problems with wifeys mk3 2.0 8v gti L reg

[jims13]

hi all recentley got this car for the wife, car itself is fine, but has a few niggling problems, it always goes better on part than full throttle, and seems very flat above 3k although it will pull to the limiter.

you can also here it popping through the zorst on decceleration. the car is completley standard.


also the mpg is sh!te!!! getting 200-220 to a tank around town thats around 22-23mpg from a 8v wtf?

im guessing theese probs are related.

im thinking cat or something like that, maybe lambda sensor

any ideas??

also how easy are the dash backlight bulbs to change on the mk3 , as she has one gone on the speedo side.

apart from that its a nice car and much more refined than my koni'd mk2

jim

[animaniac]

The mpg is the same as my mates 97 gti, the bad acceleration may be caused by a worn throttle position sensor....

you should also get some throttle/ carb cleaner, wynns do some in a purple can which you can buy from halfords which i think is called throttle and injector cleaner..... and give the wire inside the maf a spray with it.....dirt coats the wire inside the maf as air passes through this causes the maf to give false reading to the ecu of how much air is getting into the engine, the result it fools the ecu into thinking not enough air is getting in, as if  the air filter is dirty and adds more petrol to compenstate hense lower mpg!
many porsche drivers are also cleaning there maf's....and are finding that after do it there cars go much better....

[jims13]

makes sense with the tps, ill shall try cleaning the maf, its something ive done before on my nissan's, will a duff lambda or cat show up on the vag com test.

i mean 200-220 miles to a tank from a 8v is very poor. the 2.5v6 vectra she had before gave better mpg than this.

thx jim

[mowgli]

Christ, I used to get 34 average from mine and 'er indoors gets 30 from here Ibiza Gti which has the same engine.  The ibiza does 30 mph stuff and only 5 miles each way so that is understandable really.

As for the bulb change, if its the same as the Ibiza (similar clocks??) it two small screws underneath the top edge of the pod the clocks sit in.  Undo them and pull the top edge of the pod towards you whilst it rotates about its bottom edge, bulbs are on the rear face and twist out.

Personally, it sounds like it needs the timing setting up, might be worth a good full service (plugs, leads, rotor arm, dizzy cap, air filter, oil and filter & fuel filter), stick a tank of optimax through it (cleans the fuel lines etc) spray some carb cleaner into the inlet and then take it from there.  If unsure, a local independant will hook it up to their diagnostics for a few bob and see if theres owt desperate wrong.