interior
Fix your MFA
If none of the functions of the MFA work, including the clock:
The first step is to disconnect the earth at the battery and then re-connect it. This serves to clear and reset the computer memories.
Then check the fuse and whether other electrical items on the circuit work. If they are all ok, then there is either an interruption in the power supply or the earth to the MFI unit, or a break in the printed circuit or the unit is faulty.
To check for a power supply connect a voltmeter to the battery live connection to the dash, not forgetting to connect the negative lead of the voltmeter to a good earth.
You can check this without removing the instrument panel cluster.
Mk1 Scirocco buying guide pt2
Suspension and steering
Mk1s on test track
Suspension consists of Macpherson struts with wishbones at the front and trailing arms at the rear. Springs can snap is rusty and the dampers are oil or gas filled. Make sure the formers are not leaking. Check the suspension top mounts for signs of fatigue, if they are hard and brittle and the car crashes on bumps then its time to replace them. Rear top mounts have a much easier time and very rarely need replacing.
The suspension can be invigorated by replacing the top mounts and the wishbone and rear axle beam bushes. The bushes do have a shelf life and take a lot of punishment. Replacements are cheap and wishbones can be purchased already bushed, otherwise a press is required to remove and refit the wishbone bushes. Rear beam pivot bushes will always require a press to replace them. Bushes can be upgraded to poly replacements if originality is not hugely important.
Steering should be light and precise and it is worth checking wheel alignment and tracking before consigning the rack to the bin. The rack itself is long lasting but if steering is sloppy it may need replacing. Steering rack mounting bushes can also perish and will benefit from being replaced. No Mk1s left the factory with power steering.
Fueling
Petrol consumption figures are quite frugal, even in the injected models. 35mpg is easily achievable, meaning not much of a headache at the pumps. All Mk1s will run on unleaded petrol. Most owners recommend putting super unleaded in these older cars as the higher octane rating is kinder to the engines.
When buying a Mk1, always try to ensure that the car is started from cold. If it hesitates to fire up and idle smoothly during warm up suspect the carburettor or on injection models the cold start valve (5th injector). On carb models the original auto-choke Pierburg or Zenith units can become troublesome with age and many vehicles have had their replaced with the simpler and more efficient Weber carburettor with a manual choke. Both carb and fuel injection models should idle at around 900rpm once past the warm-up period. Misfiring on fuel injected cars is more likely to be tired spark plugs or faulty HT leads rather than injection system problems.
Throttle response should be smooth and without resistance -if it isn’t smooth inspect the condition of the cable and the mechanism at the carb or throttle body.
The weak link of the mk1 fuel sytem is the metal filler neck which runs from the rear quarter to the tank. Due to the proximity of the wheel arch this area is a notorious rust trap as the rear wheel throws salt and muck and road debris against the filler neck enabling corrosion to take hold and eventually pit the neck with holes, leading to contamination of the fuel. › Continue reading
Interior water leaks?
rear lights