meximeltdown

VWGirl · « **on:** November 23, 2006, 08:05:57 PM »

So... I went out for a nice thanksgiving at my uncles house today... and took a ton of pics to show everyone of his awesome garage... Well... it turned in to a big hassle taking my whole family in my bug... about 65 miles from home on the way back my car made a funny noise and i could feel a loss of power... i am not really sure which came first...

so the car is a 1998 mexican beetle with 58,xxx kilometers. The case was replaced at 50,xxx kilometers just two months ago... i have had no problems since then and have changed the oil twice and adjusted the valves once since then... last time probably about 1000 km ago... I was planning on doing a valve adjustment again this weekend anyhow.

The car seems to not be getting fuel. When I pulled off the side of the interstate the car was running, but as I stopped the car wanted to shut off. I can start the car back up and it will run but it will not idle. I can rev it up and it will keep running for a little bit but then die. I have never changed a fuel filter in this car, nor do i know where one is. there is not one in the engine compartment and i didnt see one up front... any clues?

since the engine was essentially "rebuilt" only 2 months ago, i am assuming that the spark plugs and air filter are new... but i will check them tomorrow... i just got home from the tow at 7:30 so it was too dark to go look at anything. I will also check the cap... but i really think it's getting spark... it seems to be a fuel delivery issue... I think these have digifant fuel injection? which i know nothing about... which is why i am here asking for help... i really dont know what to do with this car... there are no repair manuals available and there is no one here that knows anything about them... and it's my daily driver so it HAS to be fixed on monday.

any suggestions on where to start tomorrow? i'll keep you updated on what i check.

VWGirl · « **Reply #1 on:** November 23, 2006, 08:50:10 PM »

oh yeah... on a turkey day note, my bug did enjoy her share of turkey...

certdubtech · « **Reply #2 on:** November 23, 2006, 11:11:27 PM »

I could maybe help if I knew for sure what type of fuel injection you have for sure...
Anthony, are you out there, lurking, do you remember what yours had on it? Try to call me either at work, or on my cell phone to speed up the process.
Contact info is in my profile
I'll try to do a little fact hunting in the mean time, myself.

VWGirl · « **Reply #3 on:** November 23, 2006, 11:52:18 PM »

it is digifant

VWGirl · « **Reply #4 on:** November 24, 2006, 06:57:13 AM »

i also found this http://www.1600i.de/

VWGirl · « **Reply #5 on:** November 24, 2006, 02:28:30 PM »

I have had quite an eventful day... I got up at 8am and by 9 am i knew what my problem was... now my problem of fixing it.

to make a long story short, i broke an exhaust valve on the #3 cylinder. Why did this break? Well, when the shop i bought the car from replaced my case (which they made me a great deal on) they broke an exhaust stud on the 3/4 head and said they replaced it with a new head and would just rebuild my head later as there was a bit of a time crunch... well, this so called "new head" looks like it was a bead blasted used head... all of the valve springs are very badly pitted... so i assume that there was a weak spot at a pit and my valve spring actually broke in two places...

my dilemma is...

i was first trying to just replace the valve spring... but i cannot get in through the tin to provide compressed air in the cylinder to keep the valve up to install the new used spring (i couldnt get a new one so had to rob one off another head i had lying around... but my used heads dont have pitted valve springs :roll: ) so i could continue to look for a way to do this.

after i was trying to do this i realized that if the other three springs are all pitted too, then they are also likely to break, and i would really rather not go through this again, ever! so, i bought a new head, and also a rebuild kit for my car as i need the seal for the alternator stand cause it's leaked like a civ since i got the new case.

so i dont know what i am doing... the car has yet to reach 60,000 kilometers and has already had the case replaced and now having the head replaced for the second time (but this time with a NEW one).

i hope whatever codes this might have set wont put my car in emergency mode cause there is no one around here that could clear it for me and i cannot find an old vag com

certdubtech · « **Reply #6 on:** November 25, 2006, 07:33:16 AM »

Which part broke, the spring or the valve....replacing the spring in the car is very difficult (perhaps not possible) unless you have an "on the car" valve spring compressor. To replace the valve, the head has to come off. I'll be at Lockhart's all day helping out, so I won't be able to check the forum. Try giving me a shout via phone...cell is 423-315-0100

VWGirl · « **Reply #7 on:** November 25, 2006, 05:49:54 PM »

i bought one of those on the car valve compressors but decided that this "rebuilt head" was in such poor shape that i didnt want to go through this again and got a new head to put on. I will be putting the engine back in tomorrow when my dad is here to help me with an extra set of eyes...there is virtually no clearance to get this engine out and have to have someone to watch the fuel rails to make sure they dont get crushed!

certdubtech · « **Reply #8 on:** November 26, 2006, 08:27:54 AM »

Very wise to use the new head. I have too many bad stories of personal experience with rebuilt heads. Best of luck.

Bugnut · « **Reply #9 on:** November 26, 2006, 01:05:25 PM »

What you need is a bucket of valves there about as new as your rebuilt heads. :lol: Rick can hook you up. :lol: Naw seriously,I hate it when somebody half@sses a job and lies about it.Sounds like you got the right idea with the new parts.

VWGirl · « **Reply #10 on:** November 26, 2006, 07:38:54 PM »

yup! car was back on the road about 3:30 today

was happy to have my daily driver again

Ret.Bugtech · « **Reply #11 on:** December 05, 2006, 11:55:16 AM »

T'aint nothing wrong with rebuilding a cly head if you have something to work with and know what you are doing. Its just in the last few years that replacing the heads became the norm. After all they probley have been rebuilt 3-4 times and its time for them to go in the pile and for a while they were cheaper considering the labor time to clean up, replace guides/studs and re-cut the valve seats and parts prices envolved. Came out about the same. Replacement is the way go now.
I can't count the heads that I have rebuilt for customers with no problems coming back on me. I,m a poor Boy and can not afford to buy new heads for me everytime. I'll rebuild one in a "New York" min. if I have something to work with.
Its when someone claims the head is new or rebuilt and it isn't gripes the Hell out of me. A long time ago we use to call this kind of work a "Mexican Overhaul". Kind'a ironic isn't it.

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