Q: 2.0 jetta missfire coukd i be a blown head

asked by on March 19, 2017

My 2.0 jetta has a cylinder 2 and 3 missfire and needs a o2 sensor and blows a little white when started couks this mean my head is going My car has a manual transmission.

Engine is misfiring Inspection $94.99 - $114.99 Get a Quote

It may certainly be a head gasket or cylinder head issue. Remove the spark plugs being sure to place them in order. You ,may find that the plugs from cylinders 2 and 3 are a bit more ashy white compared to 1 and 4. Coolant may be leaking between those two cylinders and into the combustion chambers. The coolant may be sitting on top of the pistons until you restart the vehicle - the cause of the white smoke. Have a certified technician look into the misfiring to locate the cause. More than likely the head gasket is at fault and should be repairable. Replace anything that is removed during the repair process with new parts. While it is apart, replace the timing belt, tensioner, water pump, thermostat, and maybe hoses. Get it looked at as soon as possible as prolonged driving in this condition may cause more severe engine failure.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

Get an instant quote for your car

Our certified mechanics come to you ・Backed by 12-month, 12,000-mile guarantee・Fair and transparent pricing


Experienced Mechanic?

Earn up to $70/hr

What others are asking

I have a spark plug stuck in the motor
As a certified master technician for many years this has been one of the most publicized problems seen by me and my colleagues in the field. There are a multitude of suggestions, comments, lawsuits, fixes, complaints and none will help...
Air conditioning blows hot air
Hello. If the AC will not blow cold air, then it may indeed be low on refrigerant. Most AC systems will not allow you to simply add refrigerant without jumping the compressor to get it to turn on. If the...
My vehicle was hotwired and vandalized
There will be a few things that will need to be addressed. A qualified mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, will need to drain all the gas/sugar from the gas tank and all lines. And the ignition switch (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/ignition-switch-replacement) and wiring...
Ac temp only gets to 56 degrees
The pressures look good but a little high on both the low and high side. This would all depend on outside temperature and humidity outside. When you want to see how cold your A/C can get out of the vents,...
High RPMs on a 4-cylinder engine
Your vehicle redlines at 6,600 RPM. If you have an automatic transmission in your vehicle, don't worry. A properly operating automatic transmission (https://www.yourmechanic.com/article/how-an-automatic-transmission-works) is designed to keep your engine in the correct operating range. The transmission control module will adjust...
Grinding noise and backfiring during startup
The starter on this vehicle requires a shim, so its possible that got left out when the starter was replaced. This could cause starter engagement problems and the metal on metal noise you're hearing (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/car-is-making-a-noise-inspection). Backfiring (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/engine-is-backfiring-inspection), on the other...
car will turn over but will not start i cannot tell if it's getting fuel or not. how do i know if it is getting fuel
You will have a fuel test port on the fuel rail that you can hook up a fuel pressure gauge to. Depending on the motor your pressure would need to be around 40psi. You can listen to the fuel pump...
Car stalls at 30-40mph and then drops to 10mph - 2011 Porsche Panamera
Start with the problem code from engine: is it the camshaft position sensor (https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/camshaft-position-sensor-replacement), camshaft timing actuator, or something else? The symptoms you describe could certainly be caused by a failure of the camshaft timing mechanism. A YourMechanic professional can...
Groaning / binding noise when turning the wheels. I put on a used power steering pump from wrecking yard and the sound still is present.
Hi there. The noises that admit when the power steering is moving is the pump. The other parts will not make any noise except for a water swishing noise as the fluid moves from side to side in the steering...

Related articles

A Buyer’s Guide to the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid
Whether Whether you’re new to the hybrid wave or an old hat, the 2012 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid gives you exactly what you’re looking for – a comfortable, luxurious ride that provides decent fuel economy. Key Features This hybrid option from...
The Best Used Cars to Buy If You're a Personal Trainer
As As a personal trainer, you either operate out of a gym, or you go to your clients. Either way, you probably don’t have to haul any more gear than what fits into your gym bag, so your main focus...
Ten Sports Cars That Double as Good Daily Drivers
The best daily driver is a car that's reliable, usable, and still fun to drive. Popular daily sports cars include the BMW M3, Subaru WRX, and VW GTI.