1998 Volkswagen GTI My 98 GTI vr6 jerks back & forth &a

DOUGFLASH007

MEMBER
1998 VOLKSWAGEN GTI
6 CYL
2WD
MANUAL
192,000 MILES

When I first start driving my car jerks back really hard and hesitates to the point where the car looses power temporarily and then start driving normal again. Sometimes it does it constantly when I'm on the highway and it feels like the car wants to shut off but it doesn't, instead it jerks back and forth then regain its normal speed & power.I have also noticed engine oil in the air intake boot when I was cleaning the k&n air filter last week.I also checked the Air Mass Flo Sensor which was dry and seemed to be working ok. What else could possibly be causing this problem?

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009 AT 1:57 PM

1 Reply

DUBTECH

MECHANIC
159 POSTS

Sounds like a possible misfire issue. The plug wires and coilpacks are common failures. Use a spray bottle and wet the coilpack while the engine is running. If you can see sparks or hear the clicking of an electrical arc, then it's your coil. You can try the same method on the plug wires too, but they may fail internally, so you won't see the light show. Usually replacing the wires is the best way to verify they are bad. But with your mileage, the wires should be replaced by now anyway.

If you are up to the task, you should remove and inspect the spark plugs for good measure.

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Monday, July 20th, 2009 AT 9:10 PM