The past week in Car repair

[Calimus]

Try clearing the code and see if it comes right back. Many of the O2's in the early MKIV's were oversensitive and started tripping with the addition of ethenol in the fuel here the states. Not saying your's hasn't crapped out, but my VR6 jetta would bitch about the O2 every few months. Cleared the code and was good for a while. Could be a shot in the dark, but worth the shot.

Supposedly, there was an ECU re-flash that the dealers were doing to tone down the sensitivity of the O2's. If you can clear it and it stays gone for a while might want to check with a local dealer about the re-flash and see if it's in line with your car.

[sixsracing]

If the dealer won't reflash the ecm then remove the rear O2 sensor and space it out with a spark plug non-fouler. It gets it out of the stream of exhaust but still allows it to "sniff" and give proper feedback. I have fixed a few that way.

[CalAltaDubber]

Try clearing the code and see if it comes right back. Many of the O2's in the early MKIV's were oversensitive and started tripping with the addition of ethenol in the fuel here the states. Not saying your's hasn't crapped out, but my VR6 jetta would bitch about the O2 every few months. Cleared the code and was good for a while. Could be a shot in the dark, but worth the shot.

Supposedly, there was an ECU re-flash that the dealers were doing to tone down the sensitivity of the O2's. If you can clear it and it stays gone for a while might want to check with a local dealer about the re-flash and see if it's in line with your car.

I'll try that. Supposedly there is only one brand of ethonal fuel here (Mohawk).

[Briano1234]

Well I got the call at 9:00pm last night... "Dad the car won't stay running when I put it in gear."

30 miles away.....

So I grab a few tools.

Start the car. It idles, then dies sounds like fuel starvation.
I turn the stereo and the heater off, and there is a whine from the rear.....
Look at the fuel gauge, and it is full.

So......

pop out the back seat.
unplug the in-tank pump and Fuel Gauge...
Reverse the tank out and tank in lines. So the Primary pump could suck unrestricted.
Un plugging it means that the return to the tank isn't trying to push past a working pump.

Start the car, and she lives... Drive it home. (beats the 2 hours and 150 dollar tow.)

Today, replace the in-tank pump, ordered the Fuel pump relay (got the wrong one in..) so I have to take it back too. I had just replaced the in-tank pump in December..... It was free, but had to drain the tank.

Put it all back together and the fuel gauge is working better.. before I took it out, I drained out 2.5 gallons and it said 1/2 tank.

After putting it back together it said 3/4.... hmmmm

New filter, new in-tank pump...
tomorrow hopefully a new fuel pump relay, although the old one looked great internally... no apparent cold solder joints.

[CalAltaDubber]

Try clearing the code and see if it comes right back. Many of the O2's in the early MKIV's were oversensitive and started tripping with the addition of ethenol in the fuel here the states. Not saying your's hasn't crapped out, but my VR6 jetta would bitch about the O2 every few months. Cleared the code and was good for a while. Could be a shot in the dark, but worth the shot.

Supposedly, there was an ECU re-flash that the dealers were doing to tone down the sensitivity of the O2's. If you can clear it and it stays gone for a while might want to check with a local dealer about the re-flash and see if it's in line with your car.

I'll try that. Supposedly there is only one brand of ethonal fuel here (Mohawk).

Well I was able to get to it yesterday. First issue was to locate the sensor. It was not "Just in front of the Cat" as I had been led to believe. But rather on the exaust manifold. I was also shocked how easy it came out. I was expecting a good hour or so reefing on the wrench and copious quantities of liquid wrench to break it free. Oddly enough, it broke free on the first pull.

The sensor was black, so the car was running too rich. Acording to the VAG-Com it wasn`t sending any signal so the ECU thought the car was running too lean, and was trying to make it run richer.

In short, it had to be replaced. That went well too.

I cleared the DTCs and went for a short test drive. I no longer smell gas and the CEL stayed off. The car seems to have some `guts`again too!

One final check with the VAG-COM showed no faults.

Not bad for a car with over 200,000 km on the odometer.

Next on my list is the `World of Wheels`it two weeks. Club Vee-Dub has convinced me to enter the Topless Bunny so it seems I have some detailing to do.

[kamzcab86]

Installed new battery in the Cab (2nd one in 3 years). Chucked the recommended non-resistor, Bosch triple-plats and installed NGK resistor, single-plats in the Cab (guy at O'Reilly said, "I wouldn't put Bosch plugs in my lawn mower!" ). Cleaned all the oil off the breather hoses and installed a couple of hose clamps like I should've done a couple years ago. Disconnected the ground strap from the valve cover... after 25 years, that thing was soaked in oil (from oil running out of the breather hose); cleaned it up for now and mounted it to a different VC nut, but a new one is on-deck.

For the first time since about August, the 'ole girl fired right up and ran like a Swiss watch. Hooked up a vac gauge: looks like the ignition timing might be just slightly retarded and the warm idle is just a pinch high now; other than that, she's back to her old self. With that, we went for a short drive.

[CalAltaDubber]

For the first time since about August, the 'ole girl fired right up and ran like a Swiss watch. Hooked up a vac gauge: looks like the ignition timing might be just slightly retarded and the warm idle is just a pinch high now; other than that, she's back to her old self. With that, we went for a short drive.

Now don't you feel great that she is running again!

[Briano1234]

Getting rid of those Bosch's was a good thing............

[kamzcab86]

Now don't you feel great that she is running again!

Of course! I felt bad seeing her sit for so many months, but she wasn't exactly a priority, especially with a car blocking her in (driveway is getting widened next week, so no more playing musical cars ).

Getting rid of those Bosch's was a good thing............

Yeah, well, a certain someone kept recommending them many years ago (and still is, but in NGK form), back when I bought them. I finally got around to installing them in '09 and felt/heard an immediate change in how she was running, confirmed with the emissions test in '10. Nothing major, just a subtle difference. Comparing the old-old Bosch plugs to the newer Bosch plugs, they were complete opposites: resistor vs. non-resistor; single-plat vs. triple plat. Knowing that Bosch plugs are crap these days, I went with NGK for the new single-plats (I don't think the car ever had triples in her until '09). Might just be my imagination, but I'd say she's running as good, if not better, as when the single-plat Bosch's were in her ; I should've stuck with what was working to begin with (lesson learned). Triple-plat, non-resistors might work well for the rest of you, but my car appears to hate 'em.

[Briano1234]

Well all I can say is after getting 2 sets of Bosch with 2 bad plugs in each box, it will be a cold day in Hades before I go back.

I now have a new rule of thumb, get out the meter and measure each one before I stick it in the car.

[Calimus]

I've not had any issues with Bosch plugs, however, I still prefer NGK's or Nippon Desno's any day of the week.

[eric4321]

Well it has ben one of those days all week for me and my vehicals. My Cabby has a bad head gasket, my Suburban has a bad heater core and intake gasket, and my wifes golf cart was refusing to work intermitently. Thankfully the golf cart was an quick fix it was just a loose wire to the ignition switch. I have the heater core bypassed on the Suburban(I am thankfull it has rear heat) and the Cabby is in tear down now. All this had to happen just as I have ben making progress on my 81 Rabbit. Oh well that's life at least I am not bored around here.

[Briano1234]

Well from the post below, the 92 has to have the following:
New Top.
New Struts and mounts front
New heater core
Sooooo.. Might as well rebuild the engine or at least get new gaskets and seals on it.

[Briano1234]

The tin on a catalytic pervertor is really really thin. So don't go using your wire welder on High current settings or you could burn a whole through it and render it useless... Don't ask me how I know that..............but ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGDANGNABIT

So, I now have a nice straight pipe where the Cat was, and don't have to worry about it until June or July....

[eric4321]

I don't have a welder yet. I am considering installing the older style exhaust with the bolt in flanges for the cat. That way I can run the cleared out one exept for the smog test. I have a header I bought for cheap and have heard conflicting info as to weather they are prone to crack. Anyone have experience running a header on an MK1?