Linus Van Pelt

Don't know but I'm sure someone on here will chip in :) Just to clarify, the wheels on daves16v C are the same as mine and were standard on the last examples of the 2.0 16V (probably the 8V too) - model year '95 only I think... They're called "Westwoods" btw. DtM.

Load and pressure marking requirement (not applicable in the UK). These go from a load index of 50 (190kg) up to an index of 169 (5800kg). So the VR has 86 = 530kg per wheel... (which means you'd have to be one mighty lardy squire to worry those tyres :lol:) ( http://www.chris-longhurst.com/carbible ... bible.html ) :study: DtM.

Okay, after my drive home (approx. 60 miles), both rear hubs were warm to the touch, there was a slight difference, but it really wasn't that noticable. The front hubs were quite hot to the touch, not hot enough to burn my finger, but not a long way off. Now I know the fronts are carrying all the power and most of the braking, does this mean they should be that much hotter? To recap, the rear bearings were changed in february '04 (approx. 7K miles ago) and I thought the front bearings were last changed back in July '02, but looking at the invoice again, it didn't specifically mention them :?: which means they could still be from when I got the car over 45K miles ago :shock: (and however long before that they were last done) Think I may have answered my own question, but does this sound like time to get them changed? Thanks for the pointers! DtM.

Thanks peeps. I had my rear bearings replaced recently, fronts were done some time ago now. I think the sound is coming from the rear (but I'm really not that sure), so maybe they did them up too tight? At least it gives me somewhere to start looking! Cheers again, DtM.

I'm not expecting anyone to get this, since it's really hard to describe the noise, but I thought I'd throw it out anyway. I can best desribe the noise I'm getting as a pulsing hum (about 1.5s on, fading out for 0.75s and back on again). The period of this oscillation does not appear to change with the speed of the car. The hum is at a higher pitch than the engine, but it's not what I would descibe as sqeaky or wailing. The noise is only noticeable once the car is travelling at more than 40mph. Putting the clutch in, foot off the throttle and coasting down a hill, the noise is still there. Once the car is at motorway speeds, the sound is drowned out by the engine/road noise, but I'm pretty sure it's still there. (Just to add that I'm blessed with particularly sharp hearing, so it might not be all that loud, since I'm very good at tuning in to noises.) I'd be very grateful if someone has any idea where I need to be looking to find out what's going on! Cheers, DtM.

...reminds of the independent dealer I bought mine from... He said, "it won't cost you much to insure that you know" :roll: :lol: Fletcher, If it has VW history, VW should have recorded the mileage at each service on their system, make sure they all correspond with what's written in your service book. DtM.

Could just be a duff switch unit. Mine was tempremental at best (sometimes worked, sometimes didn't). Then some disease ridden pile of filth rammed the side of my car ripping the mirror off. The switch didn't work at all after the new mirror went on, but I was able to pick up a switch unit from a scrappy for not very much and that's sorted it. Not sure how feasible it is, but you could try taking the adjustor switch apart and checking the contacts inside it :?: DtM.

Me aged about 4... (might help explain the avatar :lol:) DtM.

Thanks Henny, next service is due in about 5K miles, but at the rate I'm racking them up, that's only a couple of months away. I'll shall see about procuring a new sump though, thanks for the tip! :thumb right: [£19.99 from the ECP website... is that right? Sounds awfully cheap :lol:] DtM.

Ta matey, and all who posted :wink: . The rain on the drive into work this morning appears to have cleared most of it away and the coolant cap seal ,coolant level and the pipes I can see all appear to be ok. Temps on the dial and MFA are all where they usually are too. Me? paranoid? Marvin. :mrgreen:

i thought that was a bit risky... or is it just one of those things that you absolutely make sure is done properly (like replacing the front windscreen)? I've always been advised against doing it... DtM.

Damn I love this forum... cheers guys! :oops: DtM.

...which might explain my never ending steering troubles... :?: DtM.

Whilst doing some poking and fiddling with the bumper this evening, I popped the bonnet to discover that my engine bay appears to be covered in what I can only describe as a white chalky residue... (this includes the underside of the bonnet, that sound deadening stuff is also covered in it). There's nowhere obvious I can see that it might have come from but it's all over the place. Anyone have any thoughts on where this might have come from, or which bit of my car is about to go pop next? DtM.

Can someone tell me what this bit of my car is... the big grey block at the top is the lower front spolier so this pipe is underneath the engine, at the front almost directly under the carbon canistor. It doesn't look at all healthy, but what is it? (yes I know the sump (behind) is covered in crap, but I've had more oil leaks in the past few months than a tanker made of swiss cheese... :( ) Cheers! DtM

I appreciate that the sizes are more-or-less comparable (putting 195/50/15 on a car set for 185/55/15 means the speedo will over read by 1.5%), but since the original VAG brochure and owners manual both say 195/50/15, I can only assume it was an offical design decision by VW to change to a more easily availble size...? Do you have a source for this info? DtM.

could be ABS sensor related (since they're mounted on/by/in the wheels somewhere..). might be just one is loose and loses contact with the increased vibrations of the wheel spinning when doing 70 mph :? DtM.

Yup that Performance Alloy site has it wrong... they're saying 185/55/15 but the standard size should be 195/50/15... DtM.

...not forgeting that the Porker spoiler is designed to get more airflow into the engine to assist cooling, whereas ours is for reducing rear end lift... ...and the crossfire comes with a trouser press for the executive types... :lol: DtM.

I would expect you might not have auto-up on the button so that some muppet doesn't get his head stuck in it! You'll probably find it's technically a 'safety' feature.. Mine only auto-up under the full closure system... DtM.

357 131 701 CX :mrgreen: DtM.

I had a similar run in with a 325 recently with much the same result, left him to start but as soon as that torque kicked in... I must say though, that it is always refreshing to find someone who's prepared to drive properly :wink: sometimes playing catch-up is actually a lot more fun than watching people go backwards* :lol: Oh, and you can't help but notice those Saabs too... properly driven they are real sleepers... (*the only upside to driving to work at 06.00 in the morning :mrgreen:) DtM.

http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish actually seems to do a pretty good job on this site (and it follows through to the linked documents) Here you can find a whole list of similar translation sites... http://www.humanitas-international.org/ ... -trans.htm DtM.

I'm assuming GPC (@ £45) is still the de facto place to get replacements (I'm not interested in the rear passat delocked thang)? DtM.

dr_mat, you again! (people will talk ya' know!) :lol: mutter, mutter, grumble, grumble... ...anyone got any spare? :wink: DtM.