Might want to check spark and fuel first before you go purchasing plugs, fuel filter, etc.

 

You answered your own question. It could be any of those things. Also it's an OBDI car so don't expect the CEL to tell you much. You need to hook it up to a datalogger to see what's going on.

People love to hate these cars and most of the time refuse to properly maintain them or do anything correctly and destroy them rather than do things right. More than likely some parts are installed wrong. Probably vacuum/boost leaks.

 

ok so i had the car running and pinched off the four vac lins to the throtle body and no change. I i felt for pressure at the hose to the intake and it stumbles when boost starts to build but there is a boost control valve in ther that i just noticed and don't know if that might be doin it. I also think the people before me put regular gas in it and it's spitting carbon out the tailpipe... i know that's not good. If anyone in norfolk has a stock tsi i'ld like to look at it to compare see if there is anything else that i'm not noticing cause i'm unfamiliar with this motor...

 

If you can make it to hampton you can take a look at my 91 GSX its stock.

 

well the vaccum lines are fine... but i jumped a tooth on the timeing... i'm hoping that's all that's wrong with it

 

That will definitely cause problems, that's for sure.

Buying a used DSM is a gamble. Most of them have been passed around so many times to so many shade tree mechanics (I use that term loosely) that you never know what you actually have or what the quality of the work is. It's kinda like buying a CRX. After the first 15 owners, usually half of the car has been completely fucked up by idiots.

 

yea but i'll get it right... and talkin to my pops it may also have a carbon build up... cause i think that the last owner use reg gas in it... but with two mechnics in my fam i'll get it done

 

everything i was thinking was wrong... the timing belt was off a bit and the balance belt broke and got jamed in... i believe that's all that's wrong with it.. i'll let ya'll know when i fix it later this week

 

timing belts and pullys have been changed and fixed along with the water pump. it runs a bit better but stumbles a little still but only after it warms up... and now the cooling fans only kick on when the ac is on and we can't get them on any other way even if we jump it???? it's reading normal heat on the cluster but it'll boil over???? anyone have an idea.

 

That could definately be it.