Golf 1.8 Mk III SE (same as GL.. ADZ engine) not starting.. help!!

You may want to consider posting year, and other information (such as transmission type, etc.) which would perhaps be significant to resolving your problems...

With what you've posted, it could be plug wires, plugs, the cap/rotor, or what-not...

Sorry, in a bit of a blind panic when I wrote that post.

Car is 1996, ADZ engine, manual, 90k on clock.

It's at the garage now. Mechanic says car started first attempt, but carb is flooded with oil ! Couldn't get the computer to register it

Oil in carb sounds ominous from what I've seen online..

It's still "new"! ;-)

Check the crankcase ventilation. Some of the vacuum connections to the injection housing may be leaky. Also, ensure that the dipstick is firmly seated and not leaking.

It's throttle-body injection. Bosch Mono-Motronic.

Electrically, confirm that the engine has a good "ground". There should be a ground strip at the cylinder block where the loom and electical controls have a common ground.

Check the loom and connection to the throttle positioner and the injector. Also, at the distributor, make sure that the Hall sensor connection at the distributor is good and clean.

It's a worry that you are unable to connect to the engine management unit. If you're using a diagnostic unit that works with similar vehicles (e.g. a Ross-Tech one), then the first problem to fix is the inability to talk to the Mono-Motronic unit.

Check the basic throttle settings once you are talking to the computer.

Happens... Even to the best of us.

OK, now we know what we're dealing with.

flooded with oil ! Couldn't get the computer to register it

Better yet, get a new mechanic first. No carb on this car. It is fuel injected (TBI, IIRC)

Oil in the throttle body isn't good... But a mechanic that doesn't know the difference between a throttle body and a carb isn't going to be able to fix it.

Bernd & Peter

Thank you for taking the time..

Bernd I have kept your suggestions, and when I have more time I'll inspect the engine as thoroughly as a novice can, if my car makes it through. :-)

Regarding this :

My preferred garage had a VW enthusiast and two chaps I depend on. On the day I booked in, I got a "new guy", who replaced him. He talked about injectors on collection - but I don't know what to make of the carb comment - all I know is I don't want him working for me again.

I begged another garage to see if it's possible to communicate with the ECU and pull up error codes, and he immediately produced a faulty coolant sensor code (and had actually suggested that being a possible fault over the phone). Furthermore, he also showed me where the part is, and explained how to replace it, without charge. For future reference, this was Bob Farnons in Knutsford.

Not sure there is a happy ending to this. First up, I made a serious mistake. I installed the sensor, which has a clip which slides into a groove to prevent it coming out. I'm my stressed state, I put the clip on above the housing. The car started fine so I took it for a spin, and all was OK, until at the bottom of a hill I noted the temp gauge was at zero, then smoke came from under the bonnet. Limped home... The sensor had popped out, was hanging to the wire connector, coolant everywhere.. it took 2 litres of antifreeze and 2 litres of water to get the level.. :(

Now I think I may have blown the engine. The car is starting fine, idles smooth, no sludge under cap, no oil loss, but I'm getting white smoke from the exhaust, and I think I lost a bit of coolant whilst idling (I see no leaks).

What is the best way to determine if the engine is fried on the cheap?

I am just uploading a clip of smoke to youtube now.

Update: currently just making short trips, idling for a few minutes and checking..

No obvious sludge on oil cap or dipstick nor oil in expansion tank.

Suspect engine running hot (gauge stays at 90 though) and gobbling fuel.

That's a major ouch...

Check a good parts store for a 'products of combustion in coolant' test kits. They are inexpensive (disposable) and will tell you if you are getting blow-by past the head gasket. Another test is to do this (it is not an absolutely foolproof test...)

1. With engine cold, remove radiator cap to ensure there is no pressure in the cooling system. Replace cap.
2. Start engine and idle for about 30 seconds MAX.
3. Check for pressure in the cooling system... If there is pressure, then there is probably a problem. No pressure do steps 4 and 5.
4. Start engine and idle for about 2 minutes seconds MAX.
5. Check for pressure in the cooling system... If there is pressure, then there may be a problem. No pressure usually indicates that there is no leakage past the head gasket.

Also, for grins, disconnect the battery, let it sit for a few (say 10) minutes and reconnect to reset the ECM.

Thank you Peter.

I tried the above to step 5 - no significant pressure.

I'm going to the garage this afternoon. I can't afford any work, but they said they would take a look.

Contemplating K-seal...

Thanks Peter.

I tried steps 1 to 5 above - no significant pressure.

Taking the car to the garage today, I can't afford any work but they said they would take a look.

Contemplating K-seal..

Good move... As I said, the test is not 100%, but for serious leaks in the head gasket it will show results.

It is quite possible you have a leak you have not yet discovered, possibly entrained (trapped) air pockets that are bleeding out slowly (that causes levels to drop) and such.

I know with one Honda I worked on recently with a bad hose, you would see antifreeze leaking from what appeared to be the water pump. In fact the leak was on the other end of the engine, and the coolant was flowing (somehow, never figured out the path) along the engine to the water pump area.

We fixed the hose, and refilled. It took a week of topping off before we got all the air bleed out of the system! What a PITA, fortunately my SIL was good with checking and filling each time he drove.

Hi Peter.

I have some good news, she's not dead yet :-)

The mechanic quickly established there was no major head blow. Revved the engine whilst checking the exhaust, and considering there is no sludge in oil, no misfiring, or other serious symptom, he reckons the engine should be ok and to drive normally and keep an eye on levels. There was no smoke of any significance.

No longer convinced I have a leak either. The coolant seems to have stabilized. I haven't been far, but there is no obvious loss. She does seem to be a bit thirsty, and getting hot quick and staying hot, so I'm not wholly confident yet, but the gauge stays dead on 90 and I'm loosing no coolant.. may have been a lucky escape! I presume the water pump changes speed to regulate the temp, and if the car was overheating I would see that on the gauge?

I guess the ECU is still relearning, perhaps that would explain greater fuel consumption... maybe disconnect the battery again?

I may upload a picture of the engine bay. I think in a few weeks I will need to flush the coolant completely (I've seen youtube clips on how to flush the radiator and block with a garden house), it would be an apt time to replace some water pipes, plus I've mixed coolants.. all MEG stuff, but different brands.

Excellent.

Perhaps just a bubble of air (or a few of them) which I've seen in many cars. I always tell people who have cooling system work to check coolant levels every day for two weeks. (And give them a gallon of pre-mix to top off with!)

I would just wait and see... It may well go down over a period of a few weeks.

Be very, very careful flushing with garden hoses! It is very easy to blow a heater core, or other cooling system part because of over pressure.

OK, here's the crazy thing.. (I'm probably tempting fate by writing this).. the car is running better than ever. It's like.. There was definitely white smoke out the exhaust, some not-nice-stuff came out from there, but I'm thinking that.. scorching the engine block without any coolant in cleaned out some junk and sediment... or maybe this is stuff out of the cat. Whatever, I cannot feel/see or hear any obvious problems... and the slight pinking I had before at 2.5k-3k has totally gone!

I've lost no more coolant since my last post! Yeehaw :-)

Sort of back to normal last couple of days... if not better than before..

OK, I'll admit it.. I've been watching a few Scotty Kilmer videos. I take them with a pinch of salt, he's obviously a bit flippant.. but entertaining to watch (or perhaps annoying depending on your pov). :-)

Tell a lie, coolant perhaps a few cents down.. it is hard to monitor with an old resevoir bottle .. i usually take the cap off and look in :)

Oil definitely wants changing..

Cheers Peter