Engine Stalling After Spark Plug Change

[cdnsir]

So my friend (no really, it is my friend), tried to change his own spark plugs on his Jetta. He said he got the right ones, plugged them in, and the car will start. But after 15sec or so in idle, it dies. He then swapped the old ones back in, but it still dies the same way.

He mentioned that in order to get to the plugs, he had to remove the air intake (in his words). Now I didn't get a chance to see exactly what he took out yet, but I got a feeling he might had loosened a sensor somewhere. You guys have any idea what could be causing this?

Oh it's an 02 Jetta I think.

[Jetta-2.0]

:facepalm: he went the extra mile and took the whole air intake out lol tell him to make sure if he put it back on the car right... it might be losing air from it not sitting right back on to the engine.
Check to see if his airfilter is clean or the mass air flow sensor does he have any check engine light on? if so let him see what the codes are and go from there

[sr20s14zenki]

Intake air temperature sensor? could be that too, if that particular one uses one.

[Kloubek]

I've seen (ok... it was my own car, and I was doing the work) a electrical connection not be plugged back in, and it produces similar results, since the car doesn't know how much air is coming in. I bet you he forgot to reconnect one of these.

[93VR6]

Long shot but could it be the plug gap?

I would vote for poorly put together intake and perhaps a ruined MAF or equivalent to what the jetta runs on.

[nobb]

Did he make sure he gapped the spark plugs properly before installing?

[revelations]

+1 for a loose sensor or missing vacuum hose

[Rat Fink]

.

[bourge73]

^^ ya have him look at the sensors to ensure they are properly attached, put back in the air filter/Air Flow sensor/ and make sure he has all of the wires properly plugged into the plugs.

[2Valve0]

Originally posted by revelations
+1 for a loose sensor or missing vacuum hose

[cdnsir]

Went and looked at it today, it something musta been loose when he first put it back together.

He was half way done taken things apart when I got there. And yes, I understand why he took the intake out. Woulda been a big PITA to get to the plugs. Which is something I thought was weird. Why would the engineers wrap it over the engine like that? Wouldn't it add unnecessary heat to the air?

Anyway, used the new plugs and double checked all the hoses as we were putting it back together. Started her up, idle was a bit rough during the calibration, smoothed out after a bit, a drive around the block and it's back to normal!

Thanks for the tips guys. I can't narrow it down for sure, but something must had been loose/disconnected.