Desparate to get fixed before Annual Gathering!

My car - a 93 Rivage GTI has begun running like a pig. Around a month ago the fuel pump stopped priming when a turned the ignition on.

I was struggling to get it started. I managed to get down to chortle's in Derby who was replacing my hood

While fitting my new hood he gave me a spare fuel pump relay and despite the priming not coming back its fired up first time every time.

However, and this may not be related to the fuel pump, the car has now started juddering really badly while accelerating in 1st, 2nd and a little in 3rd gear.

By the time I get to 4th and 5th its running smooth again.

The car is nearly undrivable now and Ive replaced the fuel pump with a brand new one fromCrazy  Quiffs thinking this would solve the problem.

My friend is really good with VW's and has a load of them with k-jetronic set ups

Unfortunately he's not too good health wise at the mo so he's suggested I look at the plastic and rubber pipework around the metering head and inlet manifold to

check for air leaks, as he reckons the symptoms sound like potential air is being drawn in to upset the air/fuel mixture but i cant spot anything .cf_emoticons__BangHead:With not long to go I'd love to get to Uttoxitor but times running out.

Any help or suggestions would be really appreciated

 

Hi mate what's the fuel filler neck like on your car contaminated fuel can be. A big issue due to filler neck corrosion  also is your car a daily driver I know after mines is parked up  the fuel system seems to gunge up , a bottle of fuel treatment usually helps this , also checking dizzy cap rotor arm and leads etc may be a factor too ….. Hope this helps a bit good luck 

So, have you checked the in tank lift pump?

A horrible chain of events happens on these later cars as follows:

(1) The lift pump starts failing, causing the main pump to have to work harder than it should.
(2) The main pump draws a lot more electrical current, which causes the fuel pump relay to overheat.
(3) The relay gets so hot that the solder on its main current contacts melts.
(4) The contacts in the relay plate corrode from the caustic melted solder and flux.

A rotten filler neck does not have as bad effect on these setups due to how the fuel is drawn from the tank using the lift pump. But if it is rotten, it will not help !

A lift pump will often continue to work when out of the tank, but fail when under the load of pumping the fuel.

Your juddering is because the main pump is still dragging the fuel out of the tank, but it will be aerated and therefore some of the injectors will not always open as they see a pressure drop.

Same as above ^^^^^^ Check the lift pump, been through a few of them in 20 years of owing a Mk1 Gti.

Lift pump looks like the one in the link, also check the rubber hose which joins it to the sender as they can rot just sitting in petrol and send bit's of rubber into the fuel system.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VW-GOLF-MK1-CABRIOLET-MK2-GTI-8v-16v-FUEL-PUMP-LIFT-PUMP-IN-TANK-C246-/200691149226?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Model%3AGolf&hash=item2eba1fe9aa
 

Maybe change your fuel filter in your engine bay too in case it has pulled up some of the dirt and grit out of the your tank. It can also effect your running.  

Many thanks for your quick replies and advice.

I took it to a highly recommended mechanic (recommended by a friend who's a mechanic himself who runs a mk 4 tdi, a 16v corrado and an 88 mk1 cabrio)

After kangerooing 30 or 4o yards down the road he put white smoke thorugh the filter box and this highlited an air leak in the consatina style rubber part that sits at the end of the inlet manifold

bought a new one from crazy quiffs which I fit tonight and the jobs a good en!

Anyway, after reading your comments about the lift pump I'm gonna fit a new one to be on the safe side.

Once again, very much obliged for your help, Paul

See you at the annual gathering!!!!