Questions and Answers

Volkswagen Jetta Starts, Dies Q. Hello, I have a 1996 Volkswagen Jetta GL 2.0 liter. The problem is that when I start the car it runs for a brief time then shuts right down. At first I thought it was an ignition problem and changed all the wires, plugs, distributor and rotor. But it still does it. It doesn't shut down hard it just turns of like turning the key.

It seems like it wants to run if you keep your foot on the gas. My Dad suggested either the EGR valve being messed up or maybe the MAP sensor; but I'm having a hard time finding parts to avoid going to a Volkswagen dealer and getting raked over. Anyhow any ideas?

Thank You,
Greg

A. The first thing to do is determine if you are losing spark or fuel. When you start it, give it little squirts of carburetor cleaner into the intake. If it continues to run as long as you do this, you are losing fuel. If that is the case, you will need to do a fuel pressure test to see what the fuel pump is doing.

If it still dies as before, then you are probably losing spark. Having the system checked for codes with a scan tool will help with a possible starting point.

One thing to check is the Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor. Oil vapors from the Positive Crankcase Ventilation system start collecting on the MAF sensor and interferes with proper operation. Remove the MAF and carefully clean the MAF sensor from both sides using a solvent based electronic cleaner which is safe on plastics and leaves no residue. Volkswagen sells a cleaner specifically for this purpose, part No. ZVW 805001.