Neil VR6

I've got a set on my E39 BMW and they're really good. I clean and re-wax them annually as they don't have the Inox coating like the KWs (even though KW actually own AP now). Ride quality is good though. They're too soft to run mega low on my application. The springs just aren't stiff enough. But the damping's good and they've been 100% reliable (mine's an M-Sport)

Another new owner :) I can't believe you lost the stereo face-plate! ;)

Not at all - it was £7800 (the guy knocked off £200 as it needs a service) It's a huge amount of metal for the money. Dual zone climate, leather, bi-xenons (which are INCREDIBLE), auto wipers, fantastically adjustable seats etc etc. I'm loving the orange dash illumination too, it's got little lights in the ceiling which iluminate the dash at night! The auto 'box is super too

Picked up some new wheels on Thursday and spent all day clay bar'ing, polishing and waxing... E39 BMW 530i Sport in Cosmos Black metallic, 1 owner from new (a doctor), optional sunroof, 60k miles:

I know I'm resurrecting an old thread here but what's a KW comfort pack? Indeed, I turn 30 in two weeks. This sounds like just the ticket!

A new MAF solved those problems for me. I can't recall if VAGCOM picks up specific MAF faults. You can test whether the MAF is working by measuring the resistance of the current as you boot the throttle. The resistance should shoot up as the air gets sucked in. If you only see a slight increase - your MAF's dead.

Did you get a re-furb'd donor engine put in or have your old lump rebuilt?

Your Corrado's mostly made of Dynamat isn't it or did you manage to remove it? :lol:

http://www.the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewto ... 31&t=83762

The way it would pick up from 2k RPM and not need to be revved to 4k RPM like the VR before the fun begins! :ignore:

I miss the torque of my old G60 :(

For less that £15k you can buy an Alfa Veloce Mito with the cracking 155TB engine. I test drove one and thought it was brilliant. Far better value and better looking (controversial!) than what I suspect the new Polo will look like :ignore:

I love the W124 - my old man had a light green 230E saloon. An absolute tank - he sold it with 104K on the clock and it never broke down once. It ended up being shipped to the middle east somewhere cos it was a manual and as a result had a resale value of about £4.28 so was destined for use as a mini cab. I keep expecting to see it on the news with a guilted tissue box on the parcel shelf!

My mates just got a Passat 130 TDi estate and loves it. It's usually full of dogs and camping gear!

All the usual cuplrits! Start with the cheapest first namely the ECU and fuel pump relay both cheap OE parts from VW - and likely to go at some point so renewing them is wise anyway. Then as above the ignition switch, crank position sensor/hall sender. The CPS was the cause of my 'cranking but not firing' issue - about £30 from VW.

Have you checked the wiring loom for splits etc?

I know my car's in very very good condition because I'm meticulous with its maintenance so I know most of the stuff the MOT throws up is complete nonsense. I understand it's a fixed set of rules designed to be interpreted by individuals but there's way too much leeway in judgement. And there's always the high chance that the MOT test station are in cohorts with the actual garage who would end up getting the work to rectify the 'faults'. I'm safe for another year - might have to get one of those special 'mail order' ones next time

Having to fill up a quota for 'failures' is incredible and makes a complete mockery of the system! :eek: Especially when you see the state of some of the cars on the road at the moment! :roll: I got the feeling that the first tester saw it was 'modified' and picked it apart

I took my car for its MOT last week to a local VW specialist, who I found out actually farm their MOTs out to another garage. The car failed on lots of things, one for a headlamp beam pattern, one for a headlamp pointing too high, 2 for the front suspension being ‘too low’ stating “insufficient clearance between suspension and bodywork” and one for a brake pipe rubbing against something and 2 for both rear wheel bearings having too much play. I know the car passed in its current state last year because the car is fundamentally unchanged and it’s only done a few thousand miles. So £50 down. I ended up paying another MOT station and it passed straight through with 2 advisories for the wheel bearings (which can be adjusted anyway). So what the heck is up with that? 2 ‘identical’ tests, one stating my car is basically unroadworthy and one passing through without a hitch. I spoke to the first garage about complaining to the relevant body but if the car was found to be at fault I’d have to get it rectified and pay for the bloke to come out and assess it. What a complete waste of my time and money! :bad-words:

They were a Sharan part weren't they? (or am I dreaming that?)

What a great find! Can't wait to see her all cleaned up!

How in the name of sweet Mary Jane Jesus did you locate that?!

Why not put some cheapo stuff in now and order the fancy oil which will arrive from Opie next week?

I had this done when I had my G60 to make way for a cold air feed into the bottom of the airbox and the car never smelt of fuel – apart from when the fuel line perished but that’s another story. It make the engine bay quite a bit tidier without all that pumping nonsense everywhere. The actual breather pipe was plumbed back into airbox if I recall correctly

Absolutely. Re-lacquering :cuckoo: They say you shouldn’t ever take more than 25% of the lacquer’s thickness off with machine polishing etc so I guess it depends on how bad it is. There are lots of variables involved but you’d be amazed at what a rotary can do in the right hands. I did the side of a friend’s car which had been ragged down country lanes and it had loads of scratches from branches and a couple of passes with my orbital polisher with only a gentle compound brought the finish up in 2 passes.