davidwort

bit more info: I seem to remember from the last rolling road day at stealth that if you disconnect the differential pressure regulator connector on the engine side of the metering head, and possibly the temp sensor on the other side, then the engine will run in basic K-jet mode, like a sort of simple get you home mode, the ECU then just uses basic inbuilt settings rather than relying on the lambda probe signal, this will give you an indication that the lamda probe is dodgy if it runs much better like this.

I'd have thought an electrical problem would be worse at higher revs, low rev/idling problems tend to be vacuum leak/idle valve related. Make sure all the crank case breather system is OK and all vacuum hoses and connectors are secure and in good nick, also that the inlet pipes and joints from metering head to throttle body are sealing properly and there are no splits in the plastic/rubber. The Throttle body may help from a good clean too.

Not good, under heavy braking you could be getting far more braking from the other side of the car. I would always replace both sides at the same time, so you'll be looking at new disks, pads and wheel bearings for both rears. You also need to make sure that the caliper piston is free and winds back and pushes out (with pedal or hand brake) freely the full amount it needs to, for new to worn pads and disks.

There is one other option, both my sister and brother-in-law have had cars written off recently as Cat D after minor bumps that would have cost a fair bit in new panels and spray work to fix, in both cases the cars were worth IRO a grand and both cost about 3-400 quid to actually fix. Both of them got around 800 quid payouts on the cars and bought them back from the insurers for a tennner or something. If you then want to sell them on you just need to get them inspected by the DVLA for about 60 quid, but I don't think you even need to do this if you simply keep them yourself. It was well worth doing for them as both cars were very sound before the accidents and were quite low mileage with very good engines. There was no intention to pull one on the insurance companies here, it's just through a bit of their own effort and a father that's in the motor trade they got the cars fixed for a fraction of the estimators figure.

Have you checked how free the air flap/plunger is in the metering head should be nice and smooth with a bit of resistance, you really need to get the system pressures checked and for that you need a fuel pressure gauge with the right connectors to hook up to the metering head etc., the system should hold several bar I think for at least half an hour after engine switch off. Does the fuel pump under the car warble (i.e. vary in pitch) they are always noisy but varying pitch indicates a more serious problem, you've also got the lift pump in the tank don't forget, if this fails it puts the main pump under more strain. Check the resistances of your coil and plug leads too, it doesn't always pick up a problem that might occur under running but can be an indicator. David.

For that cost I'd avoid an insurance claim, you should be able to pick up a second hand subframe for less than that too, only trouble is the cost of delivery or going to get it, if it's not close to you. TBH 450 quid sounds great.

trip to the dealers today to buy a grossly overpriced washer, saw some gear oil on a rack for 8 quid a litre so I asked the parts monkey how much the VAG fully synthetic stuff was, tootles off to check his computer and comes back with '4 quid'. So I questioned the logic of it being half the price of the general stuff on the shelf, so he goes back to check both price and size of bottle... ... 'yep, 4 quid a litre'. rather puzzled, I mentioned I bought a couple of litres ten years ago for 16 quid a litre :? - perhaps it's made by political prisoners in China now??? So is anyone else speaking to a VAG parts dept today who can get a price, I still don't believe him :lol:

just crushing it with a pair of mole grips worked fine for me, no need to remove and then reset the timing. Can't see how that could damage the dizzy, I just crushed it, didn't swing from it or anything

oops, must have been driving past about the time you sent that, on my way to Wayside parts dept in bletchley :lol: bought a new fibre washer for my leaking radiator switch only to discover when I got back that the water outlet on the front of the head is all crusty with dried off antifreeze, looks like I'll have to get a new one of them too now, no point in draining the coolant twice. If you want to put your mind at rest, pm me your mobile number and I'll pop round before it's dark. pm sent too. David.

A bunch of receipts for work done and parts changed, at this sort of age you'd expect to see a paper trail covering everything from alternators to wheel bearings, the more info the better and a franchised dealer history is not the most important thing. If you can, drive the car from cold, up to temperature, makes sure it drives straight with no pulling and try to spend plenty of time looking for corrosion from previous body repair work, it's by far the most expensive thing to put right. A 1.8 16v should pull cleanly to the red line, 60mph in second (and they thrive on it), a 2L won't rev quite as high but should feel smooth to drive and will feel much more punchy low down and mid range.

Where are you at lunch time, can take a look if you like, I'm at Walton Hall (O.U.) your pics are rubbish :lol: I'd imagine your coolant hose is just the fibre protective braid over the top, probably not immediately a problem. Is the other pic a braided goodridge type brake flexi hose then? it looks like the material braid over one of the hoses near the brake servo though, probably not a problem, mines a bit like that! David.

Main problem with the 16v in general is the peaky torque and the low gearing, a standard 2L will often be more frugal than a 1.8 because: a) it has more low end torque from capacity so has to work less hard b) has slightly higher gearing than a 1.8 box c) the standard 9a inlet cam gives a flatter lower down the rev range peak torque band d) the KE-jet system should control fuelling better in warm up as it's electronically controlled (not just a bi-metallic strip!) Town driving always kills mpg, but the 16v is just the worst combination for this sort of driving, given mixed driving though if everything is healthy you shouldn't see less than 30mpg on a 1.8 or 2L. Once you get older engines with cam changes, butchered air intakes, old or non-standard exhausts, large wheels and tyres, geometry out, suspect injectors etc etc... you can see where I'm going :) It's worth noting that the VR6 engines not only have a shed load more torque and so just don't need to rev to make progress (less gear changes) but the VR6 gearing is way higher than the 16v too. Couple that to a fully electronic injection system and you can see why it is possible to get similar figures from the two engines.

have a look at the drivetrain section of the knowledge base, the kr 16v box is just about the lowest ratio 02a box there is, you're looking at about 7,200 rpm to reach 60 in second on standard circumference 195-50-15 tyres the 2L 16v boxes are slightly longer legged and VR6 internals about the highest gearing.

Jim, the 55L tanks give a stepped boot floor, i.e. the sides behind the wheel arches in the boot appear several cm higher than the main boot floor. 70L tank floors are just flat right across, and as said, the spare wheel recess will only hold a space saver. When you get onto the edge of the red, why not lift the access panel to the top of the tank and peer in?

:) Hi Most grateful to you. So can you tell me how they work. Do they detect the unusual rise in water pressure and then block any water going to the matrix as a safety measure OR do they detect a sudden drop in water pressure, just as the matrix starts leaking and then block any more water going to the matrix. Thank you in advance. I think they just restrict the max pressure than can be delivered to the matrix inlet, any more and they open the valve to by-pass it. They must restrict the flow all the time a bit though as my valver's heater was made instantly cooler when the recall was done and the valve fitted.

yeah, £16,995 was the list price I've seen in 1990, hardly surprising they didn't sell in the hundreds of thousands really then :)

yep, straight in, there are minor differences on some anciliaries like the connections on the starter motor and possibly some of the temperature senders on the side of the head, as long as you have a complete 2L and all the bits from the old 1.8 you should be fine, things like the oil filter housings fit differently too but not a problem if you have the ones from the 2L block. If you need to the 1.8 head just goes straight on the 2L block with the standard 2L head gasket.

I guess it makes some difference if they are new VAG parts or recon GSF type items and if you have receipts to prove. I've seen new dizzy's from 40-70 quid on e-bay and a starter is worth anything from a tenner upwards if it's second hand, nearly new I'd say it's got to be close to the 65 quid plus VAT that GSF want.

what did they want for that, i had a new 2nd gear synchro a few years back, but I think the selector forks and slector mech are past their best now, thinking of a mk4 system and selector tower and getting the box selector forks replaced. cheers, David.

Hi, welcome, I'm another MK local (well Northampton but work in MK), there's quite a few Corrado owners about locally and a good few 16v's too. Mine's a 1990 1.8 16v and I've had most of it to pieces so feel free to drop us a 'pm' if you want to ask about anything. The heat problem could be a couple of things, the heater matrix by-pass valve (under the bonnet, between the inlet and outlet hoses through the bulkhead for the heater matrix) as Jim has pointed you to with the search. This should have been done about 10 years ago as a recall, in fact your old golf should have had one too, they do fail after all those years under the bonnet and for safety this then blocks the flow to your heater matrix. Also, although the older style dash with the slider controls is more sturdt than the later corrados with rotory dials, the operating wires can jump off or bits break, far more likely to be the by-pass valve though. you can just remove this as a temporary fix, and replace it with a bit of copper tube or something but for long term safety to prevent a bursting matrix over your feet it would be best to source a new valve from Volkswagen, although if you're lucky one off a golf from a scrappy may still be serviceable - look for a shiny one that's just been replaced :wink: perhaps see you around sometime, the E38 meet at 'The' Caldecote is a good time to catch up with people. Keep an eye peeled for 'Bally's' event announcements. David.

you can get away with using the old bearing ring to tap it in with, just use the old one on top the same way round, then you can tap it's protruding shoulder to knock it back out again when the new one is fully home. David.

sorry for the delay in replying, pm sent.

yeah, the 2L TSR conversion was basically a 2L crank with the 2L pistons and a boring out of the 1781 block to suit, making the 1984cc. They only did it because 9A's were originally v-expensive and the cranks and pistons although expensive were cheaper than buying a whole 9A. I paid 1400 quid for the conversion and that was just supply of the bottom end :shock: I'll measure the pistons, but I'm sure they were identical to the new 6A block I obtained (92.5mm IIRC). They're Mahle pistons I think. I've still got the balanced TSR 2L crank which i must get round to sticking on fleabay too, no point in it sitting in the corner of my garage for ever :) will find them and get some pics tomorrow, wouldn't want much for one, I'm a terrible hoarder 'just in case' :lol: D. OMG just seen the pic!

can't see the pic, but VW do sell the pistons, they're just a stupid price compared to something like a ford or vauxhall, try calling a VW dealer. I do have 3 pistons from my old TSR block, a bored and stroked 1800, so they are the same size as 6a/9A parts if you have no luck anywhere else. PM me if you want any pics and I'll dig them out. David.

OK, GSF sell two matrixes (matrices??) listed for the mk2 golf, and one of these part numbers is also the one listed for the corrado and mk3 golf, anyone know if this has the built in by-pass valve that the VAG matrix for the mk3 is alleged to have?