99.5 2.0 - Losing compression in 1st cylinder - kicking/bucking whendriving

"Pete Foley" > wrote in message
news:f2d4b745-8423-4a12-8253-

snip

> Also it may just be me - but it seems that when starting from a stop -
> if I let it idle forward for a second, and then slowly/gently accel -
> it is better. If I jump too fast it could hesitating/kicking. But as
> soon as I feel that first hesitation I need to floor it in order to
> save it from going into it's kicking-no throttle-limping along-death
> spiral.

I would suggest having someone drive it and have the tech look at the
scanner/reader to see what the ECM is reading during those times that the
engine is acting up.

What spark plugs are you running again?
I have pulled out sooo many of them that were causing running problems like
you described, bad acceleration and missing.
Your system doesn't like certain spark plugs especially some of the ones
purchased from the local part stores! At least that has been my experience.
Original Equipment parts are always good to install! ;-)

good luck and keep us updated!

On Jan 27, 4:16*pm, Pete Foley > wrote:
> And can anyone recommend a Good VW shop in the Philly area?

Not quite in the Philly area unless you are north or east.

Hillside Auto Repair in Jenkintown. They are in the book.

They handle our 1999 VR6 camper, 2001 Saab 9.5SE and 2005 Volvo XC70.
They ain't cheap, but they do it right the first time. And they have a
habit of turning $1000 repairs into $200 repairs for that reason
alone. They are very good at letting you know what to expect over the
next few months and what to watch after for maintenance (see "could
wait" below). They fix anything with an IC engine...

A Foreign Car specialist after Hillside would be Elkins Park Auto
Works on York and Church. Rather pricey, right along dealer-costs -
but again not given to fixing something for the sake of it. At the
same time, Larry will very much want to persuade you to fix those
things that "could wait". We go to them when Hillside is overbooked
and we are unable to wait. Larry will fix anything but prefers
foreign.

Both are honest. Hillside is preferred based on cost.

Peter Wieck
Wyncote, PA

In article >,
Pete Foley > wrote:
>And can anyone recommend a Good VW shop in the Philly area?

Go to click and clacks website http://www.cartalk.com/ and under the
mechanics files look for a shop in your area for a VW guy. Terry's in
Fallsington is supposed to be excellent.


--
Jeeps and dubs and everything's nice...

In article >,
Pete Foley > wrote:
>
>>
>> Hmmm problem not fixed.............=............no charge!
>> Problem fixed..................=................charge!
>> What is wrong with getting your $$$$ back?
>> At least that is how I feel!
>
>I feel the same - but at this point I've paid for the new parts in it
>and the labor to put them in. When this was 1/2 way thru (when I

[snip]

I say write a review on yahoo local for all the places you went. Everyone
should do it. It will help those in need for a future mechanic. The reviews
really help.
--
Jeeps and dubs and everything's nice...

Ok - So it has been in this new shop (another VW/audi/porsche specific
non-dealear shop like the previous) since last Thursday - and they
have "found the problem".

They don't think it has anything to do w/ the head. I had asked them
to do a leak down test and compression test but they said that they
didn't do those because the symptoms did not act like it was an engine/
head problem. They said the car is firing on all cylinders and is
solid. There may be a compression leak but it would not cause this
problem. All in all the engine fires and runs pretty well.

So what they did find is that the wiring harness that lead from the
battery to the ecu and other components (including throttle body) had
gotten sorta wedged underneath the tranny and the coating had totally
rubbed away and wires were exposed - touching each other and the metal
on the tranny as well.

They said that when they had the car on and touched the wires to the
tranny or each other the car would stall out. Doing this it would not
go into the kicking problem - but they could replicate the kicking
problem when driving. They said one of the wires exposed was going to
the throttle body (But now that I think about it - I have a drive by
cable so does it need electricity?)

So they are fixing the wires up and getting it back to me today. So
I'll see if this was it - he is confident this is the problem. I'm
just so pessimistic about all of this at this point I just don't
really believe him- but I'll see. It took them quite a while to find
this - so the labor fee is high, but I expected that.

Anyway - just thought I would update. It doesn't make sense to me
that if this was the problem why it would take a bit of driving for it
to act up - although while initially it was about 45 mins it now does
it almost immediately - so maybe it was just getting worse. Also this
does sorta make sense as to why it would be worse when making a right
hand turn - it would hit the tranny in that case and start shorting
out.

So - sound believable?

Thanks,
-Pete

So from the invoice description:

"Diagnose hesitation and lack of power (sometimes around corners),
check fault codes, car loses throttle adaptation around corners
sometimes, remove air filter housing, battery and tray to inspect
wiring harness from throttle body, main wiring harness was chafing
against transmission housing and grounding throttle housing wiring,
remove upper radiator hose and oil cooler hoses to repair wiring,
replace coolant flange at back of cylinder head and reset codes."

They said the coolant flange broke on them when they were taking the
radiator hose off so that's what that's about.

It got me home OK (when I went to drop it off it acted up on the whole
10 minute trip). I'm going out test driving tonight so I'll see...

Pete Foley > wrote in news:ecf119d9-e368-44c2-8724-
:

> Ok - So it has been in this new shop (another VW/audi/porsche specific
> non-dealear shop like the previous) since last Thursday - and they
> have "found the problem".
>
> They don't think it has anything to do w/ the head. I had asked them
> to do a leak down test and compression test but they said that they
> didn't do those because the symptoms did not act like it was an
engine/
> head problem. They said the car is firing on all cylinders and is
> solid. There may be a compression leak but it would not cause this
> problem. All in all the engine fires and runs pretty well.
>
> So what they did find is that the wiring harness that lead from the
> battery to the ecu and other components (including throttle body) had
> gotten sorta wedged underneath the tranny and the coating had totally
> rubbed away and wires were exposed - touching each other and the metal
> on the tranny as well.
>
> They said that when they had the car on and touched the wires to the
> tranny or each other the car would stall out. Doing this it would not
> go into the kicking problem - but they could replicate the kicking
> problem when driving. They said one of the wires exposed was going to
> the throttle body (But now that I think about it - I have a drive by
> cable so does it need electricity?)
>
> So they are fixing the wires up and getting it back to me today. So
> I'll see if this was it - he is confident this is the problem. I'm
> just so pessimistic about all of this at this point I just don't
> really believe him- but I'll see. It took them quite a while to find
> this - so the labor fee is high, but I expected that.
>
> Anyway - just thought I would update. It doesn't make sense to me
> that if this was the problem why it would take a bit of driving for it
> to act up - although while initially it was about 45 mins it now does
> it almost immediately - so maybe it was just getting worse. Also this
> does sorta make sense as to why it would be worse when making a right
> hand turn - it would hit the tranny in that case and start shorting
> out.
>
> So - sound believable?
>
> Thanks,
> -Pete

Yes totally. Your very lucky it didn't toast the alternator diodes.
how many batteries have you gone through in the last year? I suspected
a bad ground as a possibility, although shorting anything that is
postive to the ground depending upon what it's attached to could totally
be the deal.

Thanks for letting us to know, I've been wracking my brain since you
first posted.

I knew it wasn't the engine, of that I was 100% sure.

On Feb 13, 9:32 pm, TheDM > wrote:
> Pete Foley > wrote in news:ecf119d9-e368-44c2-8724-
> :
>
>
>
>
>
> > Ok - So it has been in this new shop (another VW/audi/porsche specific
> > non-dealear shop like the previous) since last Thursday - and they
> > have "found the problem".
>
> > They don't think it has anything to do w/ the head. I had asked them
> > to do a leak down test and compression test but they said that they
> > didn't do those because the symptoms did not act like it was an
> engine/
> > head problem. They said the car is firing on all cylinders and is
> > solid. There may be a compression leak but it would not cause this
> > problem. All in all the engine fires and runs pretty well.
>
> > So what they did find is that the wiring harness that lead from the
> > battery to the ecu and other components (including throttle body) had
> > gotten sorta wedged underneath the tranny and the coating had totally
> > rubbed away and wires were exposed - touching each other and the metal
> > on the tranny as well.
>
> > They said that when they had the car on and touched the wires to the
> > tranny or each other the car would stall out. Doing this it would not
> > go into the kicking problem - but they could replicate the kicking
> > problem when driving. They said one of the wires exposed was going to
> > the throttle body (But now that I think about it - I have a drive by
> > cable so does it need electricity?)
>
> > So they are fixing the wires up and getting it back to me today. So
> > I'll see if this was it - he is confident this is the problem. I'm
> > just so pessimistic about all of this at this point I just don't
> > really believe him- but I'll see. It took them quite a while to find
> > this - so the labor fee is high, but I expected that.
>
> > Anyway - just thought I would update. It doesn't make sense to me
> > that if this was the problem why it would take a bit of driving for it
> > to act up - although while initially it was about 45 mins it now does
> > it almost immediately - so maybe it was just getting worse. Also this
> > does sorta make sense as to why it would be worse when making a right
> > hand turn - it would hit the tranny in that case and start shorting
> > out.
>
> > So - sound believable?
>
> > Thanks,
> > -Pete
>
> Yes totally. Your very lucky it didn't toast the alternator diodes.
> how many batteries have you gone through in the last year? I suspected
> a bad ground as a possibility, although shorting anything that is
> postive to the ground depending upon what it's attached to could totally
> be the deal.
>
> Thanks for letting us to know, I've been wracking my brain since you
> first posted.
>
> I knew it wasn't the engine, of that I was 100% sure.

Um - I think last Feb/March I had a new battery and alternator put
in. But this kicking problem did not start up until late November -
so I don't think they were related - but maybe.

So far so good. I've been doing a fair amount of driving (I usually
don't do too much) and it is still doing OK. I'll give it some more
time - a few more weeks and see before I totally believe it is 100%
fixed. I'll keep you updated.

And thanks again. I think someone mentioned that this was probably a
simple problem that was just difficult to find - it seems like that
may have been the case. Thanks!

-Pete