reycycle wrote:...... it started. then died. this happened a few times running for about 5 seconds. even with the throttle reving at about 3 grand on the tach it still stalled right out.....
Your comments above indicate the car has spark and that timing is reasonably close, let's keep thinking fuel.
1st, don't spend any more time, money or thought on the cold start valve and/or the thermo-time switch, those stop operating as soon as you release the key from the start position. They help the car to start, after that, they do absolutely nothing.
Your control pressure regulator and coil resistance measurements are close enough to not worry those particulars either, besides, you have spark, how bad can the coil be?
The actual control pressures (cold and hot) are critical on a CIS car, as are system and residual pressures, to test them, you'll need a CIS specific fuel pressure gauge set, J.C. Whitney sells such a set in the $50 - $70 range, you might also try Harbor Freight.
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Let's back up a little bit, does the frequency valve buzz continuously whenever the fuel pumps run, it should, and it should be very obvious. The frequency valve looks very much like an EFI injector, it'll be found on the back side of the fuel distributor.
How's the intake duct between the sensor plate/fuel distributor assembly and the throttle body? Take it completely off, turn it and flex it every which way looking inside and out while holding it up to good light. No splits or through cracks allowed.
With a mirror, look around the back side of the throttle body, see if the throttle bypass idle adjust screw is still there. If it's there, is it loose? These little buggers are a common problem, the o-ring that seals them also holds it in place, the o-ring hardens over time, leaks, the adjustment changes, worst case, the screw falls out creating a huge sucking vacuum leak.
Find the Auxiliary Air Regulator (functions like a fast idle cam on a carb) over on the right (passenger) side of the engine, down kind of low on the back of the intake manifold. The guts of those sometimes fall out, you might find those guts hanging by the wire harness and connector, another huge sucking vacuum leak possibility. While there, check the hoses to the AAR, those are known to collapse and/or split, huge sucking vacuum leak.
Of course the injector seals are rock hard and the holders are loose, CIS standard failure items, should be handled at least annually, how old is the car?
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Reliable? Overall, I say yes, just don't read my current thread, mine's on a two week old hissy fit. She does have almost 210,000 miles and has given me lots and lots of 120 to 300 mile days over the last three years. Until her current and yet to be resolved issues, the only failure that kept her from going was a coil, a DigiFant I special with integral power stage.
Economical? Depends on whether you think 26 MPG is economical or not. VW decided to make Cabbys sporty, so they gave us close ratio transmissions, great fun to drive, but 3500 RPM at 65 MPH in 5th is not conducive the fuel economy. 5th can be changed.
. i went and bought that crappy Haynes manual. thought it might be the fuel pump/ relay or both. put 12v to the pump and it worked. jumpered the pump relay leads and the pump worked. took the relay to work (us navy) the tron guys said the relay seemed to be good. the fuel injecton power supply relay looked rusty. took it to work , again relay appears to be good. got mad 
and pulled the fuse/ relay panel out. inspected the wiring under the dash, some melted ground wires. replaced the wires. put fuse panel back in. replaced the vacuum hoses under the hood. 
thing still wont start. help the new guy please. 
