# Errr.... Ahhh. What's the Firing Order for the 2.0?



## mrmullin (Mar 6, 2000)

Hi,
Short Question: Do you know the Firing Order for the 2.0 engine on a 98 Jetta? Is it by any chance the same as an SOHC 1.8 on a 90 Jetta?
Long story: My friends 98 Jetta just stopped dead, luckily only a few blocks from our house. I assumed it was maybe a timing belt to die that suddenly. But, I checked that and it was fine.
They cranked it a bunch of times, and I noticed a tiny bit of spark leaking out out of the distributor cap. We went to get a new cap and I had a hard time getting it on, and in the process, broke some of the plug wires and mixed up the firing order (maybe)
Just last night, I took another crack at it, and got the distributor cap on and replaced the broken wires. And it still won't start.
More questions: Would a tiny bit of leaking spark like that keep the motor from starting? Also, does which side the metal thing on the cap is matter? The autozone one was reversed from the other one. Would a cruddy rotor stop the motor from starting? I had to reuse the old one, since the new one didn't seem to want to seat all the way.
Anything else I should check?
One trick I did learn to share: The box end of a 15mm combination wrench can be used to kind of coax those annoying metal clips onto the distributur cap.








Thanks in advance.


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## WolfGTI (Jun 16, 1999)

*Re: Errr.... Ahhh. What's the Firing Order for the 2.0? (mrmullin)*

1-3-4-2 IIRC.


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## sxracer001 (Jun 27, 2005)

yea the closets spot toward you on the distro gows to cyl #4, or the one the whole way tot he right, then clockwise (?) form there us that^


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## mrmullin (Mar 6, 2000)

*Re: (sxracer001)*

Ok thanks,
So are the cylinder numbered 1-4 starting left to right?


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## bearing01 (May 27, 2004)

*Re: (mrmullin)*

Cylinder on front of engine (end with the v-belt and serpentine belt) is #1. Then it goes back in sequence to #4 at back of engine, where transmission sticks out.


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## mrmullin (Mar 6, 2000)

*Re: (bearing01)*

Ok thanks,
So then, on the distributor cap, if you're facing the engine, Is it like this?
Motor: Cap:
#3
#1 #2 #3 #4 #2 Coil #4
#1


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## mrmullin (Mar 6, 2000)

*Re: (bearing01)*

Actually, that didn't come out right. I meant Like this:
.........Motor:.....................Cap:
.......................................#3
...#1...#2...#3...#4.......#2 Coil #4
.......................................#1


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## FL 2.0L (Aug 1, 2002)

No.
1-3-4-2 starting at the 12 o'clock point on the distributor as you face the engine and moving clockwise.


_Modified by FL 2.0L at 5:46 PM 5-2-2006_


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## FL 2.0L (Aug 1, 2002)

I think some spark leak could cause the engine not to fire. Get the order right and see what happens...


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## mrmullin (Mar 6, 2000)

*Re: (FL 2.0L)*

Ok, so:
.........Motor:.....................Cap:...
.......................................#1......
...#1...#2...#3...#4.......#2 Coil #3
.......................................#4......
Is that right?


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## bearing01 (May 27, 2004)

*Re: (mrmullin)*

Yes.. now you're correct.


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## mrmullin (Mar 6, 2000)

*Re: (bearing01)*

Ok, thanks.
I'll check it out as soon as it stops raining in my open air garage


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## bajan01 (Nov 26, 2001)

*Re: (mrmullin)*

Here are a few pics to help out


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## mrmullin (Mar 6, 2000)

*Re: (bajan01)*

Schweeet!!








I basically had the wires 100% wrong. The only one I had right was the coil. As soon as I straightened that out, it started right up. 
I was lucky, because the batterly probably only had one or two good cranks left.
Since I broke the wires, my friend had to by wires and a cap, but I think the total was still only $120 or so. I'm sure much less than a tow, daignosis, and repair at a shop.
My friend was very happy. Thanks for the pics and the info


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## Dave926 (Mar 30, 2005)

*Re: (mrmullin)*

hahaha id did that when i changed my t belt and a tune up....was sh!tting bricks cuz i thought i crapped my engine.........


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## kingbingy (Nov 20, 2007)

*Re: (Dave926)*

Ok, I know you guys are saying
.........Motor:.....................Cap:...
.......................................#1......
...#1...#2...#3...#4.......#2 Coil #3
.......................................#4......
But I am having a problem with that. As I just bought this mk3 golf and decided to do a tune up as it was saying that it was misfiring. So i drew a diagram and it looked like this:
.........Motor:.....................Cap:...
.......................................#4......
...#1...#2...#3...#4.......#2 Coil #3
.......................................#1......
After I installed new cables, new rotor, dist and plugs, i am still getting firing on 1 and 4. I am almost positive I tried to spark it up the way you guys have it, but no dice. What Gives?


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## BMGFifty (Sep 2, 2004)

*Re: (kingbingy)*

Make sure that when #1 is at tdc that the rotor is pointing at the mark on the distributor.


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## kingbingy (Nov 20, 2007)

Forgive me for the stupid question, but what is the TDC? 
And what Mark are you referring to?


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## kingbingy (Nov 20, 2007)

Another stupid Question. What if the rotor was installed incorrectly from the person I bought the car from?
What if the rotor is off my 180 degrees?
BTW, I figured out what TDC is. But how do you figure that out?


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## mdttb (Nov 26, 2007)

http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty...x.htm
Scroll down to *Step 17 * about TDC and TDC marks


_Modified by mdttb at 1:06 PM 12-5-2007_


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## kingbingy (Nov 20, 2007)

Are you telling me I need to do a Timing belt?


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## independent77 (May 23, 2003)

*Re: (kingbingy)*

no.
Check your timing.


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## mdttb (Nov 26, 2007)

No you asked BTW, I figured out what TDC is. But how do you figure that out?
Were you referring to the marks ? that link explains your timimng marks among other things.


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## kingbingy (Nov 20, 2007)

Ah, I need to get a timing gun, but I never used one. Is it hard to do?


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## mdttb (Nov 26, 2007)

*Re: (kingbingy)*

Firing Order for a 2.0


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## BMGFifty (Sep 2, 2004)

*Re: (kingbingy)*

You can also look for the mark on the flywheel, but that isn't always correct or sometimes isn't there at all. Some people put a screwdriver in the #1 spark plug hole and crank the engine http://****************.com/smile/emgift.gif by hand until the screwdriver reaches it's highest point. This is really easy to do on a 16v, but a little more difficult on an 8v since the plugs are in the side of the head. 
Remember that for every 1 rotation of the distributor the crank will rotate twice. 


_Modified by BMGFifty at 4:17 PM 12-5-2007_


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## memoryred gti (Oct 24, 2002)

*Re: (BMGFifty)*


_Quote, originally posted by *BMGFifty* »_You can also look for the mark on the flywheel, but that isn't always correct or sometimes isn't there at all. Some people put a screwdriver in the #1 spark plug hole and *crank the engine by hand *until the screwdriver reaches it's highest point. This is really easy to do on a 16v, but a little more difficult on an 8v since the plugs are in the side of the head. 
Remember that for every 1 rotation of the distributor the crank will rotate twice. 

fix that http://****************.com/smile/emgift.gif


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## kingbingy (Nov 20, 2007)

Sweet Mother of God..... Just wanted to let you guys know that all of you guys rock. The dumb ass who did the last tune up plug these incorrect. Maybe that s why I got a sweet deal (LOL). either way I changed it to the correct firing order and BAM. Start ups, no misfire, reset computer, ran up and down the block and runs great. I had a huge loss of power.
Thanks again to those who helped. 
VDubs Rock.


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## mdttb (Nov 26, 2007)

Good to hear


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## BMGFifty (Sep 2, 2004)

*Re: (memoryred gti)*


_Quote, originally posted by *memoryred gti* »_
fix that http://****************.com/smile/emgift.gif 
 Fixed


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## memoryred gti (Oct 24, 2002)

*Re: (BMGFifty)*


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