Matt, I had that same intermittent power-loss/limp-home/acts-as-no-o2-sensor is connected gremlin at one point - turned out, after months of trial and error, swapping parts one at a time, to be the knock box under the passenger side of the windshield (this was a CIS-E 1.8 16v, I think motronic has the 02/Knock CPU as part of the main CPU on the driver's side).
The key cycle you mentioned was the same for me....unlike a torn air boot, the problem often went away with a quick flip of the ignition. Swap it out with a good one if you have access to someone with an extra... Of course, if you have motronic, then disregard what I said above. :) Regards, Denis On Fri, Oct 1, 2010 at 12:27 PM, Matthew Yip <[email protected]> wrote: > ITA allows for a final-drive change but it's verbotten to "mix and match" > the > internals. I run a 4.25 which, according to Shine, is the wrong final > drive - > wrong for his application but fine for me. > > > I've considered a newer car and the myriad of benefits. The issue is that > I'm > flush with antique VW bits - most of which are worthless to anyone who > isn't an > "enthusiast". That having been said, I'd love to get into an E30 BMW > (newer but > not so new that it's fully computer controlled) or an Integra (new enough > to be > tunable). > > > > My street 16v GTi seems to have a black cloud hovering over it - I've > touched > virtually EVERYTHING and yet it spites me. It starts and runs GREAT until > it > drops into some sort of low-power mode, sputtering and stumbling. All I > have to > do is cycle the key and it goes away BUT I have no idea where to start. It > drops into that mode for no apparent reason and all temperatures although > it's > more "sensitive" when it's cool and wet. AAARRRGGGHHH!!! Give me > something > broken - I abhor these intermittent problems. > > Matthew > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > > From: Les Noriel <[email protected]> > > To: Volkswagen a2 16v discussion list <[email protected]>; > >[email protected] > > Sent: Fri, October 1, 2010 11:21:39 AM > > Subject: Re: [a2-16v-list] General Li Update > > > > Matthew, > > Does ITA allow for any gearing changes or do they have to remain stock? > > > > Over revving the motor--Many of the newer cars once again have engine > >management limitations that prevent that from occurring on newer engines. > >Again, another advantage to newer cars. > > > > > > Regarding older cars, Rafi Kazanjian of Eurosport campaigns a MK1 here > on the > >West Coast. The car is almost entirely stock. The balance and lightweight > of > >the car (Along with his driving skills) makes him competitive against > many of > >the newer cars. > > > > > > I had a similar electrical experience on the road with my MKI many years > ago. > >It did not matter what I did, the wire would dislodge from the > alternatior. I > >replaced the cable, used zip ties, etc. I even created a small metal > bracket > >and screwed it down to prevent the cable from coming off. That was to no > avail > >as the metal bracket broke one day while driving away from a stop light. > That > >car was cursed and refused to be fixed. > > > > > > Good luck this season. > > -----Original Message----- > > >From: Matthew Yip <[email protected]> > > >Sent: Oct 1, 2010 6:46 AM > > >To: [email protected] > > >Subject: [a2-16v-list] General Li Update > > > > > >It's been several years since I've written any updates. I'm astonished > that > > >y'all find my drivel interesting. Be honest - many of you have kids now > and > >need > > > > > > > >something to read that will drone the kiddies to sleep. > > > > > > > > > > > >Nothing too spectacular has happened in the past 3-4 years of racing. > The car > >is > > > > > > > >becoming less competitive bc of new cars being classed into ITA. I'm > not > >pleased > > > > > > > >but understand that we can't stand in the way of progress. What I am > seeing > >that > > > > > > > >annoys me is that the EFI cars are getting all the breaks while the old > junk > > > >like the CIS-E or carbureted cars are getting left behind. > > > > > > > > >After 6, yes SIX, seasons, I finally replaced the otherwise stock > engine 3 > >years > > > > > > > >ago. The "race" motor is now a .020 overviews 1.8l 16v with porting as > >allowed > > > > >in IT - 1" in from the outside edge of the head. Otherwise everything > else is > > > > >OE, just fresh and new. > > > > > > > > > > > >The results of the fresh engine amazing. All that time spent trying to > eke > >out > > > > >momentum paid off. The engine was worth a good second PLUS it as great > to > >final > > > > >motor past other cars on the straights. > > > > > > > > >2 years ago, I finally ditched my ancient Koni single adjustable for > some > > >Bilstein Race shocks. Again, what a HUGE difference. The car actually > stuck > >and > > > > >I found myself gaining in otherwise faster cars in the twisties. > > > > > > > > >The past years have had a few "moments" as well. > > > > > >The last race of 2007, a car spun on the first lap in T9. I spun to > avoid or > >I'd > > > > > > > >have shortened his car by several feet. I took out the tyre wall with > the LF > >but > > > > > > > >the car was unfazed. Unfortunately, going down the front straight, I > saw a > >flash > > > > > > > >of orange which told me that the hood pin had come loose. Worse, > entering T3, > > > > >the car go loose on me, I jumped the inside kerbing, giving the car > behind > >me, > > > > >the SAME that that I'd spun to avoid, a great view of the underside of > the > > >General Li as I balanced the car on the RR tyre. I slid to a stop in a > cloud > >of > > > > > > > >dust, heard squealing tyres and WHAM - Earl's 240 pummeled the driver's > side > >of > > > > >my car, side-to-side. I restarted my car and left the scene in a hurry > to > >avoid > > > > > > > >having other cars find me in the fog. Ducking into the pits, I > frantically > > >motioned to some friends (I still don't normally travel with crew) to > take a > > > >look at the hood - they gave me a "Come back in 2 laps" signal. 2 laps > >later, I > > > > > > > > > > >returned and they graciously taped my hood shut and I returned to the > melee. > > > > > > > >The final outcome wasn't pretty but it wasn't hopeless either. The > drivers' > > > >side of the car was beat up and the rocker panel was bent at the > trailing > >edge > > > > >of the door BUT the car was still running without any pulling, rubbing > or > >fluid > > > > >leaks. Earl's 240 went back to the paddock b/c of a bent tie rod - > Germany > >2, > > > > >Japan 0. > > > > > >Over the winter, I replaced the fender and Auto Expectations (owned by > the > > >former owners of Datsun Dynamics) pulled the major dents in the LR > quarter > > >panel. I retained the door and the dents in the rocker panel for > asthetics. > > > > > > > > > > >For the first race of 2008, we raced in a misty pseudo-rain. A few > laps into > > > > >the race, I was running with Doug's MR2 and eating up the track. In T7 > on > > >Summit Point, Doug started a rather lurid spin - anticipating that he'd > spin > >off > > > > > > > >to driver's right, I hit the grass on driver's left. Nope - wrong idea > - > >Doug's > > > > > > > >car instead came back to driver's left and found the RF of my car. I > tagged > >the > > > > > > > >RR of his MR2, spinning both of us surprisingly quickly. Per usual, I > drove > > > >away, bouncing off the rev limiter in the grass. Doug got the short > end of > >that > > > > > > > >contact with about 6 degrees of toe-out in the RR - Germany 3, Japan 0. > > > > > > > > > > > >The rest of 2008 went well with some oddities starting show up as the > car > >ages. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >In particular was an infuriating miss during hard right turns - this is > > >indicative of fuel starvation so I started adding more and more fuel to > the > > >car. The problem persisted and I started wondering if something in the > fuel > > > >system was starting to fail - I HATE intermittent problems with a > passion. > >Then > > > > > > > >Brian, my crew and now fellow competitor (or maybe it was Bob, one of > my > >other > > > > >crew and Brian's Dad) who noticed that the main electrical connection to > the > > > >alternator was broken. The tab was completely broken away BUT because > of > > >metal-memory, it touched the connector. However, under hard right > turns, the > > > > >connector was "pulled" away from the alternator - since the voltage was > >marginal > > > > > > > >(thought the alternator was just junk), the car WAS cutting out in hard > right > > > > >turns but it was electrical, NOT fuel. Ugh - problem solved although > we > > >encountered the same problem in 2009. At least we'd seen it before and > Bob, > > > >whom we all refer to as the Mad Scientist (Think Dexter of Dexter's > >Laboratory) > > > > >was prepared with a full electrical kit including lugs specifically > sized for > > > > >the alternator. > > > > > > > > >As a whole, 2008 was an exercise in frustration - the car is just as > fast as > >it > > > > >was in the past 1:31-1:30 on Summit Point Main but the new cars are > getting > > >significantly faster. The lap record on SP Main is now in the 1:26 > range > >(might > > > > > > > >even be in the 1.25s - I try to put that out of my mind or I'm just > >depressed). > > > > > > > >Starts are still my favorites, especially charging down the middle, > scaring > >the > > > > >daylights out of the smaller cars. At the end of 2008, Ryan, my other > crew > >and > > > > >soon-to-be Brian's brother-in-law, thanked me for not making him do > bodywork > > > >over the winter - that's gratitude for you...<G> > > > > > >In Fall 2008, Brian, my crew member, decided to go racing and I offered > him > >the > > > > >General Li for School. He took to the car like a duck to water which > was bad > > > > >for me. Actually it was amusing to watch the car going around the > track > >without > > > > > > > >me driving. Some of my fellow competitors mentioned that the car > looked fast > >- > > > > >probably b/c it was at least 50 lbs lighter without me driving. I > reminded > >all > > > > > > > >of them that my bumpers are both big and strong. During the race and > the end > >of > > > > > > > >Driver's School, Brian and Jesse, son of one of my ITA competitors, > were > >running > > > > > > > >inches apart. As they came thru T10, we only saw the General Li - poor > Todd, > > > > >Jesse's Dad exclaimed "Oh, no - Jesse must have gone off". About the > same > >time > > > > >that he said that, Jesse popped out from behind the General Li and > suddenly, > > > >there were 2 cars...very, very cool. > > > > > >2009 was another exercise in frustration - Brian's car wasn't completed > so we > > > > >shared the General Li during the season. At the first race, we had > shifter > > >problems and ended up changing the clutch. That wasn't the problem and > at > >VIR, > > > > >the issues just got worse as the trans had no interest in finding > gears. > >This > > > > >made for interesting racing since gear changes had to be very slow and > > >deliberate. This relegated me towards the back of the pack and made > racing > >more > > > > > > > >of a chore than a fun competition. When we (actually just me) returned > from > > > >VIR, we (this time ALL of us) pulled the trans and sent it to a buddy > who is > >a > > > > >VW Master Tech and a transaxle guru. The verdict was that the 1-2 > slide had > > > >worn along with a clutch disc that delaminated - something about an > over-rev > >on > > > > >downshift - couldn't have been me <G>. > > > > > >Once the trans was fixed, the light at the end of the tunnel started > getting > > > >brighter although racing a now "vintage" VW has many challenges. > During one > > > >race, whilst racing with a pack of cars, the car just shut off - the > coil > >wire > > > > >popped off - something that happened many years ago so we zip-tied the > wire > >in > > > > >place - apparently that wasn't enough. Scratch one DNF into the books. > > > > > >Updates for 2010 to follow shortly. > > > > > >- Matthew - > > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > >a2-16v-list mailing list > > >[email protected] > > >http://mail.a2-16v.com/mailman/listinfo/a2-16v-list > > >For list archives, see listinfo link above. > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > a2-16v-list mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://mail.a2-16v.com/mailman/listinfo/a2-16v-list > > For list archives, see listinfo link above. > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > a2-16v-list mailing list > [email protected] > http://mail.a2-16v.com/mailman/listinfo/a2-16v-list > For list archives, see listinfo link above. >
