can't get my 1.3 driver to fire! :'(

hi, I've just bought a mk1 golf driver and it wasn't running when i bought it tried everything and i cant get it going!

im not sure if it compression or something but i've changed the coil, leads, dizzy cap and rotor arm, condenser, plugs, taken the carb off and cleaned it, new battery, tried towing it and bumping it, it makes the noise of wanting to start while bumping it but as soon as you stop it just wont fire! dunno if it might be timing or something maybe?

please help me i need it running!!  :cry:

thanks Rhys.

Earth strap??

Have you checked if there is fuel in the carb fuel pump might be broke

Go back to basics, do you get a big fat spark (hold plug on cylinder head as some cranks engine)

Petrol getting in to engine, (pump squirts healthly and plugs are wet)

Zeus said

Earth strap??

one thing out of everything i haven't checked! thanks

It it running now??

i had the same problem with mine, it had the wrong dizzy cap! (should be brown) and also check the firing order is correct! from the left 1 3 4 2 good luck!

If it was the earth strap faulty, the starter motor wouldn't turn over quickly, which would be easily noticed.

paul_c said

If it was the earth strap faulty, the starter motor wouldn't turn over quickly, which would be easily noticed.

yea that is whats happening its like it just stops and starts all the time! so is it earth strap then sounds likely??

OGMk1 said

paul_c said

If it was the earth strap faulty, the starter motor wouldn't turn over quickly, which would be easily noticed.

yea that is whats happening its like it just stops and starts all the time! so is it earth strap then sounds likely??

I can't understand why you changed coil, dizzy, plugs, cleaned out the carb etc then. If the starter motor isn't turning over as it should, its going to be the battery, the starter motor or the leads/connections in between, can't be much else*.

In that case then yes - take a good look at the earth strap.

* its possible that if the ignition is too far advanced, it will make starting difficult because the engine fires and tries to turn the engine the other way at the low rpms of startup - but its easy to check this by disconnecting a lead off the coil and retrying.