98 VW 2.0 w/turbo lurched really hard and now won't start.vacuum leak,intake orheads?

Asked by cellman Jul 01, 2013 at 11:27 AM about the 1998 Volkswagen Beetle

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have a '98 VW Beetle 2.0 with what looks like a turbo.I have put a used throttle body on it and before thewater pump was replaced the coolant light came on while I drove it for a mile. Three weeks later after driving it suddenly just driving down the street the car started lurching ( start and stop) really bad and I had to rev the engine and use the clutch to get it to move.
   I was wondering if you have any thoughts

3 Answers
9,655

Lars answered 11 years ago

As far as I know the 2.0 engine was never fitted with a turbo, the 1.8 was though. Your issue sounds like an interesting one, without more information it could be caused by anything in the fuel/air/spark equation. The fact that you need a lot more throttle to make power would lead me to believe you may have a bad vacuum leak somewhere or that something in the engine has gone badly wrong causing it to run on less than the prescribed number of cylinders.

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cellman answered 11 years ago

I can't even start it. I also had problems with it cutting out on me and i'd wait a little while and it would start again. But now I don't know what it could be because it also has a electrical drain on the battery. It makes a sound like phew phew and doesn't want to start. It uses oil and has a gas smell to it.It also used coolant that was low. I am wondering if driving it a mile with the coolant sensor red had anything to do with it. The mechanic replaced the water pump just after that.

Mark helpful
9,655

Lars answered 11 years ago

It could be a warped cylinder head or worn piston springs, you'd need to do a compression test to get an indication of the overall health of the engine. The electrical drain is a seperate thing altogether in my opinion.

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