When I started the car the check engine light came on. Since there had been a lot of rain recently, I thought that perhaps it was an electrical malfunction since the performance of the car did not seem to be affected. I was only a few miles from home and going at a constant speed on the highway. When I slowed down to get off at my exit I noticed that the car wasn’t getting up to gear with the same power as it had been. By the time I had to slow down for five or six stop signs, the car was having a lot of trouble getting up to speed, and at the stop sign before my drive way, it stalled and wouldn’t start (although it always sounds like it’s just about to turn over). The mechanic is suggesting an engine flush and tune up, but both seem a little excessive, especially the engine flush. Any ideas?
It is often a failure of the secondary ignition system.
Sounds like the plug wires.
That CEL (check engine light) is just a kid in class waving her hand trying to get you attention because she has the answer. You need to have the codes read. Some places will read them for FREE. Try Autozone or Advanced Auto Parts. Get the exact code (like P0123) not just their translation into English and post it back here.@Rod Knox, what does a secondary ignition system consist of?
Could be a couple of things, but I second the plug wires suggestion. It’s a good place to start at any rate. I had this same problem on both of my VW’s. I sprayed some water dispersant around the plug wires as a temporary fix, and then replaced them on both vehicles and that solved the problem.