Hi, just recently picked up a cheap 95 Cabrio, but it has a problem that I am trying to solve. Starting it after sitting overnight it takes a lot of pumping the accelerator to get it going. After a few minutes it gets warmed up and idles on its own, but the tach drops a little off and on, kinda like it misses a little. The real issue is when driving, when lightly accelerating or to maintain a certain speed it jerks back an forth, but when you floor it to really accelerate it is smooth. Its like it is choking or flooding itself or when you first learn how to drive a manual trans. I have replaced the spark plugs, plug wires, air filter and fuel filter. I also cleaned the inside of the distributor cap and rotor with contact cleaner and a brush but did not replace it, but that didn't help either. I would like to get some ideas of other troubleshooting I can do to narrow this down. I haven't checked the fuel line pressure yet, since I don''t have a tool for that. A friend suggested that it might have leaky fuel injectors, and the previous owner had is sitting over the winter. I threw a bottle of injector cleaner in it, but that didn't do anything. It does have 160k miles on it. Since it has the starting issue too, I am assuming that it is fuel related, it does it in any gear at any speed. Anyone have any tips? Thanks in advance.
Is it fuel injected? If so the computer could cause this by trying to find the proper air fuel ratio. I had a honda do this once(for about a minute until it warmed up) everytime that I drove it! But the car passed smog and didn't have any hesitation. The problem only happened at idle.
It is fuel injected, however, it does it all the time.
as time consuming as it is, i would recommend pulling your inectors out and getting them flow tested, (that test is usually free), is your check engine light on? i would also recommend a compression test... you just might have a semi dead if not dead cylinder
I have been thinking about pulling the injectors, not sure where to get them tested though. I also haven't checked the fuel pressure yet. The check engine light is not on, nor have I been able to get any codes. I have tried the jumper on pin 4+15 on the obd1 connector as I have read you can do, but no matter how I do it, the cel light goes just off and doesn't blink anything, and from what I have read it is at least supposed to blink a 0-0-0-0 code showing no errors. Thanks.
I have been thinking about pulling the injectors, not sure where to get them tested though. I also haven't checked the fuel pressure yet. The check engine light is not on, nor have I been able to get any codes. I have tried the jumper on pin 4+15 on the obd1 connector as I have read you can do, but no matter how I do it, the cel light goes just off and doesn't blink anything, and from what I have read it is at least supposed to blink a 0-0-0-0 code showing no errors. Thanks.
do you have the stock stereo or a different one? if u have a different than stock, u need to unplug the stereo while trying to read the codes.
The stock radio was not in there, so I went and disconnected it and still no codes. I even plugged the stock radio, and still no codes at all, not even the no error found code, weird. I think I found one issue, by accident, I tried cleaning the MAF sensor and after putting everything back together it ran terrible. I disconnected the MAF and it ran ok, so I ended up taking it for a drive that way, the cel came on but it no longer hesitated like it did before. It still wasn't running the best and still feels like its too rich but I will have to get a new MAF and see if that was one of the major problems. Thanks.
The stock radio was not in there, so I went and disconnected it and still no codes. I even plugged the stock radio, and still no codes at all, not even the no error found code, weird. I think I found one issue, by accident, I tried cleaning the MAF sensor and after putting everything back together it ran terrible. I disconnected the MAF and it ran ok, so I ended up taking it for a drive that way, the cel came on but it no longer hesitated like it did before. It still wasn't running the best and still feels like its too rich but I will have to get a new MAF and see if that was one of the major problems. Thanks.
yeah, thats odd, theoretically the car shouldnt do anything more than idle with the maf unplugged, if the maf is bad it will give it way too much gas. and should choke itself out. let us know how it goes.
the jerking could be a bad motor mount. thats what my golf was doing when the rear mount was squashed out.
mounts... never thought of that, check specifically the three bolts that hold the tranny mount to the trans.... had that one happen once.... it sucks....
Ok, after a new O2 sensor and a good used MAF it no runs fine, but only after it warms up. The first start of the day is a bit rough, then it takes about 10-15 minutes before the jerking acceleration hesitation thing goes away, but it finally does. So, I am thinking maybe the coolant temp sensor or better yet the intake air temp sensor might not be working right. Not sure if the EGR has anything to do with it, but I could try that too. Once it gets up to regular running temp, it runs well.
I have to let it idle for a bit, because the first start is rough and you have to give it some gas for a minute, but then it idles fine. I have yet to let it idle for a long time after I start it, plus the jerkyness can only be felt when driving it. I have only driven it a few times since the O2 sensor was done, but at least after 10-15 minutes the hesitation goes away.
I have to let it idle for a bit, because the first start is rough and you have to give it some gas for a minute, but then it idles fine. I have yet to let it idle for a long time after I start it, plus the jerkyness can only be felt when driving it. I have only driven it a few times since the O2 sensor was done, but at least after 10-15 minutes the hesitation goes away.
my wifes jetta does the same damn thing now, ive found that if you let it idle for a little while even after its warm it will still do it, it seems to me that yours would do the same thing, im gunna try a fpr and see how that works, its almost like its drowning the cylinders in gas and it takes a minute to get it out. try it with yours and see how it goes, maybe we can solve it together,
Hi! Brand new to the forum. I have a 95 Golf that seems to have the same problem. I am curious as to what the "fpr" is? The jerking stops when I pullover and turn the car off then back on. Its like it resets itself.
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95 Cabrio jerky acceleration problem
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