Wife parked car at work on a slope with the front of the Type 3 up and the engine down. When she came out the car wouldn't start so called the RACQ. The guy said he thinks she has a vapor lock as the engine bay smelt strongly of fuel and he said the engine wasn't turning over. He told us to truck it home and sit it flat overnight and hopefully the fuel will disipate and car will start in morning.
Does this sound right? and is there anything I should do to the engine.
Marc
If you can't laugh at yourself you can't laugh at anyone else! Because life is to short not to LAUGH
If it wouldnt start, from vapour lock you only have to remove the fuel cap to see if it lets off with a pressure.
the type 3s have a vent line that runs across the bonnet and down to the front of the car. Its a very small line and sometimes gets blocked. fined it and blow out with compresses air to make sure its clear.
This should fix the vapour lock probs.
If the engine bay smelt strongly of fuel would it be vapour lock? I thought that vapour lock was when the fuel vapourised (usually due to excess heat) before leaving the carb(s). In which case it wouldn't necessarily smell like fuel.
I feel that it is more likely that the engine is flooded. I have seen this happen a number of times to my brothers '67 bug which is running an electric pump and twin carbs (on a Type IV engine). Every time he parked it with the nose up (on a hill) it would flood - sometimes to the point of hydralicing (thats what we call it anyway) - when the cylinders are so full of fuel that the engine cannot turn over due to the excess pressure.
Does the engine run OK normally? How long was the car parked for? It's worth checking the tank vents anyway, but I would look at the possibility of flooding too.
Are you running an electric fuel pump? Have you ever had problems starting the car when parked on an upwards slope, even for a short time - perhaps even just more cranking required and then a start with a puff of black smoke?
R
40hp, 6V and ...er... slowly making improvements
😂
It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice!
Founding member of the Gold Coast Dub Club Inc. 🙂Hi guys sorry about the last post it was my wife to lazy to log out and log in
just to answer a few questions We have not had this problem before we are using the manual fuel pump,it sat for about 7 hours, even though the engine is a bit tired it runs really well no oil smoke out exhust pipe I am thinking of put a fuel cut of switch like they use on LPG cars to stop the petrol just to make sure it does not flood the engine. I will also be checking the breather pipe as per vw64
what I think happened she parked the car with the front up on a steep hill when she came out of work it would not start she thought flat battery as all it would do is go cluk. in comes RACQ test battery says it is ok so instead of checking the starter to see if it is jammed tells her that because the car is parked this way the petrol has leaked in to the engine and filled the cyd and that is way it is going cluk cluk" HE called it vapor lock" so car towed home in the dark I get home in sons car to this story and that she had posted it . anyway this morning I go out car still going cluk so check in engine bay no smell of petrol so with car parked on a slight slope put car in 1st roll a little bit let clutch out and stop turn key car starts me thinks starter jammed are you guys thinking it may have been the starter as well
thanks again for posting your thoughts they are always welcome as I have a lot to learn about servicing these great cars
Marc (Kathy the wife)
[Edited on 21-5-04 by Midlife crisis]
If you can't laugh at yourself you can't laugh at anyone else! Because life is to short not to LAUGH
I have had this problem in Kermit.
The engine cylinders fill with fuel and you cannot turn the motor over.
Gimmie a ring if you need to know more..
A Fuel cutoff will fix that problem...
Talk to leon.... he has them there and fits them so they will only work when engine is running.
Great for saftey anyway.
Tazz
1962 Type3 Squareback
1967 Type3 Fastback "Kermit"
The truth is important. It will set you free
leon put one on the spare bug (that guy is a good mechanic) and never had problem after.
I have no sympathy for my car, only the wallet that pays for it!
Go hard or go home!!!!
It's not a vapour lock, it's an overflowing carbie float chamber. The same thing happens with kombis. Basically, if you park with the front uphill, the float chamber overflows and petrol dribbles down the carbie throat, down the intake manifold, and into the cylinders. The car won't start because obviously it's flooded. If you leave it facing uphill too long the petrol in the cylinders leaks past the rings into the case and fills it up - so then you need to do a full oil change. Check your dipstick level to see if it's higher than it was last week (you do check it every week, don't you?).
[Edited on 21-5-2004 by Purple Martin]
1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper
Thanks Guys will go see Leon on monday about the cut off switch
I just checked the oil on wednesday when I reset the timing
and again today before I tried to start it
Marc
If you can't laugh at yourself you can't laugh at anyone else! Because life is to short not to LAUGH
