HELP!!! This car is ruining my life!

Still no effing start.  Left the plugs etc all day, just tried and no joy!  To maybe help here's a video of her trying to start.  This was without the fifth injector.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwYQwVMCIBQ
So it sounded like maybe all she needed was the fifth injector reconnected…tried and then it seems like it's flooded again (the first turn it'd try and start and then after that it wouldn't even try).
Doing my head in is an understatement and it's probably doing all your heads in too now.  Apologies but I'm sure you understand the frustration…especially as she's my only car…n it's getting bloody cold!

try it with some starter spray or something, if that makes it run you know the issue is with the fueling somewhere

Rub

Your a gentleman for trying to help geejah and I would be in the same position as him if it was me and if it wasn't for peole like yourself we would be stuck  :mrgreen:

Geejah I hope it starts soon mate  :wink:

Chris

Always the same with these things, you try to fix one problem and a host of others spring up. but…if it was working originally before you changed the hose and you are sure it's the right dizzy fitted correctly, surely it must be your timings out. Are you absolutely sure all was correct when you put your timing belt back on?

Indeed thank you John n everyone else.  I can't see how the timing would have gone as I never fully removed the belt and then had all my marks in the right place.  But never say never.  Fuel is definitely getting in there as the sparks are wet when I pull them out.  Could it be ignition timing being so far out that it won't even start?  Well I'm going to get some spray n try that (but need a few hours away from her as I feel it's all I've done the past 2 weeks).

Well spray didn't do it!  She didn't even try to turn over today.  The air intake (or is it extraction?) coming direct from the metering head was damp inside with the smell of petrol.  Does this give any clues?  (I checked and I am still getting a spark…and the plugs are still getting wet with petrol)

The timing…I got as far as removing the pulley by the water pump and then couldn't get the nuts off so reversed my steps and got the dot on the crank wheel and the pulley with the mark on the lower cover (can't remember their names) lined up…along with the dizzy at 12 o'clock.  So surely the timing should be fine still?  Or am I wrong?

you need a timing strobe to get the ignition timing

you shine it thought the white or green plug in the top of the gearbox

not sure of the setting for a gti but a carb model is 17 to 19 degs

if you have fuel and a spark then it's got to be the ignition timing

If you turn the engine over and line up the mark on the flywheel with the pointer on the gearbox case make sure the dot on the cam pulley is inline with the top edge of the cylinder head,then your rotor arm should be pointing at the groove in the distributer base,its only a static set up but it should start and run.
Only wish I lived near by as I would have come over to try and sort it
There must be someone living fairly local that could help surely ?

Cheers Jelly.  I'm gonna have to try that.  Yeah Baller, all those marks are lined up…so ignition timing.  Although one thing…I couldn't get the dizzy in with the groove at 12 o'clock.  It's all lined up with tdc correctly, but in with the mark pointing at about 10 o'clock.  Could this have something to do with it?  I really do appreciate everyone's help (there is someone local but he'll want some pennies [not much but some] and I have none at the moment)

Well I'm trying to get the dizzy in differently…

That bit is meant to line up parallel to the cam basically isn't it?  But I turn it to get it lined up and then the dizzy won't go in.  So wiggle it all about until the dizzy slides in nicely and then it's back at the above angle!

Could this have anything to do with it?  And how can I sort this anyway?  I assume the cogs that are effecting this are linked to the gearbox…so how do I change that?  

On a side note of ignition timing…is it even possible if the engine won't start?

The above post doesn't make any sense at all to me!

The pic is blurry - what are we looking at? The intermediate shaft?

Linked to the gearbox????? Nothing on the engine is linked to the gearbox, except for the clutch-input shaft and the bolts which hold the two together, and the starter motor.

Sorry, I don't know what it's called…it's the hole the dizzy goes into.

That won't make any difference,providing the groove on top of the dizzy is inline with the rotor arm on number one cylinder at TDC it should be fine.

Ok thanks mate.  I'm just clutching at straws now for things it could be.  Starting to wonder how I'll be getting home for Christmas at this rate!!    I know it'll turn out to be something tiny and stupid that's slipped by

the slot you are looking at is the oil pump drive key. you can move it to where you want, then drop your dizzy in so its close to lined up. you can spin the dizzy too once fitted to get the mark fully lined up, you just need to get it into a position where you have enough room to rotate it so the vac unit and hall sender dont hit the block.

if you really cant get it close take the timing belt tensioner off and pop the belt off the cam sprocket. then loosen off all the bolts on your timing belt cover, with a lot of wiggling pulling and twisting of the belt/rotor arm you can move the intermediate shaft sprocket round a tooth at a time until its where you need it.

use the flywheel marks if possible they're way more accurate, and take off the rocker cover to double check the cam is at TDC, if someone fitted the sprocket backards the marks wont line up properly! the lobes on cylinder 1 should be pointing up and away from each other like this -> |\   /|

heres the inside mark on cam sprocket:


crank mark:


flywheel mark (small punch is TDC, large diamons is ign timing BTDC mark)


dizzy (16v but same on 8v)

Thanks for those John.

Well I know most of those marks are right…the only one I think might not be there is the flywheel mark in the gearbox…I couldn't see it but will check again today and take some photos.  Will the moving of the intermediate shaft sprocket change the position of the flywheel mark?

no the int shaft only effects the dizzy, crank is connected direct to the crank pulley and flywheel so only moving the bottom end will effect the crank pulley/fly marks

Ha, ok thanks, I'll get on it in a bit  Luck changing from today (Saturday night locked my keys, car keys, and landlady's spare keys in the flat with my spares in the car!  Thought I was going to have to smash a window to get them but thankfully left the boot open n got in that way  All onwards and upwards from there I say)

Some pics of my timing and all looks fine to me



(will get more precise when clamping it back down)

I can't get the bung off to view in the gearbox.  A small bit comes out, and the larger bit looks like it requires some big ol' allen key type thing…unless you know another way of removing this?

yeah that all looks fine to me, the outer bung you can get it out by tapping it round with hammer and chisel/screwdriver/drift till its finger tight then unscrew