VW Beetle Idle Problems

Dave’s Guestion: My 2002 VW New Beetle is idling up and down. Sometimes it stalls if I stop quickly. But then it starts right back up. I thought I needed a tune up, but new spark plugs and wires and filters didn’t change anything. HELP.

vw-beetle-2002

Answer: Remove the air duct going from the air filter to the intake manifold on the engine. Then get a can of spray throttle cleaner and clean the throttle plate inside the manifold until it shines. A lot of black residue will probably come out. This makes the throttle stick and stop in the wrong position at times, causing idling and stalling problems. I see this a lot in VWs, and to keep it from happenning again, just do this a couple times a year to ensure smooth idling.