abaya

My car is a 1997 VW Golf, FWD, 4 door, stick shift. I don't know the engine type. I must be the 6th or 7th owner of the vehicle. It shows...

After we took a long trip to a very remote corner of Iceland with HORRIBLE dirt roads (full of chuck holes and dust), the car began running very rough. We rather stubbornly managed to get it another 800 miles on a round-the-island "business" trip last weekend, but I don't dare push it any further than that. We've been lucky enough as it is.

The car basically has a very hard time accelerating (even on flats), and it loses speed almost immediately when going up any kind of hill. It doesn't stop, though--as I keep down-shifting, it will just chug up the hill at maybe 20 mph (when it should be going 40-50), and then it's fine on the downhill. When I accelerate from a stop, it builds up speed very slowly, with a few jerks and stutters--feels kind of epileptic, for lack of a better word--but eventually it settles in alright and just keeps going.

I figure the problem is either the air filter or some problem with the sparks. I had the fuel filter replaced just a few months ago (it was rusted so badly that it was leaking fuel right onto the road--yikes, at $10 a gallon!), so it can't be that, unless the actual fuel line is clogged... but I don't know how to figure that out. Since we were driving on such horribly dusty roads, with a lot of banging and bumping around, I think something must have gotten clogged somewhere... and that's why the car won't accelerate, except in spurts and stutters.

So, #1: How do I know if the air filter needs replacing? And #2: Is it feasible for me to replace the air filter by myself, or should I have a professional do it?

And I suppose #3: If it's not the air filter, could you give me some advice on where else to look, or what to ask a mechanic to look at for me?

Many thanks! I aspire to be able to fix my own cars, but I still have a long ways to go...

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
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BadNick

Based on your very dirty driving experience, it's a good chance it could be a clogged intake filter. It's usually very simple to replace an intake airfilter and I'm sure you can do it yourself once you find it. I'm not sure, but based on a couple pics of the engine bay I just googled, I think the filter is on the front/left corner of the engine bay as you stand in front of the car and look under the hood. It's probably covered in various black plastic shrouding; almost certainly there are some kind of clips that hold the air intake box together and if you loosen those clips and maybe remove a panel, you'll be able to lift the filter out. Do you have the owner's manual...or look online for something to show the intake filter setup if you don't have any documentation about it.

While you are there, try to figure out where the MAF is...again, I'm not very familiar with the VeeDubs, but I think it has a MAF to measure intake airflow, it is located right after the intake filter before the air goes into the motor; I would clean that too but only use specialized MAF cleaning spray...one is made by CRC but there are others. Spray the inside of the MAF since the small wire/s inside that measure airflow could be dirty and that would screw up how the car runs.

abaya

Thanks, BadNick. The intake filter doesn't sound too complicated... I can manage that one. But I don't want to replace it unless it needs replacing... so how can I tell if that's the problem? Is there some telltale sign of a clogged intake filter? No owner's manual, but I'll look online for the setup.

As for the MAF, that also sounds like a suspect. Again, how would I know if it just needs cleaning, or if it should be replaced entirely? I will try to find some specialized cleaning spray, though this is Iceland and I am not sure how I will find it in Icelandic.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

BadNick

As far as the filter, that's usually inexpensive enough that given your recent driving experience, I would just replace it....but you could examine it; if it was mostly dry dust, take the filter element out...again I'm not sure but it looks to be a rectangular panel filter...and firmly tap it on the ground/pavement a few times and see if dust/dirt fall out of it. You can also spray the filter with a water hose...even a pretty aggressive spray but not so strong as to tear the filter; first spray the water opposite to the normal airflow so you are "backwashing" it; then spray it from both sides...let it completely dry and if it looks clean it's probably OK.

A new MAF is likely to cost at least a couple hundred U.S. dollars and is not normally a common replacement item, so as it ages it should just be cleaned. You can literally look inside it and see if it looks dirty.

shakran

I would be very surprised if what you are describing were caused by the air filter. You'd have to have mud caked onto a large part of the filter in order to choke off enough air to cause this, and then it probably wouldn't go in little spurts of acceleration either.

Has it been doing this over several fillups? What you're describing actually sounds more like a bad tank of gas, in which case the problem should go away the next time you fill up (and don't fill up at the last place you filled up )

It could also be that a spark plug wire worked lose when you were bouncing around- that's easy enough to check. Just press down on them and see if one clicks in further than it was.

Barring those two, it could be spark plugs themselves (fairly cheap to replace if you do it yourself, but be sure to gap them properly or you'll have problems)

And a more remote possibility is that an ignition wire or a wire to or from the ECU worked lose in all the bouncing.

abaya

Yeah, it's done it over at least 5 fill-ups, at all different gas stations around Iceland... so I don't think that's it. Already did this, pressed down on all 4 wires and did not hear any clicks, nor did the car drive better afterwards. (My dad thought it might be this, when I asked him on the phone, so it was my first check.) My dad also mentioned this--but how do I find out if it's the spark plugs, in the first place? I'm not familiar with replacing them/gapping them, so I might have to ask a professional to do that, if it is the issue. That could also be true, but once again, how to check? My dad suggested I take it in to have an electronics diagnostic done, but only after I check the air filter first, in case that's the simple solution. It just costs so much damn money to get any car work done here in Iceland... usually about 2 times the price of American prices, for parts as well.

BadNick, I'll try the air filter tapping-method today... but I don't have a water hose handy, so may not be able to do that. I hope it's just an air filter problem... it was SERIOUSLY dusty and dirty, for about 24 hours of driving (and yes, all dry).

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

twistedmosaic

Spark plugs and air filter are regular maintainence items. As they are both so inexpensive, (spark plugs can be had for a dollar a piece, and air filters around $10-20, both in USD) the diagnosis for them is just to replace them, if it was the problem, great, you have fixed it, if not, well, your car is now better off.

abaya

Good to know, twisted. I just checked the air filter on the car a few minutes ago, and at first glance, I must say that it looks pretty clean. A few small bugs caught on top, but that's all I saw (and I took it out and tapped it a bit, too)... it was a bright yellow color on both sides. Obviously I'm not a professional, but it didn't look too dirty. I will probably just replace it, anyway, since it seems very easy to take out and put in again... and I'll ask a mechanic to replace the spark plugs, since I've had the car for a year and as you said, it's a maintenance item (how often should they be replaced, actually?).

One thing I did notice, though, is that on the top black plastic cover of the air filter, there seems to be a piece that cracked off/is missing from the side. So could that be the source of the problem? That the "seal" on top of the filter is not complete, since there is a hole along one of the sides of the cover (maybe a couple of inches long at most, half an inch high) The missing piece was inside, resting on top of the filter itself, so I removed that of course.

Doing some reading online, I also saw this about testing the MAF for a VW TDI... granted, a diesel, which mine is not... but I wondered if it was worth trying: So I did that just now, and the car definitely went up to 5100 rpm, no problem there. So the MAF might be alright, just maybe some cleaning?...

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

onesnowyowl

Yes, you can totally replace the air filter yourself. I replaced mine not too long ago. If it's dirty it will have a brownish/grayish tinge to it, and LOOK dirty. The brand-new air filter looked yellowish to begin with.

As for the hole, I wouldn't worry too much about that either; the guy at Jiffy Lube broke off the tabs holding my air filter lid on and my car still runs fine despite there not being a very good seal. Stupid Jiffy Lube guy.

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abaya

Hmm, okay, good to know. It IS very bright yellow, as I said... so maybe that doesn't need to be replaced. Damn, thought I had the problem with the bad seal!

Next up will be the spark plugs, I guess. After that, it's anyone's guess. It's weird, because the car has trouble accelerating from a stop (and going up hills), but once I get it into the higher gears, it does pretty well on the flats. It gets a little bit jarring/jerky at times, but still rides okay. We seriously just drove it 800 miles in that condition last weekend, though I saw my life flash before my eyes in the Icelandic highland desert...

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Sion

recommended spark plug replacement intervals vary widely from car to car and from one brand of plug to another. typically you should be able to get 50K miles on a set, but some will work fine up to 100k or more. if you dont know how many miles its been since they were replaced, it'd be a good idea to go ahead and change em. be sure to go with either OEM brand or a good name brand. I like Bosch double platinums, but they're a tad pricey.
-----Added 25/8/2008 at 01 : 44 : 37-----
two other things that could be causing your problems:

oxygen sensor gone or going bad...they're usually good for about 50k miles...if you are getting dirt mixed in with the intake air (due to the aforementioned hole) it could be fouling the O2 sensor (as well as the spark plugs, now that I think of it. slap a piece of duct tape over that hole). since the computer relies on the O2 sensor (among a few other things) to determine the correct air/fuel mixture, this could very well be the source of the problem. unless you are mechanically inclined, this one is best left to a professional

the catalytic converter. cats will slowly plug up over time, but once they get to the point where its starting to restrict the exhaust flow, it will cause performance to deteriorate rapidly. left unattended, it will soon cause the car to fail to start. have it checked by a reputable exhaust repair shop.

my bet is on the cat...vehicle is just old enough to expect that the OEM converter is at the very end of its service life.

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shakran

Good thought. She could also have bashed it on one of the bumps and squished the metal.

abaya

I very well could have bashed it on one of the bumps, given that the entire road was one big crater field.

Alright, so I'll throw some duct tape on the hole--but my next step should be to basically to take it to a professional and have them check out the catalytic converter, then? And also grab some spark plugs and have those replaced, while I'm at it. How much does this kind of thing usually cost, just so I have some idea?

Damn used cars. I originally only bought it to have it running for a year... looks like my estimate was right on target. I need it working for another few months at least, until we can get out of here. I was thinking of selling it, as it seems to be in otherwise good condition... but now I'm really wondering if I'll just have to part it out.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Cynthetiq

yeah I hated seeing this sign coming up....

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abaya

Yeah, exactly... funny thing is, they never have a sign for "MALBIK BYRJAR," or "PAVEMENT BEGINS," which is much more a cause for celebration. Ktsp always makes sure to say it out loud when we see pavement approaching after many, many kilometers of beating up our car on the lava...

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Cynthetiq

Yes, a chant I'm sure many travellers in Iceland exclaim after many hours of gravel roads.

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souzafone

First of all let me start by saying I've got over 25 years experience at auto dealerships (GM), I now work for a large diesel engine manufacturer, I just attended a 2 day seminar on filtration, and I've been driving a VW for 5 years. The air filter seal on your car is a one use gasket, once it's opened it loses some of it's sealing properties. Dirt that gets sucked into an engine today will take thousands of miles to wear your cylinders and rings, not a big deal if you plan on selling, but not good for a long term investment. The same hold true for cleaning any media, it creates small, possibly microscopic holes, that provide a clear pathway for dirt to enter the engine. This includes banging, shaking, or forcing with air pressure or vacuum. Yeah, it'll run fine now, but in 20 or 30 thousand miles your compression will be lower, meaning less power, and less mpg's. To check the maf, simply unplug it. If the car does not run worse with it unplugged, it's bad. Unplugging the maf will cause a cel, but it will go off after x number of key cycles on it's own. Also, a maf can get contaminated due to bad filtratation. A maf should be about $80 US.

abaya

So do you mean that I should get a new one, since I just took it out to check how dirty it was? Thing is, I do plan to sell it in a few months... but the car already has horrible power and NO acceleration (in fact, negative acceleration on any kind of hill). I just want it to run decently again. My dad says it's most likely the O2 sensor that I should be checking next... I've heard that you can only unplug the MAF on a diesel... is it okay to do it on a gas VW? Also, what's a "cel?" And what would be the cause of bad filtration? Thanks!

Btw: I used some tape to block the hole on the air filter cover, but it hasn't improved the engine at all... of course that's not a permanent solution anyway, but just something I wanted to try. Next up will be O2, I guess.

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Fotzlid

Could it be the clutch/flywheel causing the acceleration problems instead of airflow problems?

That sounds exactly like what happened to a Camaro I owned. The only difference was the tranny was an automatic. (Well...that and it was a GM....)

abaya

Well, the clutch was supposedly slipping a year ago (from what the inspectors said), though I've felt nothing "slipping" myself. My dad says that I'll know the clutch is slipping when it starts losing gears on a hill... going from 5th to 4th without my pressing the clutch, etc. And I haven't felt that at all... just a negative acceleration and loss of power (and lots of jiggling, though that may be a separate issues).

But then again, maybe I don't know what a bad clutch sounds like. It does sound more like a fuel/air problem when I'm driving it (it actually feels like there are "gaps" in the gas feed, if that makes any sense... no pulling power whatsoever)... but I am not an expert.

Thanks for all the feedback so far... we're getting there!

__________________
And think not you can direct the course of Love;
for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
--Khalil Gibran

Fotzlid

If it was an air/fuel problem, the motor would run rough all the time, be difficult to start and would stall frequently at a stop.
If the clutch/flywheel isn't fully engaged, you would get that "gap" feeling when accelerating.

Martian

CEL is an acronym for Check Engine Light. Unplugging the MAF will cause it to light up (and also a trouble code, but that's not relevant to us right now).

O2 sensor is possible but unlikely, since that would generate a trouble code in most situations as well.

My money would go on clutch, given that it was already slipping a year ago.

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Katyanna

Abaya, as a former Jetta owner I can tell you that they are very sensitive to vacuum leaks. This little crack could very easily be the culprit. After doing a major overhaul on my Jetta it was running very horribly. A look at the top of the engine revealed an rather large crack right about where you mentioned. I looked at my husband(at the time) and pointed it out. Oh that is nothing.

Stubborn me.. I took out some sort of sealant and covered the leak, dried like a half hour later, restarted it. Bingo! I was right. Bottom line, I wouldn't discount that crack so easily. The sealant whatever it was held for quite some time until we forked out the money for the actual replacement part. I think it was some sort of silicon, pretty cheap investment diagnostic-wise. The actual part ran about $60 if I remember correctly.

Tully Mars