Kevin Bacon

Try sticking a pin in the rear washer jet and wiggling it about a bit. The jet only has a very small amount of movement, if moved out of range too far, it impedes flow. Usually works. Kev

German and Swedish and Euro car parts sell coilpacks for £117 + VAT. It's bloody disgraceful considering VW know they mess up regularly. Surely a sensitive electrical device bolted to the side of a cylinder that generates lots of vibration and heat is not particularly clever? Kev

Yeah they just keep the nozzles above freezing point but sometimes in the cold you can see hot air vapours coming off the screen when you use them. If you use decent screenwash (with antifreeze), you don't get freezing problems anyway. Some people wrap the screenwash hose around the radiator hose for added protection! Kev

Sounds like the alternator needs attention. Unfortunately the factory fit Bosch ones don't simply take a diode and brush pack, it needs removing from the car and rebuilding. I had a word with my local auto electricians about it and they said you'd be better off fitting a new one. You should be getting 13.5+ with everything switched on. The engine might slow down a bit as the alternator puts more load on the engine but it should maintain that voltage. As for batteries. Vauxhall ones are the best because they're made my AC Delco, a very highly regarded battery producer and sealed for life. You even getting a little indicator showing battery health. Green for good, yellow/orange for dead/dying. Kev

Sounds like the alternator needs attention. Unfortunately the factory fit Bosch ones don't simply take a diode and brush pack, it needs removing from the car and rebuilding. I had a word with my local auto electricians about it and they said you'd be better off fitting a new one. You should be getting 13.5+ with everything switched on. The engine might slow down a bit as the alternator puts more load on the engine but it should maintain that voltage. As for batteries. Vauxhall ones are the best because they're made my AC Delco, a very highly regarded battery producer and sealed for life. You even getting a little indicator showing battery health. Green for good, yellow/orange for dead/dying. Kev

I think 10 minutes behind the wheel of a good one is enough to make your mind up :lol: Be under no illusion, the VR6 can be an expensive car to own and maintain but to be fair, many of it's faults are Corrado wide, not just VR6 specific. VR6 engine parts are expensive. Simple hoses and sensors can be ludicrously priced. Overall though, the VR6 is very reliable. Things may not always be 100% and you may hear some odd noises but the engine and drivetrain are very robust and won't leave you stranded by the side of the road. There is plenty of info about the VR6 on the forum so I won't waffle on too much here but if you enjoy the test ride then I'd say go for it. Avoid ones that show clear signs of neglect and abuse. A severly stone chipped bonnet is a sign of a hard life as is kerbed wheels and dented chin spoilers. If the engine sounds like it's got marbles in the crankcase - walk away. Kev

The valve itself isn't smart but rather all the inputs the ECU needs in order to regulate the idle speed. I think it takes readings from the engine speed sensor, throttle position sensor and a couple of temperature sensors. The ISV has a motorised valve inside it that opens and blocks a passage way to regulate the idle. As they get old, the valve sticks causing the engine to idle badly, hence the old carb cleaner trick. Sometimes they just die completely. When the Idle circuit isn't working properly, the ECU is supposed to fully open the ISV so that the engine remains startable and driveable, but it doesn't always work. Kev

Cheers Joe, great info. Thanks. I did do the ECU reset when I fitted a new throttle position sensor but the symptoms remain. Andyvr6, the idle valve costs a rather silly £133 + VAT from Euro car parts. God knows how much VW will charge for it. The throttle damper is £31, which again is ludicrous considering what it is. I don't see any other way so have got to bite the bullet :( Cleaning the ISV out doesn't really seem to help much, well not for long anyway. I will get to the bottom of it though, even if it does bankrupt me in the process. Bloody car :evil: Kev

Sounds like an interesting theory. My rev counter just drops like a brick but I think it's the throttle damper that slows the revs down in the manner you describe. I ordered a new one today (see pic) from VW. It could also be that if the ISV is not responding to system commands? Hopefully a new damper and ISV will cure the problem. Kev

Mine does that too and I've had to adopt a different driving style because of it. I bascially come off the gas and dip the clutch very slowly, long before the junction and then coast up to it. Coming off the gas and dipping the clutch abruptly can cause the engine to stall, but not always. I'm trying a new ISV from Europarts tomorrow so I'll see how that goes. Another thing you can check is the throttle damper. It's the little bellows behind the throttle body that catches the throttle and lowers it to rest gently. If this is worn, the ISV will struggle to catch the rpm drop, hence stalling. HTH Kev

Main reason for that being you know you've just saved yourself a heap of $$$s! When you fix something yourself it's a good confidence booster and makes the car less scary to own because you know it inside and out. It's all very sad really. You become at one with the machine. You hear a noise and know what it is straight away. You carry spare plug leads and sensors etc because you supersticiously believe that because they're in the car, the originals won't break - but you're prepared if they do ! I think a lot of Corrado owners are fraut with paranoia because they have such a bad reliablity press. I'm slowly accepting it's just a car and the counselling is going well :wink: Kev

Got some interesting history on the G lader here if anyone's interested....some snippets from "VW Golf and derivatives":-. The French invented the G Lader principal in 1905 for aero engines. VW in the 80s, looking for ways to compete in the under 2.5 litre Rally classification rejuvinated the old G lader principal and designed their own version of it. The G60 engine displaced 1763cc which when multiplied by 1.4 (applicable to supercharged engines) meant it was comfortably less than the 2500 class limit. Prior to VW taking on the G Lader principal, no manufacturer had been able to handle the the casting and milling processes with sufficient precision to produce the two housing shells in aluminium and the displacer in magnesium, with the required accuracy in large quantities. The G Lader's key strengths are it's relatively low operating speed and quick spool up time. 80% of boost is available 0.4 seconds after opening the throttle and full boost is available a further 0.4 seconds later. At the G60's launch, the engine was commended for providing a level of performance typical of a 2.6 engine from only 1.8 litres. 8) Kev

Sounds similar to a computer keyboard bus. Numerous possible keystrokes down a few wires. Some French ideas seem a little wacky initially but you then realise they actually make sense. They are among the finest engineers in the world and they certainly know a thing or two about suspension. The thinking behind their engines is to make them smaller, more powerful, simpler and lighter so that they can concentrate on the interior and bodyshell more, meaning they can build an engine into the car rather than building a car around the engine. VW did exactly the same thing with the VR engine, which then went on to spawn W configuration engines. The W18 was canned as it was too complicated but the W8 and W12 remain. They're also heavily into twin scroll turbos which are a vast improvement over normal ones. Basically, exhaust oulets 1 and 4 flow into one turbo port and cyls 2 & 3 flow into the other. This gets round the inherent problem of turbo engines ingesting their own exhaust gases. Solve that and you can crank up the ignition advance a lot more, giving more torque and erradicating lag. Clever stuff. Kev

4th gear acceleration is the best imo in the VR6. You can leave it in 4th all day on the motorway as it offers a wide speed range and it keeps the engine in the sweet spot. Especially useful when Vectra man is glued to your backside whilst you're waiting for that HGV to pull over. Floor it and watch Vectra turn to a small dot and then grab 5th at 125+ and keep going all the way to 145+. Once you stoke the VR's fire on the motorway, it just doesn't stop :lol: Kev

Depends if it's an E30 325is or an E36. E30 = 170bhp & 171lb/ft torque and the E36 gets 24V, single vanos vvt, 191 bhp and 181lb/ft torque. Having owned an E30 is and driven an E36 325i, I'd say you'll be level with the E30 but no chance with the E36. The E36 is faster than the G60 to 60 and has a higher top speed. The E30's times are 8.1 to 60 and 138mph respectively. The E30 is has an LSD too, so will launch better. You will have him on the twisties though if you're dampers are sound, ESPECIALLY in the wet. He won't stand a chance. E30s are skittish as hell in the wet. Kev

Idle valve I reckon. Kev

Absolutely spot on. You need suspension travel, simple as that. If you cruise up and down the Autobahn everyday, then fair enough, coilovers on their minimum height is fine but hit a bump and something has to give because there is no travel left in the strut. And what usually gives is your underseal on the chassis rail as the driveshaft hits it! Kev

It's one of those 'suck it and see' things. You can get 16" wheels that are lighter than the factory 15s though. BBS and speedline are very light wheels and VW use them for that reason. A big heavy wheel like the Azev A will certainly make it's prescence felt over bumps and I speak from experience! It's all about reducing unsprung weight. F1 cars have tiny magnesium wheels, carbon brakes and inboard dampers/springs to keep unsprung weight to an absolute minimum. Alfa and Citroen cottoned onto that too with inboard brakes. This allows the springs and dampers to do a better job of controlling the huge mass above them than controlling the heavy mass below them. Kev

He he, I'm working toward my 1000th! I wasn't sure what they meant about the plastic inlet manifold but sounds like Joe knows what they were talking about. Plastic engines are not new. Ford made a plastic engine in the 80s but plastic technology back then wasn't what it is now, so the project was canned. BASF also invented plastic batteries so that a rear spoiler or bumper would be the car's main battery, saving weight etc etc but that was another flash in the pan! The next big things engine wise are 24V electrics, direct injection petrol and cam-less cylinder heads. Renault made a camless engine which had no external pulleys. The alternator/starter motor was basically the flywheel, the PAS was pressurised with electric motors and the water pump was also electric. It was just a small metal box! Computer controlled solenoids replaced the cam. Very trick! This was a few years ago so dunno how they're getting on with it. Kev

I was browsing the vortex forum earlier and I read something that appeared to be suggesting fitting a plastic manifold from a 2000 VR6 onto AAA/ABV engines. I'm guessing they mean the 24V manifold, perhaps? Midrange torque is said to be much improved. I couldn't find any exact details though. Kev

To be honest, the Corrado always was a firmly setup car and aftermarket spring producers are all going to up the stiffness by at least 15%. My factory setup was fairly crashy and uninspiring over cr#p urban roads. You're going to get that regardless because the chassis technology on the Corrado is as old as the MK2 Golf! Torsion beam rear axles are not known for their compliance over closely packed bumps. Try a car with indepdant arms all round (Focus, Civic, BMW etc) and feel the difference! FK and Koni coilovers have a good reputation but ever since sampling a car wearing Avo coilovers (not the best admittedly), I've always been biased toward traditional spring and damper kits. I've got H&R -30mm sport springs on mine and Koni TAs all round and on decent quality roads, the handling and ride are superb. On bumpy urban roads, it's pretty harsh. I've had all my bushes changed so it's just something I have to live with. Kev

You think the Boxter is good, take a ride in a 993 911 :lol: Kev

Adjustable H&Rs, as in coilovers are reputedly very hard and cost sh#t loads of money. Their normal sport springs are more forgiving but need partnering with decent shocks, such as H&Rs own or Koni top adjustables. Stay away from their race springs. Kev

I reckon a lot of 2.9 engines have a slight mechanical imbalance. I've replaced just about everything electronic related (inc the fuel pump) on my VR6 and it still idles like sh#t. It also has a curious flatspot all the way from idle to 2000 rpm. I reckon I'll have to resort to rechip to sort that out and then hopefully the idle will improve too. Kev

Couple of other suggestions:- Heat exchanger seal and oil filter housing. I reckon it might the engine speed sensor seal as I had oil leaking out of mine which sits above the engine mount oddly enough. Surprisingly enough, VW have modified the seal on this sensor :shock: Hope you find the culprit. Hopefully it is just the sump gasket as that's quite common and easy to change. Kev