UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Im having a few problems with my 92 GT, i shall start at the begining.

When the car is first started up from cold it starts fine, then coughs and splutters. This is due to it being very rich, if i get the revs up it will keep coughing the clear up with a huge smoke cloud behind me which is fuel.

After it starts to warm up the car idle note will change and if i put my foot down to start from a junction, it will just cut out / hesatate and not want to go anywhere, then re-starting it is a real problem, it does not start easy.

If i turn the car off and come back to it in a bit after a quick (which i found out today) it will not even start, it just keeps turning over and over, the only way i got it started was by taking the fuse out of the fuel pump and turning it over again for awhile then starting again. It then started but it wasnt going to was struggling, misfiring like mad but when it finaly started it was fine, to me it sounded like it had flooded the engine.

When the engine is warm, there is no problems at all.

Does anyone have any ideas? The blue temp sender has been replaced.

Mine had the same symptoms Chris when I bought it.

I replaced:

- Throttle position sensor - no joy
- Lambda sensor - no joy
- AFM and adjusted - little bit better
- Blue temp - no joy
- Got the timing right - all sorted!!

There's only so much it can be, it sounds to me like the timing is out and the AFM needs adjusting as that and the blue temperature sensor are all that set the mixture when cold.

So it could be the AFM and the timing.

Where did you get the AFM from? There are no polos in the scrappers near me so im quite stuck for spares, ive heard they are expensive new.

checked condition of distributor cap? one of mine was doing this a while ago and i discovered the dizzy cap was corroded inside.

Should also have posted that I did a full service on it too

I managed to pick up an AFM from the scrappers and used that one, but you can just adjust the one you've got, there used to be an article on ClubPolo but it disappeared

I know thats not much help but I think the first thing to do is to check the timing. Mine was stupidly retarded (about 20 degrees!) yet it still ran and I didn't notice for nearly 3 months! Might be worth checking as I don't think I ever checked the timing on your car when I owned it.

Well at the weekend if i get time (My mini is coming home from paint yey!) i shall check the timing and all the ignition components, hopfully it wont be too far out, was set by a garage awhile back so shouldnt be too far out.

Can you use a AFM from any other VW or are they polo specific?

Best to get a Mk3 Polo Digifant AFM, although the AFM from a Digifant Mk2 Golf GTi will fit, but it needs careful setting up using the original as a benchmark so kinda defeats the object really!

Although I don't think you need a new one, as if it was faulty the car just wouldn't run.

Right it did it again yesterday, today i fitted all new ignition components, found out one of the leads were broke and nearly at the end of the life (so much for being replaced at service, charged me too!) Going to see how it runs now with the new plugs and things.

Wish me luck!