My 1974 Beetle started normally this morning, but then proceeded to 'chug' for want of a better word! Sounded like the normal air cooled sound, but 5 times louder and a bit slower! Also, the car was lacking power, and I couldn't even get it fast enough to leave 2nd gear....
There's creamy gunk under the oil filler cap.
Does anyone have an inkling as to the likely cause?
Cheers.
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Isn't gunk in the oil head gasket territory?
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Adam
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Isn't gunk in the oil head gasket territory?
Not unless it's just emulsified oil due to short journeys and the cold whether. Is it loosing water?
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>> Isn't gunk in the oil head gasket territory? Not unless it's just emulsified oil due to short journeys and the cold whether. Is it loosing water?
1974 beetle? loosing water? Yes its lost all the water.
(and the radiator and hoses)
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1974 beetle? loosing water? Yes its lost all the water.
Doh! I read the original post as well!
(and the radiator and hoses)
We've got a petrol lawnmower that's done the very same thing. Were VW and Suffolk the same company??? ;-)
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Sounds like overfueling. Have you checked whether choke is coming off when it should?.Ps is it manual choke or auto
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Steve
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It's an auto choke. I have no idea if it's coming off when it should as it runs really, really roughly as soon as the engine fires..
Cheers.
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Try the inlet manifold.
The seals where the two parts come together.
Dirt cheap but a right royal pain in the bum to replace.
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i would personally suspect icing of the inlet manifold.usually identifiable by condensation or indeed ice on the manifold .iether wait till it gets warmer or fit an inlet manifold deicer unit(imdu)check out the teck section of a site called volkszone.
hope this helps bunny
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Thanks for the info. I had fitted a 'pre-heat' pipe to avoid icing, but I don't know if that would affect icing of the inlet manifold. Previously, it just cut out when cold, rather than running like a bag of nails!
I've towed it to the garage now anyway so he'll have a look in the next few days.
Cheers,
DB
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yeah i replaced the preheat pipe on my split bus.only really helps a bit.poss as it got noticably colder just these last few days it prob can quite keep up.good luck.be interested to hear how you get on,bunny
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clean out the breather pipe going to air filter from oil filler, will help with the mayo they all suffer from, and check the auto choke is working, disconnect the brown wire at side of carb when cold pull throttle back at engine and check that the choke go's on it's the stepped thing on the side of carb it should drop forward and hold throttle open slightly if this is ok turn ignition on and go back to engine touch brown wire back to it's terminal you should hear an audible click if so reconnect it and leave ignition on after a few minutes pull throttle and see if choke stepping device moves back allowing throttle to close, if it does then choke is ok. if the rough running is accompanied with popping and banging then it's almost definetely manifold rubbers and they are a nightmare to do in situ we usually removed engine to do them takes about twenty minutes to remove engine on a beetle makes the job so much easier. hope you get it fixed ok...cheers...keo
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Keo the dog obviously knows his Beetles and is probably correct in his diagnosis. Another possibility is loose head bolts, I've come across this a couple of times in the distant past, and the symptoms are as you describe. If I recall correctly the head gaskets are sort of pressed steel shims and the bolt torque is only about 30ft/lbs.
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if the heads are leaking you will get a distinct chuffing noise and in response to DieselBoy my memory aint what it used to be but i was vw mechanic mainly air cooled experience i dont remember things like torque settings but do know it's not very tight...cheers...keo
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Thanks for all the responses.
Turns out it was duff ignition leads, which lead to the Beetle on firing on two cylinders. £14 - thank you very much!!
Thanks again all.
Steve
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we were all barking up the wrong tree, any idea which two were down , just out of interest...cheers...keo.
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>>we were all barking up the wrong tree
I took it for granted plug/points/HT leads had been checked first.Goes to prove how wrong you can be.(bearing in mind it wasnt mentioned)My mistake
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Steve
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no problem was just curious as if both leads on one side i would be surprised if it would run at all never mind rough...cheers...keo.
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