Sounds normal for a turbocharged engine. What you experience is called turbo lag.

 

Thanks for the reply. I have a 6.5L Turbo diesel in my pickup and the turbo lag doesn't feel the same as this hesitation. When the Passat hesitages, it feels like the engine is not responding at all. Is it just that the 1.8L is so small it can't give enough power at the low RPM's and it just feels like there is no response?

Thanks
Chris

 

I don't have a turbo so I'll let others say for sure. My guess is you are correct. That 6.5L diesel is made for low end torque and response so the turbo lag is probably much less noticeable than in the Passat.

 

They went to drive-by-wire by 2001, if memory serves. If you have drive-by-wire, there is no longer any direct mechanical linkage between your foot and the throttle. Instead, the pedal is attached to an electronic sensor, which transmits an electronic message to the engine computer. The computer then 'tells' the engine to get going. For some reason, there is a noticeable delay built into this, in the way VW or Bosch or whomever designed it. The engine computer probably isn't a particularly fast processor, so the electronic input from your foot has to wait in line with all of the other sensors sending signals from the various parts ot the car to 'interrupt' or get the CPU's attention.

 

I have a 2001 passat as well, the hesitation is annoyingly normal for our cars.

 

I have the same problem on my 2004 V6 4mo. When I press on the pedal from a stop occasionally the rpm's will jump to a little over 1,000 and then after that it'll kick into gear. I've been told that a simple tranny re-flash will fix this. I'm going to the dealership next monday so i'll let you guys know how it goes.

 

really, the 1.8T is built for low-end torque as well. A stock 1.8T Passat is designed/programmed to hit torque peak at around 1800 rpm (chipped Passats much later).

I think what he is referring to is the awful throttle response - there's a delay at a stop (sometimes while moving) between initial throttle input and the car actually moving. It wasn't pleasant in the DBC years (98, 98) but when they switched to DBW (in 2000, IIRC), it got worse (according to reports).
It's not turbo lag (the time delay between throttle input and the system closing the waste gate to start the turbo spinning) or turbo delay (the amount of time it takes the engine to get up to an RPM where it's pushing enough exhaust to build boost).

I drive my wife's '98 Saturn SL1 (100 hp/tq 1.9L I4) and am blown away at how quickly her cheapo plastic car responds to my foot movements.

 

I have a 2002 1.8T Tip and my Wett chip increased that effect even more. It really has a hard time starting from a stopped position and then slowly increasing speed. I've adapted to it a bit and can control it sometimes better than others but once in a while I start to slowly apply the gas and then, Blam! I'm off in a hurry.
I wonder if your car was previously chipped.

 

Try cleaning the throttle body. From some past reads I have read this helps. Sometimes the throttle body can get get pretty gunky and sticky.

 

I'm pretty sure this problem could be the tranny cpu. I have seen this question asked a lot lately. The throtte body could have something to do with it but a re-flash of the tranny chip will most likely do it. I'm going to the dealership next monday to see about getting rid of the lag. I have a V6 so there really should be no lag at all.

 

I just had my throttle body cleaned by the dealer and no improvement. I believe you are just stuck with the accellerator lag with the DBW models. I really think my Wett chip might exaggerate the lag a bit but that may be the case with all chips on the Tip transmissions.

 

Yep, my 01.5 V6 GLX does it too. Sometimes, especially after braking, the engine spins up, but with absolutely no power to the wheels, then it slams into gear as if going from neutral to drive. Even chirped the tires a time or two. I think mine is low on fluid. Gonig to be doing a fluid/filter flush pretty soon.

 

Sorry to revive this, but my 01.5 V6 GLX does the same exact thing. It's annoying as hell. When you're comming up to a red light that turns green and hit the gas at around 10mph, it's absolutely terrible. The engine revs for a second, no power going to the wheels, then the thing SLAMS into gear extremely harshly. Granted, I've experienced this on some other cars with auto trannys (02 Accord V6), but there wasn't any lag in the equation and the slamming wasn't nearly as exagerrated as it is in the Passat.

I know the drive by wire setup is causing the delay when the input is being relayed to the ECU, so can a simple reflash at the dealer fix this? It's the one major thing I absolutely hate the Passat for...Driving any other car, even an old Honda Civic, feels so much more refined in stop and go traffic....Car responds instantly, it feels faster.

 

On my 2000 1.8T there is a sensor in the throttle body that can be easily removed and cleaned with electrical cleaner or some other automotive product. Although I never had much luck with the fix lasting very long it did improve drivability for at least a little while. You might check your vaccum lines for leaks.

 

Mine too. 02 1.8t fwd, It doesn't spin up it just sits there looking stupid...

First nothing happens then it starts to move out and if you don't back off the gas now it's gonna launch into next week! I have found however that if you begin depressing the go pedal slower, tip into it a little and then press, it responds faster. And you actually get going faster than if you just dump the throttle. Like the dead spot is only there when you press fast. Is this what you guys are feeling too?

 

The issue I had with the throttle not responding was only during a cold start up, lasting maybe 5 or 10 minutes at most. That problem went away within 300 miles of adding Cermax to my oil.

I'd suggest you clean that sensor on the throttle body. It wasn't a lasting fix for me, but maybe it will be for you.