1st post, please help!

Minty73 · Post by **Minty73** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:24 pm

Hi folks, stumbled across this place whilst searching for some answers to a problm that's driving me mad!

Year 2000, 1.4 Polo - Lovely car, but has 1 problem that no garage that I've spoken to so far has been able to offer any answers.

At completely random times, sometimes not at all, sometimes constantly, when I put my foot on the clutch, the revs drop and the engine cuts out, this usually happens when changing gear - like I said though - there appears to be no pattern to it - it happens when the engine is cold, when it's hot and sometime it doesn't happen at all!

* What's causing it?
* Is it easily fixed?
* Is it expensive to fix?

Any ideas welcomed, any solutions would be a bonus.

Thanks in advance.

Mike-Mk4 · Post by **Mike-Mk4** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 7:32 pm

Possibly the Idle Control Valve?

Mates astra used to do this going down the motorway, or stopped at lights, etc.

He was told it is the valve, but he never did replace it as the gearbox died before, so, he just sold it, lol!

sylvester · Post by **sylvester** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 8:49 pm

Are you near nottingham?

NOZ · Post by **NOZ** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:25 am

This is a very common issue.

Theres many possibilities which you need to check and cancel out unfortunetly. I still haven't managed to fix mine, which I noticed is affected more with colder weather (infact right now in this crap weather its stopped a few times when it never has in summer).

Clean Throttle
Check leads
plugs
distributor cap
thermostat
idle control valve
cam sensor

Minty73 · Post by **Minty73** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:40 pm

sylvester wrote:Are you near nottingham?

Nope, Bolton, near Manchester.

Minty73 · Post by **Minty73** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:43 pm

NOZ wrote:This is a very common issue.

Theres many possibilities which you need to check and cancel out unfortunetly. I still haven't managed to fix mine, which I noticed is affected more with colder weather (infact right now in this crap weather its stopped a few times when it never has in summer).

Clean Throttle
Check leads
plugs
distributor cap
thermostat
idle control valve
cam sensor

Cheers for that, I'm going to try the Carb clean first off, which I missed when I first started looking...Fingers crossed.

The weather doesn't seem to have much of an effect - today for example, pouring with rain & blowing a gale, only happened once...

I've pretty much ruled out the idle valve - had that problem with my previous car (Escort) and that happened when in neutral , this only happens when the clutch is down, never happened when the engine is just idling.

NOZ · Post by **NOZ** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:09 am

Last year it did it quite frequently to the point it stopped one day and I couldn't get it started for 30mins! It happened twice travelling at a steady pace for 70mph when the revs just dropped and stalled leaving me without brakes or p/s

This year it doesn't happen as much but the revs carry on dropping whilst coming to a hault and dropping the clutch. You probably wouldn't notice the difference in problems with the weather difference just yet. If it presists you'll notice in summer it may never drop once in revs.

Anyway, try the carb cleaner and let us know how it goes; good luck mate.

The_phat_controlleruk · Thu Mar 13, 2008 12:51 pm

Sorry for the hijack, you still got those probs NOZ, you not managed to nail it on the head ???

NOZ · Post by **NOZ** » Thu Mar 13, 2008 2:11 pm

I gave up in summer when I thought it'd left. Stopped happening but came back as soon as winter started! On Monday when it was really windy the gails caused the revs to go berserk!

ven diagnostics at Big Boys Toys didn't solve it so i'm guessing the prolem they found wasn't the cause of this problem which was the vacuum pump or something.

Minty73 · Post by **Minty73** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:46 pm

Update:

Bought a can of carb cleaner this morning from Halfords - Â£3.99.

Removed air filter, sprayed carb cleaner down throttle body, cleaned out with a cloth.

Result - problem cured!

The revs previously idled at 3-400, now just below 1000. Took the car out for a spin, through the middle of Bolton, Saturday lunch time, lots of traffic. Didn't stall once. Cheers for the advice

On another matter, driver side window - problem with opening (electric window) - ok going up, but trying to get the bugger down was a nightmare...Anyway, swapped the switch with the passenger side - that worked OK, trip to local VW dealer - new switch Â£14 - Another problem solved.

Post by **alexperkins** » Sat Mar 15, 2008 7:05 pm

Just for the record, your car is most likely to be a Mk5 if its a 2000 plate - does it look like the one in my signature?

LeMeph · Post by **LeMeph** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:53 pm

My sister has a 00 6N as it goes!

Post by **alexperkins** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:57 pm

It does happen where they cross over. Ive seen a V reg 6n2 and 6n in traffic one day - it was wierd!