Rough idle and rough at low RPM
Hi, I'm new to the forum. Just found it today and not a moment too soon, I might add. My wife's VW Jetta (1996) has developed a problem. The other day we drove to Seattle, WA and the fuel ran very low. We didn't notice, but we almost ran out of gas. We never let it run that low on fuel, but this time we just did not realize it.
Soon after we filled again, the car started to run rough whenever we came to a stop sign. It ran rough at idle and at low RPM speeds. Once we reach cruising speeds on the freeway, it seems to run fine. However, it seems like it's about to stall and die when you're stopped and when you're picking up speed.
Initially I liked to think that the low fuel run might have picked a bit of debris that clogged temporarily one of the fuel injectors, so I ran it hard and fast (up to 100 MPH for a few seconds). Then I kept it at around 80 MPH for a while. It seemed to be doing fine until we slowed down to low RPM speeds again.
A friend says that it might be an oxygen mix sensor or an idle throttle position sensor. I know there are oxygen sensors, but is there an animal such as the "idle throttle position sensor"? In any event, can anyone tell me where do I locate these parts under the hood and what they look like?
Does anyone out there have any suggestions that I can try before going to a mechanic? I'd say that I'm slightly above-average in mechanical inclination. Can't take an engine apart, but can replace most anything that involves just removal and reinstallation. I'm hoping someone can point me in the direction of an easy fix that I can perform myself. Last time we went to the dealer for repairs, I lost an arm and a leg. Now I look weird and walk funny.
Ed
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11-01-2003, 11:18 AM
