 2012 Q3 last week and drove it 250 miles to North Wales on Monday. It came from a local used car dealer and they told me they had to replace the MAF sensor prior to me collecting it.

During my trip up here the EML light came on and I’ve had a few issues starting it. The car will start and idle roughly and then cut out. I can counter this by revving the engine and after a few seconds it will run okay. Sometimes the car starts without doing this, it’s quite sporadic. 

In order to be on the safe side I decided to run it to a local garage in Wales and have it plugged in to a reader. It has thrown up the following faults.

P0101 Mass or volume air flow sensor A circuit range or performance.

P2178 system too rich off idle bank 1.
P2188 system too rich at idle bank 1.

P0444 EVAP system purge control valve A circuit open.

P0351 Ignition coil A Primary/Secondary circuit. 
 

The chap at the garage said he thinks it might be related to the MAF sensor and he looked at the housing and said he didn’t think it had been replaced. I know that the actual sensor isn’t visible without removal and I don’t have any tools with me to look currently. 
 

I was just wondering if anyone else has had this sequence of codes thrown up before and if so what was the issue? 
 

TIA

Edited August 14 by tomds

[Magnet]

Hello and welcome Thomas,

My strong advice would be not to fiddle with anything on this car, but to e-mail ( so that you have a record) the seller, and outline your concerns, and ask them to rectify the issue. If they cannot fix it to your satisfaction, then you should have an option of returning the car within 30 days for a full refund. Let’s hope they can fix it for you. 
Perhaps you could let us know how you get on. 
Kind regards, 

Gareth. 

[tomds]

Thanks Gareth, sorry I should have added, the garage I brought it from have said they will look at it when I’m back. I was just curious as to whether anyone has had these codes or knows what the issue could be. I really like the car so ideally I want it fixed rather than having to reject. 

[cliffcoggin]

Thomas.

Do I understand correctly that before you collected the car from the vendor he claimed to have replaced the MAF sensor?

[tomds]

1 minute ago, cliffcoggin said:

Thomas.

Do I understand correctly that before you collected the car from the vendor he claimed to have replaced the MAF sensor?

Yes, that’s what they have said. I wonder if they actually have or not based on that fault code. I suspect they may have just cleaned it but I have no proof without looking at it. 

[cliffcoggin]

My suspicion matches yours.

I suggest you notify the vendor that you have a long trip home from North Wales to Kent with a defective car and ask he if will indemnify you for getting the repair done locally as an alternative to a very expensive long distance recovery.

[tomds]

Just in case anyone suffers the same codes, the fault was identified as being the high pressure fuel pump. This was replaced and the car is now running smoothly. 

[cliffcoggin]

Good news, and kudos to the garage for replacing the pump thereby eating a large chunk of its profit.