16v FLAT SPOT AND GENERAL STARTING PROB

[Willsy'sbigred16v 0]

Hi Guys,

 

Ok i have nearly reached the end of my teather now with my 16v...

 

As some of you may already know i have experienced a few probs with it over the last few months, in actual fact it seems i get one thing sorted for two more to go wrong!!! I have already had various suggestions as probable causes but just wanted to run it by you all again and see if i can further diagnose the cause of my woes!

 

Anyway the two main ones that are concerning me at the moment are...a flat spot, particularly noticeable in first and second gears. This is an irregular flat spot, it doesnt happen everytime but basically when it does happen i do this...car in first gear,pull away revs seem to climb, engine makes all the right noises as if its acclerating, i just dont seem to be going anywhere momentarily...then almost as if i have a turbo i can feel myself pushed back into my seat as the power cuts in...very strange. I have just recently changed the plugs, leads and dizzy cap and rotor arm (the rotor arm needed some effort to release it from the distributor with a large screw driver as it was apparently corroded on, could removing this have damaged the dizzy and be the cause of my probs as the flat spots were noticeable after)

 

The second prob is starting my car in the morning (note, for the rest of the day, starting it lunchtime after its been sitting all morning and again at home time where it has been sitting for a good 5 hours its no problem, starts first turn) I can seem to aid its starting in the morning by turning the ignition key round to the "almost gonna fire up" stage on the barrel, if i momentarily hold the key in this position then give it the full turn it starts fine. If i dont do this i can be sat there for literally 6 seconds with the engine turning over. I had the fuel filter replaced around 20k ago so i didnt think it could be that. This prob corresponds with a mate (some may know on here as Sanchez( sorry Alex :OP)) and i doing the head gasket, not that for one min i am suggesting this is the cause...the only part i removed and left off was the small corregated pipe that goes from the airbox to the exhaust manifold, I am assured this is not the cause of the starting prob...any thoughts? Literally everything else was replaced as it was found.

 

So thats it, apart from an annoying creaking noise coming from the suspension when i turn the wheel, a droning noise as i drive along (wheel bearings we done around 15k ago) and a brake pad that decided to let go this morning causing some nasty grinding sounds when i brake and a few other things...my car looks the biz as usual and i love it!!!

 

Any advice gratefully recieved...

 

cheers guys,

 

Willsy.

 

P.S. I have developed, when the car got very hot stuck in the worlds biggest traffic jam recently, an annoying squeeling/squeeking noise coming from the engine...it sounds like a bearing....any ideas??? Could it be one of the pulleys for the belts? Is it fixeable with a good dose of wd40???

[khurrado 0]

QUOTE : Anyway the two main ones that are concerning me at the moment are...a flat spot, particularly noticeable in first and second gears.

 

 

 

I used to get this too, then i took my car to the garage and its fixed...well at least that problem is, although i used to own a gti, and i dont know whether its down to the weight of the corrado, but its no way near as shifty in 1st gear......the gti 's jump forwards, mines sluggish and used to have the problem u mentioned above.....i just got used to slowly building up the revs in 1st, and once at 20 boost it.

 

now my next problem is a melted fuse box, where the 2nd prob u mentioned used to happen....car wouldnt turn over. i thought maybe the battery, or the fuel pump, but turned out the fuse for fule pump/lamda probe melted. new fuse box on its way along with ignition switch, and next problem is radiator fan doesnt work.need new switch...

 

From all the money i spent i can say this one thing, once you put after market items into the car....in my case immobolisor, and fuk with the existing wiring you cause yourself a world of problems. No matter how good the mechanic, they aint factory precision.

[khurrado 0]

Hi Guys,

 

 

P.S. I have developed, when the car got very hot stuck in the worlds biggest traffic jam recently, an annoying squeeling/squeeking noise coming from the engine...it sounds like a bearing....any ideas??? Could it be one of the pulleys for the belts? Is it fixeable with a good dose of wd40???

 

 

another problem i have as well. i reckon its the water pump mate.

[KARMANN 0]

Is it a 2.0 or a 1.8-The flat spot u mentioned sounds similar to a problem i had a year ago on my 16v.Checked absolutly everything-turns out it was the middle box on the exhaust.The internals had corroded and become stuck in the pipe inbetween the middle box and the rear box.Because of this when i accelerated the felt as if it was holding back until the exhaust fumes forced there way through and the car took off like a bullit. So its mibby worth checking this out-only problem was there were no signs from the outside,ie the exhaust wasnt blowing.

 

Cheers Fraser

[Henny 0]

the annoying squeek sounds horribly like the P/S/water pump idler pulley on a 1.8 16V... It's a free-wheeling pulley which is attached to the waterpump pulley and has a nasty copper bush style bearing in it which wears out... It's a crap design and is quite expensive to replace too... :(

 

If I get chance, I'll dig out a pic from Etka and post it up...

 

When waterpumps go, they don't tend to squeal, they just throw water everywhere... :|

[Willsy'sbigred16v 0]

Cheers Henny,

 

Can you also PM me on mailto:[email protected] if you post up a pic/details, as i am not on the internet much in the day time.

 

What sort of costs are we looking at to replace?

[daveh 0]

I have had exactly the same problem with my 16v.

 

When I got the car (at 23k miles and many moons ago) it had a slight flat spot very occaisionally. However, as the years passed it got more and more frequent until I had to do something about it.

 

In the end I had trouble starting once a week, as well as a BIG flat spot. But as it was an intermittant fault, difficult to trace.

 

VW checked the ECU - all OK. They guessed it was the distributor, but couldn't guarantee that would fix the problem.

 

In the end, desparation drove me to replacing it........ and it worked!! Starts first time and no flat spot at all.

 

Might be worth a punt yourself??

 

Hope this helps.

[Willsy'sbigred16v 0]

Dave,

 

The symptoms you suggest are near identical to the problems i am having, intermittant flat spot thats geting worse! Mine has now decided to kick in at 5500rpms in third...but still annoying to start occassionally and also a pig in 1st and 2nd gear from time to time, which can be quite scary when pulling out on a roundabout and it literally momentarily dies on you!!!

 

I am waiting to borrow a new distributor off one of my mates to test as we speak so fingers crossed this is where my prob lies.

 

Many thanks for your reply,

 

cheers,

 

Willsy.

[dubweiser 0]

Hi i have experienced similar probs with my 2litre 16v and after replacing almost everything and tearing my hair out i finally got it put on a diagnostic tester and it turns out it is the lambda sensor causing it to run like this.Get yours checked mate.Hope this helps as i know how infuriating it can be.....

[Willsy'sbigred16v 0]

Cheers Buddy will add this one to the list of things to look at!

 

Keep em coming guys!