I own a 1976 2.0l. My wife & I purchased it in May of 2006, and we enjoyed it for 4 or 5 months during the summer before garaging it. She enjoyed driving it, and I enjoyed working on it. Being no stranger to VW engines, I replaced all the fluids early on, and made all the usual adjustments. I had it starting and running very nicely. Then one day when she was driving it, it suddenly died, and I had to come to the rescue. When I arrived, I discovered that the only way to keep it running was to pump the accelerator. As long as I kept pumping it would go, and the faster I pumped, the faster it would go. If I tried to hold the accelerator down in one position, or let off it to idle, it would die. I was able to drive it home using this technique, but my calf muscle was exhausted! I’m glad she was only 2 miles from home.

I have checked the fuel filter and seem to have plenty of flow. I don’t suspect the fuel pump, because if I can keep it running by pumping the accelerator, then there must be plenty of fuel supply. I suspect something in the fuel injection, but have wiggled all the wiring and checked for good connections, to no avail. The suddenness of this has been what leads me to the electronic fuel injection. As the weather gets nice, she is getting anxious to drive it again! I am out of ideas, and am looking to the collective experience of this community for assistance.

Just a quick thought, when you changed the filter, did you kink the fuel lines stuffing it back up under the tank...Leave it and the pump hanging out, reach up in the cavity (as far as you can) to make certain all lines are straight or at lease not kinked...Try to start and run to see if that makes a difference...

2-OH!

Too many variables...

Check your fuespanel/relay board in the engine bay. Fuses OK? Intermittent break on one? Clean the connections, put new fuses in and try.

Fuses under the dash OK? Intermittent break in one? Clean and check...

Vacuum leaks in your FI system?

Manifold Pressure Sensor failing?

All I can think of at the moment...

When you pump the throttle you get an 'enrichment' burst as the TPS goes through each of the contacts. That may be what is keeping the engine running instead of the normal metered pulse. We need Brad Anders here. Does the enrichment pulse rely on the trigger points or does it give a shot to all 4 injectors? If the latter then check the points.

The other part in the the metered pulse is the electrical connection to the MPS. Again, does the enrichment pulse need that mps cct to work?
If it doesn't check the harness to the MPS.

Sorry - no answers just something to think about. Try checking out Brads site and see if you can find the answers to those questions. They may lead you to the answer

Check the trigger points in the base of the distributor.....

That gives me some new places to look. Thanks!

I ended up taking it to a mechanic, to avoid replacing any more wrong parts. It was indeed the Manifold Pressure Sensor that was the problem. They tuned it up for us and it ran through DEQ with extremely low numbers! I gotta go drive it now...

Thanks!

Ed