# HELP!! my car wont go over 30 mph!?!?! PLEASE LOOK!!!!!



## jettin123 (Sep 11, 2002)

aight, i replaced my distributor cap the other day because she didnt want to start after it rained, I got the cap back on and i went to start it and it wouldnt start, after looking at the distibutor cap again i had just had the firing order messed up. I fixed them and took the car for a test drive down the street and it was running perfectly but the CEL was still on. I unplugged the negative terminal on the battery to reset the ECU, washed my car, connected the battery back, went to start it and it was idling very low(almost to the point of stalling out) in drive and reverse but in park it was fine...i took it for a drive and around 2400 to 3000 rpm's(it varies) the engine will bog and act as if your foot isnt on the gas pedal...you have to take your foot all the way off the gas and then push it again and usually it will keep on bogging...my mechanic tried a different distributor cap, a new fuel pump, and checked the catalytic converter to see if it was clogged and it still is messing up....the CEL is on but he doesnt have a tester for import cars, only domestics....does anyone know what my problem is??? i live about 30 miles from the dealership and i would have to have it towed to them. The car is for sale and the night that it started messing up was the night someone was supposed to test drive it.....someone help me please


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## Zorac (Jul 27, 2002)

There are a few things it could be, but it seems all the problems you have could be due to the water. Its the one variable always present.
"because she didnt want to start after it rained"
"washed my car, connected the battery back, went to start it and it was idling very low"
Also, the bogging you speak of is very reminiscent of what happens if you have arcing in the engine bay between spark plug wires or terminals on the distributor. 
An easy check is to park the car somewhere dark (or wait until night). Turn the car on. Open the hood, and using a spray bottle, mist the areas surrounding the distributor and/or spark plug wires + terminals. If you see sparks/ flashes of light near there, your wires need replacing.
I've also had this problem just driving through large puddles. If the distributor is wet, it tends to bog as you described until it evaporates away.


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## Ryumusha (Jun 25, 2003)

*Re: (Zorac)*

yes i concurr zorac. misting is indubidibly important.........









smack!







........







yeah um also check for vacumm system leaks. that can cause huge problems interfering with the engine sucking air in from the air filter and intake boot. it wont get the volume of air it needs to burn the fuel at high speeds.


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## VW97Jetta (Sep 5, 2002)

*Re: (Ryumusha)*

Check your throttle position sensor....make sure it's plugged in completely, etc....


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## FL 2.0L (Aug 1, 2002)

I'd suggest changing the wires, rotor, and distributor cap first. Then check out the ignition coil. Mine was arcing on the back side and I didn't pick it up. It seems to commonly go bad, and there is a thread on using epoxy to seal any cracks in the plastic casing. Avoid the repair shop so you don't take a beating!

_Modified by surferfletch at 11:37 PM 11-10-2003_


_Modified by surferfletch at 11:40 PM 11-10-2003_


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## Holden McRoin (Nov 2, 2003)

*Re: (surferfletch)*

Wow--- epoxy to seal the coil plastic? Where is this thread?


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## DonL (Feb 28, 1999)

*Re: (Holden McRoin)*

"Search" is your friend.
Look in the Golf/Jetta III forum archive with the search term "epoxy".


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## RaceJetta (Oct 18, 2002)

*Re: (DonL)*

It's an automatic? Did you change your battery recently?


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## EuroSport98 (Sep 25, 2001)

*Re: (RaceJetta)*

could it be that the timeing jumped a couple of teeth?....my friend had a similar thing happen to him, he couldn't go past 20 mph, had it fixed and back to normal


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## jettin123 (Sep 11, 2002)

*Re: (EuroSport98)*

a little update for any of you that are keeping track of this....the bill from the dealership is now around $460 bucks, they replaced the distributor cap, plug wires, rotor, and a vacuum line and they have yet to find out what is wrong with her....they are going to run some more tests and i will have further information about it tomorrow....wish me luck....them guys workin on her is breakin my wallet by the minute


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## FL 2.0L (Aug 1, 2002)

My money's on your coil. Probably fix it yourself...


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## bajan01 (Nov 26, 2001)

*Re: (jettin123)*

I would also check your timing and make sure that you connected the plug wires in the correct order








Check the following thread for a pic of the correct order








http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=1029539


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## jettin123 (Sep 11, 2002)

*Re: (bajan01)*

ok everyone....another update for you all, dealership called me yesterday, after replacing the ignition coil the problem is still occuring, well they said that there are some pins or something that need to be replaced in the throttle body and mass air flow, and after they do this it should be running perfect....after i pay for the $1,116.00 bill that they want for all this sht that they are doing















well, there goes part of my down payment for my mk4 GTI


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## 2.slomustgo (May 8, 2003)

*Re: (jettin123)*

if that does not work tell them to check the cat its probably pluged up i had the same **** happen to my car and it was the cat and a TT cat is cheaper then the stock vw part so you might as well get that one


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## jettin123 (Sep 11, 2002)

*Re: (2.slomustgo)*

my local mechanic checked the cat to see if it was clogged and it wasnt, is that what you are talkin about???


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## FL 2.0L (Aug 1, 2002)

Pins in the throttle body?


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## EuroSport98 (Sep 25, 2001)

*Re: (surferfletch)*

update?


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## jettin123 (Sep 11, 2002)

*Re: (EuroSport98)*

aight guys, i picked my car up from the dealership tonight for $1,148.23 and it has been running perfectly....i have the list in front of me and they "installed wiring harness overlay between mass air flow sensor & ECM & repinned throttle body & ECM side" ok...what this mean i have no idea...whatever they did do, it is running good now....but, for over a grand...it should be running like a f*ckin charm


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## VW97Jetta (Sep 5, 2002)

*Re: (jettin123)*

Yeah....sounded like the throttle position sensor....
*edit* Oh yeah, looks like you got bent over the barrel on the price...


_Modified by VW97Jetta at 12:25 AM 11-18-2003_


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## FL 2.0L (Aug 1, 2002)

Wow.


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## Aclmeister (7 mo ago)

RaceJetta said:


> *Re: (DonL)*
> 
> It's an automatic? Did you change your battery recently?


I have an automatic and yes changed battery, now wont go over 30 or reverse.


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