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.
As some of you know i got a mk2 with an engine in it that, im really not keen on. ive got a second car now, so this one was going to go, but with the lad turning 17 soon ish, his rather keen on it, now a 1.3 or 1.6 carb engine dont turn up often.
Yet ive got a mk3 1.4 auto, that is mine should i want it, im going to take some parts full stop, as little earner on ebay,
But engine is 30k from new, still runs, sounds nice, the car it self is not worth saving, but would this be an easy engine swap, or do i mot mine as planned, flog it. Then just find a 1.3/1.6 that already runs etc
Personally, I would find the right engine or flog it. Why? I bought a standard 1.6 driver for my son for his first car. Once he passed his test at age 17 I had the 'fun' of insuring it. It was eye wateringly expensive to insure an unmodified car. So trying to insure a modified one, regardless of the engine size would be a nightmare.
And even if done previously, new replacement parts only tend to last a few years not the 30+ years of the OE product
It seems to have a copper pinched bolt and it was tight. I've already overhauled the linkage with new bushes. I think the problem is my son tried to force the car into first gear, when it was still in third, because he didn't realise it was in neutral. This caused the rod to slip a few mm within the selector and put it out of alignment. I think I'll strip it, degrease it, and put a touch of locktite on the end of the shift rod under the selector, that way it wont move again if he makes a mistake.
Twice now, when my son was driving his 1.6 driver the gear linkage has gone out of alignment. This time he lost 1/2 and last time 5th. I reset the linkage using the special tool to align the stick and tightened up the pinch bolt. I had done it pretty tight last time so I’m surprised that it twisted out of alignment on the shift rod again. It’s a bit annoying the shift rod doesn’t have a dimple in at to prevent this. Any suggestions as to what might cause this? Is it a common problem. I can’t torque the bolt as I can’t get a torque wrench in, there’s not much space. Thanks
I bought my son a 1991 Driver in October 22 for £3200. It was a two owner car and had been dry stored for 20 years. It came with an MOT. It was a very solid car with minimal rust, low miles (77k), and in reasonable shape mechanically. But as it was going to be my sons first car I went through it mechanically from front to back to make sure it was reliable. I've probably spent £1500 on it, give or take, but it was a very good base to work on so I considered it worth it. The most important thing is rust, ie buy the least rusty car you can find. Avoid a car with any rust around the rear axle mounts, rear filler flap, rear arches and sills. You can spend a fortune fixing these areas and it will cost you more to fix them than buying a decent one in the first place. All mechanical issues can usually be fixed for reasonable money, if you can do it yourself, as most parts are readily available. And dont be put off buy how far away it is. I trailered ours from Peterborough all the way back to Edinburgh. It was worth the hassle to get a rot free car.
Over the years I've built many beetles. This is my current and probably my last full resto. My back was definitely not happy with this project, and gave out numerous times particularly when lifting the shell. It currently still has a stock engine, but my brother and I are working on a modified one. Here's some photos. Project took 3 years to complete, which is about as fast as I can do one. <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/110347765@N04/53413875253/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_3321"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53413875253_5d06ab67cf_k.jpg" width="2048" height="1519" alt="IMG_3321"/></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I’ve been watching this series of videos on a 2.0l 8v conversion with twin dellorto carbs https://youtu.be/_U8YpSuBaNc?si=M_4fAgIf5TrLbyz8 It really appeals to me, because I’m old school. I don’t do computers but I’ve built plenty of carbs, and many tuned air cooled engines. This would be a cool conversion on my sons Driver in the future. Hardest part would be collecting the parts. I like the intake and exhaust set up. Might be a bit more clearance for the radiator on a mk2. Looks like he used a 02 gearbox, driveshafts etc, so looks straightforward in that respect. Looks like it takes a gti clutch too. Only bit I don’t like is the alternator belt set up. Very little of the belt runs on the water pump pulley. Will require a very tight belt which will strain the bearing. Should really have 90 degrees of interference on the belt. What alternatives are there? I’m not much of an expert on the water cooled parts and what mix and match parts can be used. TIA
Its worth checking your getting 12v at the coil feed when you turn it over. I had a car that would give 12v at the coil when I turned on the ignition, but when I turned the key to start it the worn ignition switch would cut the feed to the coil and I go no spark. Was a nuisance figuring that out!
I might be talking rubbish here but I had a 1.6 cl had a very similar fault the car would start run for 10 miles and then lost power and cut out. But it would start shortly after and run fine. The fault was the automatic choke sticking on when running but would release after being stood for a while.
That can happen. Its usually because there is no electric feed to the choke, meaning it needs the coolant to heat up before the choke backs off. The symptoms are it bogs down when trying to accellerate, and can die completely. Its easy to check, if there is current getting to the choke (when the engine is cold disconnect the wire to the choke and put the ignition on, there should be 12v at the wire). Usually the grey thermo switch breaks. But it can also be cause by the earth for the choke housing being damaged. That can be checked with a multi meter by doing a continuity check. My sons driver have both these problems, but it took a while to figure it out! Another way to check the choke it backing off is pull up the intake box, put on the ignition and watch the choke flap. After a minute or two it should be starting to open.
Hi, I'm very familiar with pierberg carb, having stripped the one on my sons driver and spent ages reading up the pierburg manual. I wouldn't blame the carb necessarily, and I doubt its the waxstat, which when it fails leaves the idle way too high. Its easy to check though. When it dies, lift the carb air filter a bit and spray some easy start down it to see if it starts. If it does then it could a carb problem. If not then I suspect its an electrical fault. I would try changing the ignition module, dont buy a cheap one, but a good quality branded part as they have a habit of failing in the way you describe. If the carb is to blame, then it may be carb icing, which is easy to check, ie the carb body will be stone cold. Usually with the carb problems, the car will run, just very badly which is why I think its an electrical fault.
