UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Hi All,

I've been running my 1994 1.3 Polo CL Coupe for aorund 6 months trouble free.

However i have just hit my first problem, from cold the car struggles to idle, it's also not very confidence inspiring when warm.

The car starts fine first time but if i roll upto a junction in a morning and dip the clutch the car will just cut out.

Now i seem to think there might be a problem with the alternator, the belt has been slipping for some time now but i'm not sure this could be causing the car to cut out.

Also from warm if i let the car idle and then switch on the headlights, nine times out of ten the car will cut out.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks and Regards

Tim

t11mnm wrote:Hi All,

I've been running my 1994 1.3 Polo CL Coupe for aorund 6 months trouble free.

However i have just hit my first problem, from cold the car struggles to idle, it's also not very confidence inspiring when warm.

The car starts fine first time but if i roll upto a junction in a morning and dip the clutch the car will just cut out.

Now i seem to think there might be a problem with the alternator, the belt has been slipping for some time now but i'm not sure this could be causing the car to cut out.

Also from warm if i let the car idle and then switch on the headlights, nine times out of ten the car will cut out.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks and Regards

Tim

first things 1st tighten the belt! if its slipping its not charging your electrical system! its easy as pie to do! 13mm spanner and a big adjustable spanner is all you need. you dont even need to jack the car up!

once you have done that clean up the earth leads! also make some new ones to put alongside the std ones. this will improve your electrics no end. brighter lights, better starting etc.

now thats sorted you have a sound base to work from as you now know the sensors are getting a good supply voltage. with any luck your car will have been fixed by doing the above mods. if not the poor idle could be down to a vacuum leak or an over tightened throttle cable (to tight and the idle control switch doesnt get made)
the spi polos dont have any adjustment for idle (well they do, but its set at the factory and your not supposed to mess with it)

Thanks for the reply, i'll give that a go this weekend.

One thing i have noticed is there is a breather pipe from the top of the engine which has a rubber hose that isn't connected to anything. Does anyone know what this is, and should be connected to anything else?

It doesn't create vacuum so i'm not really sure what it is, and i can't find anything in the haynes manual.

just an oil breather pipe. so long as its not blocked i would worry to much about it too much