VW Auto-Choke

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Tue 28 Oct 2003 12:13
VW Auto-Choke - DavidRow
VW Golf MK2 1.3 (1988)

Is there a history of trouble with the auto-choke on this engine? I used to have a Polo that cut out when cold (sometimes at the most unhelpful of times!) and now I fear my Golf is going the same way. Sometimes she starts on the button, sometimes she feels like she's flooded and I have to hang on the starter for a few seconds. When accelerating at low revs under load (up a slight hill in 3rd or 4th) she misfires. After around 10 minutes of driving, she might cut out altogether when I dip the clutch at traffic lights. As all these problems occur within 15 minutes of starting when cold, I'm guessing the Auto-choke is a little senile and doesn't know what to do anymore. I've had the car 'tuned' (mixture, carb jets cleaned, timing) at my garage, and she runs sweetly when warm. Does a dodgy auto-choke sound like a reasonable diagnosis? And more importantly, how can it be fixed? New Auto-choke? Retro fit Manual Choke? What do those in the know reckon?

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Tue 28 Oct 2003 20:51
VW Auto-Choke - Adam Going (Tune-Up)
David,

Suggest you search the archives here for "Golf", "Pierburg", "Auto-choke", and "stalling". Put plenty of time asside, there is lots to read I am afraid !!

Regards, Adam
Whatever is rightly done, however humble, is noble.
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Tue 28 Oct 2003 21:44
VW Auto-Choke - Robert Fleming
Also Polo 1.3 has the same engine - and problem!

My perhaps familiar response:

a) It's the flange gasket (the rubber mount between the inlet manifold and the carb)

b) It's the hall sender in the distributor

c) It's the ignition amplifier

d) It's not the carb - the 2E3 is a pretty sound unit (unlike the 2e2 fitted to the 1.6 Golf)
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Tue 28 Oct 2003 22:36
VW Auto-Choke - Halmer
I have a 1988 1.3 Golf David and mine, considering the age of the car, is OK.

I had similar symptoms with the vacume advance and relating pipework leaking. Have you checked that?

Mine also hesitates sometimes which I think is due to crappy/leaking HT leads but I haven't got round to fixing this yet.
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Thu 30 Oct 2003 13:14
VW Auto-Choke - DavidRow
Spent a bit of time searching through the archives, and that, as well as the possible faults mentioned here, has given me a lot to look at!
Thanks for your help - with luck I'll put it right with a bit of fiddling.
Dave
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