Kevin Bacon

I use 1/2" for wheel bolts, chassis bolts, head bolts and general big stuff. I use 3/8" for spark plugs and most fasteners on and around the engine. I have yet to find a need for a 1/4" torque wrench! Really low torques like 10-15nm I generally do by feel. No issues to date :)

Yep, 12 years on MK5s, 10 years on MK4s. They are quite specific about their 'anti perforation' warranty though. It's only covered if the rust comes from the other side due to a manufacturing defect. If the rust is caused by scratches, stone chips, dents or abrasion, it will likely go 50/50 as a 'goodwill' gesture. VW tried to get out the wing rust claims by saying the foam rubbing was a 'mechanical defect' and only covered under the 3 year warranty, but that is absolute horse schitt as there is nothing customers could have done to prevent such a design flaw from happening. Is that what the foam is for? Strengthening? I thought it was a damper or something to stop it vibrating around in the wind?

If it cuts out again, check for a dry joint on the decryptor board that C2 will have soldered onto ECU motherboard. It's the 44 pin chip socket.

Do it. Didn't someone attempt a B12 group buy recently?

Wing rust inspected by my local dealer today. As you can see in the pic, it really is slight. I said I'd prefer a repair as it's so minor, but apparently it's down to the bodyshop to decide. After what I've read on forums about VW making all the excuses under the sun, today's experience was very pleasant and friendly. I think it boils down to - people are with you the way you are to them. Go in banging tables and shouting, you will get zero help. The guy paint depth tested the whole car and it's all factory thickness (around 130 microns), which is great - no accidents :) This will almost guarantee an approved repair. For those who don't know why they measure the paint depth, it's to make sure the car hasn't been in accident. The rust could be caused by substandard repair work and won't be covered by the 12 year warranty. Only a robot can get paint that thin, so if they see ~ 400 microns paint depth, they know it's been in a prang. You guys should consider dropping your arch liners and cleaning out the build-up from the scuttle drains. It affects most VAGs. Prevention is better than the cure :) I data logged the ECU and it's running 1.2 - 1.3 bar of boost. I can't seem to get a definitive answer on how much boost a stock ED30 runs, but it varies from 0.8 to 1.2 bar, depending on who you ask!. Vince said he will be able to tell if it's mapped or not, but either way it's getting a full custom map on the 3rd Oct. I shall report my findings. Whilst I'm there I'm getting a Vibratechnics dog bone fitted and a Whiteline anti-lift kit because VW and bushings / engine mounts is a long history of shatness. The MK5 is EVEN worse than a MK4 in that respect.

B12, 15s with ContiSport tyres - Job done. At least yours isn't a daily as fecked suspension would do my nut in!

The only stuff I really HATE on TG is Hammond and his stupid, Taxi / Bus / Carvan / Airport vehicles / plant machinery, Destruction Derbys........ and the utterly mind numbingly boring Car football type nonsense. Everything else, inc the road trips, I really like :)

Agreed. His P1 video in Dubai was absolutely fantastic. A proper 30 mins or so, the guy from McLaren was there giving really decent info and Chris wasn't wearing his stupid "I'm a Hoonatic" type T-Shirts and it was almost bordering on quality journalism. I like how Chris - who normally shys away from the media in his self deprecating way - has gone on a timber loss plan and appears to have whiter teeth. Hypocrites, the lot of em. As for TG, I have learned a lot about CARS through watching them. For example, their Saab piece was superb. Who would have known Saabs were THAT strong without that episode? I didn't know that. Clarkson is always honest about his appraisals and gives people both sides of the story when it comes to Supercars. It would be a shame to see them ago, but I agree they need to keep it fresh and up their game a little.

VW 'amended' the 3.2 engine several times to suit individual applications and emissions targets, ergo it's impossible to produce a definitive guide. There are even half a dozen different ECUs for them as well! We should be grateful there is any information at all imo. When I mapped my BDB with a standalone, there was F'CK ALL info out there about coil dwell times, cam sensor tooth gaps, cam phasing angles and duty cycles, nothing, nada, zilch, square root of jack! If VW hadn't kept the crank teeth gap the same as the 12V, I wouldn't have been able to run it all! Besides, don't you guys like a challenge?!? :) Where's the fun in recipe based conversions??! Real enthusiasts use the grey matter between their ears and figure it out ;)

Couldn't agree more.

+1 Rog, 2.8 and 2.9 cams are the same anyway, so use what you've got to hand.

And got a ban from driving them for his troubles :lol:

I beg to differ on the Passat roof reliability. I have a Passat Estate roof in my VAG junk room with a snapped cable guide. They break in exactly the same way the Corrado ones do.

Can't stand the bloke. Maybe it's just his facial expressions or lack of charisma, but something about him just makes me think "Arrogant pr1ck". People bash the 3 stooges constantly but at least they know how to engage with their audience and 2 of them are genuinely funny (imo). Harris just destroys tyres. Something Clarkson is oft criticised for ironically.

Yeah mine has wing rust too :lol: It's only just started. No bubbling, but the paint is starting to bulge just on the lip underneath. Black paint in a dark wheel arch, it was impossible to see on the day I looked at the car. I'll have a word with my dealer and see what the score is. Half tempted to sort it myself as it's so minor and avoid the inevitable sub-standard work dealers are known for. Maintenance wise, it's the same as MK4 really, so dead easy and tonnes of after market parts and support :) Had a good chat with Stealth and exciting times lay ahead. If it has got a reflash map in it, one of Vince's custom maps will better it significantly in terms of power and drivability. Ordered a few bits to keep me amused at the weekend. Updated breather and dump valve etc (OEM parts) and a Whiteline anti-lift kit.

Same as Richard Hammond, I like a bit of Black C0ck.

Yep, B4s have always been OEM spec.

I will never own a diesel now that petrol engines are so good :) I reckon mis selling diesel was an oil company / government scam. It's a cheap to refine fuel, so much bigger profit margins. It used to be dirt cheap and therefore ideal for haulage, but after it was miss sold to the public, they whacked the prices right up to make mega profits. More expensive car, more expensive bills, more expensive fuel and it's harmful to our health. The only benefit was high mpg, but it can't even boast that any more with TSI engines and hybrids like Audi's E Tron and the BMW i8. Diesel is dead! Hurrah! :D Hmmmm, I'll have to make more of an effort with black I suppose! Yeah, it is mint mate. The first car I've ever owned with zero dings and scratches :D Hope it stays that way! It definitely feels faster than 230hp :) That's great info mate, thanks for that. There are reports of wing rust on MK5s younger than mine, so I'm going to drop the arch liners tomorrow and double check! Yeah VW have gone back to 100% payment no quibbles on new wings, but won't pay for blending apparently. A couple of years ago they were offering 50% because the foam rubbing the paint off was a 'mechanical' problem and only covered by the 3 year warranty. Clearly some lawyers took them to task on that one :D

158 indicated would be about 145ish actual. I got up there MANY times in my VR6 turbo and the speedo is miles off at those speeds. Sorry to break it to you :D

I had white Rotas on my Ice Grey Rado and that looked sweet. Not sure about white on white though. It's a bit double denim.

Indeed. Seeing as Top Gear is only aired 6 times a year, would we really miss it?

Go for it! They hold their value much better than a normal GTI, and the R32s! I think diesel in passenger cars is history personally. There's a big thing about it being missold to the public and health concerns at the moment, and the final nail in diesel's coffin is VAG's latest 2.0 TSI engine in the S3 / TTS / Golf R. 280lbft torque from 1800 - 6000rpm and 39mpg. With that performance, economy and refinement, why would anyone want diesel??! For comparison, an R32 makes 236lbft @ 2800rpm and can only hold that to 3250rpm, then it drops off noticeably. The ones I like are still too expensive. I will never pay more than £10K for a car, unless I win the lottery! Nothing mate, nothing at all...... if ya from the Bonnie Highlands :lol:

I'll be even more unpopular and correct your spelling, it's "losing". Why do so many people struggle with choose, chose, loose, lose, brakes and breaks?

+1 I always remember the quote from the Japanese General in the movie, Pearl Harbour, after the Japs bombed it: "All we have done is awaken a sleeping giant". A deterrent is exactly the point of having these uber weapons. At school, there was always a kid who every other kid was afraid of, because they knew what he was capable of. Adult life is no different. The IS extremists are the little kids poking the big bear with sticks, try to get a reaction from it. Humans never learn. Just like Hiroshima, it will take a Nuke to shut these cretins up.

FFS! Idiots!!