# Herky Jerky Beetle Dance



## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

So I have spent a couple of hours pouring over this forum and online trying to find someone else who is experiencing the same problem I am having with my car to no avail. As a last ditch effort I am going to post here and see if any of the gearheads can figure it out or have seen/heard of this happening.
I have a 2012 2.0L Launch Edition Turbo Beetle with a manual transmission that I bought new in August of 2012. Last winter while driving the car with the engine cold and under moderate acceleration in third gear I experienced a VERY subtle dragging, jerking, braking feeling. It only did it when the engine was cold and it was cold outside.
I took it to the dealer and they of course could not reproduce the problem and there were no fault codes on the ECU.
I took it home and just hoped the problem would get bad enough for them to be able to notice it.
Well now I feel like it is.
The car does this subtle dragging, jerking thing almost every time I drive it. It's mostly during moderate acceleration in 3rd and 4th gear. It is at the dealer now and they drove it quite a bit and did not feel it.The head mechanic is going to submit a ticket to VW to see if anyone else is complaining of this same problem. They are also going to drive it more tomorrow to see if they can reproduce the problem.
This is NOT a clutch problem.
Has anyone else experienced this?
Any input would be appreciated.


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## vwauditek25 (Aug 6, 2004)

MarkysGirl said:


> So I have spent a couple of hours pouring over this forum and online trying to find someone else who is experiencing the same problem I am having with my car to no avail. As a last ditch effort I am going to post here and see if any of the gearheads can figure it out or have seen/heard of this happening.
> I have a 2012 2.0L Launch Edition Turbo Beetle with a manual transmission that I bought new in August of 2012. Last winter while driving the car with the engine cold and under moderate acceleration in third gear I experienced a VERY subtle dragging, jerking, braking feeling. It only did it when the engine was cold and it was cold outside.
> I took it to the dealer and they of course could not reproduce the problem and there were no fault codes on the ECU.
> I took it home and just hoped the problem would get bad enough for them to be able to notice it.
> ...


Has the ECM been updated with the newest software????


Volkswagen of Crystal Lake
VW Master technician 
Authorized Unitronic dealer 
13 CC and 15 Jetta Sport


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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

I don't know. Is this something that would happen during routine maintenance? I take the car religiously for service. I can definitely ask about that tomorrow when I talk to the service department.

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## vwauditek25 (Aug 6, 2004)

MarkysGirl said:


> I don't know. Is this something that would happen during routine maintenance? I take the car religiously for service. I can definitely ask about that tomorrow when I talk to the service department.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


Oh wait you have a second gen motor in that so there isn't an update for those might have a bad coilpak or injector going. This sounds like a cold start issue......or does it happen hot?


Volkswagen of Crystal Lake
VW Master technician 
Authorized Unitronic dealer 
13 CC and 15 Jetta Sport


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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

vwauditek25 said:


> Oh wait you have a second gen motor in that so there isn't an update for those might have a bad coilpak or injector going. This sounds like a cold start issue......or does it happen hot?
> 
> 
> Volkswagen of Crystal Lake
> ...


When it first started, it only happened when the engine was cold, AND it was cold outside (under 40 degrees). Now it happens pretty much the whole time I am driving it. 
Mostly in 3rd and 4th gear under moderate acceleration.

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## vwauditek25 (Aug 6, 2004)

Sounds like possible misfires which sometimes won't set a fault, but that's something the dealer can watch while YOU are driving. I would never drive without a customer in this situation. I would never feel something you feel everyday. 


Volkswagen of Crystal Lake
VW Master technician 
Authorized Unitronic dealer 
13 CC and 15 Jetta Sport


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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

vwauditek25 said:


> Sounds like possible misfires which sometimes won't set a fault, but that's something the dealer can watch while YOU are driving. I would never drive without a customer in this situation. I would never feel something you feel everyday.
> 
> 
> Volkswagen of Crystal Lake
> ...


You would probably feel this. It is subtle but noticeable. The head mechanic did ride with me when I originally took it in the Winter but not since I dropped it off yesterday. We might possibly go for another ride. 
A misfire seems plausible. I'll mention that when I talk to them tomorrow.
Thanks so much for your help here. I'm losing my mind and patience!!!

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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

So an update on this saga. They had my Beetle for a week and got the head mechanic and the regional VW guy involved. So far the turbo has been replaced, the fuel line completely emptied dry and refilled and the ECU replaced. It is still doing it.
It never throws any faults. They have had it hooked up to the computer while driving it and the car thinks it is fine.
I'm taking it back tomorrow for them to work on it some more.
I miss that little Beetle when I don't have it. Hopefully the problem will be resolved soon.

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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

Can you describe what you're feeling a bit more? Is it more braking you're feeling or loss of power? This has me really curious and confused. I'm leaning towards it being a stability control system issue, because it is a sensitive system in these cars.

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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

I took it today and rode with the head mechanic. He said he also drove a 2012 GTI with the same tranny and engine. It did exactly the same thing. 
I can't really describe it better than I did. I guess it more like a braking feeling, but it is really subtle. Now it is only in second gear. The head mechanic said something to VW about it and if they come up with a fix for it I'll be the first to know. 
He suggested putting an APR tune on the car which I did today, and it is still doing it. Apparently it is something this engine just does. It doesn't ever throw any faults on either sensor. They have driven it with the computer plugged into the ECU and while they are feeling it they do not see anything happening. I can never see anything happening with the tach or the turbo gauge.
Other than that little hiccup the car is perfect and I LOVE the APR tune!!!!

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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

That makes me think stability control even more, like something is tripping it. That's all in the abs module and the tune wouldn't change it. Definitely sub'd to hear the outcome.

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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

Wouldn't it cause a fault?

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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

MarkysGirl said:


> Wouldn't it cause a fault?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


Not if its tripped and the computer thinks the car is doing something its not supposed to, then stability control will kick in and cut power or brake to stop whatever issue it thinks its having. It would be interesting to drive the car with the abs module out of the equation.

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## PooLeArMor (Aug 13, 2008)

how many miles on your car ???


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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

PooLeArMor said:


> how many miles on your car ???


About 35000.

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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

You mention it being a manual transmission car. One item in these cars is the
'two second hold' feature that allows the car to hold its position for two seconds
when stopped on a hill. Just wondering if that feature could be malfunctioning to
the point where it restricts the car moving in various gears? Need a real gear head
to chime in on this.


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## silverspeedbuggy (Aug 8, 2001)

You're not upshifting too early at too low of a speed, are you? I have the same engine in my GLI and if I shift up through the gears too quickly, like say, jumping into third at only 20MPH the engine will bog down becuase it's not making much boost. Once the boost has built up, it takes off. I'm guessing this is not the problem, but just thought I'd ask.


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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

silverspeedbuggy said:


> You're not upshifting too early at too low of a speed, are you? I have the same engine in my GLI and if I shift up through the gears too quickly, like say, jumping into third at only 20MPH the engine will bog down becuase it's not making much boost. Once the boost has built up, it takes off. I'm guessing this is not the problem, but just thought I'd ask.


No, this is not the problem. I've been driving a stick shift for about 20 years. I know what lugging the engine feels like and while occasionally it happens this is very different.

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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

ridgemanron said:


> You mention it being a manual transmission car. One item in these cars is the
> 'two second hold' feature that allows the car to hold its position for two seconds
> when stopped on a hill. Just wondering if that feature could be malfunctioning to
> the point where it restricts the car moving in various gears? Need a real gear head
> to chime in on this.


I don't feel like this could be the issue.

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## Vwguy026 (May 1, 2013)

I have a DSG and i know it may not apply but with my vagcom i know when my beetle is acting strange when it comes to shifting or the transmission i do a throttle body relearn or adaption what ever they call it and it drives a whole lot better.


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## ridgemanron (Sep 27, 2011)

MarkysGirl said:


> I don't feel like this could be the issue.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


I do remember when I first had my car dyno'd, even though the traction control was turned off
manually, during the test it would come on by itself.


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

Stability control sucks in these cars


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## Vwguy026 (May 1, 2013)

Well from what I remember when you get those traction "button" kits installed they only does one of the traction control modes to fully disable it requires some long coding adjustment and then when you hold the traction but it shuts off both systems allowing you to lay the rubber to the road


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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

Vwguy026 said:


> Well from what I remember when you get those traction "button" kits installed they only does one of the traction control modes to fully disable it requires some long coding adjustment and then when you hold the traction but it shuts off both systems allowing you to lay the rubber to the road


That coding does not work on the 2012 beetles with low line clusters unfortunately :-( It took me a year and half to figure that out on mine.


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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

Vwguy026 said:


> I have a DSG and i know it may not apply but with my vagcom i know when my beetle is acting strange when it comes to shifting or the transmission i do a throttle body relearn or adaption what ever they call it and it drives a whole lot better.


They did this to my car three times before the replaced the ECU all together.

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## Vwguy026 (May 1, 2013)

MarkysGirl said:


> They did this to my car three times before the replaced the ECU all together.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


Oh geez that sucks...


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## PooLeArMor (Aug 13, 2008)

maybe carbon build up ??? since OP has 35000 miles already..... all DI engine tend to have carbon build up problem


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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

PooLeArMor said:


> maybe carbon build up ??? since OP has 35000 miles already..... all DI engine tend to have carbon build up problem


I'm not sure what OP is or DI is. But I doubt it has carbon build up (excessively anyway). The only gasoline that goes into this car is top tier premium gasoline. Plus 35000 miles is a relatively small number of miles on a car if this type. I would buy that if the car had 100,000 miles on it. 
The engine runs perfect at all other times. The only time it has a problem is at the low end (2200-2500 rpm) of second gear.

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## GZB (Jul 14, 2014)

OP = Original Poster
DI = Direct Injection

And FWIW (For What It's Worth), I've had mine do that on occasion too. There's one spot here in town where it happens, again, occasionally. It's a hard left from a stop light to go over a bridge. It's a one way along an interstate to a light at a cross street over the interstate. The left at the light to cross over the interstate is also a one way. So it's a left turn from the far left lane into the first or second left lanes on the bridge. Point being, it's a hard, tight left turn from a stop. Once the car straightens out it quits. It lasts for only a second or so. And that's the only spot that I've ever noticed it. 

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## drtechy (Jun 3, 2009)

MarkysGirl said:


> I'm not sure what OP is or DI is. But I doubt it has carbon build up (excessively anyway). The only gasoline that goes into this car is top tier premium gasoline. Plus 35000 miles is a relatively small number of miles on a car if this type. I would buy that if the car had 100,000 miles on it.
> The engine runs perfect at all other times. The only time it has a problem is at the low end (2200-2500 rpm) of second gear.
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


FYI on direct injection motors EVERYONE gets carbon buildup no matter what fuel you use because the fuel never hits the valves to clean them like in traditional fuel injected motors. Not to say that's causing your issue, just didn't want you to think you won't ever have to clean your valves because everyone does with direct injection unfortunately. Only thing that helps is to occasionally take it to redline, but that just "helps" it doesn't stop the buildup.

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## MarkysGirl (Jul 14, 2015)

Thought ivwoulkd give an update. The APR tune worked! The car just eventually stopped doing it after I had it tuned. Now the problem is better ng the tune put back on after the loe fuel update they just did on my ECU.


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