No Power!

Wonder if anybody can give me some advice.

I bought a 1988 1.8GTI Cabby and it's been sat in a garage for 3 years, until November of last year, anyway I'm going on a bit….
I have serived the engine, new dizzy cap, leads etc.. all the usual service parts.

I took it out for a test drive last night and everything was spot on, called in at the petrol station and put some unleaded in (yes not diesel or anything else), carried on my journey and after about 2-3 mins it's started to lose power, and it also sounds like it's misfiring and over 2000 revs it's struggles like mad.

When you start it up, no problem, even idle and reving in neutral is fine, but as soon as you start to open the throttle under pressure it's like hitting a rev limiter, judder, judder, juddder … it's trying to go but it's getting held back, best way of describing it.

Probably something really simple, but can anybody help me please????

The fuels been in the tank for 3 years and my first though was is it ok to run on unleaded?

Paul.

Blocked fuel lines / pump / filter /filler neck maybe???

See sticky posts for cleaning filters etc.

sounds like a rusty fueltank and a filler neck :?

common problem, every mk1 owner has come across this problem

I've changed the filler neck and cleaned out as much rust as I can get out of the tank, the fuel filter has been changed.

You reckon it could be the pump then?

Is that the pump in the tank on another one?

i had the same problem checked everything apart from the throttle cable worked out i wasnt getting full throttle the clip fell loose just something to check you never know???? could be the same as mine

Thanks,

No the throttle cable is fine, you can get the full revs, just under load there's no power.

It's even making a load knocking sound now, any ideas?

Help please?

Paul.

have you got access to a voltmeter that can do ohms (resistance)?

if you do, check to see what the reading is between the a stud on the rocker cover and the negative on your battery… should be reading 0.04 (means its very little reistance from point A to point B). if it reads higher then the earth aint to good and you'll need to run an earth from the head to usually the bracket that holds the coil to the bulk head (this is actually how they should be standard)

if thats all good then it could be numerous things, i've just had something simular on mine and i checked the ignition amp, rotar arm, dizzy cap, HT leads, coil and anything ignition based… then i moved on to fueling, if you system has picked up crap from the tank then you may have a blockage and i would be tempted to blow the fuel system out with an air line and see how it goes

worse case (with the knocking) that could be a tad more serious, maybe big ends, head gaskets can cause miss firing and so can under fueling (again, blockage)

see how that does ya

sounds awfully like low fuel pressure. the knocking however doesn't sound too good.

Thanks very much for your reply, I have a meter and will check all these things out this weekend.

I took the pipe off at the filter and powered the pump and it flushed out loads of fuel, but I know the tank had loads of rust in it. (Ordered a new one today) so will have a go at the weekend.

Thanks, will keep you posted.

check the new tank is a baffled one or you could run dry on enthusiastic bendy stuff