metering head

Right.  I've searched through the forums to try and solve my problem and after having replaced a load of under bonnet goodies have come to the conclusion that my metering head needs sorting.

Problem is that the car will idle, but goes like a lawnmower, vibrates like a vibrating thing and sounds like a beetle.

Now then i've read enough to know that i probably shouldn't be trying to take it to pieces, but is there anything i can do, short of finding a replacement on fleabay or down the breakers? Any way of cleaning it?

Also, if i do have to find a replacement, how do you go about disconnecting the fuel lines without pouring petrol all over the engine bay.

have you done an injector test on it?

could be a blocked injector that's not spraying enough fuel into one of the cylinders

I'd always start with an injector test when it's fuel related, then check the fuel pressures (described in haynes)

and nope, not found a way to stop fuel going all over the engine bay.. just make sure your not looking directly at it when you undo anything  :wink:    at least it evaporates


Hope that helps

best bet, is to start at the beggining. tell us all the symptons and when how they started and exactly what you have done between it working fine and not (or have you bought it like this?) and all the checks/work you have done to try to rectify it. as much info as possible, no matter how insignificant it may seem. are your ht leads on the right way?

Right then, from the top.

When I got the car everything was beautiful up untill about a couple of months ago when the symptoms i've described occured.  Poor, nay, appaling performance.  trouble idling to start and seemed like it was missing a beat from the exhaust, ie when i put my shoe up against the tail pipe you could hear and feel 3 taps with a slight but nevertheless noticeable pause from the last to the first beat.

My sisters current boyfriend was a mechanic and he gave me a list of things to check / replace to see if they rectified the problem.

I changed the plugs, dizzy cap and leads to new ones and bought and used a compression tester but all to no avail.

After roughly eliminating electrical failure we guessed it must be down to fueling and looked for any leaks along the system.  None were found.

Then a strange thing happened and this boys and girls is what leads me to suspect the metering head is to blame.  Just because i'm nosey I went about unclipping the airbox and lifting the metering head assembly up to look underneath it.  To my horror fuel droplets were forming on the metal arm and dripping onto the filter.  I tipped the unit completely upside down to get a better look at where this petrol might be coming from but couldn't make out its origin.  I replaced the metering head, did up the airbox clips and reconnected the battery.  Then as i started it to move it back out of the garage i noticed it sounded a bit different.  I gave it a few revs on the drive and it sounded much healthier so I took it for a quick drive up the road and what do you know, the car ran like it used to!

This 'miracle' has unfortunately not bestowed itself upon my car when the same symptoms came back 2 weeks ago and i'm left wondering how just tipping the metering head about lead to the car fixing itself.

Sorry for the novel above but you did ask for detail.

I'll probably do the injector test at the weekend as i've got Monday and Tuesday off for extra tinkering time.

tecnik2 said

Sorry for the novel above but you did ask for detail.

   :wink: always better to have too much than too little info mate

if fuel's leaking out the bottom of the metering head then best replace it, still worth doing an injector test, my injector's weren't performing too well and had a noticable difference in acceleration pick up when I replaced them

where about's are you based? I'm sure Crazyquiff on here has a few spare metering heads if needed

Right then.  Injector test done today and the results are in.  Everything went well.  All the bottles filled evenly and the injectors sprayed petrol very nicely.

That leaves me with a new problem, which is to say, the problem.


Anyone have any ideas?

(Think i may replace metering head because of that occasional leak.  Mr masters has one i can buy)

OK, looks like the get-better ghost has returned.

After the test I put everything back together again and started her up.  Bit juddery so I turned the engine off and left the car in the garage.

Got back in the house and remembered that I hadn't connected the electrical connector to the fifth injector.

Went back outside and put it back in, started her once more and all the symptoms vanished.  Took her out for a test drive up and down the road and all was well.

So it would seem problem solved, for now.




Oh while i'm at it I think i'll mention the extortion going on at my local VW garage.

Injector seals………..?2.02……………..each!!

Got a GSF, that you could hit with a stone from the VW main dealer's forecourt………..?0.60 each.


What the heck?