98 VW Bug Hi Me Again ... HELP New Problem

OK, so I just spent 2700.00 getin the transmission fixed on my daughters bug, all was going good right.... Well, my husband took her car the the car wash and was washin the car and clean under the hood, when he was driving home the car was driving funny and was sputterin and not upshifting again and the check engine light came on WTF! Later in the eve he took it back out and it seemed ok, guess it dried out? He took it back to the Trans guys and they said a sensor got wet or something, but the transmission was fine. The cars been doing fine ..Well we have been gettin some really bad rain so my daughter was driving along and the engine light came on and the said that the car was sputterin and wasing upshifting again. WTH! We had never had this problem before. Did they forget to reseal something? I am just so friggin pissed! HELP Please ...

Reply to
Tazzx1 via CarKB.com
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Good on the trans!

If your engine is the 2.0l then it sounds like spark plug wires and possibly the ign transformer.

Get a spray water bottle and spray your spark plug wires starting at the plugs travelling to the ign transformer. See which makes the sparks appear. ;-)

NOT THE TRANS........since I don't think it throws an Engine Check Light.

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

Not sure if the trans throws a CEL or not but these symptoms (water causing sputtering) is definitely a misfire due to an ignition component getting wet.

The CEL is normal for this...any OBD2 car (1996+) will throw a CEL if it detects a misfire. You can get the code read and see if it tells you anything although it might just tell you what we already know (misfire detected) although I think it might indicate which cylinder which would help a little bit.

BTW...just curious...what was wrong w/the transmission?

Reply to
Matt B.

I dont mean to ask a stupid qustion but what is CEL? Does that me Check Engine Light? If yes, then yes it does. The car will also not upshift while it is doing all this sputter stuff btw.

I dont know much bout cars. I can change my oil, check tires, and fluid levels, and add gas, and air filter but that bout it for me.

To answere your questi>> NOT THE TRANS........since I don't think it throws an Engine Check Light. >

Reply to
Tazzx1 via CarKB.com

Yes it is a 2.0 and yes it gives of the Engine Check Light. Will the spark plug/ing transformer thing also cause the car to not upshift?

dave AKA vwdoc1 wrote:

Reply to
Tazzx1 via CarKB.com

Not sure if the misfires will cause the trans not to shift but the transmission likes the engine running correctly. You press further down on the accel pedal to get the NB to move faster which in turn tells the transmission to possibly shift later. The throttle body and the automatic transmission might have to aligned or adjusted if they lose electrical power.

AFAIK The throttle body might cause problems with the automatic transmission shifting. Have to find out why that light is on. A vag-com scanner should be able to tell you why it is on and might help you fix the problem. ;-)

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

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