MK2 GTI Problems

[adrianhaslett]

Hi all just joined the forum, i've owned a MK2 GTI before but sold it but I miss it.  Anyway looking around the auctions yesterday saw a mk2 gti E Reg for sale for ?200.  Its offside front and rear floors were swimming in water but the other side was fine they said they had left the windows open !.  I started her up and the engine was pulsing badly i.e the revs were going up and down !.  And suspect the haed gasket had gone because there was slight foam underneath the oil filler cap and the expansion tank was evedents of foam but the owner had feeled it up with clean water.

I've got a head gasket kit for this model but would need someone to fit it.  I don't know how much this would cost me and I would like to know what you think about the idling problem and the water in the inside floor.

[tobz.]

Hi and welcome to the forum.
You didn't say whether the car was a k-jetronic or a digifant, unfortuntely mk2 gti's are well known for poor idling. Just look on any forum and there'll be loads of people with the same troubles.
I'll assume the car is a digifant, the first thing to check is whether there are any air leaks in any of the vacuum lines (don't forget the brake servo lines). Another likely candidate is the idle stabilisation valve, this is a little metal cylinder that lives above the rocker cover (with breather pipes and an electrical connection) remove that and give it a good soak in some carb cleaner. Also measure the resistance across the elctrical terminals should be a reasonably low impedance (10's of ohms ish). Other things to check are the idle screw seals and stuff like that. Cleaning out the throttle body can also work wonders.

The water inside is most likely to be caused by one or more of the following:
Damaged/missing door membrane between the door card and the door.
Leaky door seal.
Blocked sunroof drain channels.

Good luck
Tobz

[thedentist55]

8v or 16v?

Be cautious with the head gasket problem - if it is blown as a result of overheating you might find that the cylinder head is damaged\warped.  A good mechanic will always clean the head up and check with a straight edge and feeler gauge for this.  Also, the head gasket gone could be contributing to your idling problem.

If you take it to a garage I would say you are looking at a bill of minimum ?250 (Just for the head gasket) cos you will need new anti freeze, oil+oil filter aswell as the labour charge and VAT. 

Is the bodywork good?