Kevin Bacon

Yeah Redline MTL is superb, the best. Add some Slick 50 gear additive too and that will help matters. However, the oils won't cure underlying synchro problems, they just aid cold changing and reduce baulking at high rev changes, aswell as reducing whine and reducing friction. I don't think there's much you can do with the linkage in terms of adjustment. How does the clutch feel? A worn out one can cause shifting problems. VW boxes are pretty tough overall, they've just always been plagued with weak synchro rings, as have other brands' boxes. To check the oil level, you need a large allen headed socket or key, 13mm I think, and undo the forward facing bung when looking at the box from under the front of the car. If the oil drips out slowly, there's enough in it. Kev

I really recommend the above mods. Took it out today for a good drive and the redline gear oil is amazing! The engine is now really smooth and torquey :lol: but I still don't know if that's due to the CC removal, the air box mod or bunging a bottle of Redline injector cleaner in the tank. I don't get any petrol smells at all when driving. There is a very faint smell when the car is switched off but running, no smells at all. Well worth binning the CC. Either way, the car rocks.....for the time being! Kev

It's dead easy mate! You need to order the Uni-com cable from http://www.ross-tech.com or http://www.vag-com.co.uk I ordered mine from Ross-tech as it only took a couple of days to arrive. Vag-com uk took a couple of weeks to send a lead out! Once you recieve the cable, you need to register the software. Instructions for doing this are included in the software, which you download from ross tech's or vag-com's site free of charge. The cable costs £139. Sounds expensive but consider the savings you'll make taking it to the dealer for scans. VAG-COM will also report ABS faults too. Kev

Scott asked me the other day about the measuring blocks on VAG-COM, so I've taken some screen shots for the benefit of other VAG-COM users too. Bascially you hook up the car as normal (mainscreen.jpg) and start the engine. You should get all the serial numbers and other data VAG-COM needs to work. If you don't get the green text, check your PC connection. Now you can check the engine fault codes by clicking on 'Fault codes - 02", then 'Engine'. (faultcodes.jpg). Vehicle speed sensor errors can be ignored if the speedo works OK. It's probably because the car is stationary with the engine running, tends to confuse the ECU! Back to the main page again and now we can look at the interesting stuff. Click on 'Meas. blocks - 08' (measuring blocks.jpg'. Use the up and down buttons to load 3 measuring blocks. In here you can view live data from the engine which is very useful and all the essentials are included - O2 activity, battery voltage, idle speed, intake air temperature, throttle position, ignition timing etc etc. As stated already, these readings are live so change instantly when you rev the engine. Lastly, VAG-Scope (vagscope.jpg) gives you a graphical data feed from the measuring blocks. This is also useful. HTH Kev

Supercharged and I could meet you at the last filling station before the A14 Midlands turn off if you want? We'll be following the A14 from Bury St Edmunds. We need to meet there at 7am to get to Stealth by 9. Cheers Kev

I'll do a screen shot next time I plug it up to the car, tomorrow probably! Kev

I know the route to Stealth like the back of my hand, so if anyone from the southern/eastern regions wants to meet up on the A14 in the morning, I'll happily lead the way. Kev

Just avoid emergency stop style braking for the first few hundred. I didn't with my Pagid discs and pads and had blue smoke pluming from the front wheels! Thankfully I didn't warp the discs :? Kev

I'm sorry but yes they do, way before 200K. Number 6 is always the first to go, then number 1. Stealth have half a dozen knackered 2.9 blocks lying around the workshop, all with significantly less than 200K on them. You can see for yourself if/when you go to the rolling road day. Kev With bore wear or piston ring wear? - if you cant get 200k from a VW bottom end then doesnt say much for the VR6 engine..... Both. 200K is asking a lot of ANY engine, unless driven by a Vicar and having 3000 mile oil changes. The 4 cylinder lumps can last up to and beyond 200K but not many 2.9 engines would reach that and still be within tolerance. The Golf's 2.8 engine I would have more faith in. It runs cooler in the larger engine bay and it's just a better engine anyway. Kev

Why not get a brand new expansion tank from VW? They look really good new and are white and not that sort of tan colour. You can also fit a new washer resevoir which are now bright blue instead of off-white with crispy scale deposits around the filler hole! As Mike says, you can't afford to mess with the VR cooling system as it's fickle enough as it is. Kev

To check the cable, plug the car into a VW diagnostics (or VAG-COM if a friend has it) system. On the engine settings there are a few other checks called 'blocks'. One of the blocks measures throttle position. The throttle at rest should read 14 Degrees and full throttle should read 90 degrees or higher. If you get these then there is no need to change the cable. The VR6 throttle spring is very strong compared to other cars, hence the firmness of the pedal. As for acceleration, the gearing is quite tall on the VR6 which can make progress feel somewhat lethargic at low revs but the in gear acceleration times seem to contradict this apparent feeling of sluggishness, so I really wouldn't concern yourself with it too much unless the car feels unusually slow all the time. Kev

They're too big for the VR cable tidy though. 7mm they're designed for. Kev

Shouldn't do as that's what the 02 sensor is there for :lol: Kev

Do you mean the blower fan has stopped working? Common fault. What about the other 3 speeds? Kev

You can only buy the complete tensioner assembly unfortunately and not just the pulley. Circa £100. Screw a long 8mm bolt through the threaded hole on the tensioner until the belt is fully slackened. Lift the belt off the tensioner pulley and spin it by hand. If it feels stiff or grindy, it's knackered. You can however strip the pulley by removing it (check the thread though as I think it's reversed like bicycle cranks) and repacking the bearings with high temperature grease. This seems to work for a lot of folks. Kev

If changing the plugs and leads makes no difference, it's probably the coilpack. A common complaint on the VR I'm afraid. They cost well over £100. Make sure you get one made by Temic (Part no - 021 905 106) and NOT Beru. A simple test to see if the coilpack is dead is to spray some water on it whilst the engine is running at night. Rev the engine whilst spraying. If you can see sparks around the coilpack, time for replacement. Kev

How about Blue Igniters? Lifetime warranty and OE ends. I had a set of 16V ones for 5 years with no problems, so...... Kev

I deleted the pic from my PC after I uploaded it, ooops :? I think the server lunched it? Kev

Neither, they're both rubbish :lol: Kev

He he, when my battery was removed last, the wiring loom cables were disturbed and I connected them the wrong way round! Kev

Mine neither, it's just slightly lumpy. When the engine is cold, it does idle dead smooth but gets worse as the engine warms up. Must just be a VR6 thing as I've replaced the MAF, throttle position sensor, cam sensor, engine speed sensor, coil pack, leads, inlet hose, idle valve the list goes on! Kev

I was bored today so I removed the carbon canister and modded the airbox to kill some time :lol: I also replaced the gear oil with Redline MTL and Slick 50. All 3 mods have been worthwhile, especially the gear oil :D To get round the major fuel pongs, I routed a hose into the inner wing and put a foam filter on the end of it (from a nitro radio control car engine). I still get a faint whiff every nown again but I was anyway with the CC fitted, so no change. If it gets bad I'll pull the vent hose all the way to the back of the car and hang it up in the rear arch like MK2 Golfs do. I've left the blue frequency valve connected as to not upset the ECU. Now with the CC out of the way, I was able to block the standard air box inlet and drill a larger one in the bottom so that I could fit a guttering elbow which pokes into the vacant CC hole. Then I fitted a long flexi hose into the guttering elbow which then clips just behind the trim panel adjacent to the outside air temp sensor. I drilled through the slates, filed them smooth and now the hose gets a real blast of cold air and channels it up to the air box :lol: I did notice a better midrange but whether that was the result of removing the CC or the airbox mod, I don't know, but either way, she feels slightly more eager. Kev

I don't know what it is with the 2.9 engine, the 2.8 seems a much better unit. I reckon it has a small mechanical defect as I've yet to see a 2.9 idle smoothly. I was working on my car today and a Golf VR6 purred past and then stopped at the junction adjacent to my drive. It just purred, dead smooth idle and no obscure noises. I was right miffed! Mine also has the hesitancy problem below 2000rpm. Still haven't isolated that problem yet, despite replacing everything electrical on the engine! Kev

It does look kind of mean and the kit has been well made and fitted but it's just too over the top, just like the Clio V6. Kev