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So I moved the fuel filter from the engine compartment to the area behind the big shroud looking thing behind the engine. The car starts and runs but it dies on idle. I have no idea what to do now. I’ve thought about adjusting the idle but not sure if that’s the right thing to do. Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")
Assuming that nothing else was changed coincident with relocation of fuel filter then I would focus on filter and connections. Verify that hose clamps on fuel lines are tight and that filter is not damaged. If okay, then would remove the filter and reconnect lines to see if problem is eliminated and there was a problem with the filter. Some makes of filters have an orientation for fuel direction check yours to make sure it was installed correctly. If installed incorrectly, given symptoms you have described maybe the carb was being starved for fuel
David B Dixon
Port Perry ON CA
SabineThanks for the tips, David. Tried all that. Replaced the new filter with the old filter. Replaced all the fuel lines. Finally gave up and put everything back the way it was before I moved the filter. And guess what? Still having the same problem. Time to take it to the mechanic.
Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")
Vicenc, I’m going to take a guess.
You replaced your old fuel hoses because they were old. When you pulled your old filter off, or when you put your new one in, a tiny spec of rubber on the inside of the old hose was dislodged and found its way into your carburetor. This little piece is now residing happily in one of your carburetor’s idle passageways. (They are very very small and it doesn’t take much to clog them.)
The above would give the symptoms you described. Clean the carburetor. It will almost certainly need to be removed, disassembled and reassembled and installed. Not a hard job if you have good hands and eyes, but you should have a carb rebuild and gasket kit. Do it in a sterile environment with good light and good screwdrivers and an air compressor and some carburetor cleaner and 3/4 hour if you’re good. 2 hours if it’s your first time.
……….or take it to your mechanic.
One other thought
If the fuel line just below the tank is old and you clamped it as I suggested maybe it collapsed inside when it was clamped while installing the shut-off valve and filter on that end. Can you disconnect right below the shut-off valve and hook a long temp hose to it and run to a can and then open the valve to verify you are getting a fuel flow below the tank? At least you would know its not on the tank side that has the problem. Watch for any sparks! Maybe do right outside your garage…
Sorry to create problems – sometimes it is one step forward and two back with this hobby.
@schu – I don’t think that’s the problem. The fuel line below the tank is new and the car was working fine after I installed the shut off valve. I will run that test tonight or tomorrow to make sure but I don’t think that’s the problem. I’ll let you know what comes up.
@royal – That’s possible. I did replace the old hose with new hoses and there was clamping and pulling and all kinds of shenanigans so a little bit of rubber could have worked it’s way into the carburetor. I don’t feel competent enough to fool around with that so it’s time to call the cavalry. 😉Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")
Vicenç
With all the expertise available on this forum surprised you will not take a chance at diagnosis and repair yourself. I had not done any auto repairs in over 30 years and paid mechanics big $$ to carry out maintenance and repairs to both my trucks and wife’s cars during that time. Since buying the TDR last year and doing a lot of research on this site, Samba, Bentley, Muir and Haynes have undertaken repairs that I would not have considered in the past. Fact that finding a mechanic willing to work on a vehicle without an OBDC connection has proven to be problematic and may have had some influence on my decisionBy process of elimination you have already started to isolate the source of the problem. The suggestion offered by Royal is the next logical step and there is great satisfaction in finding out the cause and fixing it yourself. (Albeit I do draw the line at rebuilding a transmission)
Good Luck on whatever you decide to doDavid B Dixon
Port Perry ON CA
SabineAfter I first acquired my TDr it took two carb dissemblies and cleanings to fix the “stalling at idle” problem. Having no experience I overlooked several of those tiny holes in hard to see places in the carb. It is also necessary to get the tank and fuel lines cleaned or replaced first. Works great now.
Did you by chance, in the effort of pulling off and changing the fuel lines, knock that one little wire thingie off your carb? Idle solenoid!
Look for that wire with a spade connector that’s attached to nothing. If you find it, plug it into the spade on that thing on your carb. Done.
If that don’t work, get out two screw drivers and go to work.
http://www.vw-resource.com/34pict3.html
Try to adjust it first. Then if that doesn’t work, go to the rebuild kit because Roy’s right.
Have you tried removing the idle jet and blowing it out with compressed air? Easy to do without digging into the carb.
Greg
I like simple suggestions I can understand and do myself, so I completely agree with the simpler suggestions above. I even have another one. This may sound stupid, but are you absolutely sure your spark plug wires are attached correctly? I mean, ABSOLUTELY sure??? Because the first idiot who worked on my car had #3 and #4 attached backwards and it would run but with a continual miss. He covered this up by also screwing up the linkage so it could never idle below 2000 rpm. My mechanic friend fixed the linkage and slowed down the idle speed enough to detect the miss, but then it would … die at idle. Even then, however, my mechanic friend was unable to determine the cause of the miss. Apparently it’s fairly difficult even for mechanics to figure out what spark plug wires go to what plugs. Sigh. I finally found Mechanic #2 who looked at the car and immediately said, “Oh, those two spark plug wires are wrong!” Turn off the motor, switch the wires, and he fixed 98% of my problem in about 10 seconds. Suddenly it no longer dies at idle and runs great …
This brings me to another point. When I got the car, I anticipated that a 40 year old carb would be a PITA, and replaced it with a new carb. If the simple suggestions don’t work, just buy a new carb. When you can buy a brand new34-PICT carb from jBugs for $159, it’s crazy to rebuild a 40 year old VW carb. Just buy the new carb and have a GOOD mechanic bolt it on (of course, finding a good mechanic is the real trick). It ought to take 30 minutes. Probably $250 parts and labor fixes your problem and gets you back on the road. Or bolt it on yourself. Regardless, your time is worth a lot more than $159.
I admit, it was a waste buying a new Weber Progressive for my car when the $159 carb would have been fine, but the point is — it’s a new carburetor. It’s not clogged. No gunk. No missing parts. Has a warranty. Try getting that with a home-made rebuild job. Waste of money? Maybe, but now that the spark plug wires have been properly connected, it is so nice not to have problems like dying on idle.
Thankfully fixing the carb and spark plug wires leaves me free to fix everything else that goes wrong with this car. Currently it’s the screaming brakes. We worked over and over on the front disc brakes to get rid of the screaming. Well, now that the car’s running properly, my wife was finally able to actually ride in it. Thanks to her superior ears, I’ve learned that all that work on the front disc brakes was a waste, because it’s the rear passenger side drum that’s squealing like a wounded pig. I can’t blame Mechanic #2, I told him to work on the discs — the rear drums were supposedly rebuilt and relined by the first idiot mechanic. Big surprise, they’re screwed up, too. I have an appointment with mechanic #2 on that issue next week. Too bad. If I had just waited a few weeks, with those screaming brakes I could have entered my car in the Halloween parade and fit right in.
@schu – Checked the hose above the valve, it’s flowing just fine.
@edsnova – The wire thingie is still attached to the carb so that’s not the problem. Fooled around with the carb setting before posting this and that didn’t work either.
@gregj – I’ll try blowing the idle jet out if it doesn’t involve having to dismantle the carb. Not going down that path.
@johnsimion – Pretty sure the spark plug wires are fine because the car was running fine until I started monkeying around with the fuel filter. I agree with you that my time is certainly worth more than the aggravation of dealing with rebuilding a carb. I am fortunate that I have a mechanic that has been working on air-cooled since the 70s and still only works on VW, Honda, Acura and Audi. So, if it’s a carb problem replacement is the route I’m going.
@toller – Appreciate what you’re saying but I know my limitations and while taking the carb apart might not be that hard, I am sure that there are 357,926.3 ways of putting it back together, none of which are the one and only right way. Not willing to go through the aggravation and the profanity against all the gods. Can’t afford to have them angry at me.Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")
Given that you have encountered the problems you have from just installing a fuel filter suspect you may already have offended one of gods, probably the one responsible for transportation
David B Dixon
Port Perry ON CA
Sabine@gregj – Preliminary results, not claiming victory because that would be hubris and the gods won’t like it, however, I took the idle jet out, used the air compressor to blow it and the hole where it came from out and then ran the car for 10 minutes in the garage on idle. Can’t take it out to road test because it’s raining but if it’s dry tomorrow I will try it then and let you all know.
@toller – That would be Mercury and I offend the gods every time I take tool in hand. 😉Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")
I can confirm that @gregj had the right idea, after blowing out the idle jet the car is not stalling at idle any more. Not completely out of the woods, however. It now hesitates when up shifting.
Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")
Vicenc, Remember that you said ” Fooled around with the carb setting before posting this and that didn’t work either.” Now you need to “un-fool” around with it. (Assuming that is all you changed.)
@royal – I thought about that, just not sure how to unfool. I guess it’ll be trial and error.
Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")
@edsnova – I’ll give it a try this afternoon and see what happens. Thanks for the info.
Vicenç - (bee sense)
Pembroke Pines, FL
1986 Aston - BCW Model 52 - "Montse II"(1983 FiberFab MiGi II - "Montse")
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