# Rough idle and poor acceleration 1997 VW GOLF GL



## kissmyshu (Aug 6, 2007)

Hello, ladies and gents. 
I just recently purchased a 1997 VW Golf GL 2.0 standard, and I've fallen in love with it.
I just recently ran into a problem, however, that's breaking my heart. It seems to be idling rough and when I do more than barely touch the accelerator in gear, it seems to jump and kick very hard. The feeling is that of stalling out in first (which I'm sure we all became very good friends with when we started driving stick







). When I continue to press the gas, it will buck for a few seconds and then catch up with itself and drive normal. It runs fine in high RPMs but shifting up is getting ridiculous. I'm now resorting to driving it in a lower gear to keep the RPMs high and to keep it from throwing my passengers around...but gas mileage is one of the most important of all upsides to this car that lead me to buying it. I usually drive it in 5th as much as possible, even down to about 45 mph. This bucking this isn't allowing me to do so, though. Whenever I press the accelerator to pick up speed it starts bucking again.
It seems to happen much worse when the A/C is on. As a matter of fact, I don't know if it would stop doing it with the A/C off. Either way, this Georgia weather is like swimming through air with the humidity, and I'll be damned if I'm going without A/C.
I just replaced the fuel filter, cleaned the MAF sensor, and I can't hear any vacuum leaks. I think the vacuum leak would have to be audible, at LEAST, to be doing what it's doing now.

I NEED HELLLLPPP!










_Modified by kissmyshu at 9:15 AM 8-6-2007_


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## BlueGTIguy (Mar 6, 2003)

*Re: Rough idle and poor acceleration 1997 VW GOLF GL (kissmyshu)*

Sounds like a classic, low-RPM misfire. Try new plugs, wires, cap, rotor.


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## FL 2.0L (Aug 1, 2002)

If those are good, troubleshoot the coil.


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## BlueGTIguy (Mar 6, 2003)

*Re: (FL 2.0L)*


_Quote, originally posted by *FL 2.0L* »_If those are good, troubleshoot the coil.

http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## kissmyshu (Aug 6, 2007)

*Re: Rough idle and poor acceleration 1997 VW GOLF GL (BlueGTIguy)*

Actually, now that I think about it, that's exactly what it must be.
I've already switched the fuel filter, cleaned the MAF, and switched out the O2 sensor. None seemed to fix the problem. It's running a lot better, but it didn't pinpoint that one problem. At least I got some routine maintenence b/s out of the way. I don't feel like I wasted my money








I'm going to do that...I'll run to advance sometime today (probably right after I get off here) and get some new plugs and wires.

Can you really have a misfire just in the low rpm range? I revved the engine high, and noticed it wasn't bucking anymore...and that led me to believe that it was probably something to do with fuel/air.

Well, I'm off to advance to go get MORE stuff. Thanks for the help, guys.
Cheers


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## kissmyshu (Aug 6, 2007)

*Re: Rough idle and poor acceleration 1997 VW GOLF GL (kissmyshu)*

I switched out the spark plugs, dist cap, and rotor.
Now it's not even starting.
It turns over, but it won't fire.
What the hell did I do now?
Could I have connected the spark plug wires in the incorrect order? Does anybody have a diagram of the way the plug wires should be connected?


_Modified by kissmyshu at 9:22 AM 8-7-2007_


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## BlueGTIguy (Mar 6, 2003)

*Re: Rough idle and poor acceleration 1997 VW GOLF GL (kissmyshu)*


_Quote, originally posted by *kissmyshu* »_ICould I have connected the spark plug wires in the incorrect order? Does anybody have a diagram of the way the plug wires should be connected?

Don't have the diagram, but this is certainly a possibility. Try searching...I've been stuck here before and found the info I needed. Another possibility is that you damaged one or several of the spark plug wires (easy to do). The wires are finicky on these cars (in my experience), so I would recommend buying new ones. They're not cheap, but when they're broken, new ones make ALL the difference!


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## kissmyshu (Aug 6, 2007)

*Re: Rough idle and poor acceleration 1997 VW GOLF GL (BlueGTIguy)*

I got it! =]
I randomly clicked on a post because it had like, a million views and I wondered what it was, and he had the same engine as I.
So I looked at the picture and remembered the order of his distributor. I went outside, plugged it up, and BAM it fired up right away.
The best part of this story is that the new plugs/distributor cap/rotor cured the low rpm misfire I had!























Thanks to you guys!


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## BlueGTIguy (Mar 6, 2003)

*Re: Rough idle and poor acceleration 1997 VW GOLF GL (kissmyshu)*

Glad to hear it! Welcome to the Vortex!!!


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## caspers_dub (Jun 15, 2007)

*Re: Rough idle and poor acceleration 1997 VW GOLF GL (kissmyshu)*

Do yourself a favor, goto GAP and order yourself decent wires. I used the ones from advance (the 120$ autolite lifetime BS wires) they burned through in two weeks.


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