I have a 97 1.8t QM. My first start in the mornings are sometimes sluggish. Slow cranking, plus the engine occasionally puttering but not starting. When the engine does start (after lots of cranking, or sometimes not much cranking at all) the engine idles like crap for a good 30-40 seconds, vibrating, puttering. Slight gas smell briefly some times. Idle eventually flattens out. All subsequent starts of the day are flawless.

I have no CELs, lights of any kind. This is a tough one because I have a few things that make me suspect its electrical/ignition, then a few other things that make me think its fuel system related.

On the electrical front, my voltmeter reads 1 tick away from 16v on a cold idle, with nothing else running, no AC/lights, nothing but the engine idling. Is that high? Plus before the rough starts, the cranking was always a little slow. My plugs are also suspect because i pulled them out to inspect them the other day and played musical coil packs to try and alleviate the problem, and it just made it worse. Have you ever heard of coil packs, plugs just crapping out because you fooled with them?

The things that make me consider my fuel/vacuum system are the fact that i have the gas station pump click-off problem, where the pump clicks off every 2 or 3 gallons of gas I put in. Also, when i do the oil filler cap test, my idle does not change or cause CELs when the oil filler cap is removed when idling. It just keeps on doing the same slightly uneven idle it has for a while.

To narrow down some options, the car has: new fuel filter, new ICM/output stage, new O2 sensor, new coolant temp sensor. My ideas for possible problems include: battery, MAF, coil packs, plugs, something EVAP system related? The car also seems to make little power under 2500 or so RPMs. Not sure if this is normal for a 1.8t or not. Boost gauge reads normal boost from 1500rpm on up, but I dont actually 'feel' the boost until near 3k rpm.

I know it could probably be a million things, thats why i'm asking for some input. Thanks!

 

I had similar problems earlier this winter with hard starts and rough idle. It turns out that my fuel pressure regulator was sticking and flooding the engine. It's found at the back end of your fuel rail. It's held onto the rail by a clip and has a vac line running to it. When idling rough give it a couple taps with the handle of a screwdriver, that may free it up. If so it's an easy part to change and the cost isn't too bad. Hope this helps

 

Thanks for the tip TRTW. I'll take it off tomorrow and see if it seems gummed up, but I may just add that to a list of tune-up parts to order.
Also, I found a parts list on here I can used to rebuild my PCV system, any suggestions on where to actually order these parts? I usually go to ECStuning, but they dont have some of these items:
(4) 058-905-291 check valve
(1) 034-129-101-B "puck"
(1) N-904-673-01 breather tube seal
(1) 058-103-213 breather tube
(1) 06A-103-247 bleeder valve housing
(1) 035-103-245-A bleeder valve

 

Just started having the same problem you described.

 

a similar startup issue a while back. Apparently the throttle body was filthy. After a cleaning, the engine ran much smoother and idled much better.


Just a possibility...