Engine dieing !! Injectors clogged???

[agropic]

Hi folks;

As the subject title said, The engine of my 1978 Westy (2.0L F.I.) basically has been dieing as soon as it crank, then I try to re-start the engine, but it takes several attempts for the engine to run back again. The bus run great for a few hours, as soon as I parked the vehicle and try to start it , same problem...won't start...

I check my timing, set my idle speed @ 950rpm, change plugs, change gas filter, I also put a fuel injector cleaner (Chevron Thectron), but without any positive results.

Any ideas or clues...maybe my injectors are severely clogged or any other thing that I maybe overlook...

Thanks,

Eladio
_________________
1965 Karmann Ghia (Sold)
1972 Super Beetle (Sold)
1978 Bus (Campmobile) (Sold)
1970 Standard Beetle
1974 Super Beetle (Sold)
1974 Standard Beetle (Sun Bug)
1973 Bus
1976 Double Cab

[IFBwax]

So it runs fine.. you park shut down engine. Then you turn key and it won't start again? What exactly happens when you turn the key. Do the idiot lights come on? Can you hear the engine trying to start but never does. How do you finally get it started again and then do you have any more problems while driving?
_________________
Owner of: "The Party Pickle" (a 1979 2 Liter FI "Raby Camper Special" Sage Green Westy Campmobile) & "Charlie Brown" (a 1979 2 Liter FI "Rob Grant Rebuild" Agate Brown/Dakota Beige Station Wagon)


www.partypickle.blogspot.com

[agropic]

[Randy in Maine]

Couple of questions first:

1) Was there a bunch of rusty crud in your fuel filter?
2) Does the fuel pump make noise?
3) Do you have any vacuum leaks? You are allowed none. http://www.ratwell.com/technical/VacuumHoses.html
4) Have you cleaned the connections on the starter? They power up the fuel pump so make sure they are 100%
5) Has this thing sat for a few months in the last couple of years?
6) Make sure the double relay http://www.ratwell.com/technical/DoubleRelay.html is well grounded.

I hope you have a Bentley manual. It is about to pay for itself.

Put your fuel pressure gauge http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=105556 on the test port (between #3 and #4 fuel rail) and see what you get for a pump pressure. You want to see about 31 psi at idle. Do the thing where you remove the vacuum line from the fuel pressure regulator (FPR) to note the change in pressure in the system with the vacuum line off the FPR. You want to see about 36 psi. Put the vacuum line back on and rev it up to make sure it stay pretty constant at about 31 or so.

Shut the car off and leave the pressure tester on there and see what number it comes to after about 20-30 minutes. Ideally it will drop no lower than about 16 psi.

Then do the volume test per the Bentley.
Then pull the injectors and check out the spray pattern agains as per your Bentley.

Get back to us.

[agropic]

Thanks Randy !!

1) Was there a bunch of rusty crud in your fuel filter?
NO

2) Does the fuel pump make noise?
Totally yes, actually when I turn the key you can hear it pumping fuel, plus after several attemps to start the engine a more than normal gas smell on the engine compartment.

3) Do you have any vacuum leaks?
I'll say no, but I will double check.

4) Have you cleaned the connections on the starter?
clean as they can be, no oxidation, grease, dirt, ect....

5) Has this thing sat for a few months in the last couple of years?
Daily Driver. 10-20 per day. It was working properly...All of this situation started this past weekend.

6) Make sure the double relay is well grounded.
I double checked the relay few hours ago...every thing looks ok.


What's left to do is the fuel preasure test and the fuel injector spray pattern check...

Thanks again...good to heard from you...

Eladio.
_________________
1965 Karmann Ghia (Sold)
1972 Super Beetle (Sold)
1978 Bus (Campmobile) (Sold)
1970 Standard Beetle
1974 Super Beetle (Sold)
1974 Standard Beetle (Sun Bug)
1973 Bus
1976 Double Cab

[mightyart]

When was the last time you had a tune-up?
_________________
My Art:
http://www.instagram.com/flynn8552/

[agropic]

[IFBwax]

Think! What did you do to it this past weekend?
_________________
Owner of: "The Party Pickle" (a 1979 2 Liter FI "Raby Camper Special" Sage Green Westy Campmobile) & "Charlie Brown" (a 1979 2 Liter FI "Rob Grant Rebuild" Agate Brown/Dakota Beige Station Wagon)


www.partypickle.blogspot.com

[agropic]

[SlowLane]

[mintonman]

cold start valve?
_________________
Hoockd on fonicks werkt for mee?
under the influance "DUH"

[Amskeptic]

If the car is running well when warm, you can forget about the rust and filters and plugs and points and vacuum leaks and double relay and fuel pressure and starter connection cleanliness, and instead focus on the cold starting mixture.
Please try this following experiment the next time the engine is cold:
Because you said you smelled fuel (rich) after cranking, try slowly depressing the accelerator pedal as you crank, this is sanctioned by the owner's manual and is designed to increase your air proportion from rich closed-throttle to leaner open-throttle, it is expected that the engine will find its favorite mixture as you do this while cranking, once it fires it will light up. Get off the gas as soon as it is firing consistently, you do NOT want to rev up a cold engine execessively.
If it does start up, try using this method any time you have starting issues, it is particularly useful when it is very hot or very cold out.
Once it is running, even after your difficult starts, how is the idle after about five minutes, quicker, same, or slower, than warm idle?
Colin
_________________
www.itinerant-air-cooled.com
www.facebook.com/groups/324780910972038/

[agropic]

[agropic]

[Amskeptic]

[agropic]

[Karl]

[germansupplyscott]

check your ignition system, especially the coil. you have some symptoms that could indicate the coil is malfunctioning once it heats up. one thing i like to say - when you think the carb/injection is acting up, check the ignition often ignition issues look like induction issues.
_________________
SL

[VWBusrepairman]

PM me with you email address and I will send you the AFC manual as a pdf file. This will make you more familiar with your fuel delivery system and will help you to better understand it.

My vote is vacuum leak as well. Don't let it drive you crazy- the system is nearly 30 yrs old and it needs some TLC, so have lots of patience/ beer on hand.

[Karl]