Sluggish 1998 Golf - catalytic converter?

Air mass meter.

I've just replaced the one on my dads 2001 90bhp Golf TDi, and my 1998 Passat 110 TDI had it replaced just before I bought it a few months ago - they're a known problem on these, and other cars of that era.

Costs somewhere in the region of £80 for an exchange unit from a main dealer.

HTH

-- JackH

Thanks Jack. I take it you had similar trouble then? Same symptoms? And the replacement has given the car back it's oommph?

Will

Basically, aye... although to be fair at least with the Golf, it normally felt like it was still giving a little boost until you floored it properly. It didn't smoke under load or anything like that... it just felt, especially beyond 3k, really flat, and some hills were quite painful in the end!

What I would do first though, is check that the inlet side air pipes are still all attached and haven't split, as it sounds like you may have lost all boost.

I'd also check the intercooler hasn't split either, and if none of the above come up with an obvious solution, I'd then be considering the possibility that the turbo has expired - can you still hear it spin up when you change gear etc.?

Aye... but as I say, re-reading what you've said before, it sounds to me like maybe you're not getting any boost at all, in which case check the above first.

Diesels don't have catalytic converters.

The message from "neutron" contains these words:

Mine does.

neutron (neutron(abcde)@f.off.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Many modern ones do. I don't know about a '98 Golf, but it's not impossible.

Will ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

In SEVEN years? That's hardly "more than average"...

Has it recently had the cambelt replaced?

It may well just be in need of a good ol' Italian Tune-Up. A bloody good thrape for a week or more to get a load of clag out of the exhaust.

I had a 1.9D ZX loaner for about 1,000 miles a few years back - when I picked it up, it was gutless and smoky as all hell. By the time it went back, I'd added 20mph to the max, it was far cleaner, and used a lot less juice.

The message from Adrian contains these words:

Quite. That's about three years average.

Guy King ( snipped-for-privacy@zetnet.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

Maybe he missed a 1 off the front?

The message from Adrian contains these words:

Possibly. And as for cats - my 93 diesel Audi has one.

Some do, not least VW TDis... even my M plate Golf TDi had one.

-- JackH

Not something I can do, though, can I? I'm a writer, not a mechanic! Spoke to my local VW garage who agreed that it sounded like the Air Mass Meter. =A380 for the part, =A380 to fit it and =A345.40 to have someone plug in a computer to check if it IS faulty. What I could do with is an ex-VW mechanic who works from home or something...those charges are too high.

Yes, I can hear it whine.

If it's easy / possible for me, a non-mechanic and car techy to do this, can you advise?

Thanks for all your help

Will

Not AFAIK. Contributory factor to its sluggishness?

Will

No... but you'd soon know if it was. ;-)

If like my Passat, the interval is 5 years or 60k miles, which ever comes first - so you probably want to consider having it done if it hasn't been done already.

-- JackH

£80 is about right for an exchange unit, from VW. £80 to fit one however, is taking the absolute piss - at the very outside, it's a, remove two spring clips, two screws, and one electrical plug, ten minute job.

I changed the one on my dads 90bhp in that sort of time, myself, and I'm not a trained mechanic.

What area are you in?

possibility

Ok, so long as it's not a screeching howl, that's a good sign. ;-)

It's easy, but not that easy to explain, other than when you lift the bonnet, look for some black plastic piping that runs from the air box 'great big black plastic thing mounted on the inner wing, and see if you can spot any splits in it, or if any of the spring clips have popped off, where it joins on to turbo etc.

You'll need to remove the big plastic cover from the top of the engine, which is held on with three 10mm nuts hidden underneath the pop out round,

2p sized covers dotted about the cover - two down near the front of the engine, and one near the back.

The intercooler is mounted from the offside inner wing.

Do you not have a friendly local mechanic who would take a quick look, if you're not that confident?

-- JackH

Will

That's very normal for them; they've been ripping us off for years. Had I not mentioned that I knew the part was =A380, he'd probably have said it was =A3120+. Gits.

East Berks, near Slough and Maidenhead.

Will take a look later...

I do, but he doesn't do VWs ("too many fackin' computers, it's all computers these days"). He did all our other cars, and was brilliant (does my Fiesta at the mo) - but if he hasn't got the equipment, and/or isn't comfortable mucking around with these new-fangled cars then I dunno what else to do. I need to find someone who *can* cope with the computer, and who won't rip us off...

Bloody nightmare

Will

It appears to be a VW thing - I've gone back to trusting ours to the small independent, I've always used over the years. Apart from the fact I went to school with him, he's cheaper, and doesn't give any flannel.

We have a prominent VW independent here... and we've found out the expensive way, they're almost on par with the main dealer for 'pulling the wool over your eyes' if they think they can get away with it.

Heh. That's why it's now £80 to fit it. ;-)

To give you an idea of how easy it is... lift the bonnet - now look towards the top of the engine... you'll see an air intake pipe heading into the inlet manifold, which is hidden under the big engine cover, from the right hand side - the black plastic unit with a plug with wires sprouting from it, that's easily accessed... that's the bit in question.

Piece of the proverbial to remove and re-fit.

You are Ricky Gervais, and I claim my five free iffy dance routines. ;-)

Good good

Ideally, yes... but even he will know you don't need a computer to detect boost leaks etc., just some common sense, and good eyesight. :-)

And fitting the air mass meter if needs be (and to be honest, given how prone these are to those failing, if it's not a boost leak, I doubt it's anything else), will be a walk in the park for him.

Shame you're not nearer - could have probably tried one of the air mass meters off our cars, if your has the same one.

-- JackH Bloody nightmare

Will

Will ( snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying :

If it'd been fitted a tooth out it certainly could be.

My brother has a Passat tdi, 1998, it wouldn't rev above about 2000 rpm. A slight rattle from the exhaust was noticeable. Turned out the cat had broken away fron the inside of its housing and was blocking the exhaust. Took it off, smashed the inside bit up and emptied it out , replaced the empty casing, job done, at a cost of no pence. This was about two years ago. It has passed two MOTs since, so emissions are ok without the cat.