VW Touran Misfire: Camshaft Sensor Problems Explained

Having dealt with a very similar issue on my 2009 VW Golf with the same engine family, I can share some insight. I have moderate experience working on VWs and faced this exact problem last winter. The symptoms you describe match what I experienced, engine misfires, stalling at idle, and an illuminated check engine light. Initially, I also suspected just a faulty camshaft sensor, but the actual diagnosis revealed a defective encoder wheel on the camshafts. The repair involved: Complete diagnostic scan, Removal and inspection of camshaft sensor, Replacement of the encoder wheel, System reset and testing Total cost was 695€ including parts and labor. The repair solved all issues completely, no more stalling, misfires, or check engine warnings. Before jumping to conclusions, could you share: Current mileage, Whether the check engine light flashes or stays constant, If the problem gets better after the engine warms up, Any recent maintenance history This information would help confirm if your issue matches the encoder wheel problem I encountered. Sometimes these symptoms can also point to crankshaft sensor issues or ignition coil failures.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I wish I had checked my mileage before getting similar issues. Currently at 30230km with my last service just completed. The strange part is my check engine light stays constantly on rather than flashing, even after the engine warms up. The crankshaft sensor testing might be worth looking into first since it could be a simpler fix than replacing the encoder wheel. I will share the diagnostic results once I get them from the shop.

Based on my experience with the same VW Golf issue, I should mention that my check engine light also stayed constant rather than flashing. While a flashing light typically indicates severe misfires, the constant light in our cases points more toward sensor-related problems. After sensor testing on my vehicle, we found the crankshaft sensor was actually working fine. The diagnostic scan showed specific error codes related to camshaft position, which led us to discover the encoder wheel issue. With similar mileage to yours at the time (around 32000km), it makes sense to see these components starting to show wear. One thing I noticed before the repair, the engine control system would sometimes compensate for the failing sensor, making the problem seem intermittent. This might explain why your symptoms persist even after warm-up, just like mine did. If your diagnostic results show similar error codes, you might want to have both the encoder wheel and camshaft sensor checked. The labor cost for accessing these components is significant, so it makes sense to inspect and potentially replace both while everything is apart. The total repair should be comparable to what I paid (695€), unless prices have changed significantly since my repair last winter.

The engine testing results came back from the shop today. You were spot on about the ignition timing issues being related to the encoder wheel. They found exactly what you described, the camshaft position sensor was giving incorrect readings due to a worn encoder wheel. The mechanic mentioned the crankshaft sensor tested fine, just like in your case. Decided to follow your advice and had them replace both the encoder wheel and camshaft sensor while they were in there. Total bill came to 720€, pretty close to what you paid. Engine now starts perfectly even when cold, and the check engine light has stayed off. Really glad I got this sorted before it caused any additional engine control problems. Will update this thread if anything changes, but so far the fix seems complete. Thanks again for steering me in the right direction with such detailed information about your similar experience.