engine/drive train jolts/shudders

Hi chaps, just bought my first (and hopefully only) 26E cabrio with an issue i want to try and clear up. I paid a good price for the car so have a little extra to fix odds and sods ;)

what happens is whenever the car is in low revs and the foot is taken off or put on the accelerator the engine and drive train jolt making the car rock backwards and forwards like its about to conk out and stall. this doesn't happen when the revs are high.

after some thought i had come up with the idea that the exhaust (still has original) is backfiring a little and there isnt enough force at low revs to push all the crap out. makes sense considering its an old and never replaced exhaust

do you guys agree or should i be looking at something else?

also, sometimes when pulling away i can press my foot a little too much on the accelerator and it wont pull away, not immediately anyway. it takes a second or two to pick up again as if it is being flooded.

look forward to your responses! :D

I'm guessing it is bogging down which could be as simple as a vacuum leak, or eg a duff lambda sensor or temp sender issue, either would affect fuelling, or a misfire which you have not mentioned, which may be a coil pack issue?
Other than that try a code read, the diagnostic connectors are in the fusebox. VCDS leads are cheap off E bay, you also need an adaptor lead for the older 2x2 or obd1 interface

some tests

http://www.12v.org/maintenance/repairs/ect.php

http://www.12v.org/maintenance/repairs/o2sens.php

hi scotty33 thanks for the reply! gonna do the diagnostic test on all sensors as you have said thanks.

i really do need to get this sorted as driving home earlier she stalled 3 times whilst driving along earlier, again this was at low speed in gear so slowing down the engine as slow as possible.

earlier when trying to pull off doing a hill climb with handbrake it wasnt having any of it, feeling as though its not feeding the fuel through or i am flooding the engine because of the sensors; either way i have to give it some gas before letting the clutch up to get her moving.

in the mean time whilst i wait to do the diagnostic i am going to change the fuel filter as when i bought it, it had been run dry so may have some crap in it!

I feel that the fuel filter would starve it at the top end before affecting it low down the rev range. Not a bad idea to change it, but not sure it is going to help?