MY GOLF mk1 DIES WHEN DRIVING

Hello All

having a major issue with this car of mine  golf mk1 1.8 clipper D REG

starting in morning or evening no problems with manual choke was running lumpy at first but settles down to 1500 rpm

i let car warm up to running temp before setting off

set off driving and with a short distance car dies when changing up or down gears which happen 3 times going and leaving work leaving car for 5 min starts again till next stall .and she just didnt feel like she was running happy at all

so this weekend we took off the carb to find its a weber twin 32/34 the rubber flange seal is all ok

however the jets was part blocked good clean out and all put back together ok

changed the fuel filter  arrow facing the carb and spark plugs and ht leads purchased from eurocarparts

took for a spin and was going very well until the return journey home  part on a slight incline and engine died  couldnt restart

looking into engine noticed the fuel filter was empty mved car on flat ground and allowed filter to fill up and started ok

drove back home and car died again waited another 5 mins and started again managed to get home before heavens  opened and called it a night

contacted local garage that was recommended he mentioned to take off the pipe from fuel tank and blow clear and clean carb jets off again

i have done this but sadly no change to my situation would the fuel pump be to lazy not powerful enough ?

as a complete novice to motor repairs started staring into engine bay with that confused .com look any help as would like to set this sorted to get to the garage for carb retune

thank you 

1500 rpm is high for a tick over or is that the tick over when cold?
950/1000 rpm is where it whats to sit at when warm.

Have a look at your fuel filler neck, take the fuel filler cap off and shine a torch down it and look for any rusty holes or rusty patches.
If you have any holes in it you need to change the filler neck ASAP but cabriolet fuel filler necks are different from tin top cars and are nearly 3 times the price, you can modify a tin top filler neck to fit a cabriolet but it needs the end cutting off, shortened and re welded back on.

Remove the fuel pipe going into the fuel filter and blow down that fuel line, you should hear bubbles in the fuel tank.


How old is the air filter?

Did you fit a new Dissy cap and rotor arm when replacing the HT leads?
 

hi mark thanks for the reply
 didnt replace air filter as out of stock locally a right pain

also didnt think of replacing dizzy cap or arm as was clean and resently new

1500 rpm was on cold start choke on

the car has had the fuel tank relay and pipes replaced before went into dry storage so would like to think they are ok and she no problem starting up hot or cold really just the driving part
one issue i have noticed is the oil dipstick shroud and broken off so dipstick is only sitting not closed off in shroud so could the air be getting in there with the vibration when driving ? could do with find the dipstick and shroud replacement if any one knows where

Plastic dip stick tube.
They break for a past time so easy to get hold off, VW heritage, classic VW all sell them as well.

lots on ebay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Oil-Dipstick-Funnel-MK1-Febi-Bilstein-01993-Top-German-Quality-/201959808431?fits=Model%3AGolf&epid=1010935041&hash=item2f05be1daf:g:kt4AAOSwrfVZSJ9W

Running problem.

I would stick on a new dissy cap and rotor arm, they should be replaced every couple of years or 20,000 miles, keep the old ones in the boot as spares just in case, might not make any difference but at least you can rule them out if no different.

Do you have a metal A shaped bracket on the front of the air box and fixed to the metal rocker cover on the top of the head?

How did you check the carb flange and what happens if you get the car running and wobble the carb, does the idle change?

How long was it in storage and how long has it been on the road?

Has this problem only just happened and it's been driving fine last week?


Sorry for the 101 questions just trying to discount things.  

Hi Mark

will have a look on ebay for dipstick and also get the dizzy

yes the a frame is there but the rubber with screw is missing in the front of air box
we have moved the air box and carb when engine running as it was so bad on idle there was slight change in running sound but not really that much but … famous last words but have been looking at finding this part
i drove the car back 176 miles and had no problem with it .
its been this last week now with this problem

it was in storage for 5 years and had a mot before i got it
thou on the report does mention that she has idle issue
the carb flange was checked by cleaning and rubbing fingers across all rubber to feel for spilts and cracks also checked the locking nuts with metal flange to secure all tips was bent over nut head securely

i have had to tighten the rocker head bolts and rear and sump bolts as some was slightly loose also one of the spark plug was very loose however non of these things i have done have improve the situation
and tbh thinking this is perhaps going over my head proper  pistonhead im not just a wanna be lol

good old weber carb issue, I don't know why weber have a good reputation this seems to be a very common problem with them.

I would try plugging the return fuel line from the vapour separator or just bypass the whole thing

Starting OK, driving for a while then dying, leaving for a while and then repeating is a text book example of muck in the fuel tank.

The filler rusts letting water and road debris into the tank along with rust from the filler itself. This is then drawn to the in-tank gauze filter and fuel lines slowly causing blockage and fuel starvation and engine cutting out. Leave for a few mins the petrol flows back and clears the blockage and then when engine started it starts it gets slowly blocked again.

Remove rear seat and inspection cover and fuel level sender. Shine a torch in tank and see if there is any muck in there.

I had this problem on my 1990 clipper,would drive fine then just cut out. After about a 5 minute wait would start up and drive fine for a short period then repeat the same problem. I had to have the fuel tank flushed through 3 times as there was a lot of gum and rust in the bottom of the fuel tank. The garage went through 3 fuel filters during the process. They went through the inspection panel under the rear seats with a magnet to get the biggest bits out the tank. Car has been running fine for over a year now.

Hello All

thank you to all that passed on advice
I have taken the car to have the weber twin retuned
and made a huge difference in drive experience even had the cheek to drive over to family in manchester last weekend roof down shades on yep happy days  
 so start of new week friday night on the way home after warming car up at work

she died again  tbh i have been expecting this as she been lumpy sluggish since coming back from manchester in only 100 mile around trip

so not sure what the problem was or still is ??
have cleaned the fuel lines
fuel tank was new in 2011 before went into storage
same as fuel lines and fuel relay and sender thingy that sit on top of fuel tank

have replaced spark plugs
clean carb and re-tuned
could this be a electrical fault? of some sort as sort fuel air issue
any ideas would be very helpful ta

Is there a loud whine from the rear wheel arc when it dies.

This is usually a sign that you have a bad fuel pump relay, or a bad fuel pump.

Fuel pump use the fuel as a coolant and a lubricant.
When they get hot they usually stop and then after they cool a wee bit they start working again.  

Same with the fuel pump relay.  They get cold solder joints and stop working, When they cool off they return to crappy running.

A broken dipstick tube is a Vacuum leak, and these little critters really really hate vacuum leaks.  So I would replace it.

its a very common problem with the weber. seems to be caused by the fuel returning to the tank from the vapour separator, try bypassing it and run the fuel line from the pump straight to the carb or could try to plug the return line to the tank or fit a restrictor in it

no fuel relay or electric pumps on a carb engine, just a mechanical jobber in the engine bay

Well might have found the fault 🤔
Ht lead that goes to the ignition coil at rear of engine
The lead had snapped inside the dizzy cap connection so hit n miss connection that maybe the cause of stalling when driving ..

However have replace the leads dizzy cap rotor arm
And guess what i have a non starter now 😣
Have tried 1342 that all seem to mention however just cannot start i have the batt on charge as drain it
But i managed to get it started before tho so rough
I thought it was going to blow uo lol
Not sure what has gone wrong is it 1342 ??
Dance that format around the dizzy cap till ran out of ideas

Could i have blown a fuse or ignition coil when started up before ?

Please any help as this is a my runner to work and clocks ticking lol 😣

You've prob mixed up the leads on the cap.

I always swap them one by on onto the new cap already clipped to the dizzy.

Once spent 1/2 a day trying to get mates (original style) Mini to run after he'd swapped leads and/or cap and swore on his entire family's lives that he hadn't mixed them up.

He'd got them one out, 12 o'clock was now 3, 3 now 6 etc. It didn't help that his other mini we used as referenced the dizzy was timed so 12 was at 3 for the same cylinder on the one he mixed up……

yes its 1342 clockwise on the dizzy, you need to put lead #1 where the rotor arm is pointing when the camshaft is at top dead centre, or just m ove them all round 1 if it doesnt fire. repeat till it fires, theres only 4 combinations

SEt the car in time by hand, Crank at 0, cam dimple at the valve cover tin height, and dizzy rotor in the middle of the hash  stamped on the case.

Then place your wires at the proper places…..
as 1 is the hash and rotor match…. then 3,4,2 . Number 1 should be usually between 12, and 1 o'clock .

Anton_cabrio said

I had this problem on my 1990 clipper,would drive fine then just cut out. After about a 5 minute wait would start up and drive fine for a short period then repeat the same problem. I had to have the fuel tank flushed through 3 times as there was a lot of gum and rust in the bottom of the fuel tank. The garage went through 3 fuel filters during the process. They went through the inspection panel under the rear seats with a magnet to get the biggest bits out the tank. Car has been running fine for over a year now.

that's what I rekon too ive had this prob before too just bought a shed load of cheap plastic filters I think I was paying £1.50 for them  and kept changing them after cleaning as much crud out of tank I could

Briano1234 said

Is there a loud whine from the rear wheel arc when it dies.

This is usually a sign that you have a bad fuel pump relay, or a bad fuel pump.

Fuel pump use the fuel as a coolant and a lubricant.
When they get hot they usually stop and then after they cool a wee bit they start working again.  

Same with the fuel pump relay.  They get cold solder joints and stop working, When they cool off they return to crappy running.

A broken dipstick tube is a Vacuum leak, and these little critters really really hate vacuum leaks.  So I would replace it.

thought they had mech pumps on the carb engine

Kippaxmcfc said

Well might have found the fault 🤔
Ht lead that goes to the ignition coil at rear of engine
The lead had snapped inside the dizzy cap connection so hit n miss connection that maybe the cause of stalling when driving ..

However have replace the leads dizzy cap rotor arm
And guess what i have a non starter now 😣
Have tried 1342 that all seem to mention however just cannot start i have the batt on charge as drain it
But i managed to get it started before tho so rough
I thought it was going to blow uo lol
Not sure what has gone wrong is it 1342 ??
Dance that format around the dizzy cap till ran out of ideas

Could i have blown a fuse or ignition coil when started up before ?

Please any help as this is a my runner to work and clocks ticking lol 😣

are you sorted now mate
you don't mention the inline fuel filter has it been changed they clog up and cause fuel starvation

After getting the leads rightIt so easily could be bits of rust etc actually sitting in the fuel line, so remove in -line filter, and then you gently blow back into the pipe that goes to the tank. It should be easy to push the petrol back into the tank! and then hear the air bubbles. If there is resistance (in my car there was, then suddenly it cleared) blow harder and it may clear. You would then need to do the old magnet thing in the tank if after looking in there is rust. The symptoms of my car was the same as you describe, and lots and lots of owners have found this problem. Hope that helps. Marcus.