Newbie owner - firing on 1 cylinder only

[SunnyBus]

So, new battery has fixed my starting problems...but mechanic says engine is only firing on 1 cylinder and needs to go and see the VW garage.

What is best and worst prognosis?

[ermie571]

best - its saving the other three for a rainy day, and is quite happy to run on one!

worst - gunna need a new engine.


The best, obviously...is not reality.

How the hell is it running on one???

could be valve adjustment I guess....here's hoping....

Em
x

[300CE]

Was the van running rough when you bought it/drove it home and have you serviced it at all or do you know when it was last done?

[SunnyBus]

It ran fine when we drove it home....and after jump starting it has run fine...maybe a bit noisy and there has been a petrol whiff. Apart from fitting new battery no work has been done. Went into garage to see if alternator was iffy but it's fine. Engine did seem to jump around a bit when we had the lid off?

[ghost123uk]

mechanic says engine is only firing on 1 cylinder and needs to go and see the VW garage.

Is it actually running, even if dead rough ?

I ask because if it is, then don't ever talk to that mechanic again. A 4 cylinder engine cannot run if it is only firing on 1 cylinder.

And you MUST find the source of the petrol smell. Sure, if it is not firing on all 4, some petrol smell from the exhaust is to be expected, but make sure it is that and not a petrol leak You don't want it to catch fire

[Oldiebut goodie]

I reckon he meant missing on one cylinder.

[SunnyBus]

Thanks loads for comments, I can't collect her till tomorrow so will interrogate mechanic then. I drove her there on Monday so she def runs...hopefully it is 1 NOT firing instead of 3 but he definitely said that....followed by word 'expensive'.....I expected to have to spend some money on her, just want to understand why and that the advice is right.

[ghost123uk]

Well come back here before committing to any expensive work.

If he meant "missing on one cylinder" (thanks OBG) then that is not usually anything expensive (though occasionally it can be if a valve has burnt out, or worse, a damaged piston, but those two are uncommon). It is usually an electrical fault between the dizzy and the spark plug. It could be a tappet issue too. All are easy to diagnose. Check HT to plug, check plug, if no fault found there, do a simple compression test. Those checks can be completed in around 30 minutes. The results of the compression test will tell a mechanic a great deal about the condition of the engine.

[sturtywurty]

When I first got my van it was fine when warm but when starting it up it was a total pig. Would cough and splitter and eventually die. The entire exhaust wiukd shake violently from one side to the other and it also stank of petrol.

Then I reckoned that before I'd panic I'd start with the basics. Service. New oil, filters (air (van never actually had one of these in it), fuel (full of rust) and oil), new dizzy cap, rotor arms and ht leads, also my breather pipe fromtower to carb was kinked.

Anyway, I reckon my carb needs a good bit if care and the choke (pull down) I don't think is running properly but I start the van with the throttle in, and it starts fine and idles great. Then I make a point of blipping the throttle to knock the choke off and it idles no problems.

I was full of fear that the van was a dud (probably is :p) and the engine was knackered but it sounds not bad now and doesn't scare me. Try the cheap stuff first and see how you go.

Oh and I'm complete novice but the service bits are all easy done.

[DuaneEddy]

Maybe the mechanic said "its not running on three" and he should of said "it's not running on cylinder number three"

[SunnyBus]

Ok....phew...only 1 cylinder not firing! I'm going to do ghost123uk suggestions.

[sarran1955]

Hello,

Are you going to tell us what the engine is....

Or do we have to guess from the early style rear air intakes..

Cordialement,

[Ralf85]

If it's an air-cooled van Sarran is the engine expert. He rebuilds them.

[jimpainter]

I have a van in (2.0 cu) only running on 2 cylinders. The guy didn't really notice, just down on power and using lots of fuel. But if you listened you could hear it wasn't right. Turned out that the selenoid on the right hand carb wasn't working as it should. Replaced it and all was good, it's not always mega expense with these vans.

Jim

[SunnyBus]

Erm....it's air cooled 2l ...petrol...