# Car running on 3 cylinders



## 87GOLFITB (Dec 27, 2008)

The car is 87 Golf GL (US built). GX engine code with solid JH head. CIS fuel system. The problem: My car is running on 3 cylinders. The missing cylinder is #2 (as deterimined by pulling the wire off the plug and it having no efffect). I have spark going to the plug and I have fuel (spray is a mist and cone shaped). All of the plugs are brand new (it was running really rich), the wires, cap, and rotor are about 2 years old with no outward sign of damage. The cam, rotor, and flywheel line up at TDC. I can't find the mark for the crank since the pulley was painted over and is dirty. I fiddled with advancing and retarding timing yesterday with no change. I recently had to replace the main fuel pump (brand new) and the fuel distributor (the metering pin got stuck in the old one). The fuel dizzy is a used piece from my parts box but it seemes to be functioning properly. These are the only 2 parts changed from last season when the car was parked due to the bad fuel pump. I have not checked compression or done a leak down test but there is no visible sign of head gasket failure. When turned over by hand the engine seems the same through all 4 cylinders. No visible sign of smoke from the exhaust.

There is a "puffing" in the exhaust that sounds new but I have a Supertrapp and the plates make a similar noise. I have not run it without the plates yet. The car has been sitting since July when the pump went out. 

I do have a Bentley and have been studying it nightly. Any advice is appreciated.

Chris


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

Well, given that 3 of 4 holes work correctly, and that the injector spray pattern is correct (and, you've verified that it isn't leaking?)...

Swap wires between a dead cylinder and a working one? I know that you said there is spark, yes; but, it doesn't mean that it's strong enough to actually light the cylinder.
I'm guessing that the #2 spark plug is fuel-soaked when you take it out?

I doubt that it's an engine timing issue, as the rest of the motor runs correctly. (BTW: the proper TDC mark is actually on the flywheel - it's a small dot, just to the 'rear' of the 6'BTDC timing hash.)

I'd be thinking, though, that it's time to do a compression test on it, though. See how healthy the motor is. 
If it's low on that cylinder only, also do a leakdown test, see where you're losing pressure to.
The 'puffing' could simply be uneven exhaust flow (due to the misfire), or it could be, say, a burned exhaust valve. Can't say without a leakdown test, though.


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

take a compression reading, then let us know if #2 has low, or no compression?

im almost betting you have a bad lifter, or a stuck exhaust valve, something like that, not letting the valve close all the way.


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## 87GOLFITB (Dec 27, 2008)

Its a fresh motor (~300 miles since rebuild) but I'm not ruling anything out. I'll get back with my results.


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## shurik06_83 (Oct 19, 2006)

bad valve or bad valve seat piston moves up and makes no compression do a comp test if u get a really funny reading from the problem cylinder then its the valve deal or piston rings but my $$ is on a bad sealing valve


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## 87GOLFITB (Dec 27, 2008)

Got a compression tester today and will test this weekend. However I did the rag at the exhaust trick and it sucked it in (burnt valve?). Its blowing black smoke when reved. I have no cat or O2 sensor; just header to pipe to Supertrapp.


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## 87GOLFITB (Dec 27, 2008)

Dry compression test results:

1 - 180 170 165 2nd test: 165 175 175 (throttle open)

2 - 170 170 165 (this is the one not firing) 2nd test: 175 175 175 (throttle open)

3 - 175 175 175 2nd test: 175 170 175 (throttle open)

4 - 175 175 180 (no 2nd test yet; battery died)

These all look within spec based on what the Bentley says.

Reset ignition timing based on the correct mark and started it, no change. Pulled out the 2nd plug and its bone dry. I checked it for spark and its good and blue. The 3 other plugs are black and sooty (rich mixture) while the one from the nonfiring cylinder is still white. I'm thinking its a fuel issue now.

Thanks,
Chris


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## cuppie (May 4, 2005)

I thought you said you had a proper spray pattern from the dead cylinder's injector? 

One easy way to check if the issue is with the fuel dist, or with the injector itself: 
Clean all of the plugs. Swap a pair of injector lines at the distributor. Run it. Pull the plugs again. Dead cylinder move yes/no?


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## 87GOLFITB (Dec 27, 2008)

When I pulled the injector and pushed up the metering plate the injector sprayed. I swapped injectors between 2 and 3 with no change. I swaped the lines between 2 and 3 and 3 didn't fire. I should have double-checked, but glad its not my engine. Off to find a replacement fuel dizzy or carbs.

Thanks for the help.


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## shurik06_83 (Oct 19, 2006)

did u take a look at the ignition wire cap i had a cap that looked good but the spark would jump to the pin beside the one being fired 

look inside the cap for hazy lines or dots the cap if good will have a smooth plastic shine inside if blown will have dots or lines that look like flat finish paint 

also if their is salt or calsiume deposits on the cap they will pull the humidity out of the air and will conduct the spark to where u don't want it 

if stiil no go take the plug wire off the cap and try it in a dif cyl if that dif cyl stops working u know its a bad wire


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## 87GOLFITB (Dec 27, 2008)

The problem turned out to be fuel distributor related. The missing cylinder fired when the fuel line and injector from a good cylinder was swapped in.

Lesson for the day: Always check the last part replaced when an unexpected problem crops up.


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## Glegor (Mar 31, 2008)

87GOLFITB said:


> The problem turned out to be fuel distributor related. The missing cylinder fired when the fuel line and injector from a good cylinder was swapped in.
> 
> Lesson for the day: Always check the last part replaced when an unexpected problem crops up.


duh? :banghead:


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## 87GOLFITB (Dec 27, 2008)

87GOLFITB said:


> When I pulled the injector and *pushed up* the metering plate the injector sprayed.


Clearly I applied more force on the plate and pin than the engine does. Guess we were both wrong....


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## 87GOLFITB (Dec 27, 2008)

As a conclusion to this thread, I did have a bad fuel distributor. I replaced it, set the mixture manually and now its running great.


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