1996 mark 4 TDI Air flow meter?, radio and dash instructions

For a 1996 TDI saloon 106k 90BHP. 1Z engine. Last of the mark 4s
I had the MOT done today, Hugh my mechanic in my village took it downt to the MOT garage, because if it fails there is no retest fee. It passed although it needs a new front brake hose.

Two questions.
He thought the air mass meter maybe on its way out.
I have had no problem with it beyond a bit sluggish when accelerating up a 2 mile long hill. It gave about 62 MPG on a drive to Blackburn from Bristol a couple of days ago.

So I took it off its a Permburg make, one of the two nuts that hold it to the air filter housing required very little persuasion to undo, and the other was not much better, so possibly not a good air seal, there was a very small moth in the grill which I removed.
I put it back and connected the electrical connector up and went off for a drive with the nuts done up tightly allowing that it is a plastic housing.

Maybe it was me but it seemed livelier. Previously the engine stuttered and would not go beyond about 3500-3750 RPM on hard acceleration, but this time in second and third it picked up cleanly to just under 5k. I went up the M5 for one junction and it went as fast as i have been in it with no problem.
So I turned round and took the connector off the mass flow meter and went back the same way. It was not quite so quick to accelerate and it seemd to be lacking something, although it was up hill slightly and the wind was against me. So that sounds like the loose nuts were causing the problem and that the air mass meter is OK.
Am I right?


2nd Q
The radio is a Sony but I have no instructons for it. Where can I get them please?
Equally are there instructions for the dash computer, I understand most of it but would like to know all.

Pierburg airflow meters are more reliable than the Bosch ones and if it drives worse when disconected, then the MAF is ok. If there is no improvement then the MAF it shot. For the stereo, do a google search for that specific model.

sony radio, then visit the sony website, follow the path to car audio, do a search for your radio model and i bet that they'll be available for download as a pdf document.

this works for most electronic goods, washing machines tv's etc.

Thanks for your help.

I could not get the radio instructions from the Sony web site. but with a little searching I got a copy in PDF for £2.

I'll leave the MAF as it seems to be working ok now.

What model is the sony radio? i may well still have the instruction booklet from the sony radio that was in my passat, if so ill happily foward them to you

Thanks for your offer. I bought a copy of the manual some time ago.