Hi guys. My wife’s 2010 tdi has developed a vibration when cold mainly from 2nd gear upwards. Also sounds a bit tapperty when you accelerate a bit too hard when it is vibrating! Once warmed up the vibration does go away. Is this a common issue or a bit of an unknown?! She’s had the car nearly a year and it’s been a dream apart from this issue. Any help or ideas would be grateful 

34 minutes ago, martyn271985 said:

Hi guys. My wife’s 2010 tdi has developed a vibration when cold mainly from 2nd gear upwards. Also sounds a bit tapperty when you accelerate a bit too hard when it is vibrating! Once warmed up the vibration does go away. Is this a common issue or a bit of an unknown?! She’s had the car nearly a year and it’s been a dream apart from this issue. Any help or ideas would be grateful 

Hi could be a number of variables from engine mounts to a dodgy injector, best get the car scanned for faults as thats the best place to start.

Steve.

If it was a dodgy injector would the eml come on? I was thinking it’s more mechanical as no warning lights present. 

The absense of a warning light is not significant. There are less than a dozen such lights but many hundreds of possible error codes, so it is impossible to have a light for each. Scanning for error codes is the best starting point as Steve said.

Would you be able to recommend a reader to scan for codes? There’s quite a few to choose from! 

Personally no as I have never used one, however the opinions of those with more expertise on the forum such as Spartacus and Stevey Y can be relied on. I suspect they will suggest VCDS. Cheap scanners can not discriminate every fault, that's why they are cheap.

On 12/30/2025 at 5:16 PM, martyn271985 said:

If it was a dodgy injector would the eml come on? I was thinking it’s more mechanical as no warning lights present. 

Hi not necessarily thats the idea of getting it scanned as often a light wont appear until the item concerned has totalled itself, get your local garage to give it a scan as if they have half decent equipment it will flush any codes out and probably cost you a drink.

Steve.

Could be an injector. You’d usually see some smoke, but not necessarily an engine management light until further down the line if problem persists. The copper washers wear on them allowing combustion blow-by. If replacing, then the injector bolts need renewed as they are torque to yield. There’s also an art to getting them out.

Old school approach, run a can of Forte diesel conditioner in it at 1/4 tank and drive it like you stole it. Replace fuel filter afterwards. If car is due a timing belt at some point, then I’d avoid that step.

VCDS can see injector flow rates, so that’s what I would do first and take it from there.

Were the above replies of any help Martyn? I know you have seen them.

Another P&R time waster.

Car is in the garage now. Thanks for replies, Apologies for delayed reply, life’s busy as it for us all. I’ll update when I get a result. 
what’s a p&R?! 

P&R = Post and Run. Read the warning against you.

Thankyou my friend!