My Baby is being very difficult of late. She was mistreated by the previous owner and I have worked hard to get her to run well for about a year. She has the Neuspeed P-Chip, P-Flow, and nice exhaust. The previous owner took the catalytic conv. out thinking that would increase his performance (dope!). He welded the O2 sensor into the straight pipe!
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/# I couldn't figure out why she wouldn't pass the emissions test in MA and took it to the VW dealer. Their "top technician" said that my EGR needed replacement ($800) and that I needed a new O2 sensor for a grand total of $1190! I said no thanks and took it in for a second opinion and they informed me of the missing catalyst. Their estimate was $1300 because, they said, they didn't do welding and would have to replace the entire exhuast! Ordered a top quality Bosch O2 sensor and a Catal. Converter from a trusted source on the web for $190 total and had a welding shop down the road install the cat for $55. Put the O2 in myself and I passed inspection and was doing fine for less than $250! Gas mileage went from 21 to 31 too!
All was fine except a very slow leak in the AC which was fixed with leak stop. Kept it up, replaced vacuum hoses, some wiring, installed a $3000 Alpine system and all was well...that is until a month ago.
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th gears were slipping and I began to baby it until I saved enough for a clutch. Had my personal mechanic do it for $600, then I went for alignment and found out the ball joints were bad. The alignment folks said $370!
http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/# My mechanic did it for $140 and I was AGAIN on my way. Then, driving home one day, she died.
Sounded odd at first and I thought I had snapped the timing belt/chain, but something told me it was something electrical since I had been hearing a buzzing, almost like sparks arcing, under my dash near the fuse block for a while.
Got her towed home and she would not even sputter for me. Called mechanic and checked with the car again and thought that it was the fuel pump after I checked the fuse readings and all seemed okay (I was getting voltage as I cranked the car, but it died shortly after while still cranking). I thought that it was fine like that and it just shut off because the fuel pump was not pressurizing or something. TOok that blasted little round door off the trunk floor and after much work, got the retaining ring off. Ordered a new fuel pump and readied to put it in. When I looked at the new one, they were not even close. Plusk, I would have had to buy an additional $120 new sender unit to make it work (I guess that they don't make that exact pump anymore). Had a useless new pump, so I took the old one apart and cleaned it thoroughly and tried it with leads from the battery and it worked! CHecked the voltage and it was no good. Went to the VW dealer to pay $25 for a $5 relay and put the relay in. Put the pump in and it started. Victory, yes sir. Well, that was short lived.
Car died again and I put the old relay in and THAT worked. A few miles later, it died again, but I pushed on the relay and it started again! This happened repeatedly over the next few days but got better and better. Had to travel 60 miles to Boston today and as soon as I had gotten farthest from home, it died. I ran a wire from a working fuse to the FUel pump fuse and it worked. I felt like a GENIUS. Off I went. It died when I stopped for coffee and went to start it again. This time, I took apart the fuse block--just dropping it down and it appears as though I am getting intermittent voltage at the fuse. VW said that the fuel pump relay for the early 90's Passats where extremely popular, but I think folks just think it is the relay. When the beast starts to die, the relay makes a buzzing noise, like it is getting power to switch, then not, then power again, very fast.
I am at a total loss here. I am going to a junk yard tomorrow to remove a fuse block from a 94 Passat that I have picked almost clean and I am going to use that as a guide so I won't have to disconnect the whole block. Next I will check the ignition switch. ANy suggestions? Please help!
Thanks!