Fluctuating RPMs in the during the three to four first minutes of driving in the winter?

2013 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA
48,000 MILES • 2.0L • 4 CYL • 2WD • AUTOMATIC
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PANDAAA
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Hey,

My car seems to have a hard time in the winter. It kind of skips RPMs (jumps back and forth when accelerating/decelerating in the cold weather. It does that for the 3-4 first minutes of driving (even after letting the car heat up for 5 minutes). Should I worry?
Nov 18, 2022 at 6:40 PM
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STEVE W.
  • AUTOMOTIVE REPAIR CONTRIBUTOR
  • 15,146 POSTS
That description sounds like a vacuum leak that shows when the engine is cold and seals up as it warms up. Those can be difficult to find without some testing. The first test would be to get a can or two of carburetor cleaner and use it to spray around the intake manifold and vacuum lines while the engine is cold and running and listen to see if the RPMs change in any area where you spray.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-use-an-engine-vacuum-gauge

Once you find the leak it can be repaired. Common things are cracked vacuum lines or leaking gaskets.
Nov 18, 2022 at 10:07 PM
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