Ok, I’ll try to explain this as best as possible without getting confusing (who am I kidding). The first time I had this problem with my car I thought it was the result of bad gas. It was bucking and stalling so I poured in some dry gas and the problem seemed to go away. It sat for two days and then I drove it down the block to have my exhaust readjusted because the garage that replaced my catalytic converter positioned my exhaust so that it was melting my bumper, but anyway, back to the problem! So, I got the car back a day later and drove it about 25 miles, it bucked a few times on the ride at a generally high speed and I had recently gotten gas but the chances of me getting bad gas TWICE, impossible. I made it there, parked, and home no problem. A few days later I drove it 5 miles, parked it and when I got back to it an hour later it wouldn’t start. I wound up breaking the ignition, housing and cylinder somehow while trying to start it so that was shot. The engine was very hot from just trying to start it, but the temperature gauge was normal. I had it towed, the ignition fixed (500 bucks later!) and drove it home about 5 miles no problem. Thinking my problems were over (stupidly) I decided to drive down the shore, 40 miles into the trip I hit traffic and while decelerating my car bucked and stalled so I coasted to the side of the road. I sat for about 15 minutes and then was able to slowly drive to the nearest rest stop, which thankfully was less than a mile away. I called a tow truck and two hours later the car started right up and I drove it onto the tow platform. I left it there for 3 days with the “state specialist on VW” (yeah, that’s not a real title) and they couldn’t find anything wrong with my car. I told them to drive it 40 miles, to try to make it do what it’s done for me, no luck. They did a diagnostic test and there is nothing wrong with my car according to them. I pay them $233 dollars and get my car back in the same condition it was when I towed it there. I started home and about 30 miles from where I picked it up I hit traffic and it stuttered, stopped responding when I hit the gas and stopped in general, just like it’s done before. I had to have it towed, AGAIN! I haven’t touched it since. My problem, besides the obvious (my car itself)is, even if I get something fixed, let’s say, the fuel pump which people have suggested, then I have to drive it to see if that was the problem. If it isn’t the problem I’m stuck somewhere, with a stalled car, again and I just don’t think I can handle that another time. Please, PLEASE if anyone thinks they have a solution or ANY advice I’m very open to suggestions. Otherwise I’m open to suggestions of a cliff to push it off.
One big rambling paragraph is painful to read. Please break it up in the future.
I think something electrical is failing when it gets hot under the hood.
It gets hotter when slowing down from highway speed or right after shutting it off.
Next time it stalls try opening the hood and waiting 15-30 minutes to let things cool off.
My guess would be an ignition module or crank position sensor, but hopefully someone more familiar with VWs will post.
Thanks for the advice. I don’t know about when the engine gets hot, all I know is that once it stalls and I open the hood the engine is HOT. Again, no change on the temperature gauge.
It has worked before to let it cool off for a few and then it started right up, seemingly with no issue. But that’s not always the trick. After the last time it stalled on the highway I sat for two hours waiting for a tow and it still wouldn’t start without being shaky. Of course to replace any parts on a vw is uber expensive and running the risk of it not being the problem might end up with me stuck on the side of the road, again. I appreciate your response.
What you need to do is bring the car to the dealer when it is having the problem.
If they only get to deal with a cold car, the problem won’t happen, and they aren’t going to drive the car to create the issue.
The other thing is to have a friend drive behind you in another car, and have a video recorder in your car, and record what happens. Most digital cameras can take up to 10 minutes of video.
Get the video, and bring that in to the dealer, and tell them you already paid your diagnosis fee earlier, and they didn’t resolve the issue the first time.
BC.
You sound like someone who doesn’t handle car problems very well. That’s OK you’re not alone. VW was my first clue. Get rid of it and get a Subaru with a standard transmission, even if you end up with an older car on a dollar for dollar trade. You will then be able to drive the next 200,000 miles with your only worry being an oil change every 3,000 miles.