hi guys new to this but here it goes, i have a 1995 mk3 2.0L golf cabrio that has a 2e engine. when i first got the car 5 years ago i had stalling problems wen the revs dropped to idle. found the case of this to be the idle controll valve (after a kind mechanic told me and showed me that if you quickly unplug and plug it back in a few times with ingnition on this temproarilly fixes it) i could tell when it would do it as it would idle from 700 - 2000 quickly upand down eventually i replaced this with a second hand one. it has been fine sinse then with mayb a slightly lumpy idle but nothing too bad. but last week it wouldnt start just reved up to 1500 then off kept trying same responce after playing with the idel conrol valve it started fine but then randomly cut out on me wilst driving no idleing up and down just everything off and dash lights on, tryed restarting and just reved up to 1500 then off did same thing with icv and started fine does it every other day now after about 15 - 20 mins per drive today when it did it i stopped and as i started it i just kept my foot on the accelerater for a bit and it stayed running but then cut out down the road so i played with the icv and it got me home fine. sinse the first time it wouldnt start (as in the begging of the drive) its always started fine.
even tho i mess around with the idle control valve and it starts it just doesnt feel like its that thats wrong, why would it cut out at speed say 30 - 40mph surley thats just for idleing?
iv pulled and tugged at wires and plugs but cannot simulate what it does, throttle body doesnt really seem particullaly dirty, cleaned out breather hoses and assembley as best i could) as they had a lovely yellowey sludge in them. (its always had sludge sinse i brought it dont think it was to looked after and only used for short runs wich is all i do) the sludge doesnt go as far as into the main air intake pipe.
i even tryed running it with different things unplugged to try to simulate what happenes
code scanned it and got 4 codes, cleared codes ( i assumed most of them was when i was unplugging things)
took for a drive same thing re scanned got nothing.
read alot about crankshaft sensors but cannot seem to locate mine dont have any wires behind engine mount that i can see anyway. only 2 just above the oil filter.
also today i did notice when attempting to bump start as it slowed (wich occasionally workes) the speedomiter and rev counter were still not working should they have been? and then when pulling away at lights later on seem slow and a little jumpy when going between 0 - 15 mph
the codes i orriginally got were
00518/p0121 tps out of range g69
00523/p0113 iat sensor-temp low circuit high g42
00524 knock sensor 1-g61
00552 volume air flow sensor g19
again i had been unplugging these, and still got no code after it happend today
i was goin to try and get some parts orderd anyway like relays and knock sensor and crankshaft sensor but euro parts want me to get part numbers off old ones as they are old. so havent had the chance as i use this car to drive to work daily.
anyone have any input that would be great. would obviassly prefer to just buy 1 or 2 parts and not unnessisary ones.
sorry for bad grammer and spelling these really arnt my strong point.