88 fox random power loss

[tinkertoes43055]

Hello everyone,
Help needed.
Hopeing someone will be able to help me.
I have an 88 vw fox with 1.8

It idles decent when warm but when cold, it idles fine but when it idles up and comes back down it drops idle really low then comes back to normal . when warm it's usually fine.

However the biggest problem is I could be driving in town or on the high way and out of no where with no reason or warning all power goes away, and I can put the gas to the floor and I have very little power and rapidly start slowing down and the motor seems to pop and back fire. It will then let me go very very slow while shaking and poping, then randomly something happens and the car comes back to life and it's fine again. Some times it happens often and for a long time, other times it's fine for a few days.

I no longer drive my fox due to this issue of reliability. Any thoughts?

[TDCTDI]

There are several possibilities, you may have a bad "in tank" or transfer fuel pump (listen for a growl type noise from the main pump from passenger back seat area), you may have a bad catalytic converter (listen for a marble or lump of charcoal in a tin can sort of noise from under the car), or possibly a torn intake boot (if engine mounts are sloppy, a tear in the boot can open up as the engine lifts when you accelerate). Yet another possibility is that you may need ignition wires (if your car acts up when it's raining out or there's high humidity).
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[tinkertoes43055]

Thanks for the help,
Converter is removed due to th inking that may be related.
The intake boot would be same issue as any vacuum leak.

Would a vacuum leak or fuel pump issue be so intermitent though?

[TDCTDI]

I'm leaning towards the transfer fuel pump, the Main fuel pump (under the car) is designed to pressurize fuel but it can't suck the fuel. When it's warm outside, the fuel expands & sort of feeds the main pump if the transfer pump isn't working, until you drive enough to deplete the pressure.

The torn intake boot causes a gross vacuum leak that will cause a very rough run but can "reseal" when the engine shifts & settles.
_________________
Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[tinkertoes43055]

Just an example , the last time I drove it I was going 1hr away on interstate, did fine whole way there.

In the way back it acted up so bad I dropped from 70mph to hardly keeping 30mph if I'm lucky.

After lots of freaking out and pumping the gas pedal it eventually came back to life and was fine the entire way back home. ( I don't think pumping the gas helped but maybe just a reaction )

When I first got the car it drive perfect, but over the course of a couple years this issue started and continued getting worse to now I don't even trust it's reliability