I originally posted about this problem around 5 months ago but as the months went by the problem seemed to disapper. However, it's now started to rear its head again.

Initial Symptoms: in the first 10 minutes of driving the car can feel a little jerky, a bit like the engine is misfiring on one cylinder or something. My daily commute is 10 minutes at 45-50mph before hitting the highway (65mph) for the next 40 minutes and the problem usually manifests after around 6 minutes (just as I hit my first uphill) although it may be as early as 2-3 minutes on little or no gradient. Once on the highway, I never feel it again and on the return commute home, all seems fine. VAG-COM shows all is well.

From my first thread I had suggestions of SAI, coils, plugs, etc. but there were no CELs that seemed related. That said, I have had a few random "Catalyst Warm-Up" but never at the same time as the issue. There was also mention of the transmission as a possible cause but no real explanation as to why. Well, I now have addition info that may support the transmission theory...

As I climb that hill and the jerkiness starts, if I switch from auto to tiptronic the jerkiness disappears. The car doesn't physically change gear but just moving the stick from auto to tip seems to aleviate the problem. Does this indicate that it's definately a tranny issue or could there be some logic in the control systems that means that something in the engine changes when tiptronic is engaged..?

 

in a 2002, does moving over to tip also engage sport?

 

No... sport is engaged by pulling the selector back from the D position...

 

synchros are worn at the usual shift points. going over to tip changes the shift points, so no jerkiness. just a theory.

 

could be a valve body issue also becuase auto relies on the valve body.....tip relies on when you switch the gear.....this being said maybe some dirt or somthing in the valve body pull it out flush out clean blow some air through being careful of course change the fluid and filter and try that....