# 2011 Volkswagen GTI - Dead spot **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** volkswagen, engines\ **Created:** [April 23, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217 "2023-04-23T00:04:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrianWilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BrianWilson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BrianWilson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 12:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/1 "2023-04-23T00:04:46Z")
When starting from stationary position, accelerator sometimes has a dead spot and sometimes jerks forward. Car judders at very slow speeds. Once moving, the car drives beautifully with no problems. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 12:29am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/2 "2023-04-23T00:29:14Z")
Do you have a check engine light on?? Have you checked for any codes or pending codes… Possible dead spot in the Accelerator Pedal Position Sensor or Throttle Body Assembly… but that is just 2 of many many different things that could be your issue… Dirty throttle body/blade… How long has this been going on? Are you using the correct fuel or bad/cheap fuel? Is it a manual or automatic transmission? ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 1:52pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/3 "2023-04-23T13:52:52Z")
I got a car with a dead spot at 50mph. Fine bellow 50 and fine above 50. I replaced throttle position sensor and fixed it. Took old sensor apart and checked it with vom. Yep, dead spot right at middle position of range. Might be similar issue for op. ---
**Author:** ![BrianWilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BrianWilson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BrianWilson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 6:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/4 "2023-04-23T18:25:08Z")
Thanks for the tip, Cavell. ![A1FEA16885DC463086D0F7109ABB03A2.png](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/e/7e4f006e600be0e52228c99518845515fe779e3e.png) ---
**Author:** ![BrianWilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BrianWilson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BrianWilson)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 6:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/5 "2023-04-23T18:27:33Z")
Hi Dave, No check engine light. It’s an automatic transmission. Just bought the vehicle. No problems evident when I took it for a test drive! Thanks for the response. ![A1FEA16885DC463086D0F7109ABB03A2.png](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/e/7e4f006e600be0e52228c99518845515fe779e3e.png) ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 6:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/6 "2023-04-23T18:35:09Z")
I would still check for pending or history codes since you just bought it… ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 8:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/7 "2023-04-23T20:13:21Z")
> [@BrianWilson](#): > > Car judders at very slow speeds. Dual clutch automatic transmission, avoid driving at very low speeds, this can overheat the clutch. The take-off hesitation is probably a DCT quirk. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2023, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/8 "2023-04-23T22:58:56Z")
No idea beyond a guess what’s causing your problem, but I experienced sort-of similar symptoms on my Corolla one time. In my case it wasn’t so much a hesitation, but the car lurched forward at times when accelerating during low speed driving, like going around corners in neighborhoods. Couldn’t do that smoothly. No check engine light. Fixed by re-calibrating the throttle position sensor and a dose of fuel injector cleaner. I believe I also re-calibrated the warm idle rpm to spec. Conventional manual transmission, so pretty sure it wasn’t clutch or transmission related. ---
**Author:** ![BrianWilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BrianWilson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BrianWilson)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 4:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/9 "2023-04-24T16:38:39Z")
Thanks for the tip, George. ![A1FEA16885DC463086D0F7109ABB03A2.png](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/e/7e4f006e600be0e52228c99518845515fe779e3e.png) ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 5:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/10 "2023-04-24T17:07:29Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > Dual clutch automatic transmission, avoid driving at very low speeds, this can overheat the clutch. > The take-off hesitation is probably a DCT quirk. I think Nevada’s DCT is the most plausible ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 5:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/11 "2023-04-24T17:22:07Z")
Yep, VW had lots of jerkiness issues with the DCT. ---
**Author:** ![BrianWilson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BrianWilson](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BrianWilson)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2011-volkswagen-gti-dead-spot/190217/12 "2023-04-24T21:38:32Z")
Thanks for the response. ![A1FEA16885DC463086D0F7109ABB03A2.png](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/e/7e4f006e600be0e52228c99518845515fe779e3e.png)