villie 0 Posted May 17, 2006 i tried getting into work this morning, car started up fine, got round the corner and then the engine started (it seemed to) choke. I was in second gear and the engine wouldnt rev. It died. Tried starting it again, the car started to start but then choked and died. Got home from work this afternoon, went to start it and it started. 15 seconds later the same thing happened. It choked and died. Tried it a couple more times same thing. Third time I tried it, I reved the engine to keep em up but it still died. I did notice that there was loads of smoke pouring outa the exhaust. A friend looked at the colour of the smoke and he said it was white. its seems like the fuel is being blocked somewhere, the choking part. pleaaasseee advise.... thanks Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bcstudent 0 Posted May 17, 2006 White smoke is usually a sign of head-gasket failure allowing water into the cylinders. It's not normal for that to cause the engine to die completely though, unless it's a MASSIVE headgasket failure. Is the coolant level low? Start at the beginning with a compression test. If that confirms the engine's in good shape then take a look at the fueling. The K-Jet fuel system is very simple indeed and shouldn't take long to fault-find on, especially if you can find a fuel pressure test kit compatible with CIS cars. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
villie 0 Posted May 17, 2006 the coolant level is fine. i've been reading a few post about this and i think the head gasket is gone!!! i've only had this car a month. I woulda thought that if the head gasket was on its way out, the guys at vw who serviced the car woulda picked it up. it was only serviced a couple weeks ago Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted May 17, 2006 I don't think there is any way to see if a head gasket is gonna go.. sometimes it can be gradual and you get water in oil and vice versa, but if it just goes it goes! :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted May 17, 2006 White "smoke" on a cold engine is more likely just steam! Sounds like you might need a distributor fix, to me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
villie 0 Posted May 17, 2006 Does anyone know or live in the Slough area that could possibly help me out with diagnosing this problem? i.e. Does anyone know of a decent garage that will help me get the car on the road? I've found one place, they're called SWIFT AUTO SERVICES. They are mobile, for £40 they will come down and do a basic pre-op diagnosis on the car. How much am I lookin to spend for a head gasket replacement? Would it be worth getting the head rebuilt or reconditioned? If so where can I get one from? This car has been running ok for the past month. Now I'm beginning to wish I didnt buy the damn thing Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
villie 0 Posted May 17, 2006 if there was a little white smoke then yeah i'd call it steam. this is alot of smoke.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted May 17, 2006 Is it smoke (particulates/oil) or steam (water vapour)? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bcstudent 0 Posted May 17, 2006 To be fair, I get a lot of water vapour from the exhaust of my 16v when it's just started; that's just how it is though. Are you positive the two are linked and you're not just noticing things now that you'd never noticed before? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
villie 0 Posted May 17, 2006 i'l try and take a pic tomorrow and post it.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dr_mat 0 Posted May 18, 2006 I've seen a head gasket go and yes, you can get a LOT of steam out the back (and boy it ran rough on 3 cylinders), but the point is a cold engine will produce a significant amount of steam too. If you're still getting steam when it's warm, and the water level is dropping I'd start jumping to the same conclusion as you .. ! The "15 seconds then it dies" could also be fuel supply - so it's worth replacing your fuel filter, and checking the operation of the fuel pumps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
villie 0 Posted May 18, 2006 heres the pic.... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bcstudent 0 Posted May 18, 2006 Well if your coolant level hasn't dropped than that's just how it is I'd say, although it does seem like rather a lot of vapour. Get a compression test and you'll know for sure... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
villie 0 Posted May 19, 2006 did the compression test. Here's the results Spark Plug Hole 1 - Went up to about 12.5 bar (12.8kg/cm2) Spark Plug Hole 2 - Went up to about 12.5 bar (12.8kg/cm2) Spark Plug Hole 3 - Went up slower to 10.5 bar (10.6kg/cm2) Spark Plug Hole 4 - Went up slower to 10.4 bar (10.5kg/cm2) When taking out the spark plugs, noticed that the ends of the plugs were really oily. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
villie 0 Posted May 19, 2006 oh yeah the smoke smells of fuel Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
