More 85 jetta problems

[codee]

OK, so my car is still starting really hard in the mornings, most I have to be pulled, even when plugged in. Changed starter brushes and had the rest of the starter inspected and all is good. cranks faster but still won't fire up the car. battery is l yr old, glow plugs are about 2yrs old, injector pump 1.5 yrs, haven't checked compression but...I have noticed there is oil in with my coolant, not a lot, but oil none the less. Think a head gasket would solve my starting probs?

Think my glow plugs are all carbon'd up? What else could be causing this. I've got nearly 5k into the jetta and my savings are only at about 2.5k and would like to keep driving it, but I'm not going to keep throwing money at this bstrd.

[Jettage]

Oil in coolant ain't good. I'm guessing your head gasket too.

Go over to www.vwdiesel.net/forum and do some reading - there will be a number of threads on this, for example http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php?topic=16699.0

Good luck.

[cgoodwin]

Do a compression check.

Put a cooling system tester on the expansion tank and start the motor, if the PSI exceeds 11 you have a bad head gasket. Not exceeding 11 could still mean that the gasket is gone beween the oil passage and a coolant passage. Oil pressure is higher than water pressure. Either way, unless it is the oil cooler on the filter, you are looking at replacing the head gasket. If so use a later metal head gasket and drill a hole for the locating pin....

[Kroni]

If you have oil in your coolant your head gasket is shot, which could be the biggest of your your starting problems. If your GP's are 2 years old, that is your 2nd problem. Those IDI engines need good GP's even in the summer to get the engine started, if they are that old they are probably shot. Also, how many miles are on the engine? And how old are the injectors. If the injectors don't completely close at shutdown and drip a little they will foul the GP's.

A compression check will provide you with a lot of info. All 4 should be close to 400 PSI. Low 300's are acceptable, but are definately low. Anything below 300 need work.

[cgoodwin]

Originally Posted by Kroni

If you have oil in your coolant your head gasket is shot

Or the oil cooler on the oil filter is bad..

[Kroni]

Is the engine turbo'ed? If not and a oil cooler has not been added by you or a previous owner, it won't have one. Only turbo'ed engines came with the oil cooler.

[codee]

no oil cooler on this model.

around 240k on engine.

So 2 yrs old for GP is old on a vw idi? I wish I had all the tools to do the proper trouble shooting, but I don't, the bill just keeps climbing for this car and I don't know how much more I want to put into it. If I bought all the proper tools to do all the tests I could just as well buy a rebuild kit.


isn't compression testing equipment $100+, injector equipment another 100+, coolant pressure test??

Anywhere I can rent the tools to do proper compression test, injector test, and coolant pressure?

Then there is the valve adjustment factor with that car too.


I have suspected the injectors could use a rebuild for a long time, but, the car started like a champ last year even in -40+. So I guess it just seems strange that it would come on like this all at once. Perhaps I will put in a new headgasket and glow plugs. If that doesn't take care of it, it will sit until spring I guess.

As of today, I am getting the old Regal back on the road, good thing I didn't sell the back up car!

[Kroni]

If it is a 1.6 hydraulic lifter head there will be no valve adjustment and it probably is a hydro lifter motor. You buy a compression tester that will fit you car from Harbor Frieght for $26, just seach compression tester and you will see it. I don't know how well the HF one works, I may eventually buy one.

I think your best bet is to do the HG and change out the GP's. Go to this site, http://www.vwdiesel.net/forum/index.php, english section, FAQ's. Check out "Pimp your Glow Plugs" as well as using the site for a lot of other useful VW info.

[codee]

I wish it were hydraulic, but, it's not, you have to manually adjust the 85 1.6

Hmm, I'll have to check the harbor freight, that is a good price, but I wonder how accurate?

My bentley manual doesn't say anything about buying new head bolts, it just says to clean and reuse.

New head bolts are going to be 50-60 more on top of glow plugs and head gasket, can I get by with the old or should I buy new?

[codee]

Originally Posted by cgoodwin

Do a compression check.

Put a cooling system tester on the expansion tank and start the motor, if the PSI exceeds 11 you have a bad head gasket. Not exceeding 11 could still mean that the gasket is gone beween the oil passage and a coolant passage. Oil pressure is higher than water pressure. Either way, unless it is the oil cooler on the filter, you are looking at replacing the head gasket. If so use a later metal head gasket and drill a hole for the locating pin....

How come metal gasket?