Power loss, questionable mechanics.. WTF?

[txrocco@sbcglobal.net (ATS - Patrick Bureau)]

hehe , I think if you have a CAT drive it a bit, and listen to it, if it is
RED HOT, its full, tap on it if you heard beads inside its DEAD... something
simple to check.  and does not cost more than 1 $ of gaz.

ATS - Patrick Bureau - txrocco@sbcglobal.net


=>-----Original Message-----
=>From: scirocco-l-admin@scirocco.org
=>[mailto:scirocco-l-admin@scirocco.org]On Behalf Of ian Butler
=>Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 10:47 AM
=>To: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
=>Subject: Power loss, questionable mechanics.. WTF?
=>
=>
=>
=>Usually I don't post asking what the heck is wrong with my car.  But since
=>it's been at a mechanic for a week and a half, it seems a good
=>option, since
=>it has both them and myself stumped.
=>
=>For a long time (most of 2002) my '88 Scirocco 16v has had an odd jingling
=>noise (like keys jingling in a pocket) around certain RPMs.  It gradually
=>started losing power, and pinging at speed with a load (like trying to
=>accelerate up a hill on the freeway.)
=>
=>A month or two after that, the muffler failed, and I took the
=>opportunity to
=>replace it with a Techtonics system (cat-back), the expensive sort with a
=>Borla muffler.  It didn't help my pinging problem, and
=>performance continued
=>to suck.  That was my first $500 in the hole.
=>
=>I took the car into a VW dealer for a tuneup, "major service" they called
=>it, for $400.  No obvious effect, so I went about replacing
=>service parts on
=>my own that they seemed to have failed to do.  This included air filter
=>(K&N), fuel filter, oil change (Mobil 1), plugs/wires/rotor/cap, and
=>ignition module (my stupidity -- it was the Hall sender grounding
=>after I'd
=>knocked the zippy-tie off its harness, probably there from the when the PO
=>replaced the cap.) No obvious effect, other than being out $500
=>more.
=>
=>A couple weeks ago the car wouldn't start at all.  I had it towed to an
=>independent mechanic, and they replaced the starter (not necessary, but it
=>was on its way out) and cleaned/flushed the fuel system.  There was low
=>pressure at the fuel distributor, and an injector was stuck open and
=>flooding the engine.  I wasn't sure I bought the stuck injector
=>bit, but the
=>guy does know CIS systems.  They also checked compression
=>(135/135/135/50),
=>ignition and valve timing, exhaust emissions, all within spec except
=>cylinder #4.
=>
=>So!  I got it back Friday, $505 later, and drove it halfway home before
=>returning -- the car wouldn't go faster than 45mph, and required about 3/4
=>throttle and judicious clutching to get it to go at all from a standstill.
=>Not exactly a solution to my previous low power condition, which was
=>70-80mph top speed!
=>
=>Any ideas what in the world is wrong with this car?  And, can anyone
=>recommend a good metro Detroit-area wrench?
=>
=>Thanks in advance,
=>ian Butler / ian@hplx.net
=>'88 Scirocco 16v, '87 Syncro GL
=>
=>
=>
=>
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