Volkswagen Repair: Passat problem, engine harness, air sensor

Question
Hi, Paul,
Passat 92/93 2litre manual.
My car has a problem that no garage or mechanic has been able to locate. The car seems to cut out for a split second. Not like a missing cylinder etc but as if the whole thing stops. The coil was suspect as the car would not start. Replaced, the car was great for a few days. It was when the old one was put back also. Then the distributor was diagnosed as faulty and replaced. Again for a few days things were fine. Plugs and leads replaced but no difference. Mostly happens when cold but can go days without any problem and sometimes when car is well warmed up. The whole thing died on me once or twice then starts again with perhaps no problem for the next day or so. The worst time is after running the car, leaving it for a short time (10mins or so) then restarting. It is like a kangaroo down the road, very jerky.
Any thoughts and help would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Alan  

Answer
Alan,

Sorry for the delay, we had a family crisis.

This is a tough one! I could only guess, remove the boot to the air sensor and see if the sensor is sticking. It is aluminum and may free up when warm. It might also be that you might have a broken wire in the engine harness.  Try tuging on individual wires while the engine is running and see if it cuts out.  Also check for breaks in the air boots themselves.

Good luck,

Paul