someone please help me...

[midwest_euro]

hey guys. well it seems my bad luck isnt over yet. in the past 2 months i have had 3 engines in my 2000 12v vr6. yes, 3. the first one, the stock one, had 72000 miles or so on it before she needed to get out. burned so much oil it bent some valve stems and finally burned out. bought new engine, $5 grand. put that one in. 8 days later, threw a rod through the block. wasnt torqued to spec, timing was not set correctly. oh it aint over yet. so i go back since the engine of course had a warranty lasting longer than 8 days. thought it be another week job like the last one. well a month and a half later its in the car. my question pertains to this problem: when the first engine was almost dead my cat started to die because of all the problems in the engine, oil was actually leaking down the exhaust manifold. anyways. when the first new engine was put in, the cat felt the same as before, it was just throwing the CEL for bad cat. after the last "new" engine was put in. about 3 weeks ago now, the cat was completely dead. probably because it was sitting for a month and a half and all the gunky shtuff settled and shes dead. the car is so powerless it seems, can really feel it between 1st switching to 2nd. it feels like it takes a second for the engine to catch up to the tranny. but when the lag ends it flies. i dont speed and i shift always around 3k. so i dont pound on it. i actually just got the cat replaced today, magnaflow high flow cat. the problem is that it still feels really bogged down, almost the same as before. wouldnt a new cat have fixedthe problem? whats the deal? any ideas.
also, theres another code being pulled for camshaft positioning sensor. so i guess ill have to take it back again, but i think that may just be a burnt out sensor. would that have anything to do with it? sorry for the long rant, but im kinna mad, i thought i was almost cel free...
car in question:
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/ericjohnston27/tuckage.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/ericjohnston27/sidewash.jpg
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i106/ericjohnston27/evil.jpg
:thumbdown:

[Loccusst]

The bad sensors throwing the CEL might be putting it in safe mode....kinda a limp mode that is why it boggs down. Just a thought. Also, it's a VW so as I have been told you are never CEL free.

[iowaboostin]

I've had CAS (cam angle sensor) problems in previous cars that have given me the same symptoms as you. If it's not that sensor (CAS same as CPS) then start with the small things -- run some electronics cleaner through your MAF and check your spark plug gap/change if needed.

[iadubber]

Are you getting a CEL? Even if you aren't there still can be codes in there. I would have someone with VAG check it out. IF there aren't any O2 sensor codes I would agree with Stefan. Start at the bottom. Clean the MAF, plugs, wires, filters, etc.