new owner - 1999 V6 Engine light and weirdness

Hello,

I just bought a 1999 Passat V6 5-speed. The engine light is on. The engine when throttling up will pause and then surge a bit, giving the impression that I'm driving poorly. If you keep it out of gear and rev the engine, there is a pause at maybe 1400 rpm. It then catches up in kind of a slightly jerky manner. What are the most common causes of this behavior? I'm hoping on something inexpensive. Thank you.

Most Advanced Auto Parts and Autozone type stores will check the codes for free, that's the best place to start.

Check the engine for broken vacuum hoses. Also check by the air box for broken vacuum hoses.

P0123 - Throttle position sensor circuit, high input

AND

P1544 - Throttle actuator sensor, signal high

what do you think it all means?

Thanks,

You will need a new throttle body.

Ouch, that doesn't look good. Sorry, but I concur. $$! You can try checking for corrosion at the electrical connector, but it's a long shot. Unplugging it can cause other problems & it may have to be readapted to the ECM.