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Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: lints on 28 July 2004, 09:55
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hi,
I'm having a couple of re-occuring problems with my golf, and i just wanted some advice as to possible causes from those who know alot more than me.
first one is stalling. this doesn't happen all the time, but when it's not warmed up it's worse, when braking at say a roundabout, i dip the clutch and the revs fall and drop well below tickover, it then either 'blips' back up after nearly stalling or actually does stall and i have to jump it by letting the clutch back out. I've had the problem on and off for a year and it's getting really anoying now, any ideas? :)
second is for no real reason my coolant level will drop by a good inch, it never seems to be a gradual thing, and it hasn't always done it, obviously i can just top it up but i was wondering if there could be a prob i don't know about,
other than that it runs fine, it's a 1992 j reg, and just hit 100,000 a month back.
any advise from anyone who has suffered simialr probs would be grately appreciated!
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Your cutting out problem will be the idle stabilisation valve. When your engine revs dip this is meant to cut in and bring the engine revs back up, but yours obviously isn't.
Don't ask me why either, but i know it's quite a common fault as plenty of the golfs i looked at when buying mine were doing this.
Water level going down? It may sound silly but are you overfilling it?
If you think the water level should be higher than the correct level and keeping over topping it the system will dump the surplus until it's correct.
Try sticking a 2Ltr bottle of water in the boot and then keep running the car after the level has dropped to see if it drops any further? the bottle of water is to top up if it gets low.
If the level keeps dropping then you have a leak which will probably only show when stinking hot, but look for tell tale signs like a clean bit of engine bay, a dry brown streak under your expansion bottle, otherwise it's check everything when hot, and you will be looking for a minute leak barely visible, an occasional drip over the length of a journey = an inch of reservoir loss.
Don't forget to check the heater matrix too !
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First problem, check the throttle valve switches on the throttle body, unplug it and connect a multimeter, when the switch is open resistance should be zero, when the switch is closed(against the throttle) the resistance should be infinity.
If the switch hangs for a long time on zero when switch is shut then it is probably faulty, also check that the switch is not worn.
For the second problem, try adding some radweld or other radiator sealant, but make sure that you run the car with the heater in hot position for a while, as the matrix can otherwise get blocked.
Hope that helps :)
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Yeah also do what Colin said, clean out the idle stabilisation valve with some carb cleaner, as they are known to get sticky.
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thanks for the advise :)
i've had the car for over four years now and the stalling has been an on and off problem for over a year so i'm anxious to get it sorted, no power steering and poor brakes when it stalls at roundabouts is abit of a nightmare!
Is it just a case of removing the stabilisation valve to clean it? i.e. is it a hard process? my brothers pretty handy if it isn't but id like to surprise him and do it myself for a change.
If that doesn't work i'll get my multimeter out!
thanks again
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Simply remove the car and spray carb cleaner through it.
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it will be the throttle valve switches on the throttle body, the one that isnt working is the one that tells the ecu that the throttle is closed. this is the bottom one. go to vw and handover 40 quid and you will be sorted. you will be able to see the switches (micro type) on the throttle body one is above and the other below, also follow the wires and check they are plugged in
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following the advise from above, i first cleaned my stable valve and re-fitted it, it ran perfectly for about half a day before it started slipping back into it's bad old ways... so thinking that the valve may be past it's best, and because a brandnew one came up for a steal of a price i bought and fitted it. And tbh im pretty much back to where i started, revs drop off under braking when you dip the clutch and it's stalled a few times on me.
So i'm thinking that it's possible the problem Veedubgti8v pointed out to me. (does the prob from what i've described still fit that it could be this?) so i think it's time to check my throttle valve switches and associated wiring.
Does anyone know if it could be anything else? alot of the electrics on my car are 'passing away' of late so i wouldn't be surprised if it is electrical, but just wanted some input on anything else i should look out for,
cheers :)
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To be honest, that cleaning out trick of the stabilizer valve is a load of rubbish as i had this problem a while ago.
Had air leaks in a few vacume pipes so check all those thin transparrent pipes. Duck tape should sort out the leaks. I also took it for a air and fuel mixture tune up at my local garage. Car idles perfect.
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as for the collant problem.
Is there any leaks? This area is common and as you can see it had a hairline crack in it. VW charge about 7 quid to replace it. Worth a look mate?
(http://memimage.cardomain.com/member_img_a/224991_57_full.jpg)
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cheers for the advise :)
i'll check that area for a crack tomorrow when it's light. all these little niggles are getting anoying now so im trying to get them all sorted out once and for all
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Also check your pressure cap m8 the O ring was non existent on my lads one not uncommon I've been told, and your other proble sounds like a vacumn fault hads this on other makes
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yes, coolant caps cause a lot of grief and are always overlooked !!!
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With my G(ro)Ti 1988 8v I had the same problem with the coolant slowly going down. Changed a few things including the coolant cap, but found a small amount of water around the base of the cap ???
Eventually changed the water/anti freeze putting in the correct ratio as recommended by Haynes and it seems to have worked :D
Think it was to do with it boiling slightly and the extra anti freeze raised the boiling point. Too many water only top ups ;D
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you will be able to see any water leaks as there will be a white residue where it leaks
also, get a replacment coolant cap from VAG - they are only ?7 and work better than the GSF item that id originally purchased to replace it