In the last couple of weeks my 03 vRS Mk1 has been stalling while braking. It only happens when you engage the clutch and stear at the same time. The stall is smooth, as if the engine just steadily slows to a halt.

With the stalling, the engine no longer idles smoothly, the revs jump and drop intermitently.

Any ideas?

So when you are just sat at a standstill idling the revs will randomly drop too? Do they ever drop to a level where it will stall like this or does the stalling just happen when you are coasting with the clutch down?

When standing still the revs drop until the car makes a small judder and then the engine saves its self and increases the revs for the next 10seconds or so, then the same thing happens.

It only stalls when you engage the clutch and stear at the same moment. If you engage the clutch, let the engine drop to idle revs, then stear it works fine

Theres an anti shudder valve iirc. Or something like that which controls the idle whilst the steering is working.

I think anyway lol

Ken o neil knows more iirc.

Not much today am I :O

Definately sounds like an idle control problem. Dipping the clutch and using the power steering is making it rev so low it is stalling. Could be a duff throttle body, or a leaking pipe under the inlet manifold. I don't think the 1.8T has an idle speed control valve as such though :confused:

Is it possible to get a fault code scan done? Either with a cheap scanner or find a member near you with VAG-Com?

Thanks for your very promt replies. I'm afraid I'm new to this forum today, so not sure how I would find out if people are local to me, and I don't have access to any diagnostic equipment.

I'm in and around the Manchester Sportcity area if that helps at all...

Try one of the people near you on this list:

http://briskoda.net/diagnostics-vag-com/vag-com-owners-map/80992/

Or you can buy cheap fault scanners off of ebay for less than £30

CAR FAULT CODE READER FOR VW VAG AUDI SEAT SKODA U281 on eBay, also, Diagnostic Tools Equipment, Garage Equipment Tools, Cars, Parts Vehicles (end time 31-May-09 12:54:45 BST)

This sounds like an idle stabilisation issue to me.

So off at a tangent to get further info. Set the climate to auto, and demand temperature to 18C. Drive the car for about 10 minutes, to get the actual interior temp somewhere near the demand. Press the "cold" button, and if the engine stutters, I'm probably right.

As to people and places near you, drop the "The Site" menu top left, and look for the VAGCom map to locate someone over your way who has the kit.

Or go to the Site Sponsors fora, and talk to the very nice people at AwesomeGTi.

This sounds like an idle stabilisation issue to me.

So off at a tangent to get further info. Set the climate to auto, and demand temperature to 18C. Drive the car for about 10 minutes, to get the actual interior temp somewhere near the demand. Press the "cold" button, and if the engine stutters, I'm probably right.

Thats the one, thanks ken

Just tried the Aircon suggestion. Unfortunately I think this problem is intermittent. The car was driving perfectly just now, no problems with idle or turning the wheel with clutch down. I'll try again on the way home from work and post result.

Thanks for the link to the code reader, might invest in one. I presumed they cost hundreds, will be nice to have one to save me paying £60 again to be told i have dirt on a sensor!

I was hoping to shock load the engine, and stutter it that way. You might also try to drive the car feet-off.

I tested the aircon again. Oddly it seems to have fixed the problem (Well bodged it). When the climate control is in 'Econ', as I drop the clutch the revs drop to around 500, if I then turn as the revs are dropping the car stalls. When at a stand still and Idling, the car doesn't stall when wheel is turned, and revs only drop slightly.

With the climate control in 'Auto', when the clutch is dipped, even when turning the engine revs normally.

This has really confused me!

I would open up the throttle body and have a look how dirty it is before going any further.

I have a feeling in my water that might be your problem;)

See here .................http://briskoda.net/technical-guides/cleaning-throttle-body-1-8t-engine/145866/

HTH

Just whip the big pipe off the one end for now and you can see how dirty it is from there.

Turn on your ignition and jam brick on the accelerator and it will open the throttle so you can see inside.

Obviously don't have the car running lol

I think your waters were right. Just had a quick nose and there was a bit of oil pooling in there, and the sides were coated in dirt. Gonna see if I can get the seal thats talked about in the cleaning guide and hopefully give it a good clean this weekend!

Thank you very much for your help

I think your waters were right. Just had a quick nose and there was a bit of oil pooling in there, and the sides were coated in dirt. Gonna see if I can get the seal thats talked about in the cleaning guide and hopefully give it a good clean this weekend!

Thank you very much for your help

No problem :D

Just so you know on one of the PAS pipes on the pump is a switch.

This switch detects high loading of the pump and ups the engine idle to stop it stalling. If this switch develops a fault it can give these symptoms.

Just so you know on one of the PAS pipes on the pump is a switch.

This switch detects high loading of the pump and ups the engine idle to stop it stalling. If this switch develops a fault it can give these symptoms.

I knew there was something like that, I just didn't know what :O

Just so you know on one of the PAS pipes on the pump is a switch.

This switch detects high loading of the pump and ups the engine idle to stop it stalling. If this switch develops a fault it can give these symptoms.

Cheers; I'd presumed that was handled through the idle stabilisation control, rather than directly by the PAS monitoring its load directly.

Well idle stabilisation as such is just the throttle body, nothing else, no other valves or such.