The Monkey's Daily - Mk2 Golf GTi 8v [straight through MOT]

[tony_ack 0]

You shouldn't really have rubbing on 14s! Have you got aftermarket wheels fitted, and has it been lowered?

 

For tyres, just shop around and see what you can come up with. The Golf had 2 new Proxes on a couple of months ago for £105 fitted. Other than that, good tyres are your usual suspects: Eagles, Contisports (though this is really a summer tyre), Rainsport 2s, etc.

[boost monkey 0]

Yeah it's dropped on Koni adjustables, I'm guessing about 40mm as there's only about 2 fingers between arch and tyre unloaded. previous owner put them on and only been there about 6 months. i've got them on the 6th softest setting but they're still quite firm!

 

I've got conti's on the back and Hero's on the front (no comment) so I guess the fronts were swapped to back and then cheapo rubber put on the front. Shame really, I think it will handle a lot better esp round wet roundabouts when it has some grip at the front...!

[boost monkey 0]

So this morning I had the low rpm low pressure buzzer and light come on during the drive to work. I pulled over within a mile (was on the A34) at the nearest layby, and checked everything. Now obviously checking the oil pump pickup and gauze isn't exactly a roadside affair, but I checked the dipstick(!) which was slightly foamy at the bottom despite the oil being about halfway between min and max. I know the oil was hot but I did give it a couple of mins to drain back down.

 

Anyways, I kept going (I know you shouldn't really) and the light and buzzer came on intermittently. Now I lost a KR to low pressure before so I know the symptoms. But the golf had none of them. I limped it to work

 

So.... any ideas? I'm guessing low oil. I started the car again immediately after parking up and all was well. I revved the engine gently to around 3000 and nothing (perhaps I didn't quite hit the bottom rpm warning threshold). So I'm a little stumped. I'll be gutted if I have killed the block seeing as I just had the cambelt done and it was running really really well. But I know driving with the buzzer going is like a heart attack for the block so I will fully understand if a new block is needed.

 

I'm planning to top up the oil later as the whole left and right hand corner thing makes me think that it needs some more in there (would being 1/2 on the dipstick really affect it that much? IIRC that's only about 0.5 litres).

 

Anyways, I know the Corrado never came with a PB but i'm guessing the 2.0 8v is similar and I know tony_ack pretty much loves fixing my car from across teh interweb!!

 

Jon.

 

---------- Post added at 08:30 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:21 AM ----------

 

Some quick research from here:

 

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=43587.0

 

OP:

 

i I have an 8V 90 Golf Gti,

 

Its had a new oil pump and pressure all tested ok, new sensors on the motor.

 

But sometimes the oil light flashes and the buzzer sometimes sounds, if you rev it it goes off, BUT if you go over a bump or cats eye it goes off. On the way home today it I saw it on for a second as I hit a bump and it went off straight away.

 

So I'm thinking bad wiring, or a dodgy sensor? It was from Euro car parts?

 

Where is the sensor ? Theres one on the side of the head thats been rewired with a spade connector from Halfords or something.

Or is it the one on top of the oil filter housing?

 

The engine runs at 96deg on the motorway in the warm weather and it runs quiet and smooth, that and its not blown up, makes me think its a little electrical gremlin.

 

Anyone help?

 

Thanks

Stu

 

 

Reply #1:

 

 

You do know that there are two oil pressure wires don't you? There is one on the oil filter, which is for the 1.8 bar sensor and one at the top right of the head near the heater flange (great word that!). If the oil light and buzzing comes on above 2000rpm it is most likely this wire which is not connecting properly. Easiest way around it is to cut the old connector off, strip back to a new clean bit of wire and put a new female blade on.

 

I had a similar problem with my old digifant, this solved the problem instantly.

---------------------------

 

I've bolded the stuff which I relate to. It just seems odd that the sump didn't start spewing out molten silver and start bucking and jerking as per my KR!

 

Seems the low rpm threshold for the 1.8 bar sensor is 2000rpm too so I know I have been above that whilst the sensor hasn't been on. I'm thinking new clocks prob best idea. I'll wait for your input, Tony!

 

:D

[RW1 0]

The bearing oil pressure switch circuit is "timed" by a little module in the dash panel. By that I mean it doesn't react straight away. It takes around 5 seconds iirc before putting on the buzzer and LED.

 

So you can drive the Golf with momentary bursts above 2,000 rpm without triggering the warning if the rpm bursts are under 5 seconds-ish.

 

To test....

 

Switch, disconnet the wire and meter from pressure switch to ground circuit test, open circuit when engine is stopped, zero oil pressure; closed circuit when the engine is running above 1.8bar from the pump. So start the engine and the switch should be closed easily at say 1,500 rpm with a good switch and oil pump.

 

Check the dash panel and wire (usually yellow). Disconnect the switch's wire and start the engine at idle. No buzzer. Now ground the wire to the engine block earth surface that you know is a good earth point. Rev the engine, continually holding it above 2,000 rpm while continually holding the pressure switch wire to earth. No buzzer = Dash/wire OK, Buzzer means either the wire is at fault or the dash. Stop the engine.

 

Now take out the dash panel and locate the oil pressure sender wire. Usually the wire colour continues, ie. yellow (the circuit is two wire links with the fuse relay plate bridging the middle section). Line that out for circuit. OK, then dash panel is at fault. If not, start looking at the two wire connections into the back of the fuse/relay plate.

 

.

[davidwort 0]

my bet is dodgy wiring near the terminal to the sender itself, at that age the most exposed bits of wiring corrode a long way back into the loom and the outer plastic coating gets very brittle too.

[boost monkey 0]

Thanks RW1, that's great to know the diagnostic process. I'll have a go at that later.

 

Cheers davidwort, I think you're right. All the stuff around the engine looks pretty old. Will pass 172,000 miles on the way home!

[tony_ack 0]

As above, try the wiring and senders first - they do give off false readings when they get 20+ years old, and hopefully this is the problem.

 

The bit that caught my attention was the buzzer going off around corners which as you know is a sign of oil starvation. I never had the buzzer go off at halfway on the dipstick, though the buzzer is known to go off if you are *really* thrashing it and going around a corner on the edge of grip. The worrying thing for me is that you weren't ragging it.

 

If you're a belt and braces kind of guy, it wouldn't hurt to check the pump and pickup pipe (well, it won't hurt but it may be messy..). Dropping the oil will also give you a chance to check for signs of imminent death.

 

Although I'm sure it won't come to it... a Corrado/MK3 Golf 8v bottom end and the PB head is the way to go if you want to keep it to 8 valves.

[boost monkey 0]

Yeah I wasn't ragging it at all. Too much traffic and was feeling bit tired. The thing with the oil starvation theory is that the light went off around both left and right hand bends, and we all know the pump is only on the offside....I think!

 

I don't mind pulling the sump off and having a look. I only have spare 16v pumps so no chance of using those as they're spline drive from aux shaft and IIRC digi is notch drive.

 

It is due for an oil change soon, so i'll get some Synta and do that at the same time. Perhaps there are some little bits in the gauze which are throwing it off.... but I REALLY REALLY hope it's a sensor/wiring issue!

 

I like that idea, get a few more cc's too! I'll see how it goes. Unfortunately I won't be able to check it until after work now. I'll scrape the connectors back to good metal on the block and head, that should get me home. The fact that my KR died pretty quick after the buzzer came on (it was around 170k too) gave me some hope as it still starts, runs and sounds like it always has.

 

I'll keep you updated....Will I need a new block for BOTH my cars?! :-/

[boost monkey 0]

Ok, so I decided to investigate a bit more last night before I drove home. I pulled the rubber bung off the top of the yellow wire to the sensor on the oil filter housing...and the wire came off in my hand leaving the spade attached to the sensor! :lol:

 

A little rummaging around, and after I managed to snap about 2" out of the loom(!) I got it recrimped and all was well.

 

I am SO relieved I don't need a new block!

[davidwort 0]

cool, pretty sure it would be that, as long as you keep oil in an 8v very little ever goes wrong with them :)

[boost monkey 0]

Yeah, I have heard stories of their bulletproof nature!

 

Despite my back box being a bit rumbly, it does give a nice *boof* when you change up whilst on the beans.

 

---------- Post added at 01:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:16 PM ----------

 

Also, I have managed to cover almost all of my 6000 miles on the Footman James policy for the Golf in just 5 months.

 

When I took out the policy in April, I hadn't finished uni yet and wasn't using the car much at all. After I graduated I got a job 25 miles away in Newbury, so am currently doing 50miles a day or 250 miles per working week. This is obviously more than 1000 per calendar month, so we have been eating up the mileage. Om nom nom!

 

I spoke to FJ just now and to extend the policy to unlimited would be an extra £700(!!). A little steep considering the limited premium was about £400 for both me and my little south african wifey. They said that I could adjust it to unlimited with just me on there for £450 for the last 7 months that the policy runs for.

 

Otherwise, we could take out an identical policy for another 6000 miles running for another 12 months with both of us covered for £350 FC. I don't think we will lose anything as no NCB is taken into account or even racked up on classic car policies. I just wonder whether I will be in the same position in another 5 months, having used up all 6000 miles. Again.

 

Perhaps paying an extra £100 to gain the unlimited mileage, and just telling wifey she can't drive it is the way forward. I'm hoping that I'm not always going to be doing 50 miles a day for work but I guess in the current job market you just don't know.

 

Sometimes you have to go where the money is :-/

[tony_ack 0]

From previous posts, it sounds like the wife wouldn't be too fussed by not being able to drive it! Or is she warming to the Golf now?

 

Also, if she is fully comp on another (her own) car and over 25, she should be able to drive the Golf 3rd party anyway.

 

I'm not sure how much FJ is, and what your circumstances are, but it usually only pays to insure a standard MK2 on a classic policy if you're not going to use it much - I insured my 8v (okay three years ago now) for about £500 for 15000 miles per year with Admiral. Because it was a normal policy, I got to keep and accrue my NCB as well.

 

Oh and yes, the 8v goes forever if treated fairly and serviced regularly. The highest mileage I've seen in the flesh is 275000 miles, but I'm sure there are higher ones than that.

[boost monkey 0]

tbh, our situation isn't great. Even though Jo has 10+ years Int'l driving under her belt, not many people recognise it and only see her as owning a Full UK for 14 months. Also, all my NCB lapsed in January this year due to being abroad for a long period and never reinsuring a car.

 

Brentacre wanted £965 FC with a £500(!) excess,

HIC wanted £1700 just TPFT alone...

 

I phoned FJ back and they said on a new unlimited policy they could put us both on with a £75 excess Fully Comp for £810. It's easily the cheapest one, although the 20% deposit + 3 hefty monthly payments are going to dent the wallet kinda hard...!

 

I would like to have a normal policy but with Jo looking like a "new driver" and me with zero NCB it's ridiculously hard just to get something in 3 figures. She'll happily not go on as a named driver, but actually the premiums don't change much so i'd rather pay a few more quid and just let her use the car than ferry her about!

 

---------- Post added at 01:38 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:33 PM ----------

 

Yeah tony, she is warming to it a bit despite wanting a Nissan Figaro aka Noddy Car! I just wonder if saving the money by taking her off the policy is going to be worth all the moaning I get.... Is it ever?!

[boost monkey 0]

Well, I had a nice turn up for the books this avo!

 

I phoned FJ to take out the new policy for us both, unlimited mileage for £800. All went through fine, and then the lady transferred me to cancel the original policy. Ok cool, everything is getting sorted. So I cancel all of that then she tells me:

 

"I'm just goiung to pop you on hold whilst I calculate your refund".

 

Ok..... what refund? I'vew done like 5999 miles of a 6000 policy. I hald expected her to come back and say she will refund me 2p or something.

 

Anyways, she comes back and says I'm owed £215 refund....uh what! I've almost maxed out the mileage on a limited policy. How can I be owed so much?

 

She said it's calculated pro rata for the 7months left remaining on the policy, and because I haven't actually passed the limited mileage then I am owed all that money back. She also said it's partly a loyalty scheme as I took my new policy out with them too.

 

But how awesome is that? I do about 99% of the miles i'm allowed to do, and still get 45% of the premium refunded! :D

 

So that's the new deposit paid for and a little bit of cash in hand too :)

[boost monkey 0]

Just ordered new rubber for the fronts - Uniroyal Rain Experts @£48 each fitted. That'll be done tomorrow. Standard 185/60 R14 again.

 

The Hero(!) tyres I have on the front are down to the wear markers - wet roundabout are a coffin dodging exercise and they're even squealing around dry corners now which makes me look like a tard :-/

 

Looking forward to getting those on - I was adamant about getting them done for £100 the pair fitted, so that's nicely within budget :D It should mean I can do more than 60mph on the way home on wet days without worrying I'm going to kill myself.

 

The rears still have some Conti somethingcontact on. EcoContact might be.

[Alex_G60_Fanatic 0]

when i saw "new wet rubber for the front" I thought you had given in to some of those more sinister urges... that or you'd bumped into Toad

[boost monkey 0]

:lol: you know when I saw you had replied, I thought perhaps you had been hoping for some fruity updates :D

 

Haven't seen Toad in a while - is he still on here?

[Alex_G60_Fanatic 0]

:lol: you know when I saw you had replied, I thought perhaps you had been hoping for some fruity updates :D

 

Haven't seen Toad in a while - is he still on here?

 

He only comes out at night so they say... stalking the forum for the unsuspecting.

 

He did comment on a topic a few days ago but that was only to complain that reporting posts made him sad and he all wished we could just "get along"

 

I was expecting something more than just tyres I must admit. When you dropping that V8 in there that I've been hearing about... (in my mind!)

[boost monkey 0]

the V8 would go in the C if anywhere! The golf is too small for that. Besides I'll let MJ do that one as we know she is getting close soon.

 

When I get some blueprints of a Corrado shell I am going to build one completely in CAD and see what engines will fit where.

[boost monkey 0]

raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa BOOF *gearchange* *pressure then equalises in exhaust*

 

I love the high rpm WOT upchanges in this thing :D

[boost monkey 0]

So I got the new tyres on today, and I don't think anyone will be surprised to know they are much better than very worn unbranded fronts. But there were some things I didn't expect -

 

1. car pulls away from standstill much more smoothy. I guess the rubber can take the torque much better than the knackered old tyres. But it feels like it has new engine mounts which is really odd!

 

2. no vibration at high speeds - given due to new wheel balancing.

 

3. steering a lot lighter - i thought that was more due to tyre pressure but it seems higher quality tyres help this too.

 

One bad thing - the car wasn't progressing very well on the motorway so I pulled the handbrake up ever so slowly and there was no resistance. This happened really badly about 2 weeks ago after i went food shopping so plenty more weight in the boot. I temp fixed it with a dose of PlusGas and that eased the problem but it's doing it again. I'm wondering whether it's bad calipers or the cable going. Either way I have 2 sets of brand new rear calipers so i can rob those, and I can also pinch the cable I had stored for the Corrado too.

 

Any thoughts welcomed

 

Jon

[RW1 0]

Haven't Mk2 GTi's got the older type rear calipers like on early Corrado's where the spindle for the handbrake mechanism seizes????

 

.

[boost monkey 0]

Yes, early Cs and mk2 gtis have the same calipers if that's what you mean? So it is the age old problem. But whether it is the calipers or the cable on my golf I'm not sure. I know cables are liable to seize in the channels sometimes.

 

What calipers do late Cs use at the back as standard?

[tony_ack 0]

I always thought MK2, MK3 and Corrado calipers were interchangeable? MK3 calipers offer an improvement as the mech is inside the caliper rather than exposed like on the MK2.

 

The MK4 caliper upgrade also works on a MK2.

 

I would definitely change the cables if you're doing the calipers - the cables on my Corrado had seized in the guides, and I ended up needing to dremmel it out!

[KipVR 1]

Yeah, I'm having the same problems Kip. Also, the compression out of the tailpipes is really high - never had an 8v before so i don't know if this is normal. I guess it shows the rings are sealing well after 170k! It still has plenty of get up and go through all gears so maybe like the 16v engines they loosen and get a bit more pokey with age.

 

I have an Ernst thin front silencer, then an unknown middle box and a Euroflo back. The downpipe is looking pretty bad, perhaps I should swap it sometime and then all the parts shall be new. I'm half tempted by a 4-branch to be honest although I don't want to rob torque from the 8v as it has nothing above 5500rpm anyways.

 

My setup now booms/bellows around 3000rpm so about 60mph in top. I wish my window reg worked properly so I could drive with my drivers window down and find out just how loud it is. I think it resonates in the cabin and sounds louder inside than it does out - but no way to check at this stage.

 

Is yours an 8 or 16v?

 

It's an 8v pal, going strong after a head rebuild which was badly needed (valve guides and seals worn). I'm looking at swapping for a diesel soon though as doing 160 miles a day in it is hurting my wallet! I love it though, and it's been really reliable. I did try out a Jetex, but the big tailpipes were not for me, and it was a fair bit louder then standard so I sold it again. I also had rainsports on mine, they were good for UK wet weather.