My Gti isn't a daily driver so hence if it plays up i've not been terribly motivated to resolve it.....however......
I've got a bit of time over xmas to have a look at it, so I thought i'd air the issue and see if anyone can help.
It's a 1989 big bumper 3-door 8v. 125k on the clock and still pulling like a train!
Very genuine - in fact i'm only 3rd owner. Last owner had it 13 years.
I bought it with this problem and it really is an enigmatic issue.........BUT it does seem to show it's head if the car's been bumped over something like a kerb or sleeping policeman.
The car has an immobiliser.
The car will always crank and start perfectly well normally. I think the ISV is one issue as it idles high sometimes, although i'm not 100% sure it isn't a sticky throttle cable.
The problem manifests itself as a normal start process, but the car wont run.
It starts to rev then just dies.
I thought i'd fixed it once and believed it was the ISV but despite pinching the ISV hose closed, it makes no odds to the problem.
I've also blizted the internals of the ISV with carb cleaner and also tried unplugging it but to no avail.
Ive looked at the fuel pump relay and that's fine.
Unplugging one of the coolant temperature sensors (blue one?) seems to help, weirdly??
I think the previous owner got fed up with this issue and hence why he sold it.
The things I reckon i could be;-
Fuel pump (brushes worn out?)
Air flow meter
Distributor Hall sensor.
Well, any bright ideas would be welcomed, thank you.