Club 80-90 Forums

Pulling my hair out - Owned my 25 for about 5 years with no major problems. In October last year while on me hols it started to lose power and kick out white-ish smoke. First thought was dodgy diesel. Since then i've spent around 700 quid on; Full Service, Compression test, Fuel line (inc. in line one way valve), and Injector nozzles. Been told compression is down a little on pot 4, but not a problem. Running ok on the flat but when it gets a sniff of a hill it starts losing power and smoking - alot. Some people say it's a fuel problem (pump), some say it's worn cylinders (re-bore) and some say get rid !!! Please help

white smoke i would say head gasket possibly??

check the injector pump timing/or have it checked.

Had a similar prob on my old van, jx not 1.6d but turned out to be a cracked valve seat and leaking headgasket, white smoke is almost allways STEAM!!!!!! you may have a warped cylinder head/damaged gasket. are you using coolant? as in need to top up more often?

Hope that helps you find whats wrong, sounds like it might cost a bit too......sorry

No, it's not using excessive amounts of coolant. Hoping it's the pump, or at least fuel related somehow. Taking it away at the weekend, hoping i'll make it back under it's own steam (well, not steam - may have been the wrong thing to say).
Cheers for the help so far

Got it sorted !!! Stopped off in Bodmin to see T Giles VW Workshop. Absolutely brilliant. He retimed the pump and set the fuel flow. It then sounded like a diesel and kicked out a bit of black smoke under pressure, and we started overtaking people - going up hill !!!


All fine and dandy - 'til it went in for the MOT where the w@*~>rs revved the balls off it and damaged something serious. In pieces again - maybe looking at a rebuild !

Bloody hell, I am just having an engine overhaul thats costing £1100 on my JX because of lack of power and smoke and its got to go for an mot afterwards, hope this doesn't happen to mine. Where do you stand legally in this kind of case?

Not sure but I don't think they are liable any more.

Been told i've got no come back on the garage at all, they'll just deny it everything. The only thing to do is take it to a local, trusted, understanding garage (not a franchise - in my opinion). Tell them not to do ANYTHING without your approval, and stay there for the whole time they have it !
I left my number and walked into town telling them to ring with ANY problems. The only call i got was to tell me it had failed on emissions "even after our man has gunned it up and down the road for half an hour" !!!

Engine is being split tomorrow - biting my nails in antisepation

I have decided to use the same garage that overhauled the engine for the MOT in the hope that it passes since they know what has been done. He's also a ex VW mechanic and both his grease Monkeys are Dubbers so I think I am in safe hands (fingers crossed)