2002 VW Beetle is pinging and has poor acceleration. Code 17536 for long term fuel trim lean

” My 2002 New Beetle is pinging and has poor acceleration. It has code 17536 for long term fuel trim lean. People are trying to sell me all kinds of stuff for hundreds and hundreds of dollars. What do you think I should do?”

Well, before you spend a bunch of dough, I’d advise changing out the main fuel filter and cleaning the Mass Airflow Sensor (or MAF.) VWs are notorious for getting crud on the MAF sensor and then running lean. And fuel filters do clog up over time and when they do, not enough gas can make it to the injectors, so the engine can run lean. I’ve cleaned lots of VW maf sensors to get them running normal again, it’s a pretty common problem. so try that before spending a bunch on parts you may not need. And if you do need a new MAF sensor because the old one is just plain worn out electronically, you can purchase a quality remanufactured unit instead of the VERY expensive VW OEM new sensor.