Right hand cornering and cutting out

The engine runs like a dream all the time.

Good pick up, tick over, warm up is fine but when I reach a right hand corner 'at speed' such as a roundabout the car judders and misfires. This happens when I have about 1/4of a tank or less, not when the tank is full. As soon as its on the level straight again its back to normal with good running. If I take it slowly round the roundabout there isn't a problem.

Is there a fuel pick-up pipe in the tank or similar that may have come off because I thinking that it may be fuel starvation as the petrol swirls to the left away from the pick-up. (assuming the pick-up is on the right!). Any clues would be gratefully received.

Thanks, Dan

pick up is in the centre of the tank but the tank is on the r/h side of the car

so when cornering hard the fuel goes to the oppiste side

either run a full tank or corner slowly

What engine and model are you running, carb or injection & year ?

Could be someone has replaced the lift pump in the tank and fitted a new hose which is to short so the pick up is to high in the tank, Haynes manual goes give you the lengh from the top to the pick up...

Dans is an A reg cabby that does not have a lift pump.
Does sound like fuel starvation though. What's the system pressure like ?

lhasadreams said

Does sound like fuel starvation though. What's the system pressure like ?

With my limited knowledge it feels like the engine is 'gulping in air' and guddering for a couple of seconds until I come off the bend/ roundabout then it back to normal.

Do you think that it could be related to the non sarting issues in Germany? I've not had it pressure tested, I'm waiting for my invite!!!  

My GTI has always done this when below 1/4 full and going around large roundabouts with some gusto, like at motorway junctions. Not a problem when you are aware of what happens when low on juice.

Early-1800 said

My GTI has always done this when below 1/4 full and going around large roundabouts with some gusto, like at motorway junctions. Not a problem when you are aware of what happens when low on juice.

Have you ever explored the issue? It's very off putting for passengers and it gives them ammunition to 'tut-tut' at older cars!!! 

Not sure its fixable, but a 'feature' of the design. Prob does it less if left hand drive? And poss why later Cabrios and MK2s have lift pump in tank?  Centrifugal force simply means all the petrol sloshes to one side and air is sucked in. When low on petrol drive slower round long sweeping bends! Its has to be quite low and usually I get caught out on one roundabout near home joining the M1 at J38.

Hummm. In not impressed!

It makes me jump every time it happens and I think that Im going to break down!! Keeping a full tank should help.

Catches me out at the end of the M65 and the roundabout at the end of my village. 

thats not right at all, VW wouldnt have designed a system thats not up to the job

the gti fuel tank should have an internal swirl pot that stops this from happening, take a look inside to check that its there and the rubber flaps havent degraded. cheaper pattern tanks do not have this swirl pot and hence fuel starvation occurs.

i had a floppy top 16v with the old mk1 gti fuel tank setup, and never had any issues with starvation when cornering. you need to fix this asap, as if the fuel pump runs dry it can become damaged as it needs the fuel to lubricate the internals

Thought these symptoms were the anti gravity valve situated near the top of the filler neck .  Do a search dano this has been posted a lot in the past ….

Yea did think it was bit of a design problem to have been left. I just live with it like the comedy windscreen wwwiiiippppppeeeeerrrrrrsssss. Only really happens on one roundabout when low on fuel.

As far as I know its still the original tank and don't remember any rubber flaps inside?

This problem has come up a few times in the past so its really is a design 'feature' that you only get depending on speed, road, fuel level or some of us have a bits missing from our tanks?

John, Jim, Clive - thanks for the advice. I'll do some reading around the subject.

Can the inside of the tank be viewed easily to check on the rubber flaps??? What is the solution? New tank??

 Read old posts.   Tbh easier to keep the tank more than 1/4 full 

wipers wernt slow and rubbish from the factory either, the motors just worn out/dirty spindles. mk2/3 motor and clean spindles

as for the tank:
http://vwgolfmk1.org.uk/forum/index.php?page=topicview&id=how-to_2%2Ffuel-tank-cleaning_3

if your swirl pot is gone you might want to think about fitting the post 84 cab/rocco or g40 shape polo lifter pump and fuel reservoir, this will solve your problems. the main issue with that though is finding space for the reservoir as it goes where the accumulator is now!

I've read that link John. It's seems easy enough to do.

I don't have a compressor or such like to hoover out the debris but I do have a powerful vacuum which would do. Im concerned about the EXPLODING comment though!! If I got a length of thin-ish pipe, taped it to the vacuum and used the pipe to suck up the debris would that work? The vapour would be able to escape from the tank through the opening and any sucked up would escape from the vacuum. 
Or… Would the vapour explode in the vacuum (is that what Chudd meant?)

The old magnet trick may work on a bendable length of pipe. 

I've never cleaned my filter so it'll be a job worth doing I suppose.

What happens to the swirl pot? You say 'if its gone'??? 

if you dont have the proper vacuum thingy i would stick to the magnet trick, the fuel vapour is the dangerous bit and if sucked up into an electrical device this could be Very Bad

what i would suggest if its full of filings is scoop out as much as you can with the magnet, then drop it in and drive the car for a few days. remove, clean, drop in, rince repeat untill no more metal comes out. of course you want to make sure the source of the metal is identified, i.e. filler neck or ropey tank.

then if there is any crud left either remove tank and rinse it to get rid of as much as possible or use a rag/sponge on a stick to tery to get the worst of it out.

with the swirl pot its a case of check it over, if the rubber flaps inside have gone then i dont think there is an easy way to repair it? if you can dismantle it you may be able to use whats left of the flaps as a template to make new ones, but trouble is you want to make sure that rubber is fuel safe otherwise it'll dissolve away and cause you more problems!

as i say, if its gone you might find its easier to bin it off and switch to later setup, if you can find room for the reservoir. then you would block off the old outlet on the bottom and run the pump to reservoir instead.

tank nipple for the engine fuel return is blocked off too, this pipe is fed to reservoir instead. then theres a feed and return to the level sender itself

Ok, think I've got that!

Magnet, stick/ string and a rag firstly. Get most out.
Drive around so more sticks to. Repeat as necessary. 

Find cause!!

The rest… Well, that'll be a new tank I think  £££££££££ 

Mine does this below 1/3 of a tank.  However it doesn't matter if its a left hand or right hand bend.  I've read through this and found it very interesting.
I fully drained my tank when the car was in bits being bare metal restored.  With that done I shook the hell out of it and did fetch a bit of rubbish out but reading the fuel tank cleaning I didn't realise there was a filter in there. Ill give that a clean today.
Failing that though Dano i'd just put it down to the character of the car   .
I have had this issue on jct 36 and 37 M1 so I'll have to try your favourite roundabout next