# Stuttering with flashing check engine light



## DelawareDub (Jul 28, 2011)

Alright, so this same thing happened to me last year and it happened to he the coils on two cylinders. I went ahead and changed all six at the same time. 

Now today I am riding through traffic and it starts doing it again. Only during acceleration. There is a slight stutter at idle but not much. 

If been having the check MAF/O2 sensor code for the past year, could this be the problem? I shut the car off and in an hour ill be goin back put to check and see how she does.

Could the new ignition coils already be bad? The are OEM replacements. Or could I just need some new spark plugs? 

I saw in another thread that someone's alternator caused the problem, but normally it is the ignition coils. I can't scan the car right now. 


I will report back in an hour.


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## DelawareDub (Jul 28, 2011)

Just got in the car again, light isn't flashing anymore but car still has a stutter....idk I'm stumped until I get to a place to read the codes. 
Uploading a video now and will post ASAP


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## DelawareDub (Jul 28, 2011)

So here is the video, forgive me if you can't hear or I sound stupid, I'm a bit upset that the car is doing this and I am running on zero sleep in two days cause of work. I can post videos of it at idle when I'm outside the car as well.
http://youtu.be/-x7u9KK7FIg


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## Eric D (Feb 16, 1999)

With the MAF and 02 codes for a year, what have you done to resolve those issues?

The Bentley manual will have information on how you can solve those issues.

I would not ignore an bad 02 sensor especially on late model VWs, when the heater circuit fails it can short and destroy your ECU.
Lots of damaged ECUs have been traced to a damaged 02 sensor. 


The following is a contact enhancer used by VW since '95 to restore conductivity on its electrical terminals.
Many terminals are not gold plated, and these are the ones that will show oxidation.

From a VW TSB:

During the process of diagnosing a customer
complaint and before replacing any electrical
component always:
– Inspect and clean the electrical contacts
between the harness and the component.
– Apply electrical contact enhancer
Stabilant 22A.
Part Number: ZVW 186 001

DO NOT apply Stabilant 22A to Oxygen
Sensor Terminal.

Note
• Stabilant 22A enhances conductivity.
Apply Stabilant 22A to connector terminals
whenever a harness is disconnected as
well as when replacing a component or
connector.
• An application of Stabilant 22A is good for
one connection only. Stabilant 22A must be
reapplied each time the terminals are
disconnected.
• When applied to electrical connections,
Stabilant 22A becomes a conductor and
provides the reliability of a soldered connection,
without actually bonding the contacting
surfaces together.
• When applied to multiple pin connectors,
Stabilant 22A enhances conductivity
between connector terminals while
remaining a non–conductor between
adjacent terminals.


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## DelawareDub (Jul 28, 2011)

I've cleaned the MAF that's all. I never had the code cleared after that. I'm on my way back to a garage to get codes checked again. I may as well bite the bullet and get new o2 sensors

Ill try cleaning the sensors first.


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## Jo|\| (Jul 3, 2011)

Disconnect the MAF and see if it drives any better. 

I don't know if a generic scanner can clear the fuel trim data, but clear the codes when the car is running and see if the idle changes. If it doesn't work unhook the battery for a few minutes, this will clear the fuel trim data that might be out of spec. 

Once you clear it start the car and driving right away. It should idle better, for a bit, and when you start driving start off ok, then get worse as you go. If the O2 sensor is bad it will try to keep correcting the A/F ratio and push the fuel to far out of spec, causing the car to run bad.

Here is some info about the way the ECU controls A/F, http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/Fuel_Trim_Info


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## [email protected] (Sep 14, 2012)

Did you change the plugs when you did the new coilpacks? Sounds like it could either be plugs or coilpacks. But the engine codes should point you in the right direction. Let us know when you get it scanned!


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## DelawareDub (Jul 28, 2011)

It was the Miss fire codes, so I got new plugs, never thought to get ones when I changed the coils, I had the car two weeks before I replaced them so I assumed the dealer had done a tune up.


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## DelawareDub (Jul 28, 2011)

Alright so changed plugs with NGKs, unhooked battery for 10 minutes and turned her back on. 

No check engine light, though I don't really hear a difference in the exhaust sound......I may just be paranoid now. 

Light did flash briefly but has not been on since. So I guess it's fixed.


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## DelawareDub (Jul 28, 2011)

Alright now it's flashing when accelerating from a stop....that's it. It'll shut off after and stay off. 
Is it possible to scan for a code still?


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## [email protected] (Sep 14, 2012)

DelawareDub said:


> Alright now it's flashing when accelerating from a stop....that's it. It'll shut off after and stay off.
> Is it possible to scan for a code still?


A Vag-Com scan will most likely show the stored problems that you are seeing when the check engine light is flashing. A generic code reader may not be able to give you any info unless you have a CEL that is on.

You said that you replaced the coils about a year ago, although we would hope that the coils last longer than that, there is a chance that one could be bad by now. Did you get rid of the old coils when you replaced them? You could always do a Vag-Com scan to find which cylinders are misfiring and swap the coils with some of your old ones to see if that corrects the problem, since you mentioned not all the old coils were bad.


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## DelawareDub (Jul 28, 2011)

Actually I've moved since then and don't have them anymore. On my drive home last night the light came back and stayed on. I guess I'll have to try coils this time. Would switching them around in the engine do anything? I was told it is 1,2&6 that are missing.


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## [email protected] (Sep 14, 2012)

You could erase the codes and change the coils from 1,2,6 to 3,4,5. If you get the same problem but the scan shows misfires on 3,4,5 then you know it's coils.


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## DelawareDub (Jul 28, 2011)

I will do that then. Thanks for the help.


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## [email protected] (Sep 14, 2012)

No problem.


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## arawak420 (Dec 7, 2004)

Update please? Was it the coil pack? Mines doing the same.


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## jlsgli89-03 (Aug 25, 2003)

Ok did you check the battery voltage and Alternator output ? I have seen and heard strange things because of voltage being a bit too low.


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