vacuum hoses and suspension issues

[g40jon]

how much effect do they have on performance and fuel economy?
my other halfs golf cabby has been managing just 26 mpg (it is the 2 litre so I dont expect a massive amount, but that seems poor to me)
so anyway, ive cleaned the tb out and whilst I was at it I noticed a hissing sound.  I found a split hose going to the servo and a smaller pipe that fits between the inlet manifold and what im guessing is the fuel pressure regulator.

on another note the front suspension is making some odd noises.  it sounds like the springs twisting round and making clunking sounds.  The car used to be on collies, but when i bought it, the oe suspension had been refitted.  is there anything common for me to check out, top mounts etc?

thanks for taking the time read

[Wayne]

Welcome to the site.

My 2.0 was around the same mpg, however the split pipe will not help so I would replace it asap.

Front susp. could be a broken spring maybe.

[boneybradley]

My 8v on a run would do 40mpg (but round town it was half that!!) oh and the pipes are essential for a smooth idle and could make it miss fire when driven hard(ish)!
suspension wise check its being refitted right and check the top mounts (bearings are poor and the rubbers get soft with age/hard ride)

[g40jon]

thanks for the help so far!  with regards to the suspension, the clunking noises only happen at slow speeds, like when pulling up to park.  it sounds like the springs are twisting around in the cups.  is it possible that the previous owner managed to refit the springs without seating them correctly?  ive never had golf suspension apart, so i dont know how easy it is to make such a cock-up.

as for the vacuum hoses, ive replaced them and the car is now a lot smoother to drive, so im looking forward to see if there is any significant improvement in fuel economy ( it was a bit of a shock to find out how low it was! even my g40 will do 40+ mpg and my polo gt that i use for work will give close to 50 mpg!)

[Wayne]

thanks for the help so far!  with regards to the suspension, the clunking noises only happen at slow speeds, like when pulling up to park.  it sounds like the springs are twisting around in the cups.  is it possible that the previous owner managed to refit the springs without seating them correctly?  ive never had golf suspension apart, so i dont know how easy it is to make such a cock-up.

as for the vacuum hoses, ive replaced them and the car is now a lot smoother to drive, so im looking forward to see if there is any significant improvement in fuel economy ( it was a bit of a shock to find out how low it was! even my g40 will do 40+ mpg and my polo gt that i use for work will give close to 50 mpg!)

They used 2 different sized springs on a mk3 maybe the wrong ones have been fitted and are moving around on the top plate..