hard start when dry wont start when wet

Having problems starting my 85 golf hard start in the morning when its dry when started it wont do it again for the day, but wont start when its raining out i thinks its the ignition coil or distributor cap please help.

first start with the least expensive possibility first check your spark plugs and wires replace accordingly next check distributor cap and rotor
(if u plan on doing it ur self u might as well do a full tune up(plugs wires cap rotor fuel filter and air filter (some may disagree but it cant hurt)) but do things in stages start it up after each step to see if it makes a difference. id start with the electrical aspect since thats what it sounds like!!!!!!

first start with the least expensive possibility first check your spark plugs and wires replace accordingly next check distributor cap and rotor
(if u plan on doing it ur self u might as well do a full tune up(plugs wires cap rotor fuel filter and air filter (some may disagree but it cant hurt)) but do things in stages start it up after each step to see if it makes a difference. id start with the electrical aspect since thats what it sounds like!!!!!!thanks i put in a new ignition coil and it seems to workin fine now but i will chk air filter and plugs i put already i will chk the fuel fitlter as well thanks

I'm having the same problem with my 98 Golf. If it's raining or snowing it's almost impossible to get the car started - it turns over but doesn't "catch". The car will chug and shake a bit if I hold the ignition key for a couple seconds. It eventually starts after 9 or 10 tries if I pump the gas pedal. The distributor cap, spark plugs and wires were all replaced a year ago. Any ideas?

I'm also having a bizarre issue where my keyless remote lock doesn't instantly lock the door. When I push the lock button, the 'alarm ready' light goes on but the doors don't lock for up to a minute.

I think you have 2 different problems. First the remote unlocking problem , Have you tried replacing the battery in the remote?

Seconed there is an service bulliten for canadain vw's where they update the heat riser for the intake air sensor. call your dealer and ask about it. Something about the air causing the fuel to freeze in the intake.

I'd say the door lock problem is a vacuum leak. Can you hear the pump motor in the luggage area run for a prolonged time? As for hard strarting & sputtering when wet, the ignition coil is the most common culprit. Spray some water on it & see if it starts acting up.