MK1 RUNNING PROBLEMS

[mazellann]

Took the Mk1 out for a good run on Monday, drove about 30 miles with no problem, then went to overtake a lorry, put my foot down and the car started struggling as though it was running out of petrol, pulled over and checked under the bonnet and everything seems in order, it started up fine and i carried on with my journey car was fine again for about 5 mins then the same thing happened, and basically this carried on until i got home (about 15 miles) one minute it would drive ok then next thing it would be struggling,
There was quarter of a tank of petrol in it, it has a new tank and filler neck just fitted.

anybody any idea's??

[earl thebay]

sounds to me like the fuel pipe in side the tank is partley blocked.iv had this happen on 2 mk2s
not sure if they are the same on a mk1. but they are easy to get to ,under the rear seat is where it is undo the plastic cap and look at the gauze. i cut mine off and it was fine (had loads of tiny bits of metal in it)

i hope this helps

[go-for-it1]

Hi Tony, This sounds like fuel starvation if it just started after 30 miles running ok. Not sure if yours is carb or injection and I know you said new tank and filler neck but the fuel pick up in the tank is one of the culprits. Also on the carb fuel lines the inline filter and pipes can block up with crud from the rusty tank/filler neck as you will already know. I had a brand new inline filter on my Mk2 carb and it would not pass any fuel at all! Filter removal and blowing through the fuel pipe from the engine back to the tank with the pipe disconnected and fed into a container at the tank top end followed by a new filter cured it. Mark H also advised that making the holes in the tank pick up filter a bit bigger helps prevent it happening again, I know bigger bits of crud can pass through but the inline filter will sort them out when it gets there.
Rob

[mazellann]

Cheers guys, it is a carb model, i had problems before i fitted the new tank, no petrol coming through the filter, had to do the same thing remove the pipe from filter and blow down it, then the car would start, never thought of checking the pick up pipe , i'll have a look at that on Thursday

Thanks
Tony

[81GTi]

sure you have the Blue Rad cap fitted, we had 2 years of bad running problems when warm with the GLS and it was a seized black rad cap that was the problem, fitted the blue one and its been fine ever since.

[mazellann]

Cheers Craig, i seem to have sorted the problem, looks like i didn't clean the tank out good enough after having it shot blasted but i think i'll change the cap anyway.