Fuel line blockage?

I have only had my 83 Gti for 2 months.
The following has been replaced:
Fuel pump
Injectors,
metering head (2nd hand)
Plugs
Leads
Distrubutor cap and rotor arm
The filler neck is quite new also.

The car has had some problems with misfire/lack of fuel……..or maybe just kangaroo petrol.
Unfortunately MR AA man couldnt get the car running right while out one day and had to tow me home…….Right through the city centre of all embarrasing places ops: …..Not a good example of VW quality.
A Mechanic mate said that it may be a blockage in the fuel line somewhere either before or after the pump.
Also the pump doesnt "prime" when the ignition is switched on?????
and it is running a bit loud for a brand new unit……..any thoughts on cleaning out the sytem and the pump apart from removing it all and high pressure blowing out all.
Or just any thoughts on what it may be.
He also said to check the power going to the pump.

Unfortunately i am offshore just now and cant get started on it till i get back home.

Also any diagrams or advice regarding drilling the airbox as i have a spare box for doctoring :twisted:

Do the usual checks for fuel flow at the injectors unless AA man has laready done this. If there is no fuel, and the pump is delivering (again do the simple checks for fuel flow), I would suspect that you have a colapsed fuel line. Have seen this once before where the fuel line looks perfectly ok from the outside but the inside had colapsed and was causing a blockage - MK1Maniac had this on his MK1 and spent quite a while trying to track it down !! Hope this helps   

The fuel pumps on MK1s are well known for being noisy, so don't worry if the new one sounds lound, it's probably fine.

One silly thing that affected mine after I'd had it apart. When first put back together, my car would turn over on the starter, start, but not run properly. Narrowed it down to the fuel system.

Eventually after hours of checking the fuel lines, testing the pump etc. I stumbled acrosss the problem by accident. I hadn't pushed the connector onto the ignition switch properly. I know in reality it shouldn't have made any difference, but as soon as I pulled that connector off, and put it back on properly, it solved the problem, car now runs fine. I suspect the fuel pump must run directly from that switch, therefore it wasn't getting the full voltage as the connector wasn't on properly, so it was running, but not fast enough to deliver the pressure required. Just a thought, definitely worth testing the voltage at the pump terminals.  

A collapsed fuel line, or something simelar is more likely for your problem though, but I'm alawys one for sharing my experiences! Good luck.

…also check the lift pump in the tank….I was 'embarassed' when mine packed up (kangaroo all over the place and lack of power, but would start and tick over)….at least the AA used a VW van to tow me home !!!!  

Thanks guys.
Should the fuel pump not prime once the ignition is initally switched on though?

No the pump doesn't prime the fuel system on MK1 golfs for some reason. The pump only starts running once you turn the key to the 'start' position, then carries on running untill you turn the engine off. If the engine stalls it carries on running until the ignition key is turned back.

I think there's a clever bit of switching involved inside the ignition lock somewhere. Have you noticed if your engine stalls, you have to turn the key all the way back, then on again before it will let you start it. It won't just let you turn it to the 'start' position again.   :?

skid said

Also any diagrams or advice regarding drilling the airbox as i have a spare box for doctoring :twisted:

General opinion skid is that drilling the airbox makes no difference other than a bit more induction roar (and more crap being sucked in?!) That said, if you are drilling it, I think you can drill any free space you like!

Couple of things Guys:

Didn;t think the MK1 had a lift pump in the tank ?
And
thought the pump primed/ pressurised if the system was low on pressure, hence why when you turn the ignition on sometimes you would here the pump buzz for  short period then go quite ?

Or have I gone mad ?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? (which is possible with old age, along with lots of tyoing errors   )

Maybe there is a lift pump in the tank on late Cabs as with Mk2s?

Cheers
Rajan

The only "priming" that the pump does is that the fuel pump relay runs the pump for approx 2 seconds after the distributor (ie: engine) stops turning (or for two seconds if the key is turned to On, but the engine is not started).
The engine should start immediately, because the pressure in the fuel system should be retained since the car was last run - if not, then the injectors are leaking, or the accumulator in the offside rear wheel arch needs replacing.

Thanks Type17
Thats one less thing to think about checking out.
Just a pity i filled the tank to the brim just before it broke down……….Any one for sucking petrol….aaarrrgh ops:

Well after i spent a day dismantling all the fuel lines and pump etc which i blew out with a high pressure air line, re-assembled only to find out that it cured nothing.
Booked the car into a  Bosch specialist in fuel/electrical repairs(ok i failed).
Even on the way there the car broke down  and had to get towed the following 1 mile that was left to get there ……..embarrasing as it was also peak time traffic.
After a quick call to them today it looks like either the new fuel pump fitted is faulty or the donor metering head i got is knackered. :cry:

Well i got the car back after a shocking bill of ?354 8O and only ?36 of that was parts.
The worst part was they hadnt even fixed the car but at least sourced the fault :cry:  
Aparently the fuel tank is taking in air to the fuel line from internal of the tank 8O ….something to do with the internal supply hose….
They fitted a new fuel pump and it was as noisey as the original new one fitted.
They made up a dummy tank and ran fuel from it to the pump etc and it ran perfect….thus proving its the tank to blame.
They did notice someone had played about with the metering head ad managed to shim it back to spec
Managed to get a new tank ordered from my local motor factors for ?75 ….but will take a week to get,which doesnt pose a prob as i will be offshore till it arrives.
Any other jobs worth doing while i have the rear axle etc and the tank down….?
At least after months of troubles i now know the cause of my headache.

YIKES! well i know not to go to bosch then

theres no lift pump in the tank of a mk1 but there is on the cabs
i bought u new pump from gsf ?80 and it made more noise than the old one the car never run right since. so today i,ve took and old pump off another car and i can hardly hear it and the car runs much better  
i did hear a 2,0l cavalier pump will fit and are better.

Which pump did you buy from gsf? they list two on there site, the bosch being about a tenner more than the pierburg pump, went for a bosch from them two years ago and has been nice and silent, just wondering if its just the cheaper pumps or something

Well i bought a new tank from a local trade distibutor which cost me ?68 8)
As it was only finished in primer/base coat i gave it a few coats of paint before fitting.
After fitting and coating it again with Waxoil………MY CAR RAN PERFECT….at last.
The garage was right so i took a grinder to the old tank to see what they were on about.
THe fuel supply pipe is metal and i never seen any fractures in it.
But it does have a non-servicable filter in the tank and i think it was a little blocked and not sitting correctly in its mount.
I will post some photos of the tanks internals once i suss out how to upload photos to the forum.
I also fitted a lower strut brace form C&R and what a differance it made.