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I have a 1989 VW Golf Mark 1. I have replaced the mechanical fuel pump in engine compartment, the petrol filter, spark plugs, coil, HT Leads.

This is a 1300 carburetor model.

I can start the car no problems, but when I drive anything from 10m to 100km it suddenly just dies. The engine cuts out just one minute goes and next dead. Then I have to wait a while before it will start again.

Not sure if it is electrical or fuel issue. I am also not much of a handy man, but I try :)

Does anyone know what the correct coil is for the 1300 Mark 1 Carb model?

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  • I got this reply from workshop: "When you turn the distributor manually, it sticks at a certain point. It seems that the shaft of the distributor itself is bent." They recon this is why the car just suddenly cuts out. Lucily these car parts are so cheap :D brand new is ZAR 450 – AquaAlex Feb 6 '15 at 14:59
  • Try changing the fuel separator. – Thembani Sep 13 '18 at 21:54
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I got this reply from workshop: "When you turn the distributor manually, it sticks at a certain point. It seems that the shaft of the distributor itself is bent."

Luckily these car parts are so cheap :D brand new distributor was ZAR 450

And the problem is solved.

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It sounds like you've already covered the basics...

I'd suspect heat-soak, in either the carb (causing fuel vapourisation) or the coil. Do either have heatshields on them? Or are there any heatshields in the engine bay that are missing or damaged?

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  • no heat shield anywhere in this car :) Someone said maybe they gave me the wrong coil. Apparently (and I am clueless here) a coil is rated for specific voltage range and the distributor and coil need to be same. Does this sound correct? – AquaAlex Jan 15 '15 at 10:54
  • Yep - some older coils run on 6v instead of 12, and use an in-line resistor to change the voltage. Did it do the same thing with the old coil? – Nick C♦ Jan 15 '15 at 10:57
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    Another thing to try is the rotor arm and distributor cap - these can go funny too... – Nick C♦ Jan 15 '15 at 11:06
  • nope, the only reason i replaced the old coil was because the lead broke off inside the old coil so i could not use it anymore :'( – AquaAlex Jan 15 '15 at 11:27
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    I think will go look for another coil and then at same time replace rotor and distributor cap as these are so cheap. Will let you know. – AquaAlex Jan 15 '15 at 11:28
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Open the filler cap and check the condition of the metal around the inside of the filler neck. This is a classic corrosion spot on these cars (mine is crusty) and the bits of metal that drop in the tank slowly block the fuel filter.

You can temporarily fix this by removing the filler cap, removing the incoming fuel line and blowing some air through it until you hear bubbles from the filler neck. This may resolve the problem only temporarily.

The permanent fix is to replace the filler neck (these are available fairly cheaply) and clean out the fuel tank. You don't have to drop the tank to gain access, if you pull up the rear seat base there is an access hatch in there. The plastic piece is a bayonet fitting but be gentle with it. Best done with as little fuel in the tank as possible. Use a magnet wrapped in white cotton to clear up all the debris.

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