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'89 GLi 16v - power loss after sharp right turn

Hello all, Three times in the last week, after making a sharp right turn driving around town, the engine has stumbled and refused to rev. This problem lasts about a minute or two, then goes away completely. It feels like a fuel cutoff issue, reminiscent of the sudden hesitation you get during acceleration when the fuel pump is on the way out. Is the right turn thing a red herring? After the problem goes away, I can drive on the highway for hours, come off the highway, turn right, etc. for a couple of days with no problem.

Any ideas? All three times, there has been between 1/8 and 1/4 tank of fuel according to the gauge. I'm not in the red zone. Thanks Theo

Reply to
Theo
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Umich.edu huh.....

Your VW probably has 2 fuel pumps. The first is a submersable unit in the fuel tank. The second is located under the car, on the passenger's side, roughly under where the passenger's butt goes while in the back seat. That second one has a little fuel resevior attached to it that keeps your car running when you corner hard, and the fuel doesn't reach the first pump.

See where this is going? I knew that U of M education would pay off!.

I'm betting that one of these pumps is gone, and the other (combined with the fuel resevoir) is keeping your running. I'm thinking it's probably the outside one, but that's only a guess.

Strangely, this one is by far the more difficult to replace, as the one in the fuel tank can be accessed by simply moving the carpet aside in the trunk/hatch, removing 3 screws, and unscrewing the fuel pickup tube / pump (submersable) / filter assembly. I'm thinking it's only a 45 minute job, tops. That might include the beer run. An OSU grad student could do it.

As I recall, there's a fuel filter in the fuel tank as well as near the external pump. You might want to replace both, since you're gonna smell like gasolene after you get done anyway.

Tim Wohlford Jackson, MI '89 Golf 246,000

Reply to
Tim Wohlford

In my experience (and the experience of numerous others) the submersible, in-tank "transfer fuel pump" is the one that most frequently fails. In my experience, if this pump fails, the car may still be sort of drivable, but stutter at high sped or up inclines. The transfer fuel pump does not build up any pressure to speak of, that is the job of the second pump under that car. When my under-car fuel pump failed, the car would not even run (though after sitting for an hour or more I could start the engine and it would run for a second or two before stalling).

S>

Reply to
Randolph

An OSU grad student could handle the beer run, you mean?

I've been in cars before where the in-tank pump is on the way out, and about

4500 rpm + the car bucks violently. None of that yet. I'll have to wind it out and see how it does. Given how sporadic the problem is, I wouldn't be shocked if there was a bad electrical connection.

By the way, I hear a noticeable buzzing coming from the main pump. Always have. Is this normal? I can hear it from inside the car with the engine running and the passenger window down.

Thanks guys. Theo

acceleration

Reply to
Theo

My original main pump could be heard only if you were outside the car, listening by the right rear wheel. The replacement (bought used, not new) has been loud since day one. As with yours, it can be heard from inside the car with the engine running and the passenger window down. It has been that way since it was installed almost 2 years ago.

If you have the Bentley manual, follow the procedure for test>

Reply to
Randolph

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