Hey Chris, . You need a good VW shop: call "General Parts" in Albuquerque. They have an 800 number you can get from 1-800-555-1212. Ask for Tom Kozak(sp.?). This shop is honest, reliable, and reasonable and they've been in business a long time. Also, don't drive that thing anymore taking off in 3rd & 4th gear--until you talk with Tom K. Otherwise, your clutch will be wasted in no time flat, plus the painful strain on the engine. Bob 87 Sycnro Westie
>In a message dated 98-09-15 02:02:05 EDT, Chrisw7971@AOL.com writes: > ><< Dear list, > I have just driven my 87 Syncro (w/114,000miles on it) from Mass to Santa Fe, > NM and have been limping since Penn. I was getting off an exit and coming to > a stop when I tried to take it out of 4th gear but it wouldn't come out, it > was stuck. I tried moving the gear back and forth but it wouldn't move > anywhere so I inched across a huge intersection (clutch gas clutch gas...)and > parked to check the situation. I looked underneath couldn't find anything. >A > mechanic down the road lifted it up and didn't find anything wrong with the > visible transmission parts underneath. He pulled on the rod a few times >hard, > and figured it was internal (possibly one of the "forks came off/broke...). > So I had two choices I could wait there until Monday when maybe someone could > look at it some where (that guy couldn't work on it) or I could just hit the > road again in 4th gear the whole way. I choose to hit the road and as I got > started I was able to shift into 3rd then briefly into 2nd and 1st, but 3rd > was the most reliable if I wanted to shift into 4th gear to get on the >highway > (confusing?? sorry I am seeing triple and my upper back is a knot from all > the stress of this Bull $%@!!#$ i have gone through in the past 3 days). So > basically I could shift form 4th into 3rd and back to 4th w/ no real problem > except a noticeable weird feel, but shifting into 2nd 1st and reverse is > another story. When I get off the highway I would shift into 3rd and it >would > hold but when I would try and take it out it would feel like it was totally > trashed. So I limped like this on down the highway (once I was on the >highway > at speed no worries). Then in Illinois it started pouring rain and guess >what > happened next, my driver side wind shield wiper went right off the wind >shield > and would not go back without a little help from my hand w/ my arm out the > window. Realizing that this was not going to work and it was becoming very > dangerous I got off the highway and found some Rain-X I had packed. Applied > that and was able to make it to Joplin Missouri in pouring rain where the fun > really started!! I got gas and went to start it up and there was nothing. > The power worked but engine didn't turn. --OK this happened once before at > the final end of a drive I had made from North Carolina to CT when I filled > her up, and what I did was push start it-- > So I got a guy to give me a hand (absolutely pouring rain FUN FUN FUN). We > push jumped it and it started right up. So I limped in 3rd gear to a hotel > for the night (can't sleep in her cause she is filled to the rim w/my life > which is moving to San Diego). She started up the next morning and this > procedure of having to push start when stopping for gas continued all the way > to Santa Fe. So here is what I know; my battery is good, I tried starting it > up an hour after I parked here and she started up!? so it has to do w/ a hot > engine / heat needing to cool down ???? Whatever, it sucks! -and as for the > transmission the only thing I can think is that (another fun thing) my > emergency brake has not been working for over a month when I drove w/ it on > for 30min (ooops), and I have been having to put it in gear to park. I > tightened the E-Brake cable but that wasn't it VW said (last week) that in > short it was f!@#ed and needs $1000 worth of repair (whatever they also once > told a new CAT would cost $995.00 and I got one through Ron for $89.00). So >I > basically I don't know what to do, I need my baby fixed and I need to get to > CalIf... > HELP!!! All advice PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!! > Chris W > 87 Syncro GL > >> >Bad news Chris. You need a starter because the solenoide is bad, when hot the >magnet inside the starter solenoid fails causing a no start until it cools >down. To make bad news worse, you need a reman trans with all the updates. >Post on the list a tranns concern aimed at Todd Hill. He can help you. Sorry >about all the hell you are going through. Been there done that, same hell >but in a 74 Opel wagen once. It broke down right in the middle of the salt >flats west of Salt Lake City 3:30 AM. I gave the car away for free to a bell >boy, when I finally made it there with a melted motor by then. I think >there's someone in Arizona that can help. Good luck. > Michael Modl > 87 syncro > 87 quattro |
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