1994 Golf cuts out, at idle, and any speed

Golf is cutting out on almost every trip out of the garage. It used to be just at idle...you can hear when it might die (RPMs dropping) and can prevent it with light revving....but now, it's cutting out at any given moment while driving...RPMS will just drop to 0 in a flash and if you don't punch the accelerator fast enough, the car dies. Restart is iffy...sometimes we have to wait up to 10-12 minutes to get it to restart, but usually it will restart on the 1st try after it dies.

Long Distance Re-start Problem: After driving for an hour or two on the Hwy, the car may or may not restart once we've stopped for a bathroom break. This has been going on for for years. We had it into a shop for it and they couldn't figure out the problem, and since they couldn't drive it that far, they couldn't recreate it to figure out. Usually letting it sit for 1-2 hours, it would restart with no problem.

We've been using the car only locally because of this, but now with the cutting out problems, we're really questioning our committment to this older car! We need a VW Guru, fast, as the car cut out on the Hwy the other day mid-traffic, so it's dangerous. If you now what our problem is, can you give me an estimate on what it would cost to get it fixed?

Thank you! Mary

PS....any mechanics near Appleton, WI who would like to have a look-see?

what engine is in the car??

sorry, I was gone yesterday.....it's a gas engine. This is a golf III.
Any ideas?

lol! i know its gas. i mean what size engine??
1.6?
1.8?
2.0?
gti?

Hi Click,

Seems Mary has her problem fixed, but hasn't posted the solution.. I was hoping to get a hint from her thread...

I've got a '96 GTI exec that hasn't been driven in a month or so. While it starts, it doesn't idle at all - not lumpy or anthing, just drops straight to 0 and cut's out. If I do take it out on the road and coast up to a stop, the revs (engine) bounce up and down continually - from just under 1000 to about 2500 - this lasts for a random amount of time (sometimes 3 cycles up and down, and then sometimes until I pull off again). During normal acceleration and braking (engine under compression - not with clutch engaged), the engine pulls normally.

Any ideas?

No, actually I haven't fixed my problem...I've been distracted and didn't get under the hood to see which engine I have. Sorry about that! Now, the Golf won't start at all and I'm waiting to pay off some other bills before getting her fixed. I will post back on the problems, and the engine, too. Thank you! Mary

Hi there, can you believe I still haven't resolved the problem with the golf...we had a guy give it a tune up and he thought the problem was the fuel filter, so he rigged up a new fuel filter (outside of the tank) BUT it's still cutting out.

The engine is 1.8.

Someone has suggested a new distributor?

Any help would be appreciated...interestingly, the internet is full of people writing about these problems, but I've yet to find a good answer to anyone on how the problem was fixed.

Thank you! Mar

Hello Mary, OK I am not a auto mechanic, but am very well trained in analytical mechanical trouble shooting. I will try and help. Your car is a complex set of interwoven systems.
#1 We need to know if the problem is mechanical, electrical, or fuel related.
from your comments we are dealing with a dead gas engine. It started dying, and quit altogether, and someone assumed it was a fuel issue??????
Where would I start??? First thing that should happen, is when you insert the key and turn the ignition switch on, power flows to the coil , the fuel pump relay, and a number of other places. For about 5 seconds you should be able to hear the quiet hum of the fuel pump. Your fuel system has 2 filters, one in the suction ahead of the pump in the tank , and another coupled with an acumulator outside. Both are easily accessed.
Key switches fail, fuel pump relays fail, tank level indicators fail, people run out of gas, fuel pumps fail, wiring fails, and yes sometimes filters plug.
I wonder why the secondary filter change??? Distributor change????? WHY Yes the Hall Effect trigger coils very occasionaly fail, as do coils
#2 Has anyone pulled the vehicle problem codes stored in the computer? They help point you to things such as coil issues
fuel pressure and a lot of other possibilities.
Older cars, not just vws often have electrical issues, that masquerade as other issues. That computer is your mechanics problem solving friend. Yes some of us can do it the hard way. But it takes time. I would ask what the fuel pressure reading is at the fuel injection pressure test point, and what the coil supply voltage is both when cranking and in the run position. Ask what the codes were, and what they mean. Good luck Allan