Mk3 Gti Running issues (yeah, mine too!)

[watercool]

Hi everyone,

I have just bought a lovely late (98) mk3 Golf Gti 8v and have noticed that;

1) When setting off and putting the accelerator down its quick, but then it just goes flat.
It makes all the right noises and the revs go up but it doesn't actually seem to go anywhere!

2) There seems to be slight stuttering and hesitation.

3) Its a pain to get in to 1st and when reversing it makes a really loud horrible noise.

I know this is a common fault on Mk3's and I've lost about 3 hours searching and reading up on the net about what the problem is and
how to fix it but without sounding like the dumb blonde that I am, I need it breaking down in to baby steps 

I just don't know what to do first with it really, it idles beautifully and doesn't seem to be running rough apart from the hesitation. It says
on a lot of guides to hook it up to vag-com, but I don't have vagcom!

Any help would be much much appreciated. 

[Ventonut]

Id try disconnecting the air mass meter and taking it for a test drive and see if it performs any better, if yes then thats the cause o your problem, sometimes you can get away with cleaning them out or its a replacement, if disconnecting it does not improve the performance then its eleminated the air mass meter from the equation.
If ur unsure where the ir mass meter is it should be situated between your air intake pipe and your airbox and it will have a wire connected to it.

Give it a try its an easy starting point, let me know how u get on

[watercool]

Awesome, thanks for the explanation ventonut. I'll try that in the morning and see how I get on 

[jeremybarker]

Don't know if this will help but I had a similar problem with my old Integrale Evo2, it was fine on idle even drove fine until you put your foot down and then it would stutter and judder on hard acceleration, it turned out to be water in one of the spark plugs, just a thought and maybe worth checking.

[rubjonny]

do the revs go up really quick but car not moving fast? if so that could be as slipping clutch. or do you mean at first its ok then power goes, and revs limited to 5kish? if so sounds like dizzy timing:
http://vwtech.no-ip.info/downloads/aggadydizzy1.pdf
http://vwtech.no-ip.info/downloads/aggadydizzy2.pdf

[watercool]

Yeah its exactly that, the revs go up really quick but the car doesn't really move.

[rubjonny]

doh, new clutch time
change the cable first though, never know could be down to that. would want a new cable when you change clutch anyway so nothing lost there.

even worsecase would be if the clutch is oil contaminated, if so that would mean at best new gearbox/crank seals and at worst new box if it has a hole in the bellhousing which can happen on these cars

[snifferdog]

My first thought was clutch, this is exactly what mine was doing. Apparently the crank seals on these become weak over time and oil gets onto the clutch, either that or it dribbles down from the cam cover gasket, mine was doing both.  Are you losing any oil, little patches on the floor when you park?

[watercool]

Apparantly the clutch was changed about 1000 miles ago but I think the guy did it himself.
I don't think I'm losing oil but will check the driveway.

I know nothing about gearboxes and clutches so don't know what the hell to do. I've just been out in it again and theres a constant noise (quite faint) coming from the gearbox. When I push the clutch in this noise goes away. Then when I reverse it gets really really loud.

[dom]

Apparantly the clutch was changed about 1000 miles ago but I think the guy did it himself.
I don't think I'm losing oil but will check the driveway.

I know nothing about gearboxes and clutches so don't know what the hell to do. I've just been out in it again and theres a constant noise (quite faint) coming from the gearbox. When I push the clutch in this noise goes away. Then when I reverse it gets really really loud.

Is it possible he smeared his greasy hands all over the clutch whilst changing it?