Stuttering, stalling and stopping

After the GTi had its little fuelling fit its the now the turn of my Golf C. Car has started stuttering and momentarily stalling on steep hills and at over 60 mph especially in strong head winds. Changing down does not help, neither does adjusting the choke, and car will stutter and slow down unless clutch is dipped. Once at top of hill or slowing down from 60 mph car regains composure, but almost not made it to the top of the hill on a couple of occasions.

Had a Weber replacement carb with manual choke fitted a couple of months ago and seemed to drive fine for a while ? manual choke much better than auto. Actually thinking maybe an ignition problem - going to change points and condenser, check plugs (6 mnths old) tomorrow. Also wondering about HTs - dreaded Berus from GSFs
 
Anyone got any ideas?

Replaced points, condensor, dizzy cap and cleaned up rotor arm. Seems to have made an improvement, car now cruises up to 80mph with no probs. However, still stuttering a bit after flooring it up a long steep gradient at about 60mph - cleared as soon as cleared the hill. Hard to be sure sometimes whether made an improvement or just fluke. Weak spark would fit in with probs I've had and in theory what I have done should have made the spark stronger. Look at HTs and plugs tommorw. Any comments appreciated…

Cheers

We've got a MK2 GL that did this once, it turned out to be the carb icing. The cause was the duct to the inlet manifold had broken.

Yes, thought about that. Would explain problem at speed, but would it effect it at 30-40mph going up a hill? Also manifold warm air pipe looks fine and rad cards in place. Any other causes of carb icing?

Cheers

Cheeck the fuel fillter if there is anny dippesits  cheeck flote chamber of carb, replace fillter, flush out tank as this may have rust in the bottom you can inspect this buy pulling the back seat up, Remoove the 3 scrwes frome the black plate, unscrwe the fule gage (the big white thing with pipe grips) and loock down with a torch cheeck four rust the fuel filling pipe rusting is a knowen corse of this atherwise go and see a carberter speshalist it may nat be the right one or porly setup.

Don't think its fuel. Fuel filter has been on a couple of months and is very clean, fuel filler pipe solid. Problem dosen't occur all the time only in certain situations, which if avoided can mean hours of problem free driving.

Popped into local garage this morning. They had a quick look and said almost definetly ignition. Cleaned King lead into coil (forgot to check… doh) as dirty - made a bit more improvement. Drove a 10 mile section of dual carrageway, some uphgill at constant 70-80 mph no problems. Even overtook couple of trucks  

As checking cleaning and replacing bits of ignition system seem to be making noticable improvements will carry on in that direction. Will check all wires, connections etc. Is the coil on 1093cc same as GTI coil - got a good spare one? Look the same and only seem to list one part on GSF website.

Cheers

markwon said

Is the coil on 1093cc same as GTI coil
Cheers

I remember that the coil for Points is different from the coil with Electronic Ignition.

The points one has a red/orange label, and the GTI/non-points one has a green label. (label colours apply to VAG/Bosch original ones)

Unfortunately, they are not interchangeable…  

Dont think they are that expensive new from vw, seem to remember paying ?20 or so for a new coil (electronic)

Cheers, found that out this afternoon when comparing the two and part numbers. Got a coil from Eurocarparts for ?16. However, still hasn't cured problem. Also been through all Ht and Lt wires plugs and cleaned them all up. Thinking about fueling again. I've come to the conclusion that essentially the engine cannot maintain high revs and starts stuttering when against added resistence such as driving into a strong wind at speed (60mph+) or when on full throttle at 45mph on a steep hill/long gradient

Thats going to be when your engine is creating high vacuum in the inlet manifold and when your carb accelerator pump is not operating i.e. mixture maybe going lean under these conditions - It's probably been said before but think about vacuum leaks - some hoses when they are old will collapse under vacuum also.

Did you say you changed the condenser? - if not do it anyway

Cheers Crazyquiff - I changed the condenser. Where would you be looking for vacuum leaks. Do you mean the thin plastic pipes (one from dizzy two from airbox inlet). Look cheap to replace as part of process of elimination. Any other pipes to check? What about the temp control unit in the airbox neck, could this be causing a problem and is it worth replacing? Determined to sort this out :twisted:

Cheers

This is a clasic cace of fule stavation from chainging to a webber as for sugestions of cracted inlet manifold this would afect slow running to test for a craced manifold, when iderling drip lighter fluid on the manifold it wil rev most lickly problem is under ratid or falty fule pump ps is the problem specific to the engins reves.

Golfboy - had a new fuel pump last year, carb new and fitted by mechanic friend and was fine for first month or so. Problem part rev related, but also throttle load effected?

Anyhow, I used loads of WD40 to clean out the vacuum pipes and temp sensor in airboc - tons of dirt and grime came out. Not sure what this setup on the airbox does, but seems to have transformed the car. Pulls away in 1st and 2nd a lot smoother with minimal revs, very clean through acceleration, and will sit at 75-80mph for 20+ miles. Also went up long, steep hill at constant 65mph with medium throttle load.

What do these pipes and temp sensor do? This is the only thing I have fiddled with that has made much difference?

Cheers

It controls the flap that decides whether the engine is drawing in warm air from the exhaust manifold or cold air from outside. Looks like it was carb icing all along then. :?:  :?:

Hi, new here, but all this v interesting and useful. I'm having major carb hassles with  my 1.3C, running and cold starting. I've worked out that I've got a later HK engine fitted and Pierburg 2E auto choke carb (not sure when or what out of). Anyway I do have the same or a very similar airbox.
I want to go to a completly different carb set up, which will involve losing the current air filter housing. Has anyone else done this - gone to K&N or similar. If so, will I have cold running/carb icing probs as described above, or can I just get round that with carb/choke set up? Also, what did you do with the oil breather?
Appreciate any advice, sorry I can't offer any myself atm.
Hope this not too 'off thread'..
Thanks,
h

Well, I thought cleaning the airbox sorted the problem, but no! Would recommend cleaning the airbox and pipes to anyone who hasn't as this vastly improved the throttle response and and low rev engone take up.

However, the car is still cutting out/spluttering when faced with a steep gradient or strong head wind at 50mph+. To top it off wouldn't start yesterday morning. Checked all ignition parts, tried spare battery e.t.c - managed to get going with a tow start in the end. Have dropped car off at garage, they reckon possibly might be HTs or something in LT circuit. Would have tried spare HTs, but don't have them to hand. Wouldn't be surprised if this is the case. They're not that old, but they are Beru, seemed to be mainly negative experiences of these  :?

Cheers

Old HTs were dying, new set means car starts first thing every morning, but still got spluttering problem  :evil: . Looked into carb icing, cleaned vacuum tubes and even ran it with hot air feed jammed on, but no difference? Problem got even worse last night when driving home, spluttering at 30mph.

Looked at it again today. When you turn the key the fuel filter seems to almost empty completely and when running only a small trickle passes through filter. In addition fuel seems to be gulping into the filter rather than a steady flow and at points even looks like air bubbles in it - is this right?

Maybe imagining it, but seem to remember fuel filter should be half full when car running. When you turn the engine off, fuel keeps dribbling into the filter until the filter is full up. Replaced filter and still the same. Can anyone tell me how the fuel filter on 1100 or 1300 should behave?

My thinking is that under hard loads there is not enough of a resevoir of fuel in the filter and therefore engine dies. If you park up for 20-30 secs car is OK for a bit. Fuel pump was replaced last year and looks OK. Is it possible there is a blockage in my fuel lines?

Any help much appreciated as I feel I'm    which is giving me a  uch:
  
Cheers

markwon said

When you turn the key the fuel filter seems to almost empty completely and when running only a small trickle passes through filter. In addition fuel seems to be gulping into the filter rather than a steady flow and at points even looks like air bubbles in it - is this right?

This sounds correct, from my memory of my 1.3. The gulping is because the filter works on a diagphragm (sp?) principle, which means it takes a "gulp" every time the cam goes around once (it's driven from the cam)

Maybe imagining it, but seem to remember fuel filter should be half full when car running.

 Sounds right, mine was also half full when parked, and never seemed to get truly full, but I was using a larger than normal one (body of filter over 1" diameter)

When you turn the engine off, fuel keeps dribbling into the filter until the filter is full up. Replaced filter and still the same. Can anyone tell me how the fuel filter on 1100 or 1300 should behave?

Not quite sure, but if fuel lines are blocked, there would be lower pressure in the lines around the filter, which would equalise whilst parked, by pulling fuel through slowly/filling the filter(?)

My thinking is that under hard loads there is not enough of a resevoir of fuel in the filter and therefore engine dies. If you park up for 20-30 secs car is OK for a bit. Fuel pump was replaced last year and looks OK. Is it possible there is a blockage in my fuel lines?

I would pursue the theory that the fuel lines/pickup filter in the tank are blocked/partly blocked. See if a garage/mate with a compessor will blow them through for you (disconnect flexible fuel lines in engine bay first!), but first remove the fuel gauge sender under the back seat first, to see if there's a lot of crud in the tank (if you haven't already done so)

Cheers Type 17, I also had a larger filter fitted and swapped that for a standard VW one. Both behaved exactly as I described. Interesting you mention that your filter always seems half full, as I say mine seems to full up when parked and almost be empty when running.

You say that gulping is normal, but what about small air bubbles almost fizzy looking? Fortunately have got a compressor so thats a job for Sunday. This problem is driving me up the wall, but I am determined to fix it - car drives beautifully for what it is the rest of time.

Cheers

Bubbles aren't really an issue - this is low-pressure fuel system (about 3-5 psi), but they would be an issue on a high-pressure one (GTI K-Jet 60-80 PSI)

The flow is the thing that you need to improve…