A3 TDI very slow accelerating

[aman]

Help! I have a 1998 'R' plate A3 1.9 TDi and the pick up is awful. It's really sluggish even though its suppose to be the 110 bhp model. Uphill on the motorway it actually slows down!
Any idea what the problem is? Its due a service - 80000 mile cambelt change - in a few months but could that be causing such big problems?

[Crasher]

Have a fault code read done, this should cost between £25 and £30 at an independent garage. Make sure you get a print out of the codes before they clear them. If no relevant codes are stored, replace the Air Mass Meter (also known as a Mass Air Flow or Air Volume Meter) with a genuine Audi dealer supplied unit, these cost between £67 and £76 depending on the cars chassis number as the part number changed in 1998 but I think yours will be 074 906 461 which I have listed at £75.79 inc. VAT. DO NOT be tempted to buy a pattern item off fleaBay or anywhere else, the market is flooded with forgeries of Bosch units and we and other traders have experienced huge problems with non genuine versions. A genuine Audi unit comes with a full labour inclusive two year warranty, even if you fit the part yourself, which is very easy to do incidentally.

[aman]

probably should've said, im a novice in these matters. Will any decent private garage do a fault code read? What do you mean when you say relevant codes? What should I be looking for exactly?
Cheers for the help mate, if I need to replace the Air Mass Meter, chances are ill be speaking to you!

[Crasher]

Most garages these days have fault code reading equipment but some can give odd ball code numbers so make sure you can have either what are known as “P” codes or VAG codes as these are the easiest to work from.

Some codes that can be stored on the engines computer may not be relevant to a loss of power such as (and these are VAG code numbers) “00625 Vehicle speed signal Implausible signal” or “01117 Load signal for DF alternator terminal, Implausible signal” but “17958P1550 Boost pressure, Control difference” or “00575 Intake manifold pressure, Control difference” would be relevant