GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: Uruk Hai on 09 August 2006, 17:50
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I cant believe it, after reading loads of threads on here and numerous articles in magazines I decided for the first time since having my car to fill it up from empty with optimax. To my extreme dismay it doesn't run better or smoother it runs worse and lumpier and has a slight miss fire every once in a while, anyone know what this could be as its p!ssing me off to the back teeth :angry:
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Is it an 8v (digi or kjet) or a 16v? I know my digi loves the stuff, something to do with the ecu automatically advancing the timing for it.
And did you run it to emptier than usual? (ie. could some crud from the bottom of the tank have got into fuel filter blocking it partially or something)
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Could just be a dodgey load of fuel, or maybe you have drawn up some sh!t from the bottom of the tank. Its not recommended to run the tank too low.
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If it's a mk2 16v it won't adjust the timing to suit the RON of the fuel but if it misfires and runs rough it needs a tune anyway, choice of fill it with optimax forever and get it tuned on that or run it until the optimax runs out fill it back up with 95 ron. I found the same thing with my valver it pinked like a b!tch.
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Sorry I should have put more detail its a 91 J plate 8V digi and I did run it quite low as I was seeing what I could get out of a full tank :rolleyes:. But last time I filled it up it was lower than when I put the optimax in and the fuel filter has only been on there for 2 months so surely it would have caught any crap going through the system. Is it possible its just taking a while for the E.C.U to adjust to the different octane as I haven't done 100 miles on it yet ? I just cant believe after all I've read about the experience of others that its made no improvement in mine, its not fair :cry: :wink:
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:grin: I agree unlikely to be the filter at 2 months, my digi loves it just as soon as it gets down the fuel lines so i don't know whats up!
I've heard people talk about getting dodgy petrol but i've never experienced it myself in 11 years of driving so i am convinced it's an old wives tale! :laugh:
Couldn't be something else that has randomly gone wrong at the same time could it? Plugs, leads blah blah etc.. :smiley:
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Sounds like you need to get it serviced, and I'd replace the blue temp sender. Clean out the throttle body till its shiny as well :)
It may be your knock sensor isn't working right, or your timing is out. Check out my digifant tuning guide in the maintenance+info section.
I must say that I haven't noticed a great deal of difference whenever I've filled up with optimax over Sainsburies 97 or Esso Premium, but it certanly didn't make it run rough! Haven't tried it since the 2.0 conversion though so I guess I should give it a shot!
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it'll probably take a couple of fills before you start to notice anything. they are old cars and you will have alot of crap caked on which, over time, optimax breaks down. i'd try it a few more times and take it on a nice long blast to see how it runs.
worth noting that as it does de-coke you're engine you might well be getting leaks round your valves (for example) as it starts to break it down. but to be honest i doubt that'd happen after 100 miles.
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Thanks for all the advice, just to expand on the state of play the car has done 131K I never and I mean never rev it above 5K and I don't open the second butterfly when accelerating or go over about 75 mph. In the last 2 - 4 months I've changed the oil and filter, gearbox oil, fuel filter, air filter, coolant, cam belt and tensioner, cleaned out the throttle body and generally gone over the car to see if there was anything that needed doing. I'm no expert but it seems fine and didn't miss a beat until the morning after filling up with Optimax, I've had the car for 6 months now and this is the first time its run anything other than sweet. I might change the blue temp sender as I'm well aware of the difference this can make to the way the car runs, Joe maybe you have a point and it will run better as time goes by. If it doesn't its back to normal unleaded to see if that makes any difference. :angry:
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it doesnt hurt to give it a good ragging now and again!
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you never know it might be a co-incidence, and something else has gone wrong?  It sounds like how my mates GTI was running, turns out his new splark spark plug gaps were all completly wrong due to them being bashed about in the post.
Worth checking your ignition system, since higher octane fuel is harder to ignite perhaps you have a weak spark?
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I could get new plugs, leads, rotor and cap but as for your Digi tuning guide its a bit much for me to be honest mate. I'll just have to do what ever I think I'm capable of doing and see how it turns out !
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mate rag the sh!t out of it!! seriously, it will do it good everynow and then to give it a good blast. after all thats what a rev limiter is for! ;)
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I'd love to mate but knowing my luck with cars something very bad will happen, also I've never had a car with that many miles on it (131k) and although its just gone through the M.O.T and I'm allways on top of any probs that I know about I don't feel confident flogging the bejesus out of an old car ! Do you really think a good ragging will do it some good ? :undecided: :undecided: :undecided:
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I'd love to mate but knowing my luck with cars something very bad will happen, also I've never had a car with that many miles on it (131k) and although its just gone through the M.O.T and I'm allways on top of any probs that I know about I don't feel confident flogging the bejesus out of an old car ! Do you really think a good ragging will do it some good ? :undecided: :undecided: :undecided:
Hahahaha, I drive mine everywhere toe down (where safe) I reguarly do an indicated 100 to 110 mph on the way to work in my 90 Digi (Motorway). It sounds like you have a bad batch of fuel or either blue temp sender or ignition issues.
Giving the car a good ragging 'Italian tune up' everyknow and then is a good thing.
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Mine had over 160k on the clock, and loved to be thrashed! The engines are pretty much bomb proof and you should drive them hard at least now & again. Otherwise whats the point in having a GTI? ;)
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^^^ i thank you!..... seriously though cars like to be driven hard especially a gti :P it keeps them clean from the inside out. try it, next bit of dual carriage put your foot down in third and you'll see what your car can do!
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even my car likes a beating.. and im not even gti crew..
mines runnin so much better, way more responsive after a good run on the carriage way everyday... didnt realise how sluggish it was... is...
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Yup "drive it like you stole it" :D
My Golfs done 170k and still loves aiming for the red line! GTI's aren't for pottering about in it's good to respect it a bit but also does it the world of good to floor it! and it'll make you grin!
"Italian tune up" roughly translated = Red line or close in every gear! :D
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I shall make an effort to give it a good blow out and inform you of the results (for those of you who dont give a sh!t how it turns out sorry but I am that sad :laugh:)
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Sounds like you need to put your lead boots on & go for a blast!! I wouldnt worry about the mileage 131k!! thats barley run in! I dont start counting the miles on VW's till they get to a 100k so by that logic yours has only done 31k!! & is 3 years old!!!! so grab it by the scruff of the neck & give it a rite good thrashing its what there built for!! I hit the rev limiter in 5th at 120 most days tear arsing round the M60 trying to get to work on time never did mine any harm! :grin:
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Different companies fuels have different additives in them even between the 95 and 98/99 ron fuels and they don't always mix well :nerd:
I usually use Optimax and my car loves it but if I run low and can find a Shell and I have to go to a different station my car runs like sh!t for as long as the other fuel is in there, then for a couple more fill ups it miss fires now and then.
Did you go from BP unleaded to Optimax as I find a BP/Shell mix to be the worst of all :huh:
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I went from Sainsburys bog standard unleaded to Optimax
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^^^ but have you taken it for a rag yet? i'm just waiting for you to come back and say "f**k me my cars quick"
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Not yet, Patience is a virtue and I'll get round to :wink:
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Give it a good blow out on the by-pass coming home tonight and I cant believe how cleanly and smooth it pulls even close to the red line, I also forgot the amount of punch the car's got in 2nd, 3rd and 4th. So hopefully now this little run I gave it should help :smiley:
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Get it opened up or you might as well be driving a 1300cc!
Disconnecting the battery overnight might help the ECU to relearn its setting for differnt fuel
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Give it a good blow out on the by-pass coming home tonight and I cant believe how cleanly and smooth it pulls even close to the red line, I also forgot the amount of punch the car's got in 2nd, 3rd and 4th. So hopefully now this little run I gave it should help :smiley:
Thats what we were waiting for :laugh: :D is it running a bit better?
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Get it opened up or you might as well be driving a 1300cc!
Disconnecting the battery overnight might help the ECU to relearn its setting for differnt fuel
it will also reset the maf completely, and also the alarm/immobiliser, so he cannot use it.
Nice one.
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Get it opened up or you might as well be driving a 1300cc!
Disconnecting the battery overnight might help the ECU to relearn its setting for differnt fuel
it will also reset the maf completely, and also the alarm/immobiliser, so he cannot use it.
Nice one.
Sorry you're both wrong :grin:
Unplugging the battery on a MK2 Digifant wont reset the ECU or the MAF, theres no 'memory' to speak of. Plus if your alarm/imobiliser stopped working if you disconnected the battery it would be pretty useless wouldn't it!
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How is that wrong? An alarm holds a memory of codes. A certain code is assigned to an alarm main unit, and the key fob that is used to open/close, arm/disarm the alarm.
They have a reserve power supply that will keep a code for something around the 30min/1 hour time period. Anymore than this and they lose their memory. Hence needing it to be re-programmed. Which is a costly process, (last time i checked the cheapest was about £70 if it was just the keyring part that needed resetting)
Anyway, this is completely off topic, so back to razzing the tits off your motor.
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some do, some don't, it depends on the alarm manufacturer. Plus how do you know if he even has one? Generally speaking most alarms have a procedure to recode keyfobs to the alarm unit, VW fit ones do at least.
Trouble is knowing how to do it, though usually the procedure is easily found out with a bit of research. I was mostly talking about the MAF part of what you said though ;)
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I was pretty sure the MFA defaulted back to zero, much the same result as removing the fuse. (resetting)
As for VW alarms, i wasn't aware that the mk2s came with factory fit alarms, making them aftermarket ones, and most people have an alarm fitted as the insurance is a wayne kerr if you don't have one.
Either way it won't solve the problem.
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Yea the MK2 did have a factory fit alarm, well it was a dealer fit option not 'from the factory'. Later VWs had an alarm system. Of all the cars I know with alarms, disconnecting the battery is not a problem. As for the MFA yes it will reset, but its completly different to a maf which is what you mentioned in your original post ;)
Edit: But yes, you should read your alarm manual before you disconnect your battery for a great length of time, and make sure that you know the procedure for recoding any fobs if necessary. Disconnecting the battery for a few minutes should be fine though, which is more than long enough to reset anything stored on the ECU if it has any memory. The MK2 doesn't but I believe the MK3 & later models may have!
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Every body chill, the car doesn't have any type of alarm or immobilizer. When I bought it there was the remains of an alarm system so asked a auto leccy I know to take out everything to do with the alarm and imob and give the car a check over to make sure all the wiring's O.K. The car seems to be O.k. since giving it plenty the other night and it feels a bit more urgent through the gears and nice and smooth but I'm reserving judgment on the Optimax for now. I had a look on the site that rubjonny suggested and the prices are very good so I might be putting new plugs, leads, rotor arm and dizzie cap on it (£35 inc VAT for the lot)
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No one is getting anti, we always talk like this between me and ol' rubber.
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No sweat mate I was only having a giggle and thankyou to all for the comments and advice much appreciated :wink:
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well all like a good mass-debate around here ;)
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:huh: :huh: :shocked: :shocked:
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If you ran it low then crud could have got stuck in the fuel filter and is restricting the flow of fuel to the injectors. It may be a good idea to replace it, especially if you have no record of it ever being replaced. Putting some injector cleaner in the tank wouldnt hurt either.