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Its a more common issue than people really want to admit. Some people started using thicker oil, and some people switched to using only European oil, witch is expensive as hell.
Sounds to me like previous shavings from the old water pump. Disconnect all the hoses and flush out the block top down. This means from the expansion tank, and from the coolant flange on the front of the head, and the one on the side of the head too. To flush it well you will need to remove the Thermostat on the bottom of the water pump. If you don’t you will kick yourself later. Make sure you disconnect the heat core from the block and back flush that out. That is where most the crap collects in a Mk1 / Mk2 VW. Be cautioned you could spend a year flushing out the system and not get it 100% clean. If you flush it out fill it an run it on water for a few days to help clean it, but by pass the heat core. Again, old or new it will just collect all the crap and you will have no heat. After running on water a few days blast it all out again with the garden hose, and re fill with coolant.
In my personal recommendation working on a lot of older VWs over the years. Go and have a look at the heat core. In a Rabbit is very easy to find under the dash. If it looks old as dirt don’t bother back flushing it. Just spend the $30 and buy a fresh one. 90% of the time if you back flush an old one to clean it, the next day the passenger floor will be a sweet, hot, green, steamy puddle. Guarantee you of that. Also pay attention to what colour coolant came out of it. VW has used different coolant types since 1986. They all mix with water fine, but not with each other at all. If if came out green just use Prestone. If it came out blue you need to buy G11, if it was pink you need G12. Both are sold by Pentosin for far less than a dealer.
Love the older generation VWs. fantastic cars!
I almost bought one of those death machine’s on the uber cheap but when I went to have a look at it the body needed way too much work for my interest.
I will probably die before I get rid of my Mk2 Jetta. I often wonder if I should look at a newer car, perhaps a wagon and then realize that its reliable, fairly cheap to run (depending how much 91 octane is that day), and doesn’t have any payments needed.
I will get a newer engine into it at some point, who knows when.
I would steer towards the diesel side of things. But there are a few routes you could go.
Consider that there are more and more diesel offerings from car manufactures than ever, and I suspect it will grow even more. You could go through with an automotive apprenticeship and eventually open a shop that specializes in diesel engines. Cars, Jeeps, Pick Ups, SUVs, whatever. They’re all going super computerized and eventually someone who can work on very computerized diesel engines will be an asset. If you went that direction make note that alot of the current diesel offerings are european cars, or european engines in domestic cars. You may find yourself just being a euro car repair shop that can work on the new diesels as well as regular every day stuff that picky BMW owners don’t want Mr. Lube touching.
Another route is the commercial side of things. Trucks, busses. Also consider big diesel engines are found in many things, like ships/boats, generators etc etc.
My last opinion might be the best one. Heavy duty equipment mechanics are in short supply. Shops that not only work on regular commercial truck chassis related things but also work on complex hydraulic systems you find in man lifts / boom systems are crying for good techs. Its a very specialized field and given the fact that a person’s life may rely on the fact that the lift works properly means that good techs are essential. Lift trucks are also always in the shop for one thing or another. Things wear out, booms have to be tested for structural safety and in a lot of cases tested for dialectic insulation means you will be busy.
food for thought.
Its been ages since I’ve checked out this thread. It is nice to feel the Jetta love from around the world! Before my current Jetta I had an 86 also. Just a base model with CIS injection. That engine leaked oil like nothing else but it was strong, and I love CIS injection systems over anything that says Digi on it.
Well since starting this post over a year ago not much has changed with my 91. With my apprenticeship / work, moving house, and working out of town now and then she has just been my very reliable commuter / work truck 🙂 That being said I have to watch how much stuff I put in the trunk and back seat or it rubs the fenders haha. This weekend I have the time to tackle an oil change and finally replace the Idle control valve that has basicly started to expire. Its giving me some lean conditions, crap idle and poor step off response. Its time has come. It would also be nice to give the old gal a wash and full detail but because of water restrictions, as well as the dust there i’snt much point.
For a while now I’ve been trying to score the parts needed to swap the front end to Westmorland set up. Super rare where I am and I like the look. Ill loose the extra high beam lighting from my 16v style lights but since the Westy lamps were a standard sealed beam size and I can buy Hella motorized HID lamps that fit right in. They’re also legal where I am witch is nice. It will also cut down some of the wiring birds nest required to have 4 head lights all relayed off the battery.
No matter what though I took the car for a good fun rip last night after sitting almost 2 weeks to blow the cob webs out, still drives like a bat out of hell.
Keep the VW love coming guys, there is never enough.
What engine is in your lady’s Beetle?
VW was famous for plastic impellers on a lot of their water pumps. Drove me insane. On some of their engines its not to bad of a job. Other ones its a major PITA.
Its not G20 coolant, OEM is G12. You can also use G12++, it mixes fine with G12 too.
Its not that VWs don’t like the green stuff, its that the green stuff and the pink stuff don’t mix well at all. You end up with a serious coating of brown pudding in your coolant. NO matter how well you flush it. Thankfully the price of Pentosin coolants has come down in price.
30 is 12v from the battery. 87 is supply output power to the fans. 85 and 86 it doesn’t really matter what you use as the ground. As long as one has your switch power going to it, and the other is grounded it will work. Make sure you use a fuse between the relay and your battery. Or use a relay with the fuse built in. I like using them, espessially with the ones that when they pop a light comes on so you know whats up.
Use 12 or 10g wiring for the high power wires, switch wires you can use 14 without issue. If you’re locating the relay close to the temp sender switch make sure you get a good connection on wires and then heat shrink them. If you’re able to buy a sealed/waterproof relay or when its all together and works put a dab of silicone in the bottom of the relay holder to keep it clean of corrosion.
Also make sure you run the switch wiring through the temp sensor switch, not the 12v high amp power. Sounds simple enough but I have seen it screwed up and it frys the switch in no time. Then you’re left with fans that don’t work.
75% of the wiring jobs I ever did was relaying for headlights off the battery. Very similar job. Did lots of splicing in redundant relays also where I knew the old wiring wouldn’t handle the power, and I didnt feel like pulling it all out to replace it with larger wire.
The advise above is the best, try bleeding it at the banjo. If its not an option or its mounted low soak the bleeder. If it snaps just go buy a new caliper. Dot waste your time trying to remove it.
I mix acetone and ATF for penetrating fluid these days. I’m pretty sure it was someone here who recommend it. Works really well.
1 – test the battery, VWs and weak batterys dont mix.
2- test the coil packs. When they go weak and old it gets rich.A bad engine ground on that car causes so many issues its not even funny. I had one come loose once and the issues I delt with to just get the car home were incredible. If I had just taken the time to check the ground life would have resumed as normal.
One good tip with diagnosing “while you drive” digifant issues: If the engine cuts out while you drive and the tach reads 0 its always always ignition.
Been up country working for the week, I left my 91 Jetta at home. I miss her.
I wish I saw this earlier, I dont get onto forums much anymore with work.
Anyways, this is one of two problems common with age and that engine managment. You need to first test the ignition control mod on top of the ECU is getting 12v and grounding. On a mk2 VW they last forever because they get a lot of cool air over them but they can fail.
The more likley issue is the hall effect. You will need a low amp draw or LED test light. Dot use an old school one or you will back feed too many amps through some delicate circuit boards.
Disconnect the wire harness from the distributor body. Use a multi meter, you should have close to 12v on the 2 outer pins of the connector. If not suspect your ignition mod, Ecu or a fault in wiring. I you have 12v its probably the hall effect.
Re connect the socket and peel back the rubber boot so you can back probe the wires going into the connector. Disconnect the centre distributor wire and move it some wear close to the block so it can ground. Back probe the centre wire of the 3 pin connector going to the side of the distributor body and connect the other end of the LED test light to battery positive. As you crank the car with the key your test light should flicker. If nothing happens the Hall Effect is toast.
When they die its usually one and done. Meaning, one day your car died on you, and that was it, never started up again. In some cases, and I’ve experienced this it runs fine and dandy untill it gets hot, the heat messes with something in the sensor and it cuts out. Let it sit 20 min, and it starts again.
The big downfall here is you need to replace the entire distributor body with hall effect sensor in it. Witch means carefully doing it so you don’t ruin the timing. If you are not confident you can install a new distributor perfectly and not have to re time it you should take it in to a VW dork who know how to properly work on Digifant 2 cars. Just trust me on this. Hopefully my explanation makes sense.
VAG is like any other major auto group’s cars. For example, If you spend enough time working on Ford and Ford owned cars you become immune to their pain in the ass issues and fixes. It just becomes the norm. Any of the pain in the ass things any VW product has is no more pain in the ass than some of the things I find to be truley pain full on a Honda.
On a side note, Hope the career path change works for you! We don’t get any SEAT cars over here.
VAG is like any other major auto group’s cars. For example, If you spend enough time working on Ford and Ford owned cars you become immune to their pain in the ass issues and fixes. It just becomes the norm. Any of the pain in the ass things any VW product has is no more pain in the ass than some of the things I find to be truley pain full on a Honda.
On a side note, Hope the career path change works for you! We don’t get any SEAT cars over here.