Club 80-90 Forums

The cable could have been tied up to keep it safe when somebody was twiddling with something else.

If the auto choke is working normally, it starts off shut allowing mainly fuel to get to the carb. With the wire connected the auto choke warms up and the bi-metallic strip inside slowly opens up the choke flap allowing plenty of air to go through.

So, starting with the engine cold and as already advised, take the air filter off. Before starting the engine, press the accelerator pedal down to engage the auto choke. The choke flap should now be closed. Start the engine. Let it run for a few minutes. Then rev the engine gently. That should release the choke flap and it should now be wide open. If it was wide open when cold then somebody has been playing around with the choke and I have no idea why they would do that.

to late for that today as I have already started and taken for a 5 min drive !

NB just checked the carbs and both flaps open but thats normal as I already started it and took for a spin, will have to check tomorrow morn ! Duh !

Is it okay to drive with it connected ? Or disconnect the lead ?

Also when checking tomorrow morn to see if the flaps are open should the wire be connected then ?

I do ask a lot of questions !!!

Just got back from an 80 mile round (M25) trip to VW show, drove with the wire connected, and drove home without the wire connected and it didn't make a single bit of difference to the performance ! Basically drove the same with it connected or disconnected ! What I did notice on the way back was if my foot was half way on pedal at 50mph and I then pressed full way down to the floor it made no difference to the speed, could hear a change in engine tone though. ???????

Had a look at the carbs left flap is at an angle right one is vertical this was after 80mile trip surly right flap should be at an angle ? Or is this normal ? I started engine and and pushed right flap down and engine stalled so at least it works !


So to recap starts perfectly every time from cold with the wire disconnected (obviously been disconnected for a valid reason in the past)

Will check in the morning when cold and see what the carbs are doing as advised a few posts back if they are working as they should am I looking at a throttle problem instead ? This has also been mentioned earlier.


(SHOULD I CONNECT CABLE OR LEAVE OFF FOR THE MORNING CHECK? IF SO SHOULD I RECONNECT THIS EVE?)

Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh

im not mechanical mate so cant really answer too many of your questions but thought id upload a couple of pics of my engine for you, might help.

was trying to load a pic of os carb but bucket threw a wobbler

After 2-3 minutes with the ignition on, the choke flaps should be straight up. If they're at an angle they are restricting the air flow and richening the mixture. To be honest even if the mixture is wrong it shouldn't effect the performance that much unless it's flooding a plug and stopping it firing. If all four plugs are firing & the compression is ok on all cylinders, the van should easily get to over 70mph. The mixture is only going to effect how long it takes to get to top speed and how much it costs in wasted fuel.

If the previous owner decided to disconnect only one of the chokes I'd be surprised if the carbs are set-up properly or the timing is right. If this were my van I do this:-

Check the compression - If the valves or rings are shot messing with the carbs is never going to work.
New fuel filter, new air filter and set the carbs up to the base setting as per the Haynes.
Get a strobe light and check the idle timing and advance.

try running van with the fuel regulator removed to see if there is a improvement

thanks for all your help so far.

I'm not a mechanic I'm trying to gather as much information as possible as I think its time it went to see the mechanic ! If I have as much info as possible its going to be easier for him to try and work out the problem (Ive used him for years with my cars but hes not a VW specialist but even so I'm sure he knows how to set a carb !)

If you can recommend any VW specialists in North London please feel free I know of Chris cross motors Palmers Green (about a mile from my house ) but have not used them.

Cold start complete !

Took air filter off checked both carbs open as should be pressed accelerator pedal to engage autochoke ; LEFT ONE CLOSED & RIGHT ONE STAYED THE SAME ! (didnt close) started engine and left one opens all as normal, right stays the same.

This explains why the autochoke cable had been disconnected = its Donald ducked !

Whats strange is that it starts fine !

all this is probably why cant get more than 55mph right hand carb is ^ ?

whats the worst case scenario £££ wise ? still need to do all the other things like petrol filter compression test etc.

worth a read first
http://www.vw-resource.com/automatic_choke.html#trouble" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What the previous owner should have done if the right choke is U/S is.

Disconnect the 12v wire (not that leaving it connected wouldn't make any real difference)
Slacken off the 3 screws holding the choke to the carb.
Rotate the choke until the choke flap is vertical
Tighten up the 3 screws

That would disable the choke completely. In reality you should be able to start a T25 with no chokes at all, unless it is really cold, just by pumping the throttle.

When you say the van starts fine does it fire up and idle without you using the throttle?

When I start my van I push the pedal to the floor and let it up. Turn the key without my foot on the pedal and the engine fires and runs at +1000 RPM. After a few seconds as the revs start to rise, I tap the pedal to disengage the chokes and the idle drops to about 800 RPM. If I don't tap the pedal the revs start to climb as the engine warms up.

Having a faulty choke isn't a big issue if its disabled properly, after all its only supposed to work for a minute or two when the engine is cold. The bigger issue is if the carb setting have been messed with when the previous owner tried working around the choke problem. Getting the carbs set and balanced isn't difficult if you do it systematically. Have a read of this link it'll make everything a lot clearer.

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/DualCarbs.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd still be surprised if the only problem is the carbs. Losing 20 mph off the top end is a serious lack of power or the brakes are dragging. Someone hasn't stuck a 1.6 engine in it have they?

as i said before i would disarm the chokes especially as one is knackered they run perfectly well without chokes ,

Hi

when I start push pedal once take off and start idles the same doesnt over rev and dont need to blip the pedal to get revs down.

Re: How can I make my van faster up hills/ motorway ?

Postby BOXY » Today, 09:24
What the previous owner should have done if the right choke is U/S is.

Disconnect the 12v wire (not that leaving it connected wouldn't make any real difference)
Slacken off the 3 screws holding the choke to the carb.
Rotate the choke until the choke flap is vertical
Tighten up the 3 screws

This would/could explain why the right hand flap is vertical all the time ! Its been disabled ?

I'm taking to my mechanic this week, will also get compression test etc

I give up perhaps my van is a complete pile of doggy do and the engine is shagged !

Carb shouldn't make that much difference to performance though 20mph loss is loads

Have you checked the gearbox code ?

how do you check the gear box code ?