Roninfehr

2003 1.8 Quattro
Starts up no problem strong. After about 3 seconds rpm drop low around 500 rpm and it struggles to maintain smooth rpm engine shakes pretty darn good. In neutral, a lite rev of the engine takes some effort to get the rpm up but once it's above 2000 it's smooth, let the rpm
drop naturally down to idle and it stutters around 500 then cuts out. Starts strong. Leaving the car at idle will also cause it to die out.
Checked sparks. Good
Checked coils. Good.
Checked gas cap. Good
None check engine light is apparent
Cant drive the car to a shop cause it will die out and I dont need the danger and I sure don't want to make it worse.
Any idea where to start or if I'm missing something obvious? Thanks

rocket1420

Do you have VCDS-Lite? A $10 eBay cable and a laptop will get you much better diagnosis than guess work. Just because the check engine light is off doesn't mean you don't have any DTCs stored.

Really, this could be a few different things. SAI, cam/crank sensor, PCV, and probably a few others.

John535is

Look for a vacuum leak, by the sound of it a decent one. Check at the connections, you are looking for a crack near the hose clamps, or one hose has come off. Check the hose from the crankcase that comes up under the inlet manifold, its hard to see and it goes brittle with age due to the heat, that where i found my last one.