# 85 gti, new to cis



## born2sleep (Jan 12, 2007)

got bitten by the vw bug with my 2nd car a 95 jetta 2.0 but was to green to fix it wen it start boggin down due to vacuum leaks
i jus found an 85 gti thatruns well but has a few gliches.
sumtimes on cold starts if reved above 3k and held the oil warning light starts buzzing, but engine performance is not changed and light usaully goes off quickly. any thoughts on what would cause this?
also at the back bottom of the air filter box there is a hose the runs back under the intacke manifold but watever it ran to has completely rusted away. is this sumthing i should replace or just block off?
i have checked the ing system and everything looks good so im interested in advancing the timing but dont know how or where to start?
like the title says, this is the first VW ive tried to mod so any advice or tips would be much appreciated


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## WaterWheels (Aug 14, 2005)

*Re: 85 gti, new to cis (born2sleep)*


_Quote, originally posted by *born2sleep* »_ . . . sumtimes on cold starts if reved above 3k and held the oil warning light starts buzzing, but engine performance is not changed and light usaully goes off quickly. any thoughts on what would cause this?
also at the back bottom of the air filter box there is a hose the runs back under the intacke manifold but watever it ran to has completely rusted away. is this sumthing i should replace or just block off?


Most times the control board for the oil warning system is at fault on the older cars and has to be replaced to fix it. You say it goes off fast, the but not if you mean stops or goes off as it making noise? There are also two switches, low and high oil pressure, which can cause the system to light and/or sound off if bad or the wiring is bad. Oil pressure itself can cause it too, but most times it is not a pressure issue really. Explain the warnings in detail and that will help, also, do you have a manual? The checks for the system should be in a good manual.
I believe the hose you are asking about is for warm air off the exhaust manifold. That is a cold running aid and an emission aid when cold. As the engine is port injected it really is a watse and later cars don't even have it. If you are not talking about a 1 1/2" or 2" hose then you will have to do a better detailed description.
I would invest time and money in getting things working right before thinking about doing any "mods".


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

the oil light thing is probably a bad ground somewhere, one of the guys will chime in and confirm/deny that.
that air tube going back to the exhaust manifold, is actually a preheat tube. zip tie the little flapper door in the air box closed over the warm air port. then it will be basically blocked off. then throw the tube away.
the ign system is very easy to work on.
un plug the ISV (round thing on top of the valve cover) open your trans plug, hook up timing light to cyl#1, start engine. then loosen dizzy and adjust accordingly. my gti likes about 24* of timing, and i only run premium fuel, so i ran a little extra timing.
and x2 on the whole "get it running properly before you mod it". it really makes a world of difference when it runs the best it can.


_Modified by Glegor at 3:21 PM 5-1-2010_


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## born2sleep (Jan 12, 2007)

*Re: 85 gti, new to cis (born2sleep)*

ok thanks for the info.
a few other things. my thermostat will only work every once in a while and wen i flip thru the computer the oil temp is --- so i think that sensor is shot
the light and buzzer for the oil will come on if its drove at above 3k in any gear but will stops some times if i throw it to neutral.
it runs great but just has sum sensors that have probly gone bad.
i havent had any experience with electrical systems so ill need sum pointers.
and i dont want to do no fast and furious car. wen i say mods i mean exhaust, intake, and maybe a cam wen i get everything tuned in
and Glegor, I havent done much work on cars so trans plug ,timing light, and dizzy dont help me sorry


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## WaterWheels (Aug 14, 2005)

*Re: 85 gti, new to cis (born2sleep)*

Thermostats never seem to work on and off, they tend to either work, go bad open (rare) or go bad closed. But some how I don't think you are really talking about the thermostat (coolant). You include a problem with the oil temp in the MFA in the same sentence, so I think you mean something else. The --- indicates the MFA is not receiving the ground resistance from the oil temperature sender. Could be a bad connection or sender (it grounds to the filter housing) or wiring. The sensor is cheap, but the checking is also easy, got a manual??
Your warning system problem does not sound like the board, but they do funny things sometimes. It sounds more like the high pressure switch or it's wiring (it also grounds to the filter mount). Sorry, but again the simple tests for the oil warning system are located in repair manuals







There could be an issue with the oil pump or the pick-up for it, but do the easy stuff first and then check the pressure with a gauge if the switches and wiring is OK.
The terms used above are: Trans plug = a rather large, most times green from the factory, plug screwed into the top of the transmission bell housing area. It is removed to gain access to the flywheel and it's timing marks when setting engine and ignition timing. Timing light = A strobe light, many versions, used to watch marks on the flywheel or other places when setting ignition timing or advance. Dizzy = Someone who does not take the time for some unknown reason to type ignition distributor or who maybe can't spell it.


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## born2sleep (Jan 12, 2007)

*Re: 85 gti, new to cis (WaterWheels)*

no i dont have a service manual because i thought they didnt go into detail about the gti, jus broad stuff about all 85-mid90's golfs, scopiros, and jettas
i was talkin about the coolant thermostat only workin once in a while
sorry for the confusion
and while pokin around i found i have a K&N filter that says it needs to be serviced and it looks pretty nasty. can i clean that myself?


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## born2sleep (Jan 12, 2007)

okay so i now realize my problems are electrical or wires not being grounded and has nothing to do with the CIS system 
so where should i post my problems to get the best electircal advice?


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## WaterWheels (Aug 14, 2005)

In the 8V forum. Be sure to explain the problem in good detail and what you have done so far.


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