# Vw polo shuddering/failing to accelerate or change gears at certain times

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-polo-shuddering-failing-to-accelerate-or-change-gears-at-certain-times/86918>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [August 31, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-polo-shuddering-failing-to-accelerate-or-change-gears-at-certain-times/86918 "2014-08-31T17:41:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![settlement](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@settlement](https://community.cartalk.com/u/settlement)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-polo-shuddering-failing-to-accelerate-or-change-gears-at-certain-times/86918/1 "2014-08-31T17:41:16Z")

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Question regarding the car failing to accelerate properly that only happens just when I start driving it.

Turn on the car and go, it accelerates fine in first gear. When I switch to second gear it starts shuddering at 20mph and won’t go any faster no matter how hard I push the pedal. I switchh to 3rd and its fine until I get to 30mph and then the same thing. I pull over, turn off the car, restart and it’s all fine.

I drive a 2004 volkswagen polo 1.2L engine with 100,000 miles or 160k kilometres.

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**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\
**Post date:** [August 31, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-polo-shuddering-failing-to-accelerate-or-change-gears-at-certain-times/86918/2 "2014-08-31T21:44:46Z")

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"I pull over, turn off the car, restart and it’s all fine. "

Have you tried pulling over and just letting it idle for a few minutes? I’m thinking a failing temp sensor.

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**Author:** ![settlement](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/96bed5/32.png) [@settlement](https://community.cartalk.com/u/settlement)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 1:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-polo-shuddering-failing-to-accelerate-or-change-gears-at-certain-times/86918/3 "2014-09-01T01:54:21Z")

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No, haven’t tried that. So I should pull in and let it sit there, still on, in 1st gear?

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**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 2:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-polo-shuddering-failing-to-accelerate-or-change-gears-at-certain-times/86918/4 "2014-09-01T02:40:30Z")

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I’d just put it in neutral.

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**Author:** ![knfenimore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9fc348/32.png) [@knfenimore](https://community.cartalk.com/u/knfenimore)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 3:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/vw-polo-shuddering-failing-to-accelerate-or-change-gears-at-certain-times/86918/5 "2014-09-01T03:04:31Z")

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Sounds as if you are in limp mode. [http://www.myturbodiesel.com/wiki/limp-mode-fix-repair-troubleshooting-vw-seat-skoda-audi-tdi-engine/](http://www.myturbodiesel.com/wiki/limp-mode-fix-repair-troubleshooting-vw-seat-skoda-audi-tdi-engine/)