82 convertible hard to start

[taylorman]

Hi,

I've got an appointment in a few days to check out and buy an 82 vw convertible rabbit. The guys says that it runs great, but it takes a minute or two to start. He says that once it gets going it runs great, but this is the main problem.

I'm gonna get a friend to drive me almost 4 hours from here so i can check it out and hopefully buy it. But i would like to know what i am getting into. Is this an easy problem to fix? Expensive? The car is a good price, so i won't mind funding some fix ups on her. But if this is perhaps major, then i might not want to waste my time (and my friend's time) in driving all the way out there and back.

Any words on this to help me out? Hopefully within a day or two.
I can't wait to be a rabbit owner,,,, i've had much experience with vw westies but this will be my first rabbit. I've heard great things.

Thanks,
Taylor

[briano1234]

Start at the basics, that is timing, cap, plugs, wires, rotor, and doing the duty cycle adjustments.

Then look at the vacuum lines, and the warm up regulator.

[taylorman]

Sweet, thanks.
Might this be a serious problem?
Or perhaps i may not know til i check out the car?
I suppose it could be many things...

[jettncab]

Might this be a serious problem?
Or perhaps i may not know til i check out the car?
I suppose it could be many things...

I doubt it's catastrophic, and is certainly no reason to pass the car up. It will, however, mean that you've got some troubleshooting to do. Plenty of folks have bought these older cars for a steal because the PO didn't want to take the time to solve the issue; many of those folks have driven the car down the street from the seller, popped the hood, have done some quick adjustments and, voila, problem solved.

Here are some things that could be wrong:
Faulty auxiliary air regulator.
Sensor plate inside the airflow meter is sticking.
Faulty fuel pump.
Faulty thermo-time switch.
Fuel pressure is outside of tolerance.
Injector(s) is/are faulty.
Fuel delivery is blocked.
Idle is incorrectly set.

All stuff that can be easily checked and remedied.

[taylorman]

wow,
that is so awesome
i really appreciate the support
i feel good about this car
gonna get it for a good price and will make sure to put in some care to keep her tip top
much gratitude for your words
taylor