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Dead Scirocco/stranded woes



Ok, I'm relying on a conglomeration of advice I recently received, plus my
own experience.  This exact same thing just happened to me and yes, like you
it was right in the middle of an intersection (a very busy intersection).
It was the Hall Sender.  You might want to visually take a look at it.  It
is at the base of the distributor and if memory serves me there will be a
plug with three wires coming off of it.  Mine was cracked, just kind of
hanging there and wrapped in electrical tape.  Apparently this is exactly
what the Hall sender looks like on many Sciroccos.  If it is all "messed up"
(and you very well may be able tell just by looking), this would probably
point to the problem without much testing.  The hall sender would either be
affixed with a wire tie, or taped, or otherwise rigged if someone has
already gotten to it.  My distributor was also in pretty bad shape.  A
previous owner had decided to pry the cap off with a screwdriver and bent
some important stuff.  I don't know how long you've had the car, but it
seems like this is something previous owners would tend to rig since
replacement is tricky (for me anyway) and expensive if you have it done.  I
got no spark off of the plugs and none off of the coil.  I hoped it was just
the coil and was mislead by the fact that there was no spark off of the
coil.  If the Hall sender is f**ked up, there will be no spark off the coil,
which I found out that thanks to the list.  To make a long story short (I
know, too late) I spent a whole bunch of time testing and screwing around.
Most of the list pointed to the hall sender and most of the list was right.
I was thinking the same things you are....Fuel problem, and all that.  I
replaced the entire distributor because mine needed it.  I also screwed up
my timing in the process.  Something I have yet to correct and have
absolutely no experience with.  I would also get the Bentley Manual.  I made
the mistake of burning some cash when I first got the car on the Chilton's
manual that covers a decade or so worth of cars and just about every model
made by VW during that period.  It was a total waste.  If you are
considering the Chilton manual, save yourself some money and go buy some
Charmin.  Aside from other things that people have already pointed out, I
did have to replace the Ignition Control Unit when I got the car.  There are
tests for that too.  I will say that when the ICU went, the car would start
after cranking forever whereas, with the Hall Sender it didn't even think
about starting.

Good luck with it,

Warren Price

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bobby Griffin" <strtstr@attbi.com>
To: <scirocco-l@scirocco.org>
Sent: Monday, April 01, 2002 1:17 PM
Subject: Dead Scirocco/stranded woes


>
>
> Last night after a fun evening of birthday celebration, I was driving
> home when my car suddenly died at an intersection. Just frickin DIED.
> The car will turnover again and again and again but just won't catch.
> There is gas in it, I check all the plug wire connections-
> Well I honestly don't know what I'm even looking for.
>
> Was thinking maybe fuel pump? Are there 2 of them and how costly are
> they? Usually when I turn the key I hear a buzz that I've since
> determined to be a fuel pump. I do not think I heard that buzz lastnight
> in my drunken stupor. Is there a pump inside the gas tank? And the buzz
> I hear is probably the one outside the tank right? That would be easier
> I assume. It's an 87 16v.
>
> Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated. The quicker the
> better as I'm sitting here crying about it..lol
> Thanx in advance
>
> Bobby Griffin
>
>
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