Roger Blassberg

I don't see any reason not to take the top tensioner plunger out as long as you aren't going to turn the engine over. The head gasket extension (between the upper and lower covers) is protected until you take the covers off. How about taking the camshafts and the timing gear out at this stage? That way you will be absolutely sure that all valves are safely out of the way. Then inspect the guiderails and tensioners, replace if necessary (do it anyway !!) then bring the engine to TDC and put the camshafts back as close as possible to the correct orientation. Then align the slots for final timing and re-assemble the chains, guides and tensioners. Check, and then re-check and then re-re-check that it's all lined up. The Wiki guide is very good. By the way, the sealing paste for the covers is very expensive, but worth it in my opinion

I'm fairly certain that it is illegal knowingly to sell a car in an unroadworthy condition (presume to be defined by Construction and Use regulations) unless it is made clear at the time of sale. Best wishes RB

Yes, tappets are hydraulic. As above, sounds like a head gasket failure between 3 and 4, Best wishes RB

The intermediate shaft drives the oil pump. I think I am right to say that the timing is not affected by a slight inaccuracy in the intermediate sprocket position; if it has a distributor it is driven directly off of the camshaft, on the coil pack engine there is a trigger to the electronics. Best wishes RB

I use a ball-ended allen key mounted in a 3/8" drive socket. Those carrier screws are very tight and inaccessible

Troubles seem to come along like No 92 buses, none for a long time, then several at once!! The latest is that I pulled up on the handbrake yesterday and the support bracket/plate spot-welded to the floor under the central console has completely fractured around the front fastener, fatigued after all these years of stress reversal. The lever is now restrained only by the rearmost captive stud and obviously does not tension the cables any more. Is the support bracket a catalogue part, or is it just a case of getting a tame welder to fabricate and fit a repair plate? Obviously it is out of sight so it doesn't have to be a perfect work of art. Best wishes RB

Dannyboy, yes, that's the way to go. I am going through that process now and have found a few at around 100 Euros. Fortunately I speak German so can deal with these people if questions arise. Thanks for your offer of help though. I note that marders ate your Corrado - they did the same to my Passat hoses when we lived in Berlin. Best wishes RB

Tomi 1994 Passat GT Estate. ABF 16V engine. RB

Dumpty Boy, (Rob) good offer, thanks. Mine is LHD though and I believe it is very different arrangement on RHD. Dox, it certainly seems from the eBay ad that they do hydraulics; I'll try again, this time I'll ask for the boss not the oily rag......... BMWCompact, that sounds reassuring. I'm as disappointed as you that ATE are apparently not interested in being helpful. G60 CS, not keen to lose ABS, but the thought certainly crossed my mind. The recent icy spell soon made me reconsider though. I think the insurance company would see it as an unacceptable modification. Anyone else's thoughts are very welcome and will receive acknowledgement. RB

Thanks, Dox. I spoke to them as my first port of call and they are not interested in hydraulic problems apparently, only electronics. Or did I get a shaggy dog story from somebody there who just didn't really want to know? Supercharged, do you have a contact number for Steve Cresswell ? Thanks both for very prompt responses. RB

The ABS/EDS on my LHD Passat has decided to misbehave AGAIN, throwing up a fault code on one of the rear outlet valves in the hydraulic block. No one seems interested in repairing/rebuilding the unit The ATE part number for the valve assembly is 10.0501-7835.3, VW part number 3AO/1H1 698 217 B is the combined hydraulic block and pump, the pump being ATE 10.0447-0745.3. I have sourced an ATE 10.0501-7836.3 (note 7836, not 7835) from a Golf 3. Does anyone know if they are interchangeable? Does 7836 supersede 7835? They certainly look the same. I have asked ATE Classic for their opinion, but have received no reply. Master cylinder and servo are different, but that's irrelevant, it's the valveblock I am interested in. It has reached the stage where this problem is taking me down the path of scrapping the car because it won't pass the MOT, so am quietly desperate for an opinion........... RW1, are you there when I need you most on this recurring problem??? Best wishes RB

I think you may be wrong there, more fun to come.

Amazingly, the price for these has come down by about 30% in the past year since I last bought a set. They were never expensive and are perfect for the VR6. Best wishes RB

I don't know that the bearing will last very long now that it has been run dry. Be prepared for the screeching to return. The bearing is easy enough to replace and can be had for less than £10 from a stockist. Buy a reputable make (eg SKF), there's lots of chinese rubbish about. Just for information, the pully retainer is left-hand threaded (i.e. turn clockwise to undo) Best wishes RB

Thanks Hasan, details of Alpinair would be useful. Best wishes Roger

My car was sitting around for a couple of years and so obviously the aircon wasn't used during that time. I recently had the system recharged, it was practically empty of refrigerant. It seems to have leaked out in just a few weeks. Has anyone any comments to make on the most likely leak points. The new fluid included a dye but I can't see any obvious indications of leaks. Has anyone had their compressor rebuilt and/or replacement hoses fabricated? If so please recommend a reputable company. Are the dryers available on the market fairly interchangeable? Thanks RB

As Supercharged has said, check that the wiper mechanism is in good order. The cranks and levers are rivetted together and eventually slack develops; the result is that the arms do not get pulled onto the screen properly. Also, there is a rubber grommet under the bolt that holds the wiper motor onto the mechanism; this gets perished and reduces the tension of the armsby being too flexible. It's easy to get the mechanism out. Take off the wiper arms and undo the large retaining nuts and various spacers on the spindles, making a careful note of which order they come off. Undo the bolt in the area of the wiper motor and the whole mechanism and its support frame can be jiggled out. The rivetted joints are the most likely to be worn; on mine, I drilled out the rivets and replaced with appropriately sized bolts with Nylok nuts. Say goodbye to wayward wiper misery. Best wishes RB

Gaskets dont need sealant. There are compressible rings within the gaskets. Just make sure the surfaces are absolutely clean and flat. I think that the throttle body/upper manifold connectors are also socket head screws. Some of the manifold screws are made rather inaccessible by the slam panel being in the way; a ball-headed allen key is useful for those, and it can be made easier by releasing the front engine mount and jacking the engine up a bit. Best wishes RB

Hasan, Yes, 2RS (rubber seal on each side) is the one to go for. (How goes the OBD2 work?) Best wishes RB

Check the serpentine belt tensioner. Wind an M8 bolt into the threaded hole to release the spring tension, then undo 3 machine screws to take off the assembly (much easier if you take out the air box first). Give the pulley a spin and check for easy, slack-free running. The bearing is prone to failure, and that can be replaced. If you had the work done for you, throw it back to the mechanic and say that the noises are new since the work was done. Chains don't whine like over-tight toothed belts. There is no adjustment on either of the chain tensioners; the lower one is spring loaded on a ratchet arrangement, the other (upper) is hydraulic with a helper spring to take up the slack before oil pressure builds up. There may be a worn hydralic tappet making the ticking noise; were the tappets replaced when the head was off? Or the exhaust manifold gasket might be blowing on one or more ports; that can make a ticking noise as well. Best wishes RB

Have you got the ignition key? If you have, just release the steering lock, undo the clamp and slide the whole assembly off.................... Best wishes RB

That looks to be caused by a leaking cam cover gasket (the central part) allowing oil into the spark plug recess, and the oil has emulsified. The cure is to replace the gasket, which means taking off the inlet manifold. Best wishes RB

Sir Isaac Newton tells us that the weight of the car doesn't matter much at constant speed, it's the shape, the frontal area and the speed that affect the fuel consumption. I have similar experience of the accuracy of the MFAs having owned VWs with them for more than 25 years starting with a Mk2 Golf GTi and now with a B4 Passat and a VR6 Corrado. Checking over several weeks, the MFA is accurate to within 5%. I recently saw 42.8 mpg over a 40 mile journey on A40/M40/M25 in the VR6, admittedly pussy-footing along at no more than 55-60. I have had the injectors cleaned andf refurbished and that makes a very substantial improvement. Best wishes RB

Hello again, Tigerfish, No, my wife has grown used to car talk, especially Corrado talk. Mine is in the paint/body shop at the moment, various cosmetic stuff and a jacking point repair after a bad experience with a garage idiot. I'll be in Basingstoke on regular visits so I'm sure we'll bump into each other (not literally, obviously...........) Best wishes RB

Metallic purple VR6 in Sheppard Road, Basingstoke on Saturday14th October. I stopped and spoke briefly to the owner (Tigerfish??) It sounds as though it is in safe hands, with lots of money spent and plans for further work. Best wishes RB