'87 Scirocco 16V gas tank

What's the capacity of the '87 16V Scirocco gas tank? It was originally sold in Massachusetts, if that makes a difference.

I remember looking it up somewhere and finding 12 gallons.

I just did it again, and found a replacement tank, which claims a capacity of over 14 gallons.

I'm asking because mine wouldn't start this morning. When they got it to the shop, there was no fuel appearing in the engine compartment. They put $5, 1.6 gallons, in it and it started right up. They declared it was empty, which made sense. This was surprising, because from the position of the gauge that morning I'd have figured I was about nine gallons down, not twelve. I paid for it and drove it around to the pumps to fill it up. The gauge is just a bit higher than it was when it wouldn't start, so I figure the gauge is gone. Then I filled it up and it only took 7.2 gallons. 1.6 + 7.2 is 8.8 which is damn close to the 9 I expected from the gauge. More importantly, it's now full, the gauge says so and the pump shut off automatically. And I've put well over 11 gallons into that tank, at that pump, on several occasions. So, there was still something like three gallons (if it's 12, more if it's 14) still in the tank.

I'm thinking something blocked the outlet from the tank to the fuel pump, and when they put the gas in it sloshed away.

Any other ideas?

- Bill

Reply to
William J. Leary Jr.
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The Mk1 cars got a revised trunk floor, etc. in mid 1984 I believe it was and I believe this included a larger fuel tank. Based on that if you have an '87, I'd suspect you have the larger of the two.

Reply to
Matt B.

Sorry, I was speaking specifically of the 16 valves. The 8 valve ones, as far as I know, had ten gallon tanks.

- Bill

Reply to
William J. Leary Jr.

Is there a functioning fuel transfer pump in that gas tank? If not maybe the main pump is not getting a good steady supply when the tank drops down to 1/4 full.

Just a thought.

Reply to
One out of many Daves

You may have something there. The shop replaced the fuel pump and it seemed to fix the problem, but actually didn't. It started a few times, then quit again. Then started again, then didn't again. They replaced the relay, even though it checked out OK, and again, worked a few times, then didn't. Finding that the relay seemed loose in the socket, they build-up the fat pin on the relay with some solder and put it back in. It's worked every time since then.

However, I just went into my Bentley to check into transfer pump and find a note that some of them had to be replaced because they'd stop working when it was hot out. Well, the two days this wouldn't start were the hottest it's been around here in a long time. The both times it had been parked in the sun for some time along with it being well over 90F out. In addition, normally, when you turn the key on, but don't engage the starter, you'd hear a fuel pump whine for a couple of seconds. I don't seem to hear that now, although it is running today. But it was also under 80 today.

I'd have said "the" fuel pump before, since I'd clean forgotten there was a transfer pump.

Thanks. This may help solve the problem.

- Bill

Reply to
William J. Leary Jr.

I just found out the hard way that my supposed 14 gallon tank on my 88 Jetta GLI holds, in fact, only 10 gallons. I had some problems with wet plugs and poor performance after that. See the string titled AAARGH!...

Good luck! Max> > Is there a functioning fuel transfer pump in that gas tank? If not maybe

Reply to
Mad Maxine

I'll have a look.

It's turned out to be a problem with the wiring in the fuse box.

The car has been towed three times so far, had the fuel pump and filter replaced, and the search continues. I can't really blame them for doing the pump. It's what I thought it was too. Then it looked like the transfer pump, but that's working correctly. Finally, one of them was investigating the fuel relay and happened to be looking under the dash while the other guy turned the key and saw some whisps of smoke coming out from behind the fuse box near the fuel relay.

- Bill

Reply to
William J. Leary Jr.

Classic Cabbie problem, never realized it happened to a Scirocco too!

Just a FYI, but I've successfully rebuilt VW fuse/relay boxes in the past. You need a digital camera, and take lots of photographs. I number each piece as I remove it (number in order, then reassemble in reverse order).

Takes about three hours to do one, which isn't too bad. Nice of VW to use plugs on them so they come out easily!

Reply to
PeterD

That's actually kind of encouraging.

This is one thing I've never done before. Closest I've never come is rewiring a relay box under the hood of an American truck. Someone had, purely to be nasty, poured some kind of acid into it. Had to wash it out, wait for it to stop reacting (took days) then dismounted it, put the new one next to it. Then, pull a wire, cut off the end, patch in a new piece with a plug, push it into the new block, repeat for hours. What a mess.

Thanks. You just answered my other question. I was about 90% sure this was how they were built.

I'm planning to pull the box out of a second car I've got here and to a plug-for-plug swap, except for the corroded ones, of course, which I'll have to replace the ends on.

- Bill

Reply to
William J. Leary Jr.

be really careful as they may look the same but might be different inside.

The way they are made is incredible, and lends itself to easy rebuilding. The 'circuits' are punched out of brass sheet, there are no traditional wires inside it. Layer of conductors, an insulation piece, more layers, and so on. Four or five layers IIRC.

I remember as I was putting it back together thinking: "Gee, I hope this thing works again". It did. Numbering the parts, and the photographs I took during disassembly were vital (for example, when numbering always number the say way so that all the numbers are 'right side up'.

Reply to
PeterD

odd...all Mk2 Golf/Jetta/GTI/GLIs that I know of had 14.5 gallon tanks. you're sure about 10 gallons?

Reply to
Matt B.

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