Engine - troubleshooting
| Symptom | Reason(s) |
| The engine does not turn over with the starter There is no current reaching the starter | The battery is dead or faulty Poor contact at the battery terminals Defective starter switch or solenoid or open in starter wiring Bad engine ground. |
| Current is supplied to the starter | The starter is faulty. |
| The engine turns over but does not start There is no spark on the spark plugs | The spark plug wires or distributor cap are damp The spark plug wires have come loose from the spark plugs Low voltage wires are shorted or disconnected The breaker contacts are dirty, incorrectly adjusted or pitted The capacitor is faulty The ignition switch is faulty The ignition wires are not connected correctly The ignition coil is faulty The breaker contact spring is grounded or broken. |
| Floods the carburetor or cylinders | Too much choke - mixture is too rich, spark plugs are fouled The float is damaged or leaking or the valve needle is not seated in place The upper position of the float is not adjusted correctly. |
| The engine stalls and won't start again There is no spark on the spark plugs | Sudden failure of the ignition system Ignition system malfunction - during heavy rain or after driving through a deep puddle. |
| No fuel on the jets | The fuel tank is empty The fuel tank breather is clogged Clogged carburetor Water entered the fuel system. |
| Engine misfiring or rough idle Periodic loss of spark from spark plugs | The ignition wires have come loose Poor contact at the battery terminals The battery ground wire has come loose where it attaches to the body Bad engine ground The low voltage wires on the (+) and (-) terminals of the ignition coil have become loose The low voltage wire from the (-) terminal of the ignition coil to the distributor has become loose The spark plugs are fouled or the spark plug gap is incorrectly adjusted The breaker contacts are dirty, incorrectly adjusted or pitted Tracking on the inner surface of the distributor cap The ignition coil is faulty. |
| There is no fuel in the float chamber or on the jets | The fuel tank is empty Vacuum plug in the fuel line (may occur in hot weather or at high altitudes above sea level) The float chamber needle valve is clogged The fuel pump filter is clogged The jets are clogged The fuel pump is faulty. |
| Engine fuel starvation | Too lean mixture Air leakage into the carburetor Air leakage between the manifold and cylinder head or between the intake manifold and carburetor |
| Mechanical wear | Incorrectly adjusted valve clearances The exhaust valves are burnt Valves stick or leak Valve springs are weak or broken Worn valve guides or stems The pistons and piston rings are worn out. |
| The engine does not develop the required power and (or) poor compression in the cylinders The working mixture leaks from the cylinders | The exhaust valves are burnt Valves stick or leak Worn valve guides or stems Valve springs are weak or broken The cylinder head gasket is blown (accompanied by an increase in noise) The pistons and piston rings are worn out The cylinders are worn or scratched. |
| Incorrect adjustment | The ignition timing is set incorrectly The gap between the breaker contacts is set incorrectly Incorrectly adjusted valve clearances The spark plug gap is set incorrectly Too much or too little carburetion. |
| Problems with carburetion or ignition | The breaker contacts are dirty Malfunctions of automatic ignition timing regulators The fuel pump is faulty - fuel starvation |
| Excessive oil consumption The oil burns | Worn, damaged or missing valve stem seals Excessive wear of valve stems and guides The piston rings are worn out Worn pistons and cylinders The gap in the piston ring lock is too large, the working mixture passes behind the piston The piston return lubrication channels are clogged. |
| Oil consumption due to leaks | The oil filter gasket is leaking The camshaft cover gasket is leaking The oil pan gasket is leaking The oil pan plug has come loose. |
| The engine makes an unusual noise Excessive clearances due to mechanical wear | The connecting rod bearings are worn out (heavy regular blows) The main bearings are worn out (rumble and vibration) The crankshaft is worn out (impacts, rumbles and vibrations) The timing belt tension is incorrectly adjusted The tensioner pulley shaft or bearing is worn out The pistons are knocking (the noise increases when the engine is cold). |
The information is presented on the website: vwmanual
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