mk1 keeps cutting out

My gti has been off road for a while and now it starts if given alot of gas and it will stay running if its at 3000rpm or over. however, as soon as i take my foot of the gas it cuts out. also while i do this there is a really strong smell of fuel from the exhaust. i know its had a new fuel filler neck fitted and i have replaced the fuel filter as it was leaking. I have also checked the fuel pump and its working fine. however the car still doesnt want to run...any ideas guys?

I had the same problem today and its in with my mechanic.  Hopefully I will have a succint answer within the week, but to his knowledge he believes it to be a fuelling pressure problem - he had fitted a new fuel pump so it will be interesting to find out what it is as it seems we have the same problem.

I hope one of the moderators see this and can fill us in

A friend of mine has said it to do with the timing and it needs adjusting at the dizzy, but it was running fine before it was in storage. I was gonna try a new fuel pump as well but i it appears to be working fine. Only other thing thats been suggested is the fuel pump relay but i don't know how to check if thats fine? Hope yours gets going soon and do let us know if you figure it out.

I found out along time through trial and error that the relay is the one on the top row nearest to the passenger door, when your turn her over if you put your finger on it you would feel a click inside of it and hear it as well.  The below topic link helps big time as well for future reference which I came across the other day. Other than that indication, I do not know how to test it - you could source one from crazyquiffs or ebay, plug and play to see if its that but I dont think it is.  My gut feel is that its something to do with the metering head but we shall see this week.

The Mk1 Golf Owners Club

Will do mate

(1) I also think its the metering head but am really hoping its not. A mechanic i had look at it took off one of the injectors and when she started there wasn't any fuel coming through. (2) It may also be due to the rust deposits in the fuel tank that i saw from the fuel sender unit under the rear seats so i might be cleaning the tank out soon as well. (3) was also thinking maybe the rust deposits may have blocked the fuel injectors but im not sure if this is even possible?

1) Im going to go out out on a limb and say that if it was that rust that blocked them, it would have been pretty fine in size bearing in mind the filter and not only that I would suspect a blockage over time not that you start after the time you had it laid up and it happened just like that, because, maybe im wrong but it wasnt like the fuel was circuating as mine has been - Ive been driving mine on a very regular basis, just under 30 miles a day.  Again you could try replace and pray but if it does solve it, I would be worried about any other crap.. but on 2) that would help alleviate the problem if it is that.  I had the same idea, although I was lucky to get a brand new tank for £20 off ebay so if he comes back and says blockage, I'll make the necessary changes, as my car when I bought it over a year ago had been sat up for 2 years but on regular use its been fine till now but perhaps a few new parts (ive already got dozens on there) will mean less trouble on that front period

Unfortunately I havent got round to sorting the problem ye and am waiting for a fuel line which has snapped, have you managed to get her started?

We did and then it cut out again.  It looks like an intermittent fault, as on the first day the mechanic went over it, it fired it up and it purred for a while like a dream! Less than a minute it was gone again.  The pressure seemed ok, but on testing later it was non exist so he's looking at that  The fuel pump relay looked like it had experienced water damage (but the bulk head looks fine??) so this was replaced and the same problem still arose.  Ive got new fuel lines for him so Ill see if that makes a diffrence.

The fuse box was the culprit where the pump relay went it, it was damaged so a new one is in now.  The only trouble is, its wont idle below 2000 revs!