EGR VALVE!

OK post the year, type and location of vehicle in the Subject line please. :-) Is this an '87 Golf like that link of the dist. vac. advance unit? Did the '87 Golf even have an EGR valve? Is this some CA or non-USA vehicle? Well I know it is not a 16V since they did not have a vac advance on the distributor.

Back to the basics: Check the timing belt alignment. Also check for TDC with the #1 piston in it's highest position. Check the firing order of the spark plugs. Rotor rotates in a CW direction. Check for any cracks in the intake manifold boot and make sure it is clamped down. BTW You could do a compression test too. ;-) Sometimes a "tune-up" does wonders, new plugs & wires, cap, rotor, fuel+oil+air filters, oil. ;-) Is the oil level too high, too thin feeling and smell of gas? What do the electrodes of the spark plugs look like?

A weak spark can cause running problems too. Bad ign. coil or one wired backwards?

later, dave (One out of many daves)

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1
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Well my freind whos been working on cars since he was 6 had one look at my timing markings, and was like "what the fudge was the mechanic thinking when he did the timing?". We personally both know the mechanic so we headed to the shop and asked "why are the timing marks completely off?" He said that he couldnt get them to line up because the pully is one from a 2L. He said when he ligned up all the marks perfectly the car wouldn't start. So therfor he had to guess the timing.

Reply to
the_lower_class_brat

What about the specifics of this car?

I have corrected some timing belts job incorrectly done at the dealer. So mistakes can be made!

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

The car is a 1987 Golf.

Reply to
the_lower_class_brat

Hmmm is the 2l pulley and 1.8l pulley that different, and I assume he is talking about the Camshaft sprocket/pulley and not the V-Belt pulley on the front of the crank. I think the 2l Cam Sprock only adds a front mark that points upward.

Brief Timing Belt Instructions:

  1. The Crankshaft should be aligned using the flywheel/driveplate reference '0' mark (located in transmission viewing hole) and that should be double checked with the #1 piston at TDC.
  2. Then set the Intermediate Shaft alignment (or look at distributor rotor pointing at notch on dist. body).
  3. Finally set or lay the Camshaft Sprocket's notch (back side of sprocket) at the valve cover surface (spark plug side). Adjust the tensioner CW to tighten the belt and revolve the engine 720 degrees and recheck your marks.

BTW I don't think that mechanic knows VWs!

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

Nope! he definately doesn't, but my freind took on look at my markings and knew they were off, therefor explains the car running like poo. But anyways Im going to buy the cam pulley tomorrow and hopefully that will solve the problem. Now it leaves me to the conclusion that the engine is not in anyway stock. The car has been painted 2 times already, and its just screaming that some idiot fancied himself a mechanic and tried doing a swap.

Reply to
the_lower_class_brat

If the engine starts and runs ( even roughly ) >repeatedly< even though it stalls , the timing belt and the enging timing with the cam sprocket/interm. shaft is fine. The spark timing set by the position of the distributor is a different thing. The timing can be off alot and keep running , with or without the vacuum advacnce attached to the distributor. What " timing markings" are you talking about? the marks on the cam sproket / crankshaft / intermediate shaft? or the marks down the hole on the flywheel?

There is no pulley on the cam. You will have a real hard time buying it.

Pulleys attacked to the crank sprocket ( crankshaft ) won't cause your problem. V-belt powered things...could care less if that pulley is a bit bigger.

A different sized cam sprocket installed is just to nuts. No one would do that !

Why won't you answer any questions about the fuel pressure both Dave and I ask you about from your first posts ' replaced fuel line ' ?

Reply to
samstone

I am ASSuME-ing that now there are more problems. The engine could still start with the camshaft timing off a notch or two. It will run like poo but I think this OP has more problems keeping it running too.

I agree that the wrong size sprocket is just nuts and there is no pulley on the camshaft sprocket.......................unless...............there is that supercharger kit installed. I seem to remember one being made for these engines years ago. But I am sure the OP would have told us that. lol

FIND A VW SPECIALIST AND LET THEM KEEP YOUR VEHICLE UNTIL IT IS REPAIRED!!!!

Whereabouts are you again?

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

I hear you ( been there done that and couldn't believe i had no one else to blame ) .............................. I ass-u-me-d the timing belt was done correctly, I guess because Class Brat didn't say after the belt job the engine ran worse than before. I still think the problem is fuel related , either a simple electrical connection fault or the tank pump croaked when it was run out of gas.

gotta love the last week of march , snow is almost gone and some birds are back.

Reply to
samstone

Well obviously they did because my friend at the garage said that was the problem, and I'm pretty sure he's definitely 100% not lying to me. And that would explain the car running like complete crap.

Reply to
the_lower_class_brat

Well now Im starting to think that you guys were right, I bought the

1.8 camshaft pulleu, and its the exact same, the car just doesnt seem to like to stay on time.
Reply to
the_lower_class_brat

Hmmm if the camshaft timing keeps shifting then possibly the Crankshaft Sprocket lost it's notch by being loose. I have seen this a few times due to improper torquing of the Sprocket bolt. You need to check it out and possibly replace it if it is bad. Use a little Locktite during installation. While doing this check your timing belt also. ;-)

I have had a couple of vehicles with strange timing belt issues. The belts did not lose their teeth but the teeth seemed to be crushable allowing timing to change. Weird!

Reply to
dave AKA vwdoc1

The belt is brand new, so I doubt that is the case, but yea Ill check that all out, Id ont have timing light, but thats like saying you cant tune a guitar without a tuner. Anyways Ill tell you how tomorrow goes.

Reply to
the_lower_class_brat

Tuning a guitar w/o a tone ( or freq. tuner ) to go by will get your guitar tuned to itself only. But chances are not so good that the guitar will be tuned to any other instruments. {{ it can happen though }}

Because the engine starts again and again even though it doesn't keep running suggests the mechanical timing ( ie , crankshaft / intermediate shaft / cam shaft along with the timing belt ) is good. The spark timing to the mechanical timing is done by rotating the distributor. Because your engine starts again and again suggests this is close enough too.

If you actually have a problem with the mechanical timing the chances of it running at all , time after time are slim to nill. {{ it can happen though }}

I know you don't have all the tools that would aid you in getting your engine to keep running strongly. It takes years to build your collection of tools and it is a never ending task.

It would be worth your to time to at least look at the ( in tank pump / fuel level ) wiring at the top of fuel tank. Your in dash fuel gauge gets power from the same wire at the top of the tank that supplies power to the in tank pump. You may find a faulty connection there like many others have found, which when corrected fixes not only the in dash gauge plus the engines full running power. Checking those wires , plus listening for the in tank pump running requires a phillips screwdriver and your ear.

A dented in bottom of a fuel tank could cause problems with both the gauge and the in tank pump. You did say there was a smashed fuel line so maybe the tank got smashed too , while your john deere was plowing the fields. :-) ( a little dry humor , don't take it the wrong way ) but look at the tank bottom.

Reply to
samstone

happen though }}

Well whatever, the car runs just runs like shit, and the timing is off

100% so im going to need to fix that either way.
Reply to
the_lower_class_brat

happen though }}

Fuel guage works perfect.

Reply to
the_lower_class_brat

What timing is off? The mechanical timing or the spark timing? I'm guessing you mean the mechanical timing because you have no timing light to check the spark timing. Tell us how you know the mechanical timing is off, 100%.

Reply to
samstone

broke a gas line from the dist trying to pop out the injectors, fixed the line and tried to start the car to get all the crap out of the line, to find out there is no gas coming out of injector line 1. Im thinking a relay, where's the fuel pump relay? I have the set up where the relays have their own seperate box behind the bottom piece to the dash.

Reply to
the_lower_class_brat

Also how would I go about testing a relay, as in jumping it style.

Reply to
the_lower_class_brat

the pump relay can be located by feel. listen first to get you headed to the right place. When you twist the key to the ' on' position the contacts ( mechanical off/on electrical switch) ( pins 30 , 87 ) close shut making a noise CLICK and you hear both pumps run. ( pins 15 ,31 ) are terminals for the coil inside the relay which when you turn the ing. sw. from off to on energizes the coil ( in this case the coil is made around a metel core which when it has power applied to it pulls the pump power contacts closed ) ' the click' once you have the general location , keep turning the key off/on/off/on and you can feel which relay is clicking your relay may also have a 31b terminal . So when you pull the relay out you think it is, there will be 5 terminals two big ones ( 30 , 80 ) big to handle watts . two mid ones ( 15 ,31) lower watts for the coil so mid sized . one small ( 31b ) this goes other places

Reply to
samstone

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