POS VW Problems- I have no idea what's wrong now

"I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker" (qaaaaa) 06/03/2019 at 20:20 • Filed to: None

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Hey Oppo, last week my 1996 Golf was misfiring a bit and gave me a code for misfire on 1, so I figured I’d change spark plugs. I did plugs and wires (had to wait for a special tool and new wires to come in the mail, thanks VW for making cylinder 2 and 3 wires so hard to install) and tried to crank, and... nothing.

Well, not nothing. Right now I can crank it and the starter puts out two or three pulses, then the engine “kicks back”- I can feel it somewhat violently shake, almost like a backfire but without the sound. Weird part is this doesn’t happen when I disconnect distributor from the coil pack.

Then, after a few attempts, I noticed that I could smell gas in the engine bay, but with no visible leaks. So that’s weird.

Anybody have a guess? It’s an 8v 2.0 ABA engine.

Lifted Scion xB for your time.

for Michigan > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/03/2019 at 20:31

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Are you 100% sure your wires are connected correctly? Sounds like it’s not sparking  at the right time.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > for Michigan 06/03/2019 at 20:41

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I thought about that. I’m about 95% I have them connected right... I put the wire for 1 at the mark on the distributor for TDC, then 3, 4, 2. I also double checked against my Jetta.

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/03/2019 at 20:55

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Sounds like you got the firing order wrong when you reinstalled the wires. The gas smell would be from flooding it. 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > for Michigan 06/03/2019 at 20:56

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Goddamnit. They were plugged in the wrong spots. You were right.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > TheTurbochargedSquirrel 06/03/2019 at 20:57

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Yup. That’s what it is.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/03/2019 at 21:29

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You were so quick to blame the car too lol 

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo 06/03/2019 at 21:39

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So what happened was...

I had all four plug wires off, right? So I looked at where the plugs went on my 97 Jetta, but I looked at the dizzy from the driver’s side of the car, instead of from in front like when I was working on the Golf. So I had everything rotated 90°.

NojustNo > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/04/2019 at 01:29

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Do em one at a time and this can't happen again :)

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > NojustNo 06/04/2019 at 10:48

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Right, but wires kept breaking so I yoinked em all. Oh well.

for Michigan > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/04/2019 at 18:00

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I did that on my Civic several years ago and it would run in neutral but would stall as soon as I let the clutch out. Took me a minute to figure it out, too.