92 Passat - problems again!

Feb 03, 2005 4 Replies

Hello,



I have a 92 Passat CL. I have been to the mechanic 2x now and the same problem keeps happening.



It is an automatic transmission. At stops - (traffic lights), it idles very roughly like it is going to stall and vibrates. Once I start driving, it lags like it is going to stall then starts up. The initial drive is rough, then it gets smooth. Around 60km/h the roughness starts again until it shifts. Contant highway driving it purrs.



A compression test was done - fine. Spark plugs changed (2x), new distributer cap and tune up performed, block heater installed. The mechanic was surprised the spark plugs where changed twice.



For the month of January when it has been extremely cold - it was running fine - perfectly! Recently it has warmed up (+1 to -5 Celcius) - not sure if that is relevant.



Gas mileage seems to be about the same, no funny smells and otherwise the car works fine.



I understand a used car can be a crap shoot and diagnostics can be trial and error but any ideas out there?



Are there any other questions I should be asking? Are there some suggestions other VW users might know about? Is there something else I should be checking to inform my mechanic. I have to take it back in



- getting a new car is out of the question right now, unless it is too expensive to fix.



Thanks!



Tmuld.


the only "suggestion" regarding the 92 passat is to get rid of it as soon as possible, no matter what shape it "appears" to be in.

if you insist on keeping it, then you must do the work yourself by (a) getting a couple of passat's to keep around for "parts" ... like a "spare transmission" etc....

and

you must go to ross-tech.com (I have no affiliation in any way) and get the vag-com monitor, then get the engine code book for the passat (available used on amazon.com or direct from bentley publishers) as well as the shop manual from bentley.

otherwise your costs at a vw repair shop will outstrip the cost of a new car.

just the facts.

the only "suggestion" regarding the 92 passat is to get rid of it as soon as possible, no matter what shape it "appears" to be in.

if you insist on keeping it, then you must do the work yourself by (a) getting a couple of passat's to keep around for "parts" ... like a "spare transmission" etc....

and

you must go to ross-tech.com (I have no affiliation in any way) and get the vag-com monitor, then get the engine code book for the passat (available used on amazon.com or direct from bentley publishers) as well as the shop manual from bentley.

otherwise your costs at a vw repair shop will outstrip the cost of a new car.

just the facts.

What engine speed is the tach showing when it is going to stall? Do you try shutting off engine and restarting it to see if it corrects itself? Possibilites are vacuum leak, incorrect fuel pressure, faulty fuel injectors, faulty ign system, faulty coolant temperature sensor (CTS), faulty Idle Stabilizer Valve (ISV) or WIRING, faulty cold start valve, faulty throttle sensor, faulty Oxygen Sensor, faulty ECM, or WIRING etc. You need a Bentley and a VOM to check the system at the ECM's wiring plug. It helps to find problems with components and wiring. Hey it might just be a ground problem and maybe one of the ground wires was left off the cylinder head or ???

OK you had the spark plugs changed, but what did the old ones look like? Did they all look the same in color? How are the spark plug wires?

later, dave (One out of many Daves)

Wild guess .... Ripped air boot on the air flow sensor. Try wiggling the boot with the car running at idle see if the idle changes.

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