Andy D

Yes i second that just because the batt light goes out doesn't mean it is charging

Ok On the front of the cylinder head there is a black plastic flange it has the top hose for the radiator doing to it. Also it has one black sensor one blue sensor on the top of the flange with wires coming off them. The blue one is the ECU cooling temp sensor this send a signal to the ecu (the brain) so the correct mixture (air/fuel strength) of fuel is injected into the engine i.e. a sort of choke. These sensor can go wrong causing all sorts of problem like bad cold/warm starting high MPG and other straight running faults. There not to expensive from GSF think about £6 or so. Right next on the engine near the inlet manifold you should see a round like cylindrical valve that control you idle when hot or cold and keeps the idle nice and even. If you remove the valve by undoing the two jubilee clips holding the two breather pipes on both ends and unclip the multi plug with wire coming off. You can then slide the rubber hanger and valve off the mount BE CARFUL NOT TO SPLIT THE RUBBER MOUNT its not the end of the world if you do. Next you will need some carburettor cleaner squirt the clean down the end of the valve and you will see lots of dirt come out. Keep doing it for about 30 second from both ends. Then get some rag and hold the valve it and shack it about to get any excess out of the valve. Then refit the valve and see if it has helped. I'll post pic if i cam get the forum to except my pic

Could try cleaning the isv out and put a coolant temp sensor on. Could be a lot of things have you checked all tha basic like cap and arm make sure there is no damp in there?

Try changing the sensor if this doesn't sort thing might want to drop the sump off and check the stranner isn't blocked. If you find it is block i would change the pump and stranner there not a lot from GSF

It does have batt light when the igniton is on doesn't it ?

Sounds to me that you might have a burn out valve what was the plug like that came out it was in one piece? The compression could be low due to there being no spark and it has bore wash with all that fuel going in and no spark. Have you tryed doing a wet test my putting a squit of oil down the bores to check the rings. if the comppression goes up big time then you have a problem with the compression rings. Not trying to take the piss but there is spark on number one ?

I WAS THINK ABOUT GETTING THE KIT FITTED BY PITSTOP HAD A CHAT WITH THE GUYS AND THEY SAID IT WAS A WELL WORTH WILL MOD ESPECALLY IF YOU HAVE A STANDARD IC. THIS IS THE KIT THEY DO DOES ANYONE HAVE THIS ONE FITTED?? http://www.pitstopdevelopments.com/intercoolers.htm

Big time difference the standard intercooling is so restricting all of my mods where being hampered my the OE cooler put this on and my god my car has been flying ever since well pleased.

This is the kit i got from jabba was very pleased with the results and the kit fitted fairly easily its made by proalloy Soory about other message could get the image to take. Herees a link to the web site http://www.jabbasport.com/product_fulld ... oductID=35

Got my intercooler from Jabba I know people don't like them much but the kit they supplied me was excellent. [imghttp://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid170/p1f11e0f7f42b97cc6031dabef34196a4/f3fddb36.jpg

Did you test the alternator out put at idle? Try taking the battery voltage with the vehicle not started then take it when its running then take with it reving at 3000rpm if the voltage rises then the alternator is a bit weak. If the voltages are roughly all the same then all you are reading is battery voltage and the alternater is not charging. If this is the case you can get a regulator from partco/brown brothers for about 20 pound could try this and see if it will sorts the problem. Think the part number is ugcucb403van best thing to do is take yours uff and match it up.

Well that is what a lot of manufactures go by. I will say that I have had a lot of problems with recon alternators which are charge but not that strongly. I personally think the quality of alternator that are recon is no way at good as they used to be so i would recommend to get one which has been done by a good company i try to use Lucus. Hella alternator i have found can vary quite a lot i fitted one to a BMW 316 the other day and the charge rate at idle wasn’t all that strong but when you revved the car the voltage came up again. I have just checked my car at idle no load 14.2v then i loaded it up it dipped to 13.8 my alternator is a genuine vw one.

Sounds like head gasket to me best thing to do is fill the engine with water run the engine with the interior heater blowing and try to bleed the system with the cap off. If the engine boils over before the fan kicks in then the head gasket has gone. Also make sure that top and bottom hoses are getting hot as a stuck thermostat can cause this problem as well. A good tell tell sign is if the heater blows hot the proves that the water is circulating. When the engine is hot gently hold the top hose if you can feel air bubble going thought the pipe then the head gasket is the culprit

Sounds like head gasket to me best thing to do is fill the engine with water run the engine with the interior heater blowing and try to bleed the system with the cap off. If the engine boils over before the fan kicks in then the head gasket has gone. Also make sure that top and bottom hoses are getting hot as a stuck thermostat can cause this problem as well. Also a good tell tale sign is if the heater blows hot the proves that the water is circulating. If when the engine is hot gently hold the top hose if you can feel air bubble going thought the pipe then the head gasket is the culprit

Ok first thing turn the ignition on does the battery light come on. If no then you first need to test this circuit cos if this circuit is faulty the alternator will not be excited and won't charge. Remove the thin wire off the back of the alternator get someone to hold this wire to the body of the engine this will earth out the circuit. Then switch on the ignition and see if the battery light comes on. If it does then this circuit is fine. If it doesn't then there is a fault i.e. bulb blown circuit board on instruments is faulty or there is a broken wire some where. If there is a fault then you can manually turn the alternator on by touch the small exciter output on the altenator to the positive from the batt you will hear an engine tone change as the alternator starts charging. Once the alternator is charging the wire can be removed. Right if the light comes on then you can continue with the checks. Start the car probe the battery terminals take a reading. Next probe the output wire on the alternator take a reading. Keeping the probe on the out put touch the neg probe on the positive of the batt. This is called a drop test and give a reading of how many volts are lost from output on the alternator to the battery. The maximum that should be lost is 0.5v. Do the same on the body of the alternator to the earth of the batt. Ok take a look at you readings the battery at idle should be charged at about 13.2 to 14.5volts any high or lower you have a problem. Then switch on the headlight and rear demister the charge rate should not drop below 13v this is called a load test to check the voltage regualtor is compansating for the power usage. Hope this is clear this is the procedure i use at work.