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#1
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Is it for sure the Catalytic Converter?
I have had an issue with my 95 Jetta that is quite honestly driving me
crazy. I will give you as much history as possible and god bless anyone that can really help me. I bought the car a few years ago. It ran fine when I bought it. When it is started, about 20 or so minutes in I will see the engine light come on. It has done this since day one. Gradually over time I have noticed that the car runs fine when the light is off but as soon as that light comes in the performance goes down the tubes. It bogs down heavily and sort of sputters. However once that light goes back off the performance returns right back to fine. So I take the car into the dealer and they tell me that it is a timing issue and they will look into it. THey call me up and say the timing belt needs to be replaced. I did argue with the guy for a bit as the fix didnt match the issues in my opinion....either way I went ahead and got the belt replaced. I get my car back...same thing. 4 visits and $600 later the car is still not working. The car is in a state now that the light is on 80% of the time and it dies now. From time to time it will snuff out completely when I go to push on the pedal. However as soon as I stop the car it will run fine again. SO I have been told it is the catalytic converter....and from any posts I have looked at that address issues with catalytic converter on this car on this year the issue match almost to the T. What does anyone who knows more than me about this car (which will be almost all of you) have any insight on this? Things to note: It has a brand new rotor, cap, plugs, plug wires, and fuel pump. The timing is correct and as far as I know, the distributor does not need to be replaced...even though the dealership mentioned that as a fix...but after the assistance I have got from them I am going to take my chances on the net. |
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#2
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"G-Ram" > wrote
> The car is in a state now that the light is on 80% of the time and it > dies now. From time to time it will snuff out completely when I go to > push on the pedal. However as soon as I stop the car it will run fine > again. > Obviously, since the check engine light goes on, you need to look at a menu of what the computer recognizes in the engine for the light to come on and look at the most feasable possibilities. Are you sure this couldn't be something as simple as a bad or bad ignition wire that works intermittently. Perhaps when it is running at it's worst it may (don't know from the little you wrote) be running on 3 cylinders? (or even 2) Have you changed your ignition wires? I had a Golf that ran terrible that was simply due to a failed and intermittent ignition wire to cylinder 4. You may have blown your catalytic converter because the engine may have been driven with fuel going through it from the bad running, combusted in the catalytic converter and fried it. That is the only link I see to your catalytic converter. If you have on your service order your problem of "engine light coming on", charging you all that money and not fixing it-I would demand either they fix it since they misdiagnozed it or your money back. Personally, I would not let them get away with it even if I filed a small claims court claim. Since the engine ran fine at times, this had NOTHING to do with the timing belt, for instance skipping or jumping a cog. It would run ALL the time poorly like that, if it were possibly the timing belt. > SO I have been told it is the catalytic converter....and from any posts In my opinion, the catalytic converter is collateral damage and not related to the problem. It very well need replacement though. Harry |
#3
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G-Ram wrote:
>I have had an issue with my 95 Jetta that is quite honestly driving me > crazy. I will give you as much history as possible and god bless > anyone that can really help me. I agree with Harry, but I am interested in "I have been told it is the catalytic converter." Who told you and what did they form that opinion on? > > I bought the car a few years ago. It ran fine when I bought it. When > it is started, about 20 or so minutes in I will see the engine light > come on. It has done this since day one. Gradually over time I have > noticed that the car runs fine when the light is off but as soon as > that light comes in the performance goes down the tubes. It bogs down > heavily and sort of sputters. However once that light goes back off > the performance returns right back to fine. > > So I take the car into the dealer and they tell me that it is a timing > issue and they will look into it. THey call me up and say the timing > belt needs to be replaced. I did argue with the guy for a bit as the > fix didnt match the issues in my opinion....either way I went ahead > and got the belt replaced. I get my car back...same thing. 4 visits > and $600 later the car is still not working. > > The car is in a state now that the light is on 80% of the time and it > dies now. From time to time it will snuff out completely when I go to > push on the pedal. However as soon as I stop the car it will run fine > again. > > SO I have been told it is the catalytic converter....and from any > posts I have looked at that address issues with catalytic converter > on this car on this year the issue match almost to the T. > > What does anyone who knows more than me about this car (which will be > almost all of you) have any insight on this? > > Things to note: It has a brand new rotor, cap, plugs, plug wires, and > fuel pump. The timing is correct and as far as I know, the distributor > does not need to be replaced...even though the dealership mentioned > that as a fix...but after the assistance I have got from them I am > going to take my chances on the net. -- Joseph Meehan Dia duit |
#4
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"G-Ram" > wrote in message oups.com... > I have had an issue with my 95 Jetta that is quite honestly driving me > crazy. I will give you as much history as possible and god bless anyone > that can really help me. > > I bought the car a few years ago. It ran fine when I bought it. When it > is started, about 20 or so minutes in I will see the engine light come > on. It has done this since day one. Gradually over time I have noticed > that the car runs fine when the light is off but as soon as that light > comes in the performance goes down the tubes. It bogs down heavily and > sort of sputters. However once that light goes back off the performance > returns right back to fine. > > So I take the car into the dealer and they tell me that it is a timing > issue and they will look into it. THey call me up and say the timing > belt needs to be replaced. I did argue with the guy for a bit as the > fix didnt match the issues in my opinion....either way I went ahead and > got the belt replaced. I get my car back...same thing. 4 visits and > $600 later the car is still not working. > > The car is in a state now that the light is on 80% of the time and it > dies now. From time to time it will snuff out completely when I go to > push on the pedal. However as soon as I stop the car it will run fine > again. > > SO I have been told it is the catalytic converter....and from any posts > I have looked at that address issues with catalytic converter on this > car on this year the issue match almost to the T. > > What does anyone who knows more than me about this car (which will be > almost all of you) have any insight on this? > > Things to note: It has a brand new rotor, cap, plugs, plug wires, and > fuel pump. The timing is correct and as far as I know, the distributor > does not need to be replaced...even though the dealership mentioned > that as a fix...but after the assistance I have got from them I am > going to take my chances on the net. You must be the fourth or fifth poster that's had the same problem. I had exactly the same issue with my 1995 Jetta GLS. It started with the engine light going on then off, accompanied by stuttering and **** poor performance. As soon as the light went off, performance returned. I tried changing the distributor cap and rotor, cleaning the throttle plate, replacing the plug wires, and overal there was 0% improvement. If fact, it got worse to the point where the check engine light was on 100% of the time. The engine kept running crappily, but then I started hearing a rattling sound coming from the exhaust system, after driving it for 16 months or so with the above stated poor performance. It turned out that one or more of the screens in the catalytic converter had broken off and was essentially blocking exhaust flow. This may have been caused by the distributor which it turns out was the cause of the check engine light coming on, then off, then permanently on. My diagnosis to you? Have the distributor and catalytic converter replaced. Don't buy the dealer recommend catalytic converter because they will charge you $1200 to $1400 and its complete theft. Order a replacement Techtonics catalytic converter from Rapid Parts, have the dealer or your mechanic install it (and a new distributor) and you should be back in the running. Total bill with labor, around $800. If you do it all yourself, then maybe $400 to $500. One interesting point about the distributor, apparently the Hall Effect sensor that measures/senses engine rotation speed fails quite often on these things, but since its an integral component, you can't just replace the sensor, but you have to buy and install the entire distributor. The sensor is probably $0.25 of electronic/magnetic components, but you'll still need to buy the entire distributor for $180 or whatever they cost now. PS: I think your timing belt was okay, but now you don't have to worry about that, right? |
#5
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How is your oil pressure? Low oil pressure could be a sign of bad main
bearings. Any unusual engine noises? How many miles on your car? |
#6
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> You must be the fourth or fifth poster that's had the same problem. I had
> exactly the same issue with my 1995 Jetta GLS. It started with the engine > light going on then off, accompanied by stuttering and **** poor > performance. As soon as the light went off, performance returned. I tried > changing the distributor cap and rotor, cleaning the throttle plate, > replacing the plug wires, and overal there was 0% improvement. If fact, it > got worse to the point where the check engine light was on 100% of the time. > > The engine kept running crappily, but then I started hearing a rattling > sound coming from the exhaust system, after driving it for 16 months or so > with the above stated poor performance. It turned out that one or more of > the screens in the catalytic converter had broken off and was essentially > blocking exhaust flow. This may have been caused by the distributor which > it turns out was the cause of the check engine light coming on, then off, > then permanently on. Incredible -- you've just perfectly described what's been going on with my Jetta. Engine light on and off (for about a year), then full on (for about three or four months), followed by rattling from the exhaust system (began about a week ago), now the engine stumbles from idle (first noticed it yesterday). I was figuring a loose heat shield on the catcon, but your description is eerily accurate. The engine code reader had said "high voltage reading from the coolant temp sensor," and since it wasn't overheating, I let it go. I suppose I'll pay the high price now for ignoring the warning. |
#7
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I will share my fix with you when and if it every happens.
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#8
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"G-Ram" > wrote:
>I have had an issue with my 95 Jetta that is quite honestly driving me >crazy. I will give you as much history as possible and god bless anyone >that can really help me. > fix...but after the assistance I have got from them I am >going to take my chances on the net. >I bought the car a few years ago. It ran fine when I bought it. When it >is started, about 20 or so minutes in I will see the engine light come >on. It has done this since day one. Gradually over time I have noticed > Sounds like what happened to me and it was the 02 sensor. |
#9
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"Brian Running" > wrote
> I was figuring a loose heat shield on the catcon, but your description is > eerily accurate. If it isn't catalytic converter breakage causing blocking be prepared to buy yet another cat if you run it long as the poor running will destroy the new one too. By process of elimination everything else should be tried or eliminated first If I thought this, since the cat is most likely destoryed anyway and you are going to replace it anyway, having the tools to do it - before I would install replacement cat - I would cut the existing cat open with an air cutter - removing the heat shield - a flap bending the flap open cut into the cat- remove any broken parts if any - and mig weld it back shut cleared of blocking fragments - (an alternative to this though would leak but would tell the answer would be to pop rivet some sheet metal over the access hole after removing fragments - it only needs to be run a few minutes to give the answer) - run the car again for short period since it has no cat effect. If the car now runs correctly - simple fix of replacing the cat - if it still runs poorly - you saved yourself another cat expense by damaging a new cat - unless you had it immediately repaired, finding the new cat did not fix it. . It should be replaced anyway. Cats can be fairly inexpensive if you do the work yourself. I don't use name brands. On an A2 I just put in a Golf a cat/front pipe (cat welded on front downpipe) that cost 97 dollars (Maremont) it passed inspection with flying colors. Harry |
#10
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In article >, Dave says...
> >"G-Ram" > wrote: > >>I have had an issue with my 95 Jetta that is quite honestly driving me >>crazy. I will give you as much history as possible and god bless anyone >>that can really help me. >> > fix...but after the assistance I have got from them I am >>going to take my chances on the net. > >>I bought the car a few years ago. It ran fine when I bought it. When it >>is started, about 20 or so minutes in I will see the engine light come >>on. It has done this since day one. Gradually over time I have noticed >> >Sounds like what happened to me and it was the 02 sensor. I am simply amazed that you are the first person to mention the most obvious culprit.... at least to check or replace 1st. |
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