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Subject:LVC: TDI Problem
From:Donna Skarloken
Date:Tue, 11 Mar 2008 09:12:43 -0700

1999 TDI New Beetle; it hesitates (not a stall, just a hesitation) at about
1800 rpm and now it's doing it 2,000-2200 rpm at freeway speeds.  Very
disconcerting.  Also, accleration is not that good; on my 98 I don't ever
get the pedal down to the floor; in some instances with the 99 I have to
push the pedal all the way to the floor to get a decent response.  Doesn't
seem to be the turbo; at idle it sounds fine.  Fuel mileage seems normal.

I just had the timing belt done, but it was doing the hesitation at 1800 rpm
before that.  Also, before the timing belt was done, and it has continued,
the car is hard to start after it is warmed up.  Starts fine in the morning,
but when warm have to do extra cranking.  That was one of the reasons we did
the timing belt, plus it was due.

If I can't get this resolved I'll have to daily drive my Syncro and sell the
TDI; that's not a bad thing except I have a long commute and it burns up a
lot of gas.  I am really weary of the foibles of my 98 and 99 TDI and in
fact have a buyer for the 98; hopefully that deal is done this weekend.

Thanks for any suggestions and sorry for the LVC content, but I'm stuck at
work with a long commute and it's kind of urgent.  My shop can't get me in
until Friday.

DoughNut (Donna), 87 Syncro