Have error codes
P1136 - Long term fuel trim, P0422 - Main catalyst O2 sensor, P0302 - Cylinder 2 Misfire. Car is running very rough, idling between 700-1000rpm, not accelerating, vibrating like a washing machine...

Question 1 -
If I unplug the ICM to get to the MAF sensor to replace/clean, will the car lock in limp mode until code is reset? Dumb question but had to ask.

Notes
I turned on the car and unplugged 1 spark plug wire at a time. When I removed individual wires for #1, #3, #4, the car (which was already misfiring) immediately wanted to die. Oddly enough when I unplugged wire to #2 nothing happened. Could this mean that Wire #2 is damaged and car only running on 3 plugs thus I am getting all of the above quotes? To make this even weirder car turned on roughly this morning but by the time I got to work 4 miles later the car was running normally without check engine light on.

Any suggestions/help....it does not sound like spark plugs (brand new) or spark plug wires. MAF? Don't see vacuum hose leaks. Confused and tired.

 

Status - I cleaned the MAF, I cleaned the IMF, I changed the spark plugs, I swapped the coil packs (not replaced but moved one coil from good firing cylinder to cylinder 2 which is misfiring) and no change.

At this point I am stumped. Could this be the O2 sensor?

 

cleaning the MAF will not do anything for it

 

A good cheapie fix is to replace ALL the spark plug wires with brand-new wires.

Old wires can fray, become brittle, and stop moving them electrons over timeand still look just fine. Swap out all the wires, reset the PCM (I don't know how to do it on a Volkswagen but on most American cars leaving the negative battery post unplugged for about an hour will do it), and try again.

At least you'll rule out the wires.

 

dosnt have wires
coils for each cylinder