Lumpy Idle

[ALTERNATOR]

Sure will !

Thanks allot

The idle was exactly the same when I bought the car...although it had a huge hole in the breather pipe  So I tend to believe the problem is elsewhere.

P.S: Sorry for my crappy english...I'm not a native english speaker

[ALTERNATOR]

Found a pretty big vacum leak searching around the engine bay today. It was on the pipe leading to the ABS pump. It's got something that looks like a breather of some sort and it's covered with a green plastic cap. Well, the cap was all crumbly . Plugged that and it seems marginally better. Please tell me what other vacum hoses are there in the engine bay?

I want to check all of them

Oh, I also checked the relays. All of them were cold except for nr 30 and 167. Also, found that relay 147 was put in the wrong way and stuck in there. I tried pulling it out but couldn't really manage to do so. All the other relays are put with the numbers horizontally. Well, this one was put with the numbers in a vertical position. 

[VW BUSH]

To test the maf, disconnect it while the cars running, if its faulty the engine should improve, also check vacum hoses for leaks and clean throttle body and idle control valve
thats all iv got lol

It does not have an idle control valve

[VW BUSH]

Vac hose on throttle body to fuel pressure reg often leaks.
O ring on maf can be perished or missing.

[javalin]

>It's got something that looks like a breather of some sort and it's covered with a green plastic cap.
I guess you mean the pipe from the throttle-body to the master cylinder (behind the steering wheel if you get what I mean) - its a 1 way valve to allow the engine to create a vacuum for brake assist.

Good find.

Are you sure that the the timing is correct - both crank/cam and the distributor?  When you changed the plugs & leads, did you do the dizzy arm and cap?

James

[ALTERNATOR]

>It's got something that looks like a breather of some sort and it's covered with a green plastic cap.
I guess you mean the pipe from the throttle-body to the master cylinder (behind the steering wheel if you get what I mean) - its a 1 way valve to allow the engine to create a vacuum for brake assist.

Good find.

Are you sure that the the timing is correct - both crank/cam and the distributor?  When you changed the plugs & leads, did you do the dizzy arm and cap?

James

Well, the timing was put on corectly. The margin of error is within half a tooth. I was told you can't put on perfectly so I just settled with a little miss-alignment. Anyway, don't think it's the timing, it ran the same with the old timing belt and tensioner.

I haven't changed the dizzy arm and the cap to be honest, they looked ok from what I saw. Maybe I should though.

@Vw Bush: That vacum hose goes from the throttle body somewhere close to the airbox, doesn't it? Checked that, it's ok. MAF O ring? Don't think I have one of those At least I haven't seen it. Anyone got a picture or something?

P.S: Sorry for being such a noob . I just turned 18 and this is my first car. Also, I live in Romania in a pretty small town...If I go to a mechanic here he'll change half of the car before he figures it out

[javalin]

>Maybe I should though.
yeah I would - vast difference on both my old 1.8GL and current GTI when I changed them.  Should really help with the idle.

>Sorry for being such a noob
Good efforts so far by the sounds of it.

James

[stow1985]

Found a pretty big vacum leak searching around the engine bay today. It was on the pipe leading to the ABS pump. It's got something that looks like a breather of some sort and it's covered with a green plastic cap. Well, the cap was all crumbly . Plugged that and it seems marginally better. Please tell me what other vacum hoses are there in the engine bay?

I want to check all of them

Oh, I also checked the relays. All of them were cold except for nr 30 and 167. Also, found that relay 147 was put in the wrong way and stuck in there. I tried pulling it out but couldn't really manage to do so. All the other relays are put with the numbers horizontally. Well, this one was put with the numbers in a vertical position. 

Get those replaced, mine feel apart and all I had to hand was tank tape, doing the job at the moment tho,  and change the Dizzy and Arm

[ALTERNATOR]

Well, I just changed the distributor cap and rotor arm. The car still idles bad

When I start it up it tends to die and then the needle just hops back up. I guess that's the car's ECU stepping in. What other things should I check?

[ALTERNATOR]

Just scanned it. Absolutely no errors, no screwed up readings, nothing . I guess the problem is most likely vacum related. I'll just take off all the hoses and replace them if they look bad.

Thanks for all the help guys!