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No Acceleration from Turbo Charged VW Passat


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Sirnanigans
New User

Oct 1, 2014, 6:36 AM

Post #1 of 7 (1687 views)
post icon No Acceleration from Turbo Charged VW Passat Sign In

Hi, I have a '99 Passat that is 50/50 on getting into traffic thanks to the occasional lack of acceleration. Here's the details...
  • 1999 Volkswagen Passat
  • 1.4T, 4 cylinder
  • ~130,000 miles
  • Automatic Transmission
  • Good shape for its age, light rust underneath, no significant rust on the body
  • Turbo doesn't make any funny noises regularly. However, the waste gate does get stuck on hot days. I assume it's the waste gate, it only happens after the turbo has kicked in and for a few moment, and it sounds like an air gun pointed into a referee's whistle. The turbo is due to fail according to my research on their estimated lifespan, but it wasn't owned by a lead foot before me, so I bet it saw light use for the first 120k miles.

The problem I have is an occassional lack of acceleration. The car will sometimes just cruise up to speed like an old lady on a sunday morning despite totally flooring the accelerator. I don't have an extensive knowledge of cars, but the principle systems are within my grasp. From my perspective, this may be the turbo failing to respond or the traction control limiting my power. The traction control is suspect because I feel this occurs more often when turning and accelerating.

The problem is not accompanied by any strange noises, shaking, sputtering, or stalling. The car appears to drive normally, but refuses to respond appropriately to the throttle. The RPM's do not react to the throttle either, so it shouldn't be the transmission unless an automatic can shift up too early.

Any leads would be greatly appreciated. This problem has angered a lot of drivers who I thought I could get in front of, and I worry it might even get me rear ended. Thanks for reading, bonus thanks for responding!

(This post was edited by Sirnanigans on Oct 2, 2014, 5:26 AM)


kev2
Veteran
kev2 profile image

Oct 1, 2014, 7:38 AM

Post #2 of 7 (1674 views)
Re: No Acceleration from Turbo Charged VW Passat Sign In

I did NOT see your having done an important check* - if so post the results.

*Scanning for codes.


Sirnanigans
New User

Oct 1, 2014, 8:21 AM

Post #3 of 7 (1670 views)
Re: No Acceleration from Turbo Charged VW Passat Sign In


In Reply To
I did NOT see your having done an important check* - if so post the results.

*Scanning for codes.


I would figure that any code would trigger the check engine light. Is this not true?


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Oct 1, 2014, 9:09 AM

Post #4 of 7 (1666 views)
Re: No Acceleration from Turbo Charged VW Passat Sign In

Codes can be pending before the light,


T



kev2
Veteran
kev2 profile image

Oct 1, 2014, 10:25 AM

Post #5 of 7 (1657 views)
Re: No Acceleration from Turbo Charged VW Passat Sign In

that is NOT true.


Sirnanigans
New User

Oct 2, 2014, 5:28 AM

Post #6 of 7 (1638 views)
Re: No Acceleration from Turbo Charged VW Passat Sign In


In Reply To
that is NOT true.


That's good to know. I'll take it in asap for a scan.

What if I don't get any codes?


Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Discretesignals profile image

Oct 2, 2014, 3:45 PM

Post #7 of 7 (1621 views)
Re: No Acceleration from Turbo Charged VW Passat Sign In

Then you need to figure out what is causing your loss of power. Scan tool data would be the next thing to view. Takes some experience and knowledge to interpret and analyze scan tool data to formulate a strategy.

If you know your having problems with the turbo's waste gate sticking, shouldn't you address that first?





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