Okay, in my ever more frustrating battle to get my Mk3 GTI 8v to actually be relable, I am losing so badly. I bought the car for a grand, and have spent well over that on various bit and bobs.
Now, and the last couple of weeks here is the lastest.... I was moving from Scotland to Swindon, had my mate fly up to take back a hire car with all my gear. Started out great! Just the road trip the doctor had ordered. Then about 150 miles into the journey my exhaust fell off... So after ringing my insurance company for breakdown assitance and them telling me "No, you don't have it" After I phoned the week before and confirmed I did! f**king idiots. Anyway that's far from the story! So we are stuck in a bus stop on a duel carriageway (of all places) And we proceed to get Dodgy Dave and his mates from the local breakdown place to come pick up the car. Failing to have an exhaust for my car in stock (Obviously!) They said "We could wield it?!" So after a lengthy discussion with me mate decided we didn't have the funds to pay for the car and a hotel, so agreed for the wielding to be done.
Off we went in the hire car to a pub for some much needed food (was about 10pm by this time btw) So we pitch up and a bit of luck 2 meals for like a tenner! Weren't bad either so had one pint and a meal and basically milked the pint as we couldn't drink any more and drive, the waitresses did offer some funny looks after we was drinking the same drink for over an hour by f**k it we aint ever going to be there again. We had a little TV at our table too which was digital so we were happy watching that Robson Green fella pissing his pants about the fish he was catching.
So fueled up we return back to the garage! My car is still up on the ramp..... Oh they did the wield! But now the f**king thing won't start! So he takes the air flow thingy (sorry I don't know an awful lot to tell you part names) off and sprays this I dunno combusitible stuff in there and the car fires, and so he turns off the engine...?! I mean I dunno if it's me but when you solve a problem why would you turn it off? Meh, anyway.... Then he can't get it started for another HOUR! And when he does he doesn't actually know what he did..... Come in mumbling about a loose fuel relay (that he had touched) and it fired. So £200!!!! For a dodgy wield and a not so good idea of why it didn't start we set off again at near midnight.... With 450 miles left to go.
We jet off on the clear motorways and stop at a few services on the way, leaving my car running outside with key in the ignition and doors locked (Just in case). Anyway must be about 4am now and we pull over in Blackpool services, and we both decide that we have been having a much to tiring day (and prior weekend tbh) to be able to continue to drive safely. So we go get some coffee, and return to the cars. Then I turn off my engine a few times and make sure it starts. Then proceed to get 2 hours sleep.
Wake up at about 6, and I look over to my mates car and he is still sleeping in one of the most god awful ways I've seen tbh. But think right I'll get the car started and warming up and then I'll go get a coffee and wake him up. Turn the key....... Car fires but fails to start! So I keep trying and then me mate comes round from what I can only imagine being the worst sleep of his life, looks and me and instantly knows we aoint going anywhere fast.
So after 30 minutes of looking through the Haynes manual trying everything in there, I phone me Dad who's only about 100 miles away now and he says, I'll take the day off work and come get you and see if I can get the car started. So said okay (about 8am at this time I think) I keep trying the car..... I then proceed to slam the bonnet down huff all my gear that strewn all the the car park back in the car and generally proceed to rant for like 15 minutes... Sit in the car try the key and it starts!?!?! So phone my dad say turn around I'm coming home....
Leave Blackpool to hit the M6 at the worst possible f**king time EVER! The whole motorway seems to be sitting still. So sh!tting myself that my car will die at any moment I am sitting in the the rush hour traffic sweating, wondering what the f**k I would do if I was to break down in the third lane of the M6. Also, now worring that I'm going to be paying the fine for not getting the hire car back by Midday. Which is when we picked it up!
Anyway, trotted along and made it home at 11:00am in the end. So went in had a cup of tea, and then went took all my stuff out the hire car and give it a quick once over, I go back to my car to follow me mate to the hire place. Guess what? Won't start!?! So have to get me mum to come and take us to the hire car place! handed in the hire car at dead on Midday.
Took us 24hrs to get 600 miles.
But now my car starts when it wants too and it's usually only once every 3 days, I changed the distributor cap because th eone on there seemed like the wrong one.... It was. And the car worked for a day and a bit and I thought it was sorted but now it has the same problem, and now I have arranged for garage with a diagnostics machine to take me in asap when i can get it started the f**k*r won't start during the day?!
Any Ideas? It will sometimes just fire up first time I turn the key other times bugger all just fires and doesn't actually start. There seems to be no rhyme or reason, I've started it cold, I've started wet, I've started it when it's warm..... So am stumped, and one got any ideas on how i can get it started for taking it to the garage? Oh yeah is a friends garage and when I moved because I didn't have a car that was working my Job fell through, so I'm skint as well and the dude is helping me out, so can't afford a lot tbh.
