craigowl

I clean engine bays once per year after winter and salt spreading has finished - usually in April - and have had excellent results. Salesman at VW dealers I visited last week said anyone seeing the engine bay of the C would buy the car right away. (subtle plug! :roll: ) I use the "Autoglym method". Firstly, cover the alternator with an inverted poly bag, tucking the sides of the bag close in to the alternator. Spray Autoglym engine cleaner all over in engine bay. Use a thin, soft paintbrush to loosen any particularly grimy bits. Next, hose down everything with cold water using the gentlest sprinkler/spray setting. Spray still soaking wet engine and bay with copious Autoglym Vinyl and Rubber protector. Shut bonnet and allow all to dry naturally for two or three hours. Remember to remove polythene bag from alternator! Above method is described on Autoglym Engine Cleaner bottle. I adopted it a few years ago and have found it the best method of getting a gleaming (and still functioning engine!). The thin protective layer of the Vinyl protectant, when dry, will stop grime adhering and makes the job of cleaning next year easier still. I dont recommend using Gunk degreaser and water, I ended up with a screeching alternator/dynamo bearing after doing this about 30 years ago. With the aid of the water, the degreaser gets into places you don't want degreased.

Craigbeal, excuse me for asking, but how much did your mum get off the windscreen price on the new Golf?

Parts guys at Central Volkswagen (named Western Grangemouth until this week) have been good for me. Corrado Club discount given, too.

When I had alarm trouble after installing a new battery, the AA man said "these are one of the worst things known to man." He has got to be right. Neither of us could do a thing with my car or the alarm without this deafening banshee noise starting up, and the vehicle had to go on a vehicle to a local VW garage to be seen by an autoelectrician who just happened to be on a fortnight's holiday! Life is stressful enough today - who needs this! - Get rid of it! The alarm was fitted to my car when it was a new vehicle and had just cost the 1st owner £25,000. Obviously, the situation is different now. As for your project Phatvr6, to most of us with a little mechanical expertise, what you have tackled was mind-boggling. You can most certainly take pride in what you HAVE achieved. Dont let the snags get you down this way - it is only a bloody car and hobbies/pastimes/recreation are meant to be pleasurable, man! Clearly, you are talented but have almost certainly become obsessed with this huge undertaking. However, now is probably the time to take a couple of steps away from it and rethink what you need to do to avoid being taken over by things and to get some relaxation into your life. Best regards and much respect.

Thanks, kev and g-master.

Going down to one car ownership soon. Considering Mk4 Golf PD TD130 among others. Were reliability issues like the collapsing side windows resolved latterly do any of you guys know? Also, will late GT diesels have better suspension/handling than when model first came out and was heavily criticised? Also, any other comments on this car would be appreciated. Regards, Iain

Coullstar said 8) Yes. I've used that. Just dont let anyone in good, light coloured clothes load, or get anything out of the boot! :oops: Wipe off as much excess as possible.

Autoglym "bumper care" is better than many, I find. None seem to last for long enough.

Majic said: Sounds like penis envy, Majic. :wink:

dr_mat said: I know what you mean, but I'm sure I have seen the C described as "a pretty little coupe". :shock:

Ford Crocus? - It may be a flower but it ain't as pretty as the C.

Supercharged said: What? - My oil still looks fairly clean after 4k miles.

Best of luck, young man. You have certainly been through the mill, losing weight and all! It is amazing how many companies are prepared to take hard earned money from customers and then slap them in the face with a rotten haddock. Hardly any of the new cars I have bought in the last 30 years, or so, have had a totally satisfactory pre delivery inspection.

I would be interested in any of your experiences/comments on this type of Golf. Regards

Funnily enuff, this month's Car Mechanics talks about changing power steering fluid every two years. Any of you fussy technical guys do this, or do you just top up? Where can you let old fluid out on VR6?

In AutoExpress 2005 survey, VW dealers are ranked 25th by customers. "Volkswagen's customers receive some of the highest numbers of unexplained bills from any manufacturer.." Only Mercedes and Daewoo/Chevrolet are worse at that according to the article. "...it seems many VW owners simply don't trust their dealers." And then some! We, and VW, would all benefit from them doing better. Come on you VW guys who read this forum (you know who you are) - do us and yourselves a favour and get the finger out. VW owners have traditionally been no mugs - we can tell when smoke and mirrors are in place. My daughter's recently purchased Jan 2002 Golf was immaculately valeted inside and out, but the engine compartment was absolutely filthy with dried mud and silt. Also, the oil filler cap was crusted with dried mayonnaise - I will be keeping an eye out for cylinder head gasket problems. I certainly would not be happy to allow the staff who serviced this car before delivery a couple of weeks ago anywhere near anything of mine.

They sell it up here, too, but we have very soft water, so I do not know if it is worth getting. AutoExpress did a test on it which came out OK.

blackcat16v quoth Plenty of mascara and fluttery eylashes, too. If there is one thing life has taught me, it is that the female of our species probably can rule the world. Many women, including my missus, do not understand the untapped power they have. :luvlove: :thumb right:

Probably not, but if I were a laydee I would certainly ask. :changes:

GIXXERUK No one has said that before. I do have that album and many more by him. I love Van the Man since "Baby Please Dont Go" by Them in about 1965. Unfortunately, Van and me both share the baldy, paunchy look now.

Timo said Yes. Some time ago I noticed you lived there, Timo. Regards, Iain PS funny place for a conference? Must be some cheap deals with big hotels!

Post-war austerity in Leeds - 52 years ago. 1st pic was taken in about 1953 in Queenswood Drive, Leeds. This was a brand new council estate. At first, we had lived in prefabs further down the drive. I was born in Dundee, but spent part of my childhood in Leeds. I am the skinny gunslinger on the left. My 2 best pals are Jeannie and Johnny Royston. Their father was a policeman who became chief supt or something in Leeds. 2nd pic was taken on our honeymoon in Lloret in May 1969 when I had hair.

I have just had to let the C out of my sight as my wife is driving my mother back to Dundee in it, Sod's law having caused the Peugeot to develop a coolant leak overnight. The missus also has a business meeting in Lockerbie on Monday for which she needs a car! Guess which one she wants to use. Two unexpected trips for it with me not driving it - I'll be really twitchy all weekend!

kevhaywire said British engineering, hard work, determination and great leadership enabled the RAF, with a lesser volume of material resources to fight the Luftwaffe to a standstill in 1940. The inspiration of that was still around in the early 1960s when I was a teenager. One of our teachers kept on and on about the British shipbuilding industry being threatened by workers in Japan, etc. He kept on and on about it (he was a maths teacher, by the way!) and we wondered what it was all about. As we all know now, he was absolutely spot on. Being the best at one time has oft encouraged smug complacency. The same could happen to companies like VW if they don't take a grip, or unless a car like the Golf MkV resurrects them. 34th in customer satisfaction surveys (a couple of years ago) should have sent out the message loud and clear. Many of our experiences with VW dealerships do not inspire confidence.

My wife and I got a free edition of Saga magazine thro the post a couple of days ago. (Bloody cheek - we still have the mentality of 25 year olds!) This lunchtime, turning to pages 8-9, a double page colour spread of a product described thus:- "..A heady infusion of wood style fascia, electric sunroof, electric windows, alloy wheels and CD-Tuner. Pour Homme. Pour Femme. Pour £8995." The Rover 25 GLi.!!!! :shock: Only those with advanced dementia need visit their local dealer, it should have added.