Q&A

 Master

1994 is pre On Board Diagnostics level 2 (OBD2) later cars would have better diagnostic capabilities but require a scan tool to communicate with the on board computer in your car.
Exhaust odor is probably a sign of unburned fuel that is being burned in the exhaust system by the catalytic converter. The engine's rough running is probably due to a misfire that can be ignition, fuel or mechanical. The catalytic converter is designed to clean up excess emissions (hydrocarbons and carbon monoxides) but if you smell this process it is causing the catalytic converter to be over worked and it will shorten the life of the cat convt if the problem is not addressed soon resulting in a more expensive repair.

Well all you guys were it is running ruff after starting check the ground bellow the exhaust if there is a gray dusting then your cata is bad. it can and will run ruff smell like somthing is burning and get worse as you drive. if not I would look at your coil pack. If you own a jetta the best thing i can tell you to get is an ODB2 reader. it will save you tons in the way of cash.

I have a 94 E320 that had a rough idle with exhaust odor, replaced the Mass airflow sensor and solved the problem.