VW Crafter Diesel Injection Problems & Fixes

I had a very similar issue with my 2004 VW Transporter TDI about six months ago. As someone with moderate experience in diesel engine maintenance, I recognized those exact symptoms, rough running, check engine light, and drift compensation errors in the onboard diagnostics. Initially tried a reset procedure on the fuel injection system, but the problem returned within days. After proper diagnosis at the workshop, they found one faulty injector causing uneven fuel delivery. The complete fix included: Full diagnostic scan, Injector removal and testing, Replacement of one defective injection valve, System recalibration, Reset of all related sensors Total repair cost was 515€, which included parts and labor. The workshop completed everything in one day, and the engine has run perfectly since then. Before suggesting more specific solutions, could you share: Current mileage on your Crafter? Are you experiencing any black smoke? Have you noticed increased fuel consumption? Which error codes exactly does your diagnostic scan show? This information would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced with my Transporter, as these car sensors can sometimes throw similar codes for different underlying problems.

Last service was at 165000KM and current problems started showing around 168274KM. Experiencing exactly the matching symptoms, rough idle, error codes, and compensation adjustment issues. The airflow sensors also show irregular readings. My diagnostic reveals P0101 and P0401 codes. Noticed significant black smoke and poor fuel economy lately. The workshop quoted 780€ for a complete system overhaul including injector testing and replacement. Based on the feedback, seems like reset procedure alone might not fix it. Will probably need the full repair to resolve these injection system problems properly. Also checked fuel quality but that doesnt seem to be the issue. The car runs especially rough during cold starts and fuel consumption has increased by about 20% over the last month.

Thanks for providing those details about your Crafter. After dealing with this on my Transporter, I can confirm the symptoms match exactly what I experienced, particularly the black smoke and increased fuel consumption. The P0101 and P0401 codes, combined with rough cold starts, strongly suggest a fuel delivery problem rather than just drift compensation issues. When my Transporter showed similar symptoms around 170000KM, the initial performance tuning and system reset provided only temporary relief. The onboard diagnostics eventually revealed that attempting minor fixes just delayed addressing the real problem. In hindsight, the 515€ I spent on proper repair was worth it compared to attempting multiple smaller fixes. The quoted 780€ for your Crafter seems reasonable considering the complete system overhaul includes: Full injection system diagnosis, Injector testing and replacement, Reset quantity drift compensation, System calibration One tip from my experience: request the workshop to perform a thorough fuel system cleaning before the new components are installed. This preventive step helped ensure optimal performance after my repair. Based on your mileage and symptoms, proceeding with the full repair should resolve both the performance issues and error codes permanently, just as it did with my vehicle.

Based on everyones feedback and my mileage readings, decided to proceed with the full repair. After reviewing the symptoms and comparing experiences, a simple reset procedure would likely be insufficient for resolving these fuel injection system problems. Scheduled the complete overhaul for next week. The 780€ cost seems justified given the comprehensive work scope and matches reported repair experiences. My drift compensation values and error codes clearly point to more than just a calibration issue. The fuel economy impact and rough running symptoms have gotten worse, so addressing this properly now makes more sense than trying partial fixes. Will ensure they perform the system cleaning suggestion before installing new components. The matching experiences with similar mileage vehicles confirms this is likely the right approach for a permanent fix. The clearer diagnostic picture helped evaluate my situation, especially knowing that temporary resets typically dont solve these injection system problems long-term. Will update once the repair is completed to confirm if this resolves the P0101 and P0401 codes completely.