andy

A bit harsh there Phil :? I trust you're in jest Critical - the guy is clearly a total menace to society - and anyone who can't perceive that needs some education/thought process retraining! Sorry about being so outspoken at full volume - stuff like this just gets to me. :shock: :brickwall: A total menace to society, are you a complete idiot? Keep things in proportion.

Coilpack almost certainly will be ok, MAFS vary though. 4 pin/6 pin varieties and possibly internals may be different

Sounds about right, most people on here use synta silver (or titan xtr as its now called) oil from German and Swedish (GSF Carparts). Its the same stuff as VW themselves use. Filter wise, VW or decent brand from GSF will be fine.

It does sound like it might be the HG, you may have blown the gasket between a cylinder and the coolant paths in the/head/block. This would have the effect of pressuring the cooling system, which could explain the split hose and water gushing from the bottle. Also white smoke in the exhaust gases can be indicative of water in the combustion process. You need to do a compression test really.

It is blank on UK cars, its for something temperature related on cars in colder climates.

It does seem very odd, especially if your new stat has been working up till now. I've never had an issue with a GSF stat, I've used any number of them in different cars. Thats about all I can offer, further investigation required, you sound like you know what you're up to. You haven't lost some coolant have you.....like most of it?

I believe its called a PCV valve, or Positive Crancase Ventilation valve, it allows oily fumes under pressure to escape from the cam cover and be sucked into the air intake and be combusted.

I wouldn't worry too much, its only part of the 'breathing' system. If its running good, I wouldn't worry, make sure the screws are secure though, i.e sealing well and not likely to get sucked in/blown out.

These are classic lambda probe fault symptoms.

Spot on, where will it stop?

The terminology is ludicrous. You can't cause death by dangerous driving if you're not driving. FACT. What if he had handed the keys to someone sober, they had then proceeded to drive like a t1t and subsequently killed someone. Would he be guilty of the same thing there. Especially if the driver had a history of driving like a t1t.... He is obviously partly responsible, and deserves to be held accountable to some degree, but 4 years for dangerous driving.....come on.

Thermostat jammed shut maybe?

Idle stabilization valve problem, probably needs cleaning. Either that or a foreign body (usually foam) in the surrounding pipework. I've has exactly these symptoms and it was foam in the pipes surrounding the ISV. Could equally be an airleak in the same area. Do a search for ISV cleaning on here, loads of info.

Worth checking the timing chain tensioner pad. That way if it's goosed you can change things whilst it's easy to get the gearbox off.

I saw that too earlier, fantastic! I would love an S3, just haven't quite found one with low enough mileage for the right money! That colour does look superb.

I did one the other day without taking any of the front of the car off, you just need to take your time and remove a few hoses, the coilpack and the ignition leads/guides. A mirror is useful for seeing where the long allen bolts fit.

So much car for the money. I even saw a 1.8t Quattro, with 70k miles, and leather, really smart for 2.5k recently.

Indeed, I'd want to check the valve timing too.

I would say all your readings are low, every VR6 I've measured (several) have been up arround the 180 - 190 psi mark. If all of yours are arround the 160 mark then I would say you have a problem there straightaway. Was the engine hot, throttle wide open?

Cool, thanks for that.

Always fancied one of those, are they not haldex, i.e. fwd most of the time, 4wd/rwd when necessary?

Mine has just reached 142k too. Never been towed/recovered/letdown either. (he says touching some wood!) They really are incredibly tough cars, I do 70+ miles a day in it, have done for the last 6 years,I think that helps, regular use, getting everything up to temp, not many short journeys. I also noticed the other day, mine has had 25 oil changes in that mileage, I do it every 6k. Its had no head work, chains are untouched. Feels good for fair few miles yet. :)

I've never thought women get better with age, it all down hill from about 15! :norty:

They are 7.5J. I am unsure about the offset now, where it said 38 on one wheel, I assumed that was the offset. However after much scraping of snow and ice, that particular number is different on each wheel. They do however say 5100 VW, which I assume means 5 * 100 and more importantly VW, meaning they are an original fit VW wheel.

Personally I don't think they make a great 1st car. Fine if you're a youngster who has a massive specific hankering for a Corrado. I think the general, visibility and dreadful mirrors on Corrados are quite new driver unfriendly. I think you have lots to worry about when your a new driver without introducing the worlds biggest blind spots into the equation. Also compare something like a Clio with a Corrado for ease of driving for a beginner, if you don't know what I mean, drive one or something similar. Also the insurance will be interesting for a new driver.....