Club 80-90 Forums

Hope someone can help , i recently bought 1991 vw 2.1 automatic and on a 80 mile journey it nipped up and crank wouldnt turn with large spanner on bolt although when back at home it turns but refuses to start . it has 120 on all cylinder compression tests but unsure what to look at next . any advice gratefully received 

Does it turn with starter or by hand.
Does ot just not catch (fire).

Hi thanks for replying it turns freely but wont fire 

check your dizzy caps

I would start with a compression test , did the engine over heat , was there oil in it?

Recent purchase, unfamiliar with old VWs?
Are both oil pressure switches connected?
If the high pressure one for the DOPWS (buzzer of doom, use the search) has been disconnected to mask low oil pressure, it could explain a partial seize up on a long-ish run in the hot weather.
Or did it overheat?
Lots more info required.

Being unfamiliar with old VW and not having the manuals and not being able to spanner makes ownership a world of (financial) pain.

I have done everything on my van myself over the years - bar the engine recon which is now with AW.

AS Silverbullet says "more info"

We assume Nipped up is "seized would not turn" are you sure  it was not just in park? 
How did it get recovered?
What was the failure like , instat engine lock up , slow on power decline, did it loose all power and then coast , were there any noises. 
have you tested for spark?
are the plugs wet or dry?
have you tried easy start?

Good luck.
 

Sorry for delay in reply . my mechanic is away for few weeks but it just cut out and coasted to a stop but on stopping engine would not turn over at all . got it returned by AA to mechanics, engine is free and turning but doesnt start even with easy start . it is injected model 2.1 DJ automatic . when turned over it wants to start but doesnt catch . cylinder 1 and 2 soot up but 3 and 4 are clean It was low on oil when i first pulled over but had no oil drips on engine no noises from engine and it has spark .

Green, corroded injector earths on top of the LH head behind the waterpump? That would do it.
Or...a faulty inhibitor switch on the auto ox but I'm no slushmatic expert.

Thank you ill get a look at that with mechanic and see  

Thank you everyone for helping ive recently been able to get back down to mechanic and its running but has a noise when revved up ? ill try post video but never done that so hopefully it works

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bDm1op ... 8oYe-/view

Did you not consider mentioning the noise to your mechanic?

I did yes he wasn"t sure himself and wanted to check few other things . Its still at his garage but he i"snt used to them himself and i just wanted to ask folk who maybe had experienced this themselves . I did have a baywindow in the 90s but this is a totally new machine for me

hard to tell from video, a little bit tappety, drive it for 10-15 mins see if it quietens once the lifters are fully up to pressure