My '92 Golf (1.8L Digifant) has exactly the hesitation/stumbling
problem reported below.  The problem has occurred several times on
long trips with high humidity and temperatures below freezing.  The
car runs fine from a cold start at temperatures down to -30C, and the
problem only develops after driving over 100km on the highway.  It's
been suggested the problem is due to ice crystals clogging the air
filter, and I agree this would explain the symptoms.  Has anyone found
a solution to the problem?  As far as I can tell the intake air
preheat system is functional, but it just doesn't seem to provide
enough heat to the incoming air.

Thanks in advance.

Garry
Ottawa, Canada (in the frostbelt)

quote:

Newsgroups: rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled
From: shawn...@aol.com (Shawnoen)
Date: 1998/12/20
Subject: Mysterious Hesitation Problem...PLEASE HELP!
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car: 1991 golf gti 8v....digifant...
Now that it has gotten colder here again in Minnesota my mysterious
hesitation
and bucking problem has returned again with the cold temps....Every
time I
drive the car any distances over about 150 miles the car will start
the
hesitate and get progressively worse the longer I keep driving it. If
it pull
the car over it will idle very rough for a little while and then it
will be
fine. I will start driving down the highway and bamm! about 60 miles
or so
later it will start up again.....WHAT CAN THIS BE?  The car shows no
problems
in the summer or at all just driving it around town...It did this last
year all
the way to the detroit auto show and again tonight on the way up north
to
duluth.  Can someone help me?

It seems as though the car is not getting the right amount of air and
flooding
as when I am driving and it is bucking, if i give it gas to accelerate
it will
really bog down badly and then suddenly take off. There is no
flucuation in the
rpm's though...could it be a mass air flow sensor problem....