Fuel flooding metering head then sump

The car turns over but immediately floods the metering head with petrol and it in turn gets sucked into the sump mixing with the oil. Has anyone ever encountered this or know what the issue might be please?

Any help appreciated

CARB or Injected and which injected….CIS or DIGI.

Flooding in to sump is usually a Stuck injector or injectors.  I have seen it on Digi, and CIS.

Digi can be caused by bad grounds, or bad ECU as well.

CIS injectors may need to be rebuilt or cleaned as they are Sticky.  Usually due to lacquered fuel from sitting without starting for Months…..also garbage that may have gotten through all the filters….

CIS can also be a wuR issue and a bad cold start injector….

Carbed cars I have seen engine mounted diaphragms hole and push Gas in to the sump, as well as an occasional float issue for gumminess or slime…. but that usually don't fill the cylinders( Stuck float).

Hi Brian thanks for replying

Its injected but no idea if CIS or DIGI I'll be honest never heard those 2 before? It's a rivage 1.8 GTI K jet dx engine.

You say bad grounds…afterward I noticed that a small brown wire meant to be going to the negative terminal had snapped. Could this possibly have anything to do with it? I've since fixed the wire but not tried again

Thanks

Yes, re-attaching it will only improve things and from your fuel filter in the background you have CIS.

Haha I guessed that and have reattached it. I dont suppose you have any idea what that cable does at all, I lose it under the air box and cannot find where it goes at all. Just wondering if it had anything to do with the metering head flooding by any chance at all.

Sounds like a stuck injector putting petrol in the oil then. Would that also cause the metering head to flood with petrol too?

Thanks Brian

No I don't think that would cause the metering head issue, but then I am not CIS savvy…. I am a Diesel or Digifant kind of guy.

I suppose it could be a stuck metering plunger in the metering head as the airplate is stuck, but I am not really good with CIS.
Is your fuel pump relay jumpered around?  I also suspect that if it is firing all the time instead of during the Strobe of your diz, then you may have fuel all the time instead of when the car is firing as the pump is continually moving gas, bit I would think the metering head would recirculate excess fuel back to the tank so you may have a return line issue as well.

Someone with more CIS knowledge will be along.

99.99% of UK injection cars will be K-Jetronic (CIS), we never got the Digifant here. Also, a carb car won't have a metering head, which is a component of the K-Jetronic system.

When you say "floods the metering head", where is the petrol appearing? The fuel side and the air side are different, the air is used to control a plunger which regulates the quantity (well, pressure) of fuel which is in turn distributed to the injectors. No fuel should enter the airstream directly within the metering head.

Its quite possible the 5th injector is leaking and/or stuck open and/or running on due to being electrically commanded when it shouldn't; or the main injectors are leaking too. This would be the obvious place for excess fuel to enter. Once in the cylinders it will seep past rings and into the oil/sump.

like paul said where is flooding the fuel
distribution unit into the air filter box or
externally,  the sensor plate raised
really is the only way fuel can get
to the injectors

Hi thanks for responding

The metering unit floods petrol into the air filter box and it also floods the sump I'm guessing that's through knackered injectors/seals through the cylinders after guidance on here, I will be testing them asap.

Anyone any idea why the petrol would leak into the air box pls

Thanks

The only place petrol could get in to the airbox is through the plunger in the bottom of the metering head. But if it was leaking that badly I can't imagine it would run at all.

Hi paceman

That's correct. It doesnt run Haha. The best ive got it is start up smoke badly and cut out

When did it last run?

So, this car was garaged for 8 years and put under a cover and never used. I know this was the worst thing I could do but during that time I had a house move a new job working away a wedding 2 babies and the golf just got forgot about.

2 years ago I decided to get it back on the road knowing all the damage not running could have caused

I dropped the fuel and oil and water
Replaced both fuel pumps, fuel filter and oil filter
Checked the petrol tank for muck - seemed ok (new tank fitted shortly before being garaged)
New timing belt and timing
New thermo new radiator
Shell V power petrol in
New oil
New HT leads
New battery
New spark plugs
New dizzy cap and rotar arm

The car would start but smoke and cut out
At this point I'm no mechanic so got it towed to a garage who-

Did a full head gasket replacement inc stem valves
Skimmed head
Reseated valves

And that's where we are today. The car will turn over but fuel goes into the sump and floods the metering unit

Afew years before being garaged I had a full fuel system change from filler neck to injectors. The filler neck had rusted.

Just prior to being garaged I did have running probs and a mechanic told me it was the metering head so I just went and bought a recon one thinking straight swap no probs

It was fitted and seemed to run ok. Not long after that it was garaged


And that's practically my and the cars life story 🤣

Thanks for listening

paceman said

The only place petrol could get in to the airbox is through the plunger in the bottom of the metering head. But if it was leaking that badly I can't imagine it would run at all.

as you say it would not have the pressure to put the fuel through the injectors to fill the sump

wur blocked fuel not returning to the tank
needs to go somewhere

Wanted to double check what the previous mechanic had said so I took the air box apart and the air filter smells like petrol. I've noticed a pipe running to the air box (see pics) any chance it can be getting in through here somehow at all?

It sounds like a seal has dried up, hardened and now leaks inside the fuel metering head. Years ago I would have said, seek a decent secondhand one - but I fear parts prices and availability nowadays might swing it more towards getting the existing one refurbished.

Obviously there are a few more tests you can do, such as seeing if the fuel system can maintain pressure for a period of time; the actual pressures achieved, etc but there is a big clue with the fuel being where it shouldn't.

For future reference and for others - it is worth trying to at least start and allow to warm up, the engine every 2-3 weeks if a car is laid up. The battery might go bad over time (buy a trickle charger or jump start it etc), the oil is probably going to be okay over an extended period, the coolant maybe too (or might spring a leak - at least check it!) Also if you can drive the car forwards and backwards a bit, and turn the steering too, all the better - but also be prepared for the tyres to crack because of being sat in one position for so long.

Have you checked if you're getting spark?