mantaraman 0 Posted September 6, 2004 Hi Only very new to C's, I bought an immaculate 1.8 16V on Saturday. I have one question, which may or may not be a problem: It pinks, admittedly I've been running on half a tank of 95RON and then filled up with 98RON. It also is sometimes hard to start and needs a bit of right pedal. Also, maybe it seems less powerful than I expected for a 1.8 16V. My girlfriend has a Mk2 Golf GTi (8V) and this is much more responsive and pulls harder. My initial thoughts were that the ignition timing is too retarded? It's done 120K but no rattles and no smoke, FSH. Perhaps I need to try it solely on 98 super unleaded? Can anyone shed any light. By the way, this is an awesome car. I have a 4litre V8 Marcos as well and the Corrado is almost as fun, brilliant car. :D Ta Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbob1970 0 Posted September 6, 2004 Mantaraman, They do pink I am afraid. Mine pinks badly on 95 RON. Get a tank full of Optimax and see the difference it makes! The car will pull from lower revs and go stacks better at the top end too. A Mk2 Golf GTI 8v has more low rev torque, the motor is totally different. You will find that you need to cane your valver to get it to fly, but that top end rush is FUN....! I wish mine had more low down pull though, you have to use the gears a lot to keep it in the power. I find that slow speed corners followed by a steep hill are bad, slower cars pull away from you to start with, and then when you have got your revs up you totally fly past them. The motor has to have plenty of revs otherwise it's dead. It's easy to 'bog it down'. I bet a Supercharger would sort it though...... !! :shock: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mantaraman 0 Posted September 6, 2004 :) OK! Thanks for the quick response. Haven't wound her up properly yet, so I guess everything is fine then. Oh yeah, when should I be expecting to do a top end rebuild. I don't see it happening just yet as the motor is still tight with no signs of fatigue. I guess when I start seeing smoke and hearing rattles... Thanks for the advice. Benja Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kvwloon 0 Posted September 6, 2004 As above, pinking isn't uncommon with 95RON. As for driving, it took me a while to get used to the best way to get the most out of the 16v. Obviousy don't redline her, but keep the revs up nice and high and I reckon it's enough performance for most people. It feels like you are really thrashing it at first, but it's not a problem once the oil is warmed up, and it really comes alive performance wise. The KR engine breathes very easily, even compared to other 16 valve engines, so boot it and enjoy! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davidwort 0 Posted September 6, 2004 Hi Only very new to C's, I bought an immaculate 1.8 16V on Saturday. I have one question, which may or may not be a problem: It pinks, admittedly I've been running on half a tank of 95RON and then filled up with 98RON. It also is sometimes hard to start and needs a bit of right pedal. Also, maybe it seems less powerful than I expected for a 1.8 16V. My girlfriend has a Mk2 Golf GTi (8V) and this is much more responsive and pulls harder. My initial thoughts were that the ignition timing is too retarded? It's done 120K but no rattles and no smoke, FSH. Perhaps I need to try it solely on 98 super unleaded? Can anyone shed any light. By the way, this is an awesome car. I have a 4litre V8 Marcos as well and the Corrado is almost as fun, brilliant car. :D Ta Very reliable car if looked after well :) If it's pinking and hard to start it sounds over advanced, get a timing light on it it should be 6 degrees advanced at idle +/- 1 deg If it was retarded too much it would most likely be easier to start As you've just got it I'd also have a good going over of the car even if you have detailed service info, checking condition of plugs (this can tell you a lot about the fuel mixture and general tuning and engine health) and then checking the dizzy cap, leads, rotor arm air filter, vacuum lines and joints around the intake and throttle body. Get a mate to check you are getting full throttle when the pedal is to the floor. The C is a heavy car for the 1.8 16v engine and it won't feel as lively as a mk2 8v at lower revs but you'll get used to it and providing the suspension is in good nick it'll always give you a grin round the twisty bits :D Also, It should pull strongly to the 7,000 red line, if not the fuelling or electics might not be quite right. Have fun with it, David. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mantaraman 0 Posted September 6, 2004 Can you tell me where the timing marks are? If it's out, will I need to re-adjust idle speed or is it automatic? No. 1 cylinder nearest pulley end, yes? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davidwort 0 Posted September 6, 2004 Can you tell me where the timing marks are? If it's out, will I need to re-adjust idle speed or is it automatic? No. 1 cylinder nearest pulley end, yes? get a 19mm socket on the crank pulley centre bolt, turn the engine over by hand clockwise from the cam-belt end of engine (bit stiff as you're working against the compression) and you will see a timing mark (little fine line/groove) on the wide inner edge of the pulley, there is also an arrow (about 1-2 cm long) pointing downwards in the plastic cover of the timing belt. When these two line up you should be able to see the timing marks in the inspection hole in the top of the gearbox casing on the flywheel - should be a plastic bung in there. The gearbox casing has a bit of casting that points down from the top when you look into the hole, it's good to check everything lines up but I've found the crank pulley is easier to set the timing on access wise. Put a blob of tippex or white paint on the marks and arrow and you'll be able to see it much more clearly with the timing light when the engine is running. The idle stabilisation valve will compensate for idle speed as you increase or decrease the base advance setting, failing that you can adjust the speed by turning the air bleed screw on the side of the throttle body. hope this helps, David. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
davidwort 0 Posted September 6, 2004 Can you tell me where the timing marks are? If it's out, will I need to re-adjust idle speed or is it automatic? No. 1 cylinder nearest pulley end, yes? Oh, and yes no1 is at the cam belt end, and also, invest in a Haynes passat manual 88-91 if you can find one, covers loads of stuff for the corrado 16v including torque settings and loads of tolerances etc... David. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mantaraman 0 Posted September 6, 2004 Brilliant. Thanks very much David. I'll let you know how I get on. Benja Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
