My Car Sounds Like A Tractor - Mechanic Needed

[MadManMike]

Well there's proof that you need not listen to Echo.josh!

Join clubpolo matey, there's loads of helpful people on there

[Tomm]

NEW PROBLEM

My alternator light has come on. Fan belt is still intact. The only thing I can think of is that the alternator is f**ked

[Fish-Finger-er]

NEW PROBLEM

My alternator light has come on. Fan belt is still intact. The only thing I can think of is that the alternator is f**ked

u got access to a multimeter, check the voltage going to the battery with the engine running, should be around 14v with all the lights off etc, if its below that, then theres a problem with the alternator, leaving you with a car that could potentially cut out at any time(no power means no spark. no spark means no combustion, means no go)

and as much as i thought echo josh was an idiot for using a fila tracksuit to check the poppets below your head gaviscon or whatever he was on about. his new car comment, may of almost been accurate.

new alternator should set you back less than £100 to buy yourself. (theres some new ones on ebay, for the golf 1.4-1.8, but strangely only fits the 1.4 polo for £60).

best place to source alternators new cheaply/get them tested is lsuk, theres one in manchester not far from trafford centre. theyll charge like £4 to inspect/test it if its removed(and tell u if it can be fixed or needs a new one, and chances are they wont want much more to do the removal/testing on the vehicle)

also forgot to ask, is the light on constant, or does it go out/dim as the engine revs get higher???

[RobinJI]

Yep, every polo since the early 80s has used hydraulic tappets, so ignore that stuff about em. And your car is definatly injection, all polos since 1990 have been, and practicaly all cars have since 1992 when cats became manditory, as carbs tend to kill cats.

Alternator wise, the mother just had hers changed on here 1.4 16V skoda fabia for about 150 quid I think, I'll have to check though, thinking about it that seems too cheep, but meh. Might be worth poping into your local GSF, they're normaly pretty good for cheep parts. Linky

[Tomm]

I like my car, don't want a new one

The light came on last night for the first time. Since then it's on whenever the engine is on.

The 1.4 16v looks to be the same alternator as the 1.6 - at least for Polos. £150 isn't too bad, but still a lot of money. Is it likely that the alternator has just packed up with no warning?

[Fish-Finger-er]

I like my car, don't want a new one

The light came on last night for the first time. Since then it's on whenever the engine is on.

The 1.4 16v looks to be the same alternator as the 1.6 - at least for Polos. £150 isn't too bad, but still a lot of money. Is it likely that the alternator has just packed up with no warning?

possibly yes, theres sometimes signals the alternators going(the light comes on at idle, and dims as you rev it, proves its not working properly, but it is at least providing some charge ) but other times it will just come on and stay on.

other signs are the rev counter stopping working(no idea why this is, but its relatively common on old school isuzu engined vaux's, the rev counter goes, a few hundred miles later, the alternator just stops working totally)

[Tomm]

Got the alternator fixed (got one from a scrappy and that worked for a day, so had to replace it AGAIN with a refurb one), so it's all good now. Cost me a lot less than £150 doing it myself too

However, I'm still having the original problem very intermittently. I'd left my car on the drive for a few days (maybe 3-4 very rainy days) and when I went to it, it wouldn't start properly. It was turning over fine, but it wouldn't take. On the 3rd or 4th time of asking, it worked but was a bit grumbly. Plus it was doing the same thing where if you rev it hard from idle, it would splutter and the revs would go down. If you're gentle, the revs go up slowly. Had to be very careful not to stall it because when you put your foot down it lost power. It was like this for about 15 mins, but getting better over that time, then it was fine again. Since then it's been fine, but it hasn't been as wet.

Still now, even when it's idling at around 900rpm, it's not very happy. Give it a touch of gas up to 1000rpm and it's MUCH happier. Can I change the idle speed myself?

Because this is the same thing as before (which also happened in the wet), I'm inclined to think the water has something to do with it. The only thing I can think of is the HT leads - could they need replacing?

By the way it's a 1998 R reg 1.6l petrol.

[Pashley26]

Right what you need to do is take off you rhead gasket where the pistons are and adjust the tappets as they have obviously losened.

If you have a fila gauge then it will be easy to do.

All you need is a socket set, screwdriver and spanners.

for your polo i would then you need a 0.30mm clearence on the exhuast valves adn with the inlets valves i should think 0.20 clearence will do it.

If this isnt the prob then adjust them anyway.

Will be good so you bearings dont get crushed.

Echo.Josh

X-x-X

f**king idiot...

It's Electrical, you should all be changing your plugs/HT Leads now anyway. Becouse it's coming to the end of Winter ?

Jarrod

[BONGO]

try to see syphon a bit of fuel out and see if it lights...

I know in my mini moto (far stretch from a car, but relevent info...) after a 2 month stretch of it being laid up, i had murder starting it, then decided to light the petrol that was 100% petrol (not mixed with 2 stroke oil) and it simply wouldn't ignite. New fuel equalled working bike. It goes stale...

who knows, probably isn't the cause seeing as you can attribute the problem to the weather a while back, but i bet it ain't helping the situation if it doesn't light!!

[AdamR28]

However, I'm still having the original problem very intermittently. I'd left my car on the drive for a few days (maybe 3-4 very rainy days) and when I went to it, it wouldn't start properly. It was turning over fine, but it wouldn't take. On the 3rd or 4th time of asking, it worked but was a bit grumbly. Plus it was doing the same thing where if you rev it hard from idle, it would splutter and the revs would go down. If you're gentle, the revs go up slowly. Had to be very careful not to stall it because when you put your foot down it lost power. It was like this for about 15 mins, but getting better over that time, then it was fine again. Since then it's been fine, but it hasn't been as wet.

Still now, even when it's idling at around 900rpm, it's not very happy. Give it a touch of gas up to 1000rpm and it's MUCH happier. Can I change the idle speed myself?

Because this is the same thing as before (which also happened in the wet), I'm inclined to think the water has something to do with it. The only thing I can think of is the HT leads - could they need replacing?

By the way it's a 1998 R reg 1.6l petrol.

I had that exact same problem on my Poogeot for a while... I think I replaced the plugs and leads and also set my idle speed higher which helped (if it's a standard cable operated throttle you should be able to tweak the start position, much like a brake cable on a bike... electronic throttle - I'm stuck), would be interesting to know what the proper solution should be if anyone knows? haha

[The Riddlers]

Right what you need to do is take off you rhead gasket where the pistons are and adjust the tappets as they have obviously losened.

If you have a fila gauge then it will be easy to do.

All you need is a socket set, screwdriver and spanners.

for your polo i would then you need a 0.30mm clearence on the exhuast valves adn with the inlets valves i should think 0.20 clearence will do it.

If this isnt the prob then adjust them anyway.

Will be good so you bearings dont get crushed.

Echo.Josh

X-x-X

That is the funniest thing Ive ever heard. Bell end.

The initial problem sounded like it was running on 3 cylinders....lack of spark in 1 chamber.

If your not that mechannicly minded...its gonna be a toughie....especially as its intermitant now.

Is it dizzy or coil pack? Id still go down the route of pulling a ht lead off and plug out at a time and have a look. See if they are wet....make sure you put them back in the right place though! to be honest, a new set of plugs and leads wont cost more than £40 from Halfrauds...prob the easiest solution to start with.

[Tomm]

I had that exact same problem on my Poogeot for a while... I think I replaced the plugs and leads and also set my idle speed higher which helped (if it's a standard cable operated throttle you should be able to tweak the start position, much like a brake cable on a bike... electronic throttle - I'm stuck), would be interesting to know what the proper solution should be if anyone knows? haha

There's no way of adjusting the idle speed according to the Haynes manual, looks like it's all electronic unfortunately.

It's distributor. So should I change the HT leads/spark plugs? You do that every year?

[hI-OOPS-CAPS]

the alternator failure happened to mine, 1.0 '95 after about 75,000 miles. what it also done was put too much voltage across the battery - 14v instead of the 12v

so it boiled the acid in the battery.forgot the chemical name but the smell was putrid when it burnt.the cells in the battery were bone dry

the polos at that time were not true injection but a form of pressurised 'something' that is a cut down version of injection

think youve read my post in random question thread tomm and like i say the distributor is something vw dealers sell most frequently

[Pashley26]

Have we not decided yet that it can't be a mechanical fault becouse it comes and goes ?

...

Just change the plugs/leads/rotor arm and if that dosen't fis it the Cap....Long and short of it is if you've got Fuel and a Spark it'll run, obviously if you've got a weak spark it won't run right.....normally you have a weak spark becouse faulty Plugs/leads/rotor arms.....

And whoever said it was the Tappets, Good guess but i doubt it ! It wouldn't be a quick change, from running well to shite ! And If it was the Tappets the timing would be out by Miles and it would piss blue/black smoke out the Back and would ALWAYS run bad......Especially if it was a diesel.

I'm prottey sure it wouldn't be the Coil becouse that either works, or it dosen't !

JUST CHANGE THE f**kING PLUGS & LEADS !!!! GRRRRRR

Jarrod

[Tomm]

Er, ok?

[Pashley26]

Er, ok?

Dont mind me, i'm in a REALLY bad mood