Stop Light Not Properly On, But With Revs It Becomes More Visible.

[Guest sibbers]

OK, first off I should let you know that I bought a 1.9 GTI last week and it drives very well - its D reg (phase 1 I beleive) and has a genuine low mileage - but I've had a few oddities occur which I'll go into in a sec.

 

Now, with a car new to me I've bought a timing belt for peace of mind, got sparks, HTs, new air filter element, oil and oil filter. So far I've replaced all but the timing belt and sparks (tomorrow's job)

 

No white smoke from exhaust and nor does the coolant smell like HG failure, however it did show the coolant sign on the dash three days ago - after this I topped it up and feared the worst (hence the HG pre-empt) especially when the light came on again during a run down the m'way... since then I havent been able to get the coolant light to go out so I'm hoping it's broke, but having done the oil and filter change I've got (probably coincedentally) the stop light showing itself very dimly at about 2.5k rpms and above (more revs equals brighter lit stop light) - what is going on?

 

The temps are all good, water gets up to about 1/3rd in about 5 or 6 minutes (roughly) and oil gets up to temp in 12 to 15ish (again, guessing) - the oil pressure sits at about 4 tenths and goes up to half way with revs, when the oil is warmer its sits slightly lower but not anywhere I would imagine is too low considering the guage markings.

 

Do these signs point to something? I mean, for example, does the stop light know something I don't? Or is it more likley to be electrical interference from knocking a wire whilst fart arsing around trying to do a service on a completely unfamiliar engine? I know getting the oil filter out was a pig and the alternator wires may have been screwed about with for example.

 

I dunno, I've tried searching and I've read a lot but I must admit I find searhing this place quite tricky still, so forgive me if this is commonly asked, but I'd like to know whether or not I should be pouring money into it.

 

Cheers!

[Anthony 1,003]

The STOP light should be on or off - the triggers for it coming on are low oil pressure and high coolant temp. Low coolant won't trigger it.

 

Sounds to me like electrical intereference, probably from HT leads (try swapping the originals back on if you've replaced them, or replacing them with new ones if you haven't - they're cheap from GSF) especially if the coolant light is only on with the engine running.

 

If the coolant light is on all the time, try cleaning/replacing the coolant lever sensor (in the expansion tank) and check that the wiring isn't chaffed and shorting out.

[Guest sibbers]

Cheers Anthony, that's encouraging...

 

I didn't actually change HT's yet either (first post is slightly wrong).

 

I'm still hoping HG is ok, slightly worried it may not be.

 

One other thing - my cam cover makes a hell of a rattle, would that indicate a worn belt do you think? Glad I'm changing it. I have severe 2nd hand car fear (last car was an S13!)

[returnofjim 0]

How many miles has the car done, from my experience head gaskets on pugs seem to go around 80-90k miles depending on how well the service has been kept up, check the wiring to the alternator and check the belt and alternator pulley for play, the stop light coming on and getting brighter with higher revs could be something to do with the alternator, I have had this problem on 205s before, as for the coolant light check the sensor in the expansion tank give that a clean up and see if it improves.

 

James

[mfield 20]

Strange as it might sound i had a ht lead arcing out that caused the water and stop light to flick on more so the water.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

The alternator shouldn't put on the stop lamp at all imo, just the battery charge light if its faulty.

 

If the wires became disconnected when the oil change was done they might've been cross connected & cause this. Although this is fairly hard to do as iirc the alternator connection is to far to get any of the oil sensors to but the oil sensors can be cross connected.

 

Might also be that a wire has broken to the stop switch sensor at the back of the head. The wires are usually fairly brittle & don't need any provocation to break.

 

The coolant level sensor has nothing to do with the warning light, just the radiator type symbol below it which you rarely see. (hopefully)

 

Graham.

[Guest sibbers]

Well, HT swap today (did a friends 205 service yesterday) and cam belt at the same time. Strangely the dash coolant indicator is now out so I guess it's old a crap inside and jams on from time to time. I dont see how you can clean it though, its a tube with two small holes in? I think it went out as I went over a speed bump so I'll keep that behaviour up

 

Mileage is 74k... don't know if that's good or bad, could be either really.

 

I'll check the wiring today (although not at the dash, looks like something for next weekend - although my GF is beginning to hate me for it!)

 

Here's hoping the HT's sort it but its odd that it started to happen after I fiddled - makes me think it was a consequence of my actions rather than a coincendence.

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

You clean the sensor by taking it out of the expansion tank & flushing it through in warm soapy water as much as you can. Spraying WD40 through the side hole with the bottom one blocked, shake it with both covered & let it soak for a while can free it off.

 

Usually just stuck due to gunk from in-frequent coolant changes. Might be worth doing a coolant flush & change when you clean it out.

 

HT lead routing doesn't usually effect the phase one cars with the white expansion tank imo.

 

Graham.