Newbie - how buggered am I?!?

Hi everyone - new MK1 Cabby owner, previous Triumph Dolomite owner so thought I had seen seen everything go wrong that could 🤣

Have an issue with the Golf and was hoping someone might be able to help diagnose what I've got?

Went for a long drive yesterday and everything was fine, everything working as it should, got caught in some traffic and whilst she didn't overheat she got hot, no major issues though….then the following happened:

Both temp and fuel gauges died - I assume the heat fried either the wiring or the fuses?

Then the interior fans stopped blowing….

I pulled over to give her rest everything apart from the above was ok.

After half an hour I left, reversed out of the parking space ok but she was a bit grumpy pulling away in first - but she did as she was told (still no fan or gauges).

Went through 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th fine, however when I went into 5th she massively over rev'd, so much that I had to drop back to 4th and cruise at 40-50mph revs were in 4th.

I got pulled over and there was some steam from under the bonnet, assumed it was the engine or rad but the steam was coming from the gear box, checked that I could select all gears and they did, however in reverse she now goes forward.

I assume the linkage is out up or the selector bar is off.

I got towed home - tested this morning she starts but is very lumpy and the gears are still the same ie reverse goes forward and 5th over revs.

Has anyone had anything like this before???

Fuel and water gauge is usually the 10V stabilizer is toast or that the stabilizer isn't getting a good ground or 12v to it.

Plumping your connector will help, along with adding a ground splice from the inner firewall to pin 2 Brown on the cluster.

The Black wire usually pin 14 is where the 12V+ comes in.

The heater blower is usually a bad gound pin or no 12V to it as well so Check the fuse first, then look at the connector on the left side of the heater box to see
if it is a little toasty.  You can run a bypass with a insulated male/female spad.

I have howto's in the archive section on plumping your connector and backfeeding the cluster if you need to.
click the linkk on my signature.

You can tahe the blower switch out of the cluster and separate it from the plug.  Key in and on you can use a large paper clip hod with pliers and jumper the main bit red wire to each of the positions to validate that the blower and wiring is good or the switch is bad.

Shot in the dark… is there a bit of bodgery going on with the clutch cable?

That black object (is it a tube?) doesn't look standard, is it possibly trying to compensate for an incorrect length of clutch cable by taking up slack?

First thoughts are the gear selection mechanism has somehow gone awry and choosing the incorrect gears - reverse is getting a forward gear and 5th maybe 1st, 2nd or 3rd hence the high revs.

Quick google suggests the correct cable is 1450mm long, but that'd need double checking.

If your cable is much outside of that it may be a starting point as to the cause of the problem by itself or that it has upset your gear change linkage by putting it under stress?

Your electrical issues may be separate.

Not ruling out it was steam (and if it was, again don't assume it's a connected problem) but perhaps it was smoke from a complaining clutch?





 

It does look as though the clutch cable is too long for the vehicle and somebody has put  the black  tube to take up the slack. I would try and get the correct length clutch cable. that bodge can't be helping your problems.
It is highly unlikely to be  steam coming from the gearbox/clutch unless you have just been through a ford.
What does it smell of, a burning clutch has a distinctive odour, not to be forgotten? A too long clutch cable could easily make the clutch slip resulting in smoke/smells and possible gear selection problems.

Your electrical problem is likely to be coincidental. Problems always come in threes There is good advice in the above replies regarding the electrics

Dang I forgot about the steam and the gear box.

Heater hoses one goes to the heater valve and the other goes to a plastic butt-to-butt connector, and I have personally seen that one break and spew all my coolant.

Going back go to a hardware store and or a home improvement center.  Look for a brass 5/8  Pex splice, along with 2 hose clamps.   

Also heater valves are always suspect.  I would say go with the Porsche 944 manual heater valve they work better and are easier on the controls.  Be mindful of the direction of the fluid flow and then you have to mount it upside down from a normal one VW one.

Thanks for the replies I'm starting to get a plan together….

It was definitely clutch burning smell and the smoke/steam was coming from the inspection hole on the gearbox - it only really started to smell while in a jam on a bit of an incline (so a lot of clutch use).

I think I need to get the linkage sorted first so the right gears are being selected - and check the gearbox oil levels.

Next it's the clutch cable - get a proper look at that and make sure the right cable is on.

Lastly the electrics (fans and gauges).

Does anyone think this is overly optimistic approach?

bacardincoke said

Shot in the dark… is there a bit of bodgery going on with the clutch cable?

That black object (is it a tube?) doesn't look standard, is it possibly trying to compensate for an incorrect length of clutch cable by taking up slack?

First thoughts are the gear selection mechanism has somehow gone awry and choosing the incorrect gears - reverse is getting a forward gear and 5th maybe 1st, 2nd or 3rd hence the high revs.

Quick google suggests the correct cable is 1450mm long, but that'd need double checking.

If your cable is much outside of that it may be a starting point as to the cause of the problem by itself or that it has upset your gear change linkage by putting it under stress?

Your electrical issues may be separate.

Not ruling out it was steam (and if it was, again don't assume it's a connected problem) but perhaps it was smoke from a complaining clutch?





 

This makes sense, when changing from 4th into 5th the revs would go bannanas as if it was actually in 5th but she was quite happy doing 30 in 5th 🤔

Just fired her up and the gauges have come back to life, so that's something….blowers still aren't working though (they're behaving like Dolomite fans 🤣😭🤣).

She's started ok, very lumpy again but once fired up idles nicely and no funny smells (yet).

Your cylinder head is date marked late 1988… this is a (hopefully relevant) link to a free on-line service called 7Zap, there's others, but I've got used to this one.

As you can see the linkage is quite a busy design and has some components that'll maybe have worn out by now, if they're original to the car.

Plenty of scope for misalignment / loosening or just plain old slack that might be part of your issue.

Use the link below as a starting point, you can navigate backwards and change the year if necessary using the tabs.

Part numbers used to be fully visible on the opening page, but you've to click on the magnifying glass these days, it'll show you them in their entirety at that point then Google… might surprise you what's being re-made, unfortunately some of the prices will too.

https://volkswagen.7zap.com/en/rdw/golf+cabriolet/goc/1988-44/7/711-122000/

 

bacardincoke said

Your cylinder head is date marked late 1988… this is a (hopefully relevant) link to a free on-line service called 7Zap, there's others, but I've got used to this one.

As you can see the linkage is quite a busy design and has some components that'll maybe have worn out by now, if they're original to the car.

Plenty of scope for misalignment / loosening or just plain old slack that might be part of your issue.

Use the link below as a starting point, you can navigate backwards and change the year if necessary using the tabs.

Part numbers used to be fully visible on the opening page, but you've to click on the magnifying glass these days, it'll show you them in their entirety at that point then Google… might surprise you what's being re-made, unfortunately some of the prices will too.

https://volkswagen.7zap.com/en/rdw/golf+cabriolet/goc/1988-44/7/711-122000/

 

Amazing, thank you so much!

Is it worth checking oil level in box as my first step?

This is the go to resource for all things 020 - there's slight differences to the procedure when changing the oil, depending on the date of gearbox manufacture, that need to be followed to prevent under / over filling.

Yours'll be stamped on the bottom of the bell housing (the link below'll tell you where and how to decipher it).

Oils not expensive and no special tools are required, plus both ways of doing it are easy if you've access to somewhere flat to park the car.

You'll possibly find yours has never been done before and it's black / low.

You'll read about the dangers of letting the level get too low and how it can potentially destroy the 5th gear in extreme circumstances.

http://www.brokevw.com/

(NB. It's from a pre https:// time, your browser may flag it up as insecure, but it's perfectly safe to continue.)




 

Clutch cable deffo looks wrong.

Need a proper tool to get to the drain plugs….

But I have a plan, thanks everyone for the advice, I'd better pay up for membership!

The challenge is getting her sorted so I can get to the Annual Gathering (and hopefully get back from it).

This forum is amazing!

James

Regular M17 hex bit (some sump plug removers'll also fit) or if you're handy, make something up with a 17mm wheel bolt.

Linkage looks worn - new parts ordered

For years I used the double nut 17mm bolt, but one day perusing thru a bargin bin at a parts store was a SK17mm 3/8 drive Allen.  As they were clearing all the SK line for some other vendor, I picked it up for 3 bucks.

Another gimme is to wrap the Tread of the Allen with PTFE tape as it makes it easier the next time.

5 spd trannys require full fill all the time, as the 5th gears and syncro are splash driven, low oil can cause them to burn up.

A great how-to on the shifter with part numbers and adjustments:
https://www.cabby-info.com/files/transmission/ShifterLinkageGuide_5speed.pdf

Last but not least a Friend of mine clued me into a quick trick that he uses to replace the main shift rod bearing.


He Drills out the rivets, and cuts the old one out.
He Takes the new bearing stands it up, then slices a cut in it down the side, spreads it apart and slides it over the shaft.  I tried it once and it was way easier, and I didn't mess up any of my adjustments.

bacardincoke said

Shot in the dark… is there a bit of bodgery going on with the clutch cable?

That black object (is it a tube?) doesn't look standard, is it possibly trying to compensate for an incorrect length of clutch cable by taking up slack?

First thoughts are the gear selection mechanism has somehow gone awry and choosing the incorrect gears - reverse is getting a forward gear and 5th maybe 1st, 2nd or 3rd hence the high revs.

Quick google suggests the correct cable is 1450mm long, but that'd need double checking.

If your cable is much outside of that it may be a starting point as to the cause of the problem by itself or that it has upset your gear change linkage by putting it under stress?

Your electrical issues may be separate.

Not ruling out it was steam (and if it was, again don't assume it's a connected problem) but perhaps it was smoke from a complaining clutch?





 

That is definitely not correct

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