GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: billytheboot on 11 January 2006, 12:57
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Why oh why, it's such a perfect car in every other way!
Digilag is at it worse in the mornings, and I'm breaking sweats when pulling out at roundabouts. I know you can get a ECU mod chip to iorn out the problem, but this will screw-up fuel economy (tight wod) and place higher strain on my engine.
Are there any hints and tips for minimising digilag??
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You may find that your fuel economy actually improves with a chip as long as you keep your right foot under control.
And as for extra strain. :grin: Belive me the minute extra strain will not cause you any problems at all! In fact it may reduce strain as your engine will be running at an optimal safe balance.
P.S there only about £20
Tight git!
If you dont want digi lag then buy a chip, simple as that. In the mean time though you could splash out on a new blue sensor and check all vacume hoses.
Look at it this way. If im totaly wrong about the chip then do it anyway and when your motor goes bang upgrade to a 16v cos there 10x better! lol :grin: Cue the hate mail.
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(rare moth flys from wallet)
The way i understand em is they change the fuel to air ratio, and remove the engine/ecu's self preservation at red line (not that I need any help in blowing stuff up)
So if I was to push the boat out which one is best?
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Yes you are quite right in what the chip does. Sorts out air/fueling and increases the rev limiter a little. To be honest all the companies sell pretty much the exact same chip. Dont waste your money on a big name like superchips. If i were you id just have a browse on ebay.
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Never had any lag problems on mine.. I'd check more obvious things first.
:undecided:
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I installed my ebay 'performance' chip yesterday... What can i say? MpG is down a good 5 to 7 mpg on average and i got screwed by a saxo. Not so good.
To be fair i can feel what it does, rather than your car having to wind up to the power kicking in it feels as though the engine is already ready. You don't get the surge anymore when the foot goes down, just a smooth gradual increase in torque.
However it makes my car feel as though the mixture is just too rich, i'm sure its actually slower and it just doesn't run as nicely as it did.
Needless to say changing it back to standard this afternoon! :smiley:
I won't say which one it was as i am going to email the guy to ask if i have missed something when setting it up, give him the benefit of the doubt you know. Mind you although this one said for PB engine with Bosch management. I don't think i have a bosch ecu. maybe thats it.....
And my tyre popped, and my telly broke, and my dvd player broke. Yesterday was a crap day!
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(reaches for head torch and lucky hammer)
well i'll take mk2gti2.016v's advice, apart from that absurd 16v comment... vacuum hoses and sensors it is
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lol Dont take my advice! :grin: I have been known to be wrong y know.
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Haha no i agree do check all those first! :grin:
Seriously though, if its a real big delay between foot down and power i would guess something other digilag. From all people i have talked to and the mk2's i have been in no one has ever had 'digilag' to the point where it makes the car scary to drive. Its a subtle lag at best and to be honest, i like it! :smiley:
Check your throttle cable and the sensors on the throttle body as well.
If you do need an ecu a VW breakers or ebay can help you for not much money.
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I never noticed that you were talking about a huge dangerous lag. Digi lag is only subtle. Sounds like you got a different problem. Have you had the timing checked? Makes loads of difference if the timing is spot on for some strange reason :evil:
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dangerous in the sense that I have about %50 acceleration in the morning, however on the way home the car runs perfectly. I assumed this was a digilag issue as I was warned this is a common problem, but after listening to comments my problem sounds pretty unusual :sad: I was going to take her in to get timing checked later on this year, maybe i'll bring this forward....
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what you have isn't digilag but sounds more like a more involved problem. you'll need to systematicly go throught the ignition components trying to eliminate the faulty part. i'd say if its bogging on pulling away it sounds like a timing/fuelling problem.
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have you let it run very low on fuel recently? If so bits could have been dredged up from the fuel tank and brought through the fuel line. Changing the fuel filter would be beneficial whether it is that or not.
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Before you do ANYTHING buy a new blue temp sender from VW, will cost you about £12 and is always the first step in resolving Digifant issues. They may try to tell you its only for models fitted with a catalyst, but it is definitly the right one for your car :)
Now I'll post what I PMed to billytheboot last night after the thread got locked:
Check the timing! Mine was exactly the same, no power, slow and had heart stopping lag when you put your foot down. I'm talking several secconds not the slight hesetation associated with 'digi-lag':
Take out spark plug #1 and turn the engine over by hand with a spanner on the crank pulley nut until the piston reaches the top of its travel. Check by either shining a torch doen the hole or putting summat long & thin down there like a dowl rod.
Next check the punched hole on the inside of the camshaft sproket lines up with the head surface, with the cam cover removed. If not slacken the tensoner and move to suit.
Next take the dizy cap off and make sure the rotor arm is lined up with the mark on the dizzy, which should correspond to spark plug lead #1, if not loosen the tensioner and turn the intermediate shaft. This is a little tricky with the cambelt cover in place, though I managed to do it by removing the bolt here and bending the cover outwards.
Once you've done all that the timing should be pretty close, the next step is to set the dizzy advance by loosening the dizzy clamp bolt and twisting it back & forth whilst the engine is running. Before you do this you may wish to adjust the idle :)
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Once you've done that, set the idle/CO:
1. Get the engine up to temp, at least 80 degrees on the MFA oil temp display
2. Turn the engine off and remove & plug the intake side of the breather pipe between the rocker cover & air intake
3. Hold the MFA button in and turn the ignition on, off and on again, then start the car. This puts the MFA into a 'secret' mode. Put the MFA switch to setting 2 and press the button till you get the digital rev counter, position 2 I think :)
4. Unplug the blue temp sender and rev the engine cleanly over 3k rpm 3 times, letting it return to idle between each rev.
5. Check the rev display, adjust the idle with the idle screw on the throttle body to about 850-900 rpm. Clockwise to decrease, anticlockwise to increase
6. If you have a CO meter, block off one of the talipipes (i use a load of duck tape) and shove the probe up the pipe. Follow the manufacturers instructions, and set the CO to about 1.8ish using the allen screw on the MAF, clockwise to increase, anticlockwise to decrease.
If you don't have a CO meter, turn the screw in until the engine starts to sound rough then back it out gradually till the idle sounds smooth & even. Check the aerial or bonnet stay for vibration, you want it smooth as possible. This will get you close, then take it to a garage to get it set properly :)
7. Reset the idle to 850-900 rpm if it has changed, and adjust the CO accordingly, repeat till you get about 1.8 at 850ish rpm :)
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Right..... first of all cheers for all the advice, it's all appreciated
I checked the temp sender with my trusty multimeter and it's reading 2 K ohms as it should be.
Next was the vacuum hose, a mate of mine recommended spraying hose with a load of WD40 then starting the car, if it stalls then there's a crack in the hose somewhere. Didn't stall.
thanks for the timing advice mr jonny, but I decided friend of a friend with garage and kit would be better and at least i'd have a person to blame if all went pete tong. He sorted timing and loosened a sticky throttle cable (note to self, check this next time) also helped me replaced fuel filter (thanks slick)...
Now she's running as sweetly as wolfsberg intended.
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nice one matey!