Guess This :glowing Red Hot Exhaust What Is The Cause Of The Problem

[A3 SPORTQUATTRO]

Just want to check how good you are at fault finding and giving suggestions so here is a problem happened to my car previously (3 years ago ish)


i bought a 1.4 mk4 golf off a friend, who hardly used it, may have been 3-6 months or so without being driven but sat their on drive, drove perfect as smooth as anything when first drove it.

Took it for an mot, when almost near the mot station car was very slightly missing, having the odd cough or so. Car was still put on to ramp with engine running but halfway the car switched off automatically, but left it thinking will start when the ramp will be down.

When ramp was down the car did not start up , soon found the fuse was blown, replaced the fuse and the car started.After further 10 mins with engine running their was a unusual slight burning smell, looked under the car and the EXHAUST WAS GLOWING GLOWING EXTREMELY RED HOT.

Obviously failed mot and exhaust emissions as test aborted, so waited half an hour to cool down and hope of driving home stopping couple of times on the way for it to cool down (how stupid).

Drove it down the road and tried to go over a not so steep bridge ,from the word go the car refused to move at all , so soon parked on the side and got it towed home.

SO WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST TO CHANGE AND IN THE ORDER I SHOULD CHANGE , IF TO CHANGE ANYTHING, NOT GIVING NO HINTS

[bora(ing) nick]

First thing i'd of done was get it read for fault codes

If that returned blank, then i'd of checked the exhaust system for blokages .... inc CAT.

Which fuse blew?

Nick

[A3 SPORTQUATTRO]

the fuse blown was an engine fuse ,on the right hand side area .


I did not check the fault codes

ALSO EVERYONE TOLD ME CHANGE THE CAT but their was no luck .

(i will tell the real fault after a few days (as surely it cant be that difficult) when other people try to guess.

TOTAL COST BY YOUR SUGGESTIONS inc labour roughly (£175)

(Please can you also tell me the price of changing your item inc labour as i want to see after how much i spend is the fault sorted.)

[dansansome]

what part of the exhaust was glowing red hot?

manifold/cat/backbox/centre section/etc?

i've heard that timing can possibly cause manifolds to get hot, apart from that im out lol.

[A3 SPORTQUATTRO]

It Was Only The Catalytic Converter Glowing Red Hot But This Was Changed But No Luck.

Carry On Trying And I Will Let U Know In A Few Days Time

[chris.fulton]

First thing I'd do is change/clean the spark plugs because if some unburnt fuel was getting into the exhaust system then igniting in the exhaust due to the heat, this could cause the exhaust to glow red hot.

[FLENG2008]

First thing I'd do is change/clean the spark plugs because if some unburnt fuel was getting into the exhaust system then igniting in the exhaust due to the heat, this could cause the exhaust to glow red hot.

thats what i thought?^^

[A3 SPORTQUATTRO]

SO ACCORDING TO ALL YOU GUYS

• IVE CHANGED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BUT NO LUCK
• IVE PUT 3 NEW SPARK PLUGS (1 of them i found difficult to change so left it for the moment), the result was that they were covered in thick oil residue, even with the new ones these are being covered with the same thick oily residues.

WHATS MY NEXT STEP

[FLENG2008]

SO ACCORDING TO ALL YOU GUYS

• IVE CHANGED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER BUT NO LUCK
• IVE PUT 3 NEW SPARK PLUGS (1 of them i found difficult to change so left it for the moment), the result was that they were covered in thick oil residue, even with the new ones these are being covered with the same thick oily residues.

WHATS MY NEXT STEP

long shot

the oily residue could be from the inlet manifold, this could be collecting in the exhaust and then burning with the heat, i dunno??

[dansansome]

did the engine fuse keep blowing when the exhaust got really hot?

what was the fuse rating?