Club 80-90 Forums

have a 15 year old VW Caravelle (2.1 petrol LHD)

Whilst driving on the motorway this morning, the engine cut-out.
No pre- coughing or spluttering, the engine just cut out. The same thing has happened three times in the past two weeks. If i try to start it immediately it won't start - plenty of life in the battery, engine turns over but just won't start. If i leave it for a couple of hours it starts first time.

If i've been lucky enough to stop on a hill (this morning) i can bump start it straight away.


I originally posted the above in December. I had a chat with someone in the U.K. this morning (i'm in Gran Canaria) and he seems pretty convinced it's the distributor. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

Alan

Could be this

Sam.

Check the basics when it stops and won't start....fuel, air, spark....only then start looking for wierdness imho
how long does it run before failing ? Is this consistent, time, temp or distance related ?

2.1 MV we presume then?

Didn't we start on this problem before Christmas?

I think before going down the vanagon syndrome route, which can be hell on earth and rarely responds to any of the prescribed fixes (as there's a whole variety of vanagon syndromes), maybe first of all, you must be abs. sure that it doesn't stop due to fuel starvation... not weakness as such, poor metering due ecu/ lambda/afm, but is their a tank/pump/filter problem?

Have you had very cold weather again over there, or is now all nice and warm as it should be? Very cold periods, suspect electrics, earths, conections.

There's no set pattern, it can cut out after fifteen minutes, two hours, or two weeks.

Yes, Harry, this started before christmas. My lack of mechanical expertise
and my lack of success at tracking down a VW aware mechanic being the two main reasons why it's still unresolved.

If it was a fuel problem wouldn't the engine cough and splutter rather than just die?

Mayeb, I think is the answer there, with injection, you never know, but you may be right...

What I am saying though, is that being on your own out there, you have to be 100% methodical.

And that starts by ensuring you haven't just got a simple dicky connection to the pump, a blocking filter etc...

Don't jump to conclusions about anything, but to start down an electrical/electronic Goose Chase before you have eliminated other stuff, is maybe not wise. Anybody can be right with a quick stab in the dark, and that could either be educated guess, skill, experience or just luck... once they start playing up intermittently, its best to start from basics.

Even a clean tank! Or at least a drained one.

Okay, so it's back to basics. I'm assuming fuel filters need to be replaced rather than cleaned.

Spark plugs ned changing. Any particular type recommended for this engine?



Can anyone recommend somewhere in the U.K. for VW spares, as out here they are hard to come by - and ridiculously expensive.



Thanks

Alan

Square one.. what its mileage and have you ever heard of bad fuel supplies in GC. I would change the filter regardless though, then that's out the way.
Pmail me full vehicle details... Year, VIN etc.
Have you got a 'tame' garage with time-served mechanics, who've seen a thing or two there? Or a Bosch FI garage?