While these don't all come under the heading 'Engine & Gearbox', I hope you'll be OK with me listing them here. The vehicle is a 1990 Mk2 Driver (1.6 petrol).
My mechanic's advisories state:
1. Dipstick tube broken 2. Coolant flange on head has small leak 3. Slight leak from gearbox 4. Play in both front top mounts
What is involved in remedying these issues, so that I can plan ahead for mechanic time if necessary, being very much of a newbie with mechanics etc?
1. Metal tube or plastic? You can get the plastic piece online from many suppliers. The metal tube is unlikely to break 2. Will need a fresh seal/o ring. Easy fix, but will need to drain the coolant a bit first 3. depends where its leaking from, if its only slight I'd ignore it. 4. They always have some play when the weight is off the suspension. Not expensive to replace but I'd only do it if they are really worn out, and its not just the usual bit of play, otherwise changing them wont make any difference.
Your only option is to use the wiring diagram from the Haynes manual and check all the connections for faults using a multi meter. I would be checking for obvious signs of corrosion, for example at the main connection for the fan, as they tend to get corroded with age, and broken wires.
Cam will drop in, GTi manifold will fit. I went straight to a 4 into 1 stainless manifold on mine, but would recommend adding a heat shield for the steering column boot if you do that. The exhaust I put on was GTi manifold back, with the gl back box to give single pipe, so no need to cut the rear valance.
You can move to a GTi dizzy to make it run better as well
Yes you can add vented discs just make sure you buy the thinner pads
Thanks. Really hard to find a Mk2 GTi downpipe these days, but I've read online I could fit the Mk3 Gti/Corrado downpipe, and use a cat delete pipe to connect it to the stock exhaust. I now have all the exhaust sections, except the downpipe, so I need to track one down.
Sorry it has taken so long to provide an update but I only managed to work out what the problem was today.
After checking the areas mnetioned by Keekster64 i didn't find anything wrong so I gave up on it for a while.
Today I thought I would have another go at it and eventually figured it must be the pull down unit. I checked the vaccum by disconnecting the top pipe on the unit and sucking on it and I could hear a hissing noise.
Turned out that the pipe going to the green vacuum resevior was split part way along beneath the brading. It was the only bit of pipe I didn't change when I swapped out the rubber vacuum pipes for silicone ones!
Glad you got to the bottom of it. So many hoses, its easy to miss a split. The one part of the system I've never quite got my head round is the choke pull down unit, and how it relates to the rest of the system. Fortunately its never given me a problem. Thanks for the update. Always good to hear how someone got on. Hopefully you've got a better understanding of the carb now. They look very confusing, but it is possible to get to know them
I had a look, but I couldn't find one either. Febi make the larger 1600 one and the smaller polo one, but I dont see the correct one for yours, so you may have to go with the Topran one. I would avoid using e10 fuel with it though. I dont know about you but I always use e5 petrol anyway. If your rubber mount is okay ie not split, I wouldn't change it, until it needs done. The original ones are high quality.
Hi. I’ve decided to do some old school mods to me 1600 driver (1991). I wanting to go the sleeper route. From some research it looks like the gti 8v cam drops in. I also have a Weber already. My questions relate to the exhaust side. It looks like you can fit the gti 8v manifold. I’ve found one that have a 6 stud fitting, which looks like it will flow much better than the stock c clamp type. What gti years had the 6 stud type? I’ll need to get the correct down pipe to suit. I think I’m right in saying the rest of the exhaust can be the GL 1.8l exhaust, which will allow me to keep the stock tail pipe. The car also has the late calipers vw2, so I think I can also fit the 8v gti vented discs and pads too, but it would helpful if someone could confirm. Thanks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amnqCUSTnUw&t=1059s Have a watch of the video, it will help you to understand the carb and all the bits. It may also help you figure out what's wrong, and how to test bits. When a car idles drops off and causes stalling, assuming the carb is the fault, its often due to an air leak, causing the carb to lean out. So I would check for split vacumm hoses, a knackered pull down unit (£15), and also a split in the rubber carb mount (£22). The carb mount on mine was split. I recommend you buy a Febi Bilstein mount as the Topran ones dont seem to last very long, cause the rubber is crap quality, particularly with modern fuels.
Got a 1.3 jetta recently, i believe its the 2e3 carb hence auto choke an not manual, i've done a lovely 400 mile trip in it, last 80 ish have been a nightmare, the thing would just keep cutting out, started doing it at night with lights on an fan, so noticed on restarts was idling fine when no load on electric system, so i assumed it was a battery or alternator issue at 1st "perhaps still a leccy gremlin". but started doing it in the day with no added power consumption etc
what i would like to know is, has anyone ever had something similar, as previous knowledge was they cut out and dont restart for a short while, an a quick google hints towards this
given its a peirburg. i always known there as useful as a chocolate teapot in reality an webber is the way forward "personally when i had a 1.6 an a 1.8 carb engine mine had the webber conversion done already, not that i recall a choke nearly 20 years later. but never had any issues, an mot time always see emissions adjusted to pass"
how ever, over last day or so i have read a few posts webbers solve nothing in the long term, how true is this ?
i really want to keep it as a 1.3. its guttless but its so original be a shame to do a conversion really
ok so it be next week before i look at it, but a quick look did see a small bit of oil on 2 sensors on the top flange on the block under the dizzy, but could this lead to my issues ?
any knowledge will be greatfully recieved
Hi, I'm less familiar with the 2e3, as I have mainly worked on the, much hated, 2e2. But the 2e3 is a simpler carb so should be easier to sort, assuming of course, it is the carb to blame. If it cuts out without warning, as opposed to running rough, I tend to blame it on an electrical fault, ie something in the ignition circuit, for example a bad coil, duff dizzy cap etc. The only problem I had with a 2e3 carb in the past was a knackered pull down unit which would cause it to stall when it was cold and I was running on the choke. Another thing to check is the cut off solenoid on the carb. If this has a bad connection or is knackered, it will cut out. Also it could be dirt inside the carb. On my 2e2 I took it apart and found crap in the float bowl. You can get carb service kit for these carbs, so you can strip and rebuild them. There is also a really good you tube strip down video. A weber is only a 'solution' if the carb is knackered, but the pierburgs when in good nick offer much better mpg and are good carbs if you can get your head round them. I spent ages watching videos on the 2e2 and even downloaded the pierberg manual, so I kind of understand them much better now.
Yeah, I do. I had exactly this problem. The choke is controlled by two things, an electrical connection and by coolant. First thing to do, when the engine is cold is disconnect the wire that goes to the choke from the plug that comes from the thermoswitch (grey one I think), on the plastic housing in front of the head. Switch the ignition on, you should get 12v. If not, check the thermoswitch is getting 12v from the fuse box. If your getting 12v from the fuse box but not after the thermoswitch the thermoswitch is knackered, and needs replaced. Next check. Use a multi meter to check continuity between the choke housing and the battery. The choke housing screws into plastic, and there is a tiny wire to earth it. If there is no continuity, create a new earth wire via one of the choke housing screws, back to an earth or a battery. If you dont have a multi meter, remove the air box with the engine cold, put the ignition on but dont start it. The choke should start to move within a minute. If not the electrical connection is broken somewhere. On my driver both the thermoswitch and earth were knackered.
Assuming the electric choke is working correctly, and it still has the problem, loosen the choke screws and back the choke off by rotating it. I had to turn mine 10mm. If I don't it runs too rich for about a few minutes. Another thing I sometimes do is turn the ignition on for say ten seconds before starting it. This gives the choke a chance to warm up a bit before starting. As the Pierberg carb gets old it seems to need less choke than the factory setting, probably because the passages get a little worn with age.
Hi fellow MK2 owners. I'm having a problem with my 89 Jetta. Just as the title mentions the car dies on me while I´m driving it, it starts to sputter a bit and once i put the car into neutral the rpms drop completely and the car just dies. If I pull over or I start the with its inertia it starts right back up. The car used to do this to me at all times but now it only does it in the morning from 3am-8am. It doesn´t matter at what speed I'm going, the only constant seems to be the temperature. It´s an 89 jetta, 1.8L 8V, carbed engine. I've changed the dizzy, ECM, spark plugs, coil, spark plug wires, fuel pump, fuel pump relay, X-load relay and serviced the carb. Any ideas on what could be wrong with my car?
Have you checked the red and grey thermo switches on the top coolant hose are working? Is the earth to the choke housing intact and showing continuity? As the fuel pump is mechanical I'm not sure how you could have changed the fuel pump relay. How did you 'Service the carb'? Did you strip it and replaced the gaskets? Did you replace the vaccum hoses? Is the waxstat solenoid on the carb clicking when you put power through it?
Hi, I'm assuming the engine has the original pierberg carb. A common fault with these is the electrical connection to the choke packs up. If it does the engine will start and after a short while, less than a minute, start to chug as the choke is not backing off fast enough. The choke is controlled by two things, the electrical connection and coolant. The coolant take a while to warm up, so you need the electrical connection. On my car its a black wire (I think). You can disconnect the wire, at a red connector, where it meets a different wire that comes up from the thermo switch, on the upper coolant hose. Attach a wire testing screwdriver or a multi meter and put the ignition on. There should be 12 volts at the wire. If there isn't the grey thermo switch probably needs replaced. There are two thermoswitches, a grey one and a red one. The red one goes to the hedge hog in the inlet manifold. Just follow the wire from the carb back to the thermo switch. On my car the thermo switch was broken. The second problem is a lack of earth at the choke housing (it breaks off with age). Connect a multi meter to the choke housing, ignition off, and check you have continuity with the earth on the battery. If you dont you need to run an earth wire from the choke housing to the battery. This is a common problem as well. If you dont have a multi meter, the simplest test you can do is pull off the plastic air box above the carb. Switch the ignition on and watch the choke flap. Within a minute the choke flap should start to open without the engine running. If it doesn't then you have one of the two faults I've just explained. This is a useful video that explains how the carb works https://youtu.be/taTBdkrQouI?si=MgwJ07eBE7hwODsU
The rules around insurance when we were that age and the rules these days are totally different. I was told by my broker that until he turns 21, a modified car is a non starter. And I'm well familiar with modified cars having had them for 30 years.
According to my brother, who is an engine builder, the braided stuff most businesses sell these days cant take engine bay heat, so they dont last. He uses silicon hose, but he says you need to be careful not to kink it, cause its softer.
That's very annoying. Its really hard to get quality hose these days. I used some stuff I got from VW about 20 years ago. But you could try some high quality silicon hose. Failing that, Gates hose is meant to be good quality.
