[T3] I had a carb problem too!

["Mark @ Mo-Sys" <markse@mo-sys.com>]

Over the past couple of years I have written several times to the list about
my poor mpg figures and something just not right with my engine. Several
times I have thought I had found the problem and things improved a bit but
soon went back to usual. To re-cap I have been getting about 18-20 mpg
average (15mpg US!) and a max of about 26 (21US) on long motorway drives.
Needless to say I have never been entirely happy with this performance!

Well yesterday I could not start my car. For the second time in a month I
had experienced a hydro-lock, the cylinders 3&4 had filled with petrol
overnight. The first time I put it down to a bit of rubbish in the petrol
sticking the needle valve open, but the second time I was convinced that
there must be something wrong with the valve so I have just replaced it with
a brand new one. I had tried this once before with inferior quality valves
and they had immediately caused problems sticking closed so I changed them
back.

Well I really think that this valve has been my problem all along! What a
difference it made- the car feels like a new one! Immediately the carbs
(both of them) became much more responsive to adjustment and I wound the
idle screws in several turns on each. The exhaust smells somehow right
instead of really toxic like before. The engine is really peppy and much
more enjoyable to drive.

I'm kind of pissed off that it has taken me this long and cost me this much
in fuel, and it is early days yet, but I am really happy with my car now for
the fist time well, ever.

I can't imagine what on earth could go wrong with that valve that would
cause such problems, especially as apart from the poor mpgs, there was very
little seemingly wrong with my engine. Maybe it was just very variable in
its operation- sometimes starving, sometimes flooding and making tuning a
constant battle.

Fingers crossed I got it this time.

Mark


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List info at http://www.vwtype3.org/list | mailto:gregm@vwtype3.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ Shameless link for search engines: http://listarchive.type3.org ~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~