craigowl

OPTIMAX 86p today in Stirling

Dont see any brass/ball valve in originals - maybe its only on US spec cars? Any way I wish I had never thought of using Samco on the VR6 now. There were no apparent problems on my mk2 golf gti but I think only Nigerian supermechanics could patch the v expensive Samco stuff into my car and feel comfy! Regards

I give this company the thumbs down for the following reasons, which are purely based on my own experiences. 1 - delivery time 2 months 2 - no instructions or advice whatsoever enclosed with hoses. TWO garages (one a VW dealer) could not establish where 2 of the 7 hoses are to be fitted. Time on 2 days wasted for myself and the garages. 3 - one of the hoses has eliminated 3 features/functions when compared with the original. (No explanation, of course, as no instructions provided.) 4 - Another of the hoses has eliminated a valve used in the original. 5 - Supplier said on phone to me "..they aren't very good" when I asked about phoning Samco up. 6 - When I did phone Samco after looking at their website (which clearly does not invite technical queries by telephone) - I was passed from one girl to another who then said "Anthony's a bit more technical, let me take your number and I'll get him to phone you back" - (Guess what - no phone call from "Technical Tony".) Hacked off. They dont deserve our hard-earned cash

Thanks Phat VR6 and Andyvlw No wonder Samco dont put any instructions in the box - what a minefield. They and their distributors are quite happy to whip your £247 out of your account sharpish 2 months before you get the product, though. My garage has missed the restrictor valve Andy - I have cut it out from old hose but the plastic is crumbly in places. How important is this valve - whats it for? - can you leave it out? Hands up all those who have not used it and have not noticed any probs. Also, further comment on what PhatVR6 has called the flame arrester in the other pipe would be of interest. As this is a popular upgrade (not now maybe!) a list of simple steps in replacing hoses with silicon rubber ones would be of great value to new kids.

PhatVR6 Thanks for your very helpful notes - I have swapped one of the hoses (isv) and will do the other (small s-shaped pcv one) later, perhaps. The samco hose does away with 3 fussy bits on original pcv hose tho'. What is purpose of 1) t-piece connection you say to blank off 2) concertinad plasticky section about 2 cm long on original and 3) shallow metal cylindrical drum bit on original at top. Using samco hose does away with all 3 of these bits/functions - surely they are there for a purpose? Storm - have you priced top hose from VWstealer - someone on this forum says it is over 100 quid to start with. I like things like Silicon rubber coolant hoses and stainless steel braided hoses for the durability - Id rather have upgrades like that than something cosmetic or ICE because I am an old git. Original hoses are 9-years old/97k miles and due for replacement anyway. regards

PhatVR6 - I have been out and had a look under t'bonnet. The s-shaped one carries coolant? The original is a much more complex piece of piping with a corrugated(?) plastic bit in it about an inch long? I remember my son's car developed a pinhole coolant leak in that plastic bit. What purpose does it serve do you know?. The Samco replacement just does away with that telescopic bit. Finally, if I do these hoses myself is there much chance of getting an airlock - or should I just let my local garageman have anuther go now that we know where the hoses are located. Regards and thanks for your patience.

PhatVR6 - thanks for reply. I take it that neither of these pipes carry coolant then? 1 - The longer Samco one (ISV) does not have a sideshoot like the black one. 2 - S-shaped I will have to go out and look with your notes. pablo - The kit was £247 incl delivery from Revolution og Gateshead. Waiting time was about 9 weeks.

My local garage and VW stealership have had my car and dont know where 2 of the hoses go. PhatVR6 and others if you can help I would be grateful. I enclose photo of engine bay and 2 hoses. PhatVR6 - your directions in earlier post could not be implemented - my air ducting bits seem unable to accomodate hoses.

Further to above on interior light. My 1995 C VR6 also suffers from interior light being on when it shouldnt be. I have cleaned door switches, light unit and circuit board (my board is different to photo by jimbo-corrado - I thought he had solved it for me there!). The circuit board solder was immaculate - no corrosion or dry joints at all. I had the alarm removed by a good autoelectrician a year or so ago - he says replace the interior light circuit board. Any of you volks out there got any bright ideaz? - what does a new circuit board cost?

I do not think you would get much of a respray from a dealer paintman for £120 either.

Steveo29 Thanks a bunch chum! I'll get me coat.

Obsessional Andy, I'm familiar with this minor mental illness you have. I was cured temporarily many years ago when I started using a Citroen Dyane instead of our newish bronze metallic Manta which was dented when a lorry reversed into it. - I had to helplessly watch it happen. Cars like the Dyane give you a great feeling of "couldnt care less" about dents/scratches/squeaks, possible collisions, etc. The release and peace of mind is something else. A fond memory of the Dyane is being on the outside lane of the M8 on 4 inches of slush croozing past fat-tyred cars like a Triumph Stag and feeling rock steady due to the thin, weedy tyres on the Citroen cutting thro the slush to the tarmac below. Basic motoring has its thrills too. What a pain in the butt it is always worrying about whether some wifie's shopping basket is going to blemish the paintwork on you pride and joy.

PhilK Paint was Classic Green (pearlescent?, Im not sure.)

Andrew West Calder based. Father and son have franchise. Tel 01506 871891 They will come and give estimate first. I first saw father working on car at VW Bathgate (Inch) about 2 years ago and got brochure from him.

VR6 Storm For £120 I have just had done in my drive the removal of a gouge on rear bumper, work at corner of filler cap recess and a few stone chips. Guy spent 3 hours on it and work on bumperin particular is nothing short of miraculous - cant see where it was even. Recomended

After about 9 weeks the kit has arrived (ordered from Revolution of Gateshead - pretty good guys to deal with). 7 hoses - I have only identified 5 from looking down on engine compartment. What the heck are the 2 I can't see? - Daft question, I know, but if any of you have been there already you may know what I mean. I believe that 2 hoses near the oil cooler are not supplied in the kit. Are these 2 identical at about £7 each - my VW parts man thinks they are. Also, are these 2 easy to fit without dismantling a lot of the engine/bay? I have read the things the "search" threw up but am not clear on all I need to know. Hopefully the hoses popping off applies to the G60 and not the VR6 - anyone know? Thanks in anticipation O Knowledgeable Ones!

Sorry, Kevhaywire, clearly I dont have a full grasp of the regional differences of the good volks of rural England! By the way what is LOL - I am an old git ( according to my grown up kids) and cant quite keep abreast of the jargon. I do agree with all you younger folks , though, that S-Club 7 and Rick Astley are the hippest!

You got a bargain compared with me DelCorrado. I prefer your colour, too. I bought my Corrado Storm (M reg 27/6/95, classic green) just before the prices seem to have dropped. I paid £7200 in May 2002 at a Skoda Garage near Edinburgh for one with an identical mileage. Included in that, though, was a 2-year warranty. The car was one owner from new with box file of all receipts and full vwsh. I have had to fix several things not covered by the warranty - mostly small and mostly familiar to the Corrado-experienced, but the garage had put on 3 new tyres, front discs/pads and got it thro mot by replacing some brake pipes and welding an exhaust hanger. Great car, though, so smooth after my previous vehicles, all but one of the 11 were new but much smaller. As we all know, the C's looks are knockout - you get a thrill just walking up to it in a car park and knowing it is yours and you are going to get into it and turn the key!

Nothing you simple straw-chewing country folk in East Anglia want to know about!

Hey, this is interesting. I was just going to ask why my interior light might be on all the time when the switch is in the central "shutting door, switches off light" position. I had my faulty alarm removed some time ago but I dont know if that is what might have caused the problem. Having got a bit lost in the abuv posts, can anyone tell thicko here, in plain language what i should try. ps I have spraycleaned the door switches which looked prisine anyway, and I know the boot light switches off properly. Thanks in advance guys.

Yes. I am trying to be blind to the inevitable as far as running costs go. I persuaded my wife to get me a Vibratechnics front engine mount for last Christmas so I shouldnt have your bulging bonnet problem stormseeker. Mrs was a bit disappointed when she saw my Christmas toy, though, I think she had expected exciting times in the bedroom again.

Thanks Kevhaywire Your opinion and any others are indeed most welcome. Who knows what's going on under that cover! Have any of you guys been on that USA Corrado forum where they talk loads about chain and tensioner noise? One keen type has even posted a sound recording of the chain running with noisy tensioner. I got the impression they feel you get some warning with noisiness (which I dont have). However, just as on this site, there were lots of anxious sighs from guys on the forum who had high-mileage vehicles and had not had a chain/tensioner change. The previous owner of my car (from new) a now-retired lecturer in a posh private school in Edinburgh did about 95K in 7 years and was meticulous about oil changes and servicing. He and his wife went down to Spain in the C every year with 2 young grandchildren and I am counting on him not having thrashed the vehicle so that I have inherited a VR6 with low running costs! (if only!)

I'll get me coat.

VR6 timing chains/tensioner at 85K? VW service manager told me (not that I believe everything they say) that there is no interval specified as it should give service for ages. And there was me thinking I was getting up to date with everything that needed done! Mine has full VWSH and 97K. What are some of you mucho experienced guys' views on when to replace the chain/tensioner?

Andy Thanks for links to other posts about Goodridge. It seems that most "new" problems for many are old ones for others. On the internet it is awesome how much knowledge and experience there is for anyone to tap into.