This is a very strange one for ya...1990 16v

[Dub-77]

Well I've had a few issues with me 1990 1800 16v just lately that i've been trying to deal with.
1 being the oil in the water syndrome so I bought a new oil cooler from VW all fitted no probs there.
2 starter motor knackard so I fitted a recon bosch unit tonight.
3 starting problem as in it cranks forever before it fires upo but once going it runs fine chk and cleaned the sensors on the side of the head by the water outlet new dizzy cap rota arm leads ok + plugs.
4 water leak from the hose that goes onto the oil cooler fitted that tonight.
Re connected the battery and it was like the key had not even fully turned in the ignition and it was fired into life so I went about bleeding the coolant system out done this for half an hour then had to go out so i turned the car off.
Came back chk the coolant level and foun a film of neat oil on the surface of the header tank ok might be still in the system from when i done the oil cooler 3 weeks ago. So I go to fire it back up and it wont start just cranks over not even the slightest hint of fireing.
remove the plugs wet flooded up stink of petrol so i'm getting fuel, chk for spark getting a spark very orangy white.......could this be a problem?
So I got fuel spark but no life oh and a trace of oil in the water system still any one give me some ideas greatly appreciated.......i'm thinking head gasket  but it runs reasonably well when going no misfires and plugs not washed at all....

Cheers
Darren

[Dub-77]

Could the reason for the non start be down to the ignition module??    Or the coil??

[rubjonny]

I'd check those and your dizzy cap & arm

[Dub-77]

Thanks for the reply jonny I was starting to feel all alone in here.
I ordered a new ign module from GSF this morning I got it at lunch time went home and fitted it, spark is now blue but it was still just cranking over i eventualy got it fired up and left it running for 5 mins turned it off and then fired it back up and wallop straight back into life so I will leave it now untill I finish work and then go home and re try. I spose it may have been a build up of petrol in the bores why it did not fire up straight  away???
As 4 the dizzy cap and rota they are new from the main dealer not damp inside all still looking new no charing marks etc they have only done aprox 500 miles.
Next stop will be coil and dizzy itself i spose but which one 1st?
Could the car be overfueling?? If so can anyone point me in the right direction as to why this happens and how to test it......

Cheers
Darren

[rubjonny]

could just have been flooded as you say, the dizzy itself is probably ok if the hall sender is fauiling normally it will send the rev counter dappy then make the car cut out randomly.  Coil would be next on my list, check the casing for damage

[Dub-77]

Rev counter is doing a strange thing when trying to start flicking around all over the place then around 2800 rpm it jumpsto 3500 then calms down does this sound like dizzy to you then jonny??
Looks like I might be getting somewhere thanks jonny oh and by the way it just started ok but interested on your views on the rev counter..

Cheers
Darren

[Uruk Hai]

Not sure but could it be a dodgy earth causing the rev counter probs 

[Dub-77]

Just been bleeding the cooling system and on tick over the rev counter just flicks up too 2500 rpm then back down too 1000rpm???
Earths are all tight etc

Cheers
Darren

[Dub-77]

Another update: Just been out for a drive and now I have a random misfire at any rpm holding steady in say 3rd at 2500 and its there give it a boot full and its probably worse seems to co inside with the rev counter jumping all over the place. Which is quite bad now when i'm out driving?
John is this what you were on about with regards to the Hall sender? This is the plug on the side of the dizzy right well thats the nly bit visable from the outside... this already has a cable tie around it and I did un plug this yesterday to see if the terminals were coroded which they were not but I spose I could have damaged it some how if it was already dodgy....
Thanks for all the advice but please keep it coming..

Darren

[rubjonny]

yeah if the rev counter goes all over the shop and doesn't correspond to the actual engine speed this points to a dodgy hall sender or connection. the fact it has a cable tie around it doesn't sound good though!