Car wont fire! HELP!

[VDub435]

i have a 88 golf 1.8l 8v, the car had been sitting in a garage for years before i boughts it and now that i have the motor assembled in the car it wont fire, to my knowledge it is timed properly. it is getting fuel and spark but just wont fire, im really not sure what it could be if its not raining tomorrow i will do a compression test to see if thats the issue but anything would help!

thanks guys!

[AnAgentOrange]

To your knowledge? Just walk me through how you have it timed so we can be sure. Start with the easy/free stuff we can check

[VDub435]

i have the intermediate shaft, cam gear and crankshaft timed to the marks. o/t is at the top and rear mark is at the vc. im thinking if the compression is good then the injectors are alittle clogged or i have the distributer timed wrong or the wires not plugged in properly.

if anyone has a cylinder and dizzy firing diagram and a dizzy instalation diagram that would be greatly appriciated!

[ps2375]

if anyone has a cylinder and dizzy firing diagram and a dizzy instalation diagram that would be greatly appriciated!

please refer to ANY service manual for that information

[VDub435]

i really dont know why i havent thought about this till now. but while the car was sitting there was gas in it and now all this time later, i tried to start it with that gas in it. could this gas just be bad and that be the cause for it not firing?

i would drop the gas tank, replace the fuel filter and clear the lines if that was the issue.

[Guidofester]

When I want to drain and flush a fuel system I disconnect the blue fuel line after the fuel injector fuel rail and connect a lengh of fuel line into a suitable container. Then pull the fuel pump relay and bridge the connections to run the pump until it stops pumping.

Also it's a good idea to remove the filter and back flush it so see if there is any contamination or water in the system.

DC

[Fat Rabbit]

Fresh gasoline and a new fuel filter might help. You state that the engine is getting gas but make sure that the fuel pump(s) are actually pumping gas. I have seen several instances of fuel pumps going bad in cars that have sat for a few years. I think that the corrosiveness of the ethanol added fuels they sell today is a prime factor. A new filter is $10-15 and the pumps are easy enough to check for fuel flow. The pumps shut down after a few seconds if the engine is not turning over so you have to bridge the FP relay so they will run. Remove the relay and bridge the two large perpindicular slots on the fuse and relay panel. Old fuel can really gum things up.

As for the timing. There have been numerous posts here on Vortex about setting timing. Check the FAQ and use the search functions. The Bentley manual is the best if you want to buy one. Libraries have manuals available too. FR

[VDub435]

Whats going on guys, ive been busy helping my boy with his car so mine got pushed to the side, but its about time to get back to work, i changed the gas and am still having the same problem. anyone have any ideas on what else could be the issue?

[WaterWheels]

i have a 88 golf 1.8l 8v, . . . the car it wont fire, to my knowledge it is timed properly. it is getting fuel and spark but just wont fire, im really not sure what it could be

"To my knowledge . . ." just isn't good enough when the people you are asking help from live down the street, in the next state or another country. Getting fuel is just as bad, sorry, as I can plop a 5 gallon jerry can full of gasoline on the roof with a hose running down to the engine, but it still will not start. It will be getting fuel, but it sure as hell will never start. Same goes for "getting spark". If cylinder 4 is getting spark when cylinder one should be it is getting spark . . . What repair manual are you using? What troubleshooting tests have you done for the engine/injection system listed in that book? What were the results? I'm not really trying to be a jerk here but you are not doing much better than just asking "My car will not start, what is wrong with it?". My Peugeot can be plugged into a computer here and up-dates and troubleshooting done in France, it don't work that way with your Golf. You have to do a bit more/better to get anywhere with Internet troubleshooting.

[VDub435]

didn't need your life story d00d

i'm using a Bentley manual, cylinder 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all making hot spark, and all 4 injectors are sending fuel, the car cranks hard but won't fire.

all the marks for timing (cam gear, intermediate shaft, dizzy, FW) are in line which is why i asked why it wont start, if i didn't have a question i wouldn't of posted in the forums..

thank you for the help of those without an ego issue

cheers

[ps2375]

What are your compression numbers?

[WaterWheels]

Life story? I have absolutely no idea what you mean by that comment. Do you mean it was too long to read? I could just give the standard answers like check your vacuum lines or check your timing or one of the other half dozen check the block answers. Would that have been better for you? Are you saying that my commenting about a car I own was to personal or not helpful? Then how about “. . . if it’s not raining tomorrow . . .”, who cares about the weather where you happen to be, or “What’s going on guys, . . .” like you’re a close friend to all of us and should be holding your hand. Were those any more helpful? Why is it that when people can’t include important details or answer question ask of them when they are seeking help from others for their problems, "Car wont fire! HELP", they decide to get all snot faced and make dumb comments?

I guess you must have some kind of issue with me personally as others here have also asked thing of you or made comments without any kind of insolent responses. AnAgentOrange – “To your knowledge?” or ps2375 – “please refer to ANY service manual for that information” or Fat Rabbit – “Check the FAQ and use the search functions. . . Libraries have manuals available too.” These all went un-answered so I can only assume then your problem is with me, is that correct?

The problem here is simple, yours and maybe the cars too, so just lose that chip and start doing some real troubleshooting for a change. Your questions/ comments/ responses are weak and conflict with other things you say. You say you are using a Bentley repair manual but ask if anyone can provide you with firing order information and distributor installation diagrams? You state you were away for a time because you had to help your boy with his car but can’t seem to work on yours very well? You say that the O/T mark is at the top, but that mark is not intended to be used with your engine and the Bentley should be telling you to use the mark behind the belt gear. And “at the vc (valve cover I guess)” is not exactly where it tells you to place the mark. You’re “thinking the compression is good”, in fact you’re thinking a lot of things may or may not be correct. But as I asked, and others too, what have you really checked and how did you check them? No real response to these question has been given. So if you really do want some help with your situation, crack that book open and run through the tests written in it. Post what tests you did and the results that you got. Do you want people to give you a hand here or what?

We all have “egos”. Its size and type are often determined by the person looking at it and just why they feel they need to examine it, not by the owner of it.