My first problem! :( update!!

Hi! I have had my '87 mk1 1.6 auto cab for a day and got my first problem! Took her work this morning and all was fine (apart from my rev counter and temp gauge not working!) then I came to her to go home and….
It took me 3 attempts to start, each time starting then dying after a few seconds. then when I get her started the revs are high, and when I pulled off it bogged down before flying!!! Pulled on my drive and the revs were hunting up and down before resting high with engine racing!
Is this the auto choke playing up, or do I need adust the idle? It's been about 10 years since I had a carb and I'm a little rusty!

did you try to hold the revs with the throttle while it was cold?

mine nearly stalls when cold untill it warms up and does the pulling away thing too (cos it nearly stalls as pulling away)

but mine is  not auto.

Yeah, I tried hold the revs, but it bogs down,stutters and stalls, like the carb is flooding

I know the idle is too high, put it in drive and take your foot off the brake it will do 30mph without touching anything!

It sounds like the carb is having a few problems. My pierburg carb did something similar to me.
The car would happily drive it's self a 30mph in 4th without any input from me!!! Not nice.
I think there is a sticky on fixing problematic carbs. There is plenty of advice on previous postings relating to this.
My solution was to get rEM carb set up, but this is a more extreme solution, partly driven by my desire to own a car with twin carbs!

I think I will just buy a new carb and choke set up. I'm sure it's the choke,  it should sort the problem though

It's one solution, I think quite a few cars have the weber conversion.

it's the easiest solution.

might not be the best but it's the easiest.

novocaine said

it's the easiest solution.

might not be the best but it's the easiest.

what do you recommend mate??

do you know about the starting procedure?


dip the throttle twice then start without any throttle. if really cold then apply a small amount of gas.

if i had a car right now i'd come over and have a look but i'm a bit prevented till i get it back.

edit : oh yer have you checked all your vacuum hoses? i've the car is new to you i'd be tempted to replace them all. and whats the timing like?

I havnt got a clue about the timing, easy job to check?? Think I will make a start then with the vac hoses, I would replace them if I had a new carb anyway.
It started and drove fine at 5am when I went work, and on Saturday too. It started playing up when I came back to it at 9am go home.
It's really annoying when you get a new car that's broke and you can't use it.  :cry:   :evil:

Might be worth checking the earth strap out (the large one from the battery), sounds a bit intermittant which is usually (but not always) electrical.

Could also be fuel/crap in fuel lines, start with those 1st I'd reckon.

earth strap will not cause hunting.

It can cause poor starting and ignition problems though, just a thought and its an easy check too.

Had a poke about today, and found that there is a vac pipe that isnt connected to anything. its a grey one that comes out of the air box(after the air filter), and is looped round the green vac chamber thing and then lying loose, and then the other thing is on the air intake neck, there is a connector that goes round under the inlet manifold, that looks like it should have a flexy pipe on it, and does not! also looks like this vac pipe should connect to it!

well thats a start anyway.

i replaced the pipe,joined the vac pipe in and it started first turn! great!!!!! left it running for a minute and it started spluttering abit. gutted!!!!!  
so looking about and the fuel filter has loads of crud in it!!!!! just waiting for vw call with my new one!

fuel filter is an inline jobby. about 2 quid from any motorfactor.
if you've got stuff in the filter you'll have stuff in the tank and the fuel pipes too. and possibly the carb will now need cleaning out.

I have just got one from my vw dealer ?2.49. it is full of crud, probley about a third full!!!!!!! i know, i'm going get the tank, carb and lines cleaned out this weekend.
do you think this is my problem??

it's a very good place to start.
as a temp fix blow down the fuel line back into the tank. it will send all the crud in the lines back so you will need to clean it out.
on the fuel pipe in the tank is another filter that will no dowt be blocked aswell.