AAAARGH! Starting/running problems in 88 Jetta GLI

16V engine? What is "kind of breathily"?

You should make sure that you have both fuel pumps working and fuel coming out of the injectors, at least one of them. Make sure you have proper spark. How is that large intake boot? Got a crack in it too?

Only wiring big wiring harness near the heater core in same year Fox is to the computer/black box. Car will run very poorly or not at all if not connected properly. The ground of the battery should be disconnected first prior to connecting or disconnecting this wiring harness.

The wiring harness connection I disconnected is a black, rectangular double-sidded plug with about 16 tab-type connectors in it. This connector clips to a little metal bracket just up behind the dash. I think the computer is on the opposite side of the heater core. I had the positive disconnected from the battery before beginning all this.

I'm also planning on checking the air intake boots for leaks. It got late while I was working on the car, and I ran out of time at the shop (and it was really freakin' hot for Seattle). I will go back today and evaluate a bunch of stuff.

FYI: I don't know how to describe "breathy" other than it sounded like the car lost back-pressure and kind of inhaled before it died.

Do I need to reset some kind of electronic gizmo?

Thanks, Max> > Okay. I'm now having some starting/running issues. I noticed last night

Replace the fuel filter if it has one, if not then fit one, sounds like your sucking s**te up from your tank into your engine.

Not a bad idea. I do think I might have run out of gas and gas tank s**te might be contributing to the problem. My fuel gauge wasn't reading empty, but I bet that doesn't count for much. I might also wait to restart it until I can get a full tank of gas into it in the morning.

Thanks, Max> > Then, I replaced my clutch/brake pedal bracket. In the process I

you didn't drill a hole in your brake booster?

Nope. The brake booster is miles (well, inches) away from where I drilled.

I checked my air intake boots and vacuum hoses this afternoon. Even cleaned oil out of the venturi setup. It all looks good. I'm going to try again tomorrow morning before work. When it's cooler out. And I'm less cranky. And I have my wallet and can afford a tank of $3.29/gallon gasoline.

:P Maxine

funny story time I have a friend who was drilling a hole so she could hang a picture. Her brother gave her his drill and 12" bit to use and she drill a hole all the way through the house to the outside. She did have a frame house. We all got a laugh out of that one. So I had to ask to be sure! ;-)

Yours is the 16V engine right?

EUREKA!

Okay, problem solved. I was indeed out of gas. The owner's manual that came with the car said I had a 14 gallon gas tank. Apparently I have a

10 gallon gas tank. Calculations of gas mileage (from the digital thingie on the dash) plus my odometer didin't pan out for 14 gallons. Plus the gauge must be a little off. This was also confirmed when I filled the remainder of the tank. Good to know.

So I bet it didn't run well because I must have soaked the sparkplugs with what was left in the gas lines. I filled the tank with mid-grade gas (at $3.44/gallon - ow), and it had been sitting about 30 hours. It fired up pretty well, but fired on only 3 cylinders. I ordered new spark plug wires ($200 -ow ow!) thinking they may be part of the problem.

I drove it to work and back. When I went up some steep hills, it bucked again. Pretty badly. It also got really hot, which I controlled by turning on the defroster and with the heat and fans on (which is AWESOME when it's 90 degrees out). I thought my feet were going to melt onto the heater core. I made it back to the shop.

When I pulled plug wire 3, a splatter of oil came with it. The damn plug hole had about 1/4 inch deep puddle of oil in it, and the plug wire cap was cracked.

New plugs and wires fixed the symptoms for now. I'll have to watch that plug hole and clean it every now and then until I can change the valve cover gasket. The car runs like a dream now, and seems to no longer be running hot. Just in time for the cool weather snap.

An interesting aside (just in case you didn't know): The plug wires are in seemingly opposite order from what all the books at my mechanic's shop say for this car. But they still fire 1-3-4-2. The reason, we think, is that the rotor spins counterclockwise, not clockwise. Sheesh.

Thanks for your suggestions! :) Maxine

Had the same problem with my 16V Scirocco. Two of the plug wells were full of oil. I replaced the valve cover gasket and discovered that whoever did the job the last time had fouled up the O rings on those two plugs. One was partially in and partially out of the indent meant to keep them aligned, and the other had a small section just plain missing.

- Bill

btw, I liked the drilling story. I can definitely tell you that the drill bit didn't come out quite where I expected. And yes, it is the

16V GLI. :)

No, the car came that way when I bought it. I didn't discover the problem until I went looking for an ignition problem a year or more later and pulled out the plug towers in preparation to take out the plugs.

- Bill