bcstudent

Me too :)

My friend's '93 Corrado VR6 used to do this. For example, he'd drive to work with no problems then it'd refuse to start when he was leaving for the day. By the time the RAC turned up it'd decide it was ok again. Bloody annoying. I can't remember exactly what the problem was but he spent a lot of money looking for it. I'll ask him later.

If you suspect an air leak then spraying carb cleaner around the inlet is probably more useful than water. If there's a leak the engine will change it's tone as the combustable carb cleaner finds its way into the cylinders. It's pretty flammable though so be a bit careful where you're spraying it if the engine/exhaust is hot. Air leaks cause lean running though...you're saying your car is running rich. Some 2.0 16vs have two throttle switches, some have just the one. They're both visible from the top and can be checked with a simple continuity test. There's a connector just below the throttle body. I tend to perform this sort of test at the ECU connector as it proves the wiring as well. As I see it, out of the two, only the full throttle switch being stuck closed could cause a rich-running problem. There's no guarantee a VAG-COM check will show a problem. It's worth doing I guess but the KE-Motronic diagnostic capability is very sparse.

Mine's exactly the same, my bro's Golf 16v starts straight away though. :mad: I'm thinking injectors - but can't afford to swap 'em without being certain. That's with brand new injectors. I'm sure it's just how it is.

It's very likely to be the ignition switch. For the price of them I'd definitely change it.

So, when it 'refuses to turn over' is there a click from the solenoid or nothing at all?

Yeah, as reaper1_3 says, the Lambda probe is probably a good place to start. There aren't many things that will cause a 2.0 16v to over-fuel but that's the main one. As for the starting problem, I think that's a characteristic of the mechanical Bosch injection. My 1.8 16v starts perfectly 99% of the time; on occasion I'll release the key before it's started properly though and after that it can take a lot of cranking to get it to fire again. My friend's 2.0 16v is the same. The misfire I'm not sure about. I guess the Lambda could re the root cause of that too but I wouldn't swear to it. One step at a time!

8)

My Corrado is pretty much used as a van these days. All the seats are covered in dirt and oil. Cars should be made to earn their keep!

Have I missed something?! I can see some stretched tyres.

Look on the bright side, at least you know it had the correct PAS fluid in there!

I'm not really surprised to be honest. I believe cat. 2 covers immobilisers and cat. 1 covers alarms. Is that right?! Personally I wouldn't own a non-immobilised car, since it's the biggest theft deterrent, but I don't like alarms and have to question their usefulness in modern times where people don't even flinch when they hear one. I guess they may put people off from having a go at your car in your drive, but that's about it!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

My money's on the Lambda sensor. Have you noticed it running a bit on the rich side recently?

Euro Car Parts? * EDIT * Just checked. They're available but as they're genuine it's £133 per side. I bought a complete headlight from ECP in 2004 and it was £50 all in! You may well have to put up a 'wanted' advert. I've got a spare pair of early Corrado headlamps but I'd be reluctant to part with them based on those prices!

Well, you're definitely narrowing the fault down!

One last thing: were the fuel injectors changed as part of the rebuild? They're usually pretty much knackered by 120k miles. Changing mine transformed the running of the car.

You can make that 100%...at least for the 1990 model.

Hmmm, I've got a copy of the VW dealer's repair manual for the 1.8 16v Corrado fuel injection and ignition system here. It's not that huge so I'll scan it later and make it available to the forum. It may help others out in the future.

You can easily prove the thermo time switch is/isn't at fault by disconnecting the blue electrical connector from the cold start valve on the right-hand side of the inlet manifold. Obviously that won't make a difference if the valve is simply leaking but it's an easy two second test!

That's not daft at all. If the thermo time switch is causing the cold start valve to operate continuously (or the valve is just leaking as per '2)' in the above list) you'll find that the car runs increasingly rich as it warms up. That'd fit with your description of the fault.

You can't really. The Mk2 Golf manual is the closest available for the 1.8 16v Corrado. However, there is a book published by Bentley that covers theory of operation and fault-finding of the K-Jet system (and other Bosch constant injection systems). Click me!

My Bosch manual lists the following possible faults for a sketchy idle... 1) Incorrect fuel pressure 2) Cold-start valve leaking 3) Idle stabilisation valve faulty 4) Vaccuum leak 5) Fuel injectors worn 6) Control plunger binding or fuel distributor faulty Again, most of those would be evident when cold also. How many miles has the car done?

It'd probably have to be a garage job as it requires specialist tools. However, thinking about it, the warm-up regulator could only cause fuel enrichment when warm if it was stuck shut; I'm not sure that could actually happen. It's worth checking the closed-throttle switch as suggested previously since you can do that yourself. If you look at the throttle body where the throttle cable attaches you'll see some mechanical linkage, etc. There will be a small switch that's operated by part of the linkage when the throttle closes. Make sure it 'clicks' when the throttle is closed.

If it's doing it all the time then it should be fairly easy to find. I'd still suggest the fuel pressure test as a first step.