Help with my second car please...a MK3 Golf GTi

[darkhorse1210]

Sorry to go off S2 topic but need some quick pointers from the technically minded on this forum.

To cut a long story short it's a low mileage (55k) old girl on a N plate, 8V GTi. A real minter and this is the 1st time in 2 years of ownership that's it's started misbehaving.

Firstly, it is starting properly, you turn the key and it keep threatening to start but doesn't but when you stop turning the key as though to start trying again it pipes up into action.

Once started it can run OK for a short journey but then it's likely when it's started again and running the revs fluctuate and tend to drop right down resulting in a stall or a big kangaroo hop as you boot the gas but the revs drop, it almost stalls.

The guy I bough the car from was a mechanic and had no receipts for the last 10k miles so I'm guessing at what has been done (I know it had a cambelt just before I bought it but nor much else).

It had an oil and filter change 2.5k miles ago but no idea when the fuel filter, spark plugs etc were last done.

Any advice please?

Ta

[Sleeper_Avant]

check the resistance of the crank sensor first off

[re2500]

The starting issue reeks of a dicky ignition switch, but it doesn't explain the other symptoms..


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[GazzaG60]

first pull some codes.

a bad crank sensor makes the car kangaroo at about 3k. or on a abf it does.

does it feel like its bogging down as you drive. ie getting richer or running out of fuel. if so check lambda signal is good and earths are good on it.

[John.]

The starting issue reeks of a dicky ignition switch, but it doesn't explain the other symptoms..

Was thinking the same.

What about coil arcing through LT wires?
Assuming it has the wee square coil with ign unit bolted to it?......they're cheep enough and prone to failure.

[Cottis]

MK3? Is that the first of the round shape ones. I inherited one of these in 16v guise from a mate who lost his licence. It had a problem which got progressively worse until it literally would not start one day. Turned out some pin had come away from part of the pulley holding the timing belt on and it was skipping teeth. Basically the timing was all over the place and it took a while to find. We checked lambda, exhausts for blockage, all sorts of things until we found what it was.

Might not be this but you mention it is low mileage and mine was also on an N plate with low mileage. You also mention the belt was done fairly recently (as in mileage completed since renewal) Long shot but might be worth checking.

Good luck. I hope yours is quicker than mine was. They are pretty reliable motors but mine was the slowest 150bhp car I have ever driven (even when it was fixed) The day I got shot of it and swapped it for a diesel was one of the better days of my life.

[Monkeymagic]

Ignition coil is common fail. Watch the rpm on vcds on crankibg it will show if crank sensor faiking.
Also agg engines its realky easy to get cam belt a tooth on on intermediate pulley. This means ignition timing will be out and it will only rev to 5500. First job really is pull.fault codes.

[Monkeymagic]

Just read this again. First problem is most likely ignition barrel.
Second check the oil vreather pipes are in good shape if the pipe from block to rocker is perished they idle odd.also ady and agg suffered with dirty throttle body. It will need chemical cleaning carefully and tba with vcds .

[darkhorse1210]

first pull some codes.

a bad crank sensor makes the car kangaroo at about 3k. or on a abf it does.

does it feel like its bogging down as you drive. ie getting richer or running out of fuel. if so check lambda signal is good and earths are good on it.

Gazza - not sure what bogging down is but if I get the problem on start up (as described) when I reverse the car off the drive, then stick it in 1st and move away there's no power at all, it feels like it's about to stall and then it kicks in and moves off with a burst....weird

[darkhorse1210]

MK3? Is that the first of the round shape ones. I inherited one of these in 16v guise from a mate who lost his licence. It had a problem which got progressively worse until it literally would not start one day. Turned out some pin had come away from part of the pulley holding the timing belt on and it was skipping teeth. Basically the timing was all over the place and it took a while to find. We checked lambda, exhausts for blockage, all sorts of things until we found what it was.

Might not be this but you mention it is low mileage and mine was also on an N plate with low mileage. You also mention the belt was done fairly recently (as in mileage completed since renewal) Long shot but might be worth checking.

Good luck. I hope yours is quicker than mine was. They are pretty reliable motors but mine was the slowest 150bhp car I have ever driven (even when it was fixed) The day I got shot of it and swapped it for a diesel was one of the better days of my life.

The cambelt was done about 5,000 miles ago which is when I bought the car, I'll get this checked out, I like the idea of not going through diagnostics...currently doing that on the RS2 with a mixture problem (Rocker cover gasket and spark plugs being replaced in the morning)

As for "quick" you've got to be kidding , the 8V is only 115BHP and it feels a lot less than that. However, it mainly gets used for a short commute or for my missus to ferry the kids around in locally. A bit of a come down after the Lupo GTi we had before that....that was great fun and seriously nippy

I picked th MK3 up for £1500 2 years ago and I've spent just £200 on it since....a 2nd hand stainless cat back exhaust and an oil service, until now it has been super reliable....cheap motoring

Oh forgot...I put a full black leather colour concept interior in there too to make life a bit more comfortable

[darkhorse1210]

Just read this again. First problem is most likely ignition barrel.
Second check the oil vreather pipes are in good shape if the pipe from block to rocker is perished they idle odd.also ady and agg suffered with dirty throttle body. It will need chemical cleaning carefully and tba with vcds .

Monkey, will get these checked too, thanks.

You had a MK2 right? I always liked the MK2 but thought that might be too high maintenance as a 2nd car to the RS2 given their age? What was yours like?

[K Simmonds]

A good Digifant MK2 is no higher maintenance than a MK3 8 valve, in fact there's a few less things to go wrong and is a MUCH more engaging car to drive.

[Monkeymagic]

Except the rust........ Nowt wrong with a mk3 but 8v guise is rather poor in terms of perfomance. The early 2e was digi and was slightly better throttle response.

[K Simmonds]

Indeed, rust is an issue with most MK2's these days but there are solid cars out there. That said I've seen some pretty rotten MK3's as well.

[John.]

A good Digifant MK2 is no higher maintenance than a MK3 8 valve, in fact there's a few less things to go wrong and is a MUCH more engaging car to drive.

Mk2 a bit lighter too I would think.......last of the proper Golfs IMHO.
Here's my wifes old Golf, sold 5 years ago.....she'd had it 10 years. Great wee car, just a 1300 Driver but what fun.
Darkhorse, hope you get it sorted.