# '82 rabbit L problems



## nergizr82 (Mar 10, 2009)

im pretty new here and was wondering if someone could point me in the right directions on my problems with my rabbit. it is a 1982 cis fuel injected 5spd 2dr hatch back. problems- hard start everytime, poor mileage, hesitation, loss of power and acceleration, and consumes oil. where do u guys/ladies think i should start? what has been replaced so far with new or remanufactured is radiator, altenator, water pump, drive shafts, and shocks/struts. whats been replaced with used timing belt tensioner pully. everything else is pretty much stock that i know of since i purchased it in '03 other than basic tune up stuff. any help would be great and i hope i can find what im looking for here. thanks

thanks for the suggestions guys. i got that book and its helpin me understand the fuel system better. im going to check the timing first though cause i just remembered that a while ago i changed out the timing belt tensioner pulley with a used one cause the old one the bearing was shot so i think i did put the timing belt on wrong lol stupid me. and another question is it normal to have pressure release from the gas cap? cause every time i fill up and take the gas cap off theres pressure released from the filler neck. any ideas?
guess what guys lol my timing belt was screwed up missin about 4 inches worth of teeth. put a new one on it damn its run a lot smoother now lol and did a compression test all cylinders are around 100psi so that ok kinda i mean for being stock and all. but i think my rings are starting to go im getting some blow by. put my hand over the tail pipe and it spotted my hand with black dots. you guys think this is rings?
_Modified by nergizr82 at 1:00 PM 3-24-2009_


_Modified by nergizr82 at 2:02 AM 3-28-2009_


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## where_2 (Jul 21, 2003)

*Re: '82 rabbit L problems (nergizr82)*

You should start with the "Bosch Fuel Injection & Engine Management" book by Probst. Once you understand the functionality of the system, then we'll get on to what to replace. (it actually has a good troubleshooting guide, which reminds me, I need to get mine back from a friend in Virginia who is coming to town next week) Amazon has them from $21 new, from $14 used. That's about the cost of a tank of gas these days! 

The reason I suggest the fuel injection book is because you noted that you have hard starting, poor fuel economy, and hesitation. If you fix those issues, you'll be saving money on fuel, and in this economy, that's always a good thing. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif Savng $ on fuel helps fund other upgrade/refurb projects on the car.








Based on my former '80 Scirocco_S with a 5speed, you should be getting in the neighborhood of 27-30mpg. On the highway, I used to get ~30-33mpg, despite having an '85 Golf_//_GTI engine under the hood. When I swapped out my 1.6L engine for the 1.8L, my fuel economy stayed pretty consistent, or improved slightly. They're light cars, and the K-Jetronic fuel injection was pretty efficient when it was working correctly. 


_Modified by where_2 at 8:10 PM 3-10-2009_


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## alpinweiss (Aug 10, 2007)

*Re: '82 rabbit L problems (where_2)*

While I agree with your advice on fuel injection, the Rabbit is also consuming oil. So I wonder if there is not a more basic problem with the engine internals.
I would start with a compression test and a cylinder leakdown test to rule out any major problems with valves, rings, head gasket, etc. Oil burning could be as simple as bad valve stem seals, but the 1982 Westmoreland cars had the improved seal design, so this is less likely than on pre-1981 cars.
After this, I agree on checking fuel injection and related systems to address the drivability problems. 
Timing belt? Could it have been reinstalled wrong?


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## where_2 (Jul 21, 2003)

*Re: '82 rabbit L problems (alpinweiss)*


_Quote, originally posted by *alpinweiss* »_Timing belt? Could it have been reinstalled wrong? 

They could _always_ have been installed one tooth off, I've done it myself. Imagine my disbelief when I checked the timing marks and found it was one tooth off... to this day, I still don't know how I managed that, but I Double and Triple check now... 
Just like the time I swapped 2 plug wires in the distributor on my '70 Beetle and spent 3 hours trying to figure out why it was backfiring out one of the dual carbs... Things happen...


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