[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

need help, can't find the running problem 16v



On Tue, 18 Mar 2003, brett cooke wrote:

> was it your main ground? that might explain why i'm having so much trouble
> tracking the problem. haven't thought to check the grounds yet.

Yeah, well sorta. I have so many freaking ground cables its hard to
classify one or another the the "main" ground. Lets just call the problem
area I fixed "X"

I have:
- 4 ga from battery negative to X
- 8 ga from X to lower starter bolt
- 10 ga from X to back of ignition coil
- 10 ga from ignition coil to stud on rear of upper intake manifold
- 10 ga from X to each headlight
- 12 ga from X to bank of headlight relays
- 14 ga from X to starter boost relay (I added a relay a while back to
  switch battery + to 15 (ignition) during cranking)
...

well, now I guess I'm just listing specific wires.. but whatever.

So yes- thinking about it, X would be my main ground. I ripped the factory
uninsulated copper thing out a LONG time ago.

One of my warmer weather projects is going to be redoing my ground system
AGAIN and changing it from a spiderweb to an octopus topology. So, beefy
8 ga from one main lug in the body to the transmission, starter,
alternator, intake manifold, etc. Then I will run fresh 8 ga from battery
+ to my fusebox, since I've already got it to my starter and alternator.

I also have 10 ga running in to my under-dash area where it is used for my
various add-on electrical items, like my stereo, heated seats, city
lights/rear fog, power door locks, trunk popper, footwell lights, etc.
Rather than try and solder/crimp all these wires together or use those
crappy wire-tap connectors, I went to a junkyard and got some of those
little "ground rings" that watercooled dubs have next to their fusebox
with all the little male lugs in a circle. I bolted two of these together
and drilled a 1/2"-ish hole in each end of a film canister then put the
contraption inside and ran wires to it. Voila- cheap, easy and insulated.
And if you ever need to disconnect any of those accessories for removal
you can just pull the connector off, rather than break out the soldering
iron or wire cutters.

Okay, got way OT here but yeah, check your grounds :)

-Toby

>
> >From: "T. Reed" <treed2@u.washington.edu>
> >To: brett cooke <vwscir88@hotmail.com>
> >CC: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
> >Subject: Re: need help, can't find the running problem 16v
> >Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 14:09:49 -0800 (PST)
> >
> >This might sounds stupid but take a look at your electrical system.
> >Especially your grounds - VWs are notorious for having poor factory
> >grounds..
> >
> >I just drove home yesterday with my coolant gauge pegged and reverse
> >lights on because my main ground cable got loose (it was a quick fix
> >about a year ago with a self-tapping screw). Weird stuff happens when you
> >have a bad ground. My starter wouldn't click so I had to push start the
> >car but there was plenty of battery power and I could turn on my stereo,
> >blower, high beams, etc.
> >
> >I put in a new ground and polished up all the ground lugs and the car
> >starts right away and it has a bit more power too... maybe the spark plugs
> >are getting a good ground now ;)
> >
> >I've noticed from past ground problems that they tend to stick out like a
> >sore thumb when the car is cold. When it warms up they sort-of go away..
> >not sure why this is but your problem sounds a little bit like that.
> >
> >HTH
> >
> >-Toby
> >
> >On Tue, 18 Mar 2003, brett cooke wrote:
> >
> > > here are the symptoms the car is currently displaying. when you first
> >start
> > > the car it runs rough and misses real bad in the low rpm's (1k-2k), but
> >revs
> > > good in the higher rpm's. after five minutes or so the first time you
> >hit
> > > the gas the car dies. if you then wait about 10mins and crank the crap
> >out
> > > of the car it starts up and runs perfect. you can drive it wherever and
> >it
> > > runs for hours.
> > >   recent work includes new transfer pump, replaced hall sender, new fuel
> > > filter, and the standard tune up. any ideas here? i'm running out
> >rapidly f
> > > ideas of what can be wwrong with this damn car. tia
> > >    hit
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > So Sayeth The Hitman
> > > '88 "stripe" 16v scirocco
> > > <http://www.techography.net:82/brettsgarage>
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _________________________________________________________________
> > > Tired of spam? Get advanced junk mail protection with MSN 8.
> > > http://join.msn.com/?page=features/junkmail
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Scirocco-l mailing list
> > > Scirocco-l@scirocco.org
> > > http://neubayern.net/mailman/listinfo/scirocco-l
> > >
> >
>
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Add photos to your e-mail with MSN 8. Get 2 months FREE*.
> http://join.msn.com/?page=features/featuredemail
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Scirocco-l mailing list
> Scirocco-l@scirocco.org
> http://neubayern.net/mailman/listinfo/scirocco-l
>