tonedef

I'm going to have to get that cheque sent to rejoin CCGB, then I can see the website!

That's a bit like "Light Blue Touch Paper & Retire to a Safe Distance" :lol:

OK, so how's that work then? Mine's got to be one of the last made, sticker in the back dates it to 18th May 95, last digits of VIN: 003701 so as they made 97,521 Corrados how does my number figure?

That looks like something worth trying, I'm really impressed with the Jetex pollen filter the way it keeps the inside of the screen clean but as you say it's pretty small and rather pricy to swap out every year or so. How different are the fixings and do you have a part number on the moulding, might be easier than dragging round scrappers looking for Passats!

That's a thought, I'll check the clearance in the tensionner although it does drive the a/c compressor OK so I'd imagine it's fine? It's out for the day now so I'll have to check tonight.

I'm thinking that'll be the answer too, shame I tried to be clever and just swap the reg, means I have a spare one for the new alternator I guess!

Oh yes, and the battery is about three weeks old, damn forgot that bit, my dad picked it up for me while I was still away in Saudi, and it was £93 from Halfords! It's been like this for ages, could be a couple of years as I had it off the road last winter but for all that time it's been fine as long as you remember to start it charging by reving it (as soon as it's warm obviously). I'd finally decided to do something about fixing it and it turns out to be not as simple as it originally seemed.

I'm using a calibrated multimeter and could quote accurate figures too if you like! But seriously, yes the light works fine and I know it's not charging until I rev the motor, numbers in the region of: 12.8 volts everything off, 12.2 volts after it's started and 13.4 once the revs have gone over 3000 then everything's fine even at idle with lights and a/c etc switched on.

For ages now my alternator has not started charging until the engine revs go over 3,000. Pretty simple problem I thought, either the blue wire has no supply or the voltage reg is goosed. I checked the blue wire and found 12 volts so ordered a reg which I fitted this morning, start it up and I still have the same problem! Anyone had similar?

I swapped mine out when I did the cam chains job at 112K, the plate thickness of new clutch I bought looked identical to the one I was taking out. At the time I'd already owned the C six years and bought it with less than 50K on the clock so I can't believe it had one before.

But does a folder full of receipts and a stamped service book stop a twelve year old car breaking? I think not. I used to live over the road from a fifty something year old guy, always bought his cars new, had them serviced on time at the main dealer, sold them after about three years, all looked well to an outsider. But there's no way I'd ever have bought one from him as he used to start it up every morning with his foot flat on the floor. Once it bounced off the rev limiter he may have lifted his foot off, sometimes his reactions were not so good and it may have stayed there bouncing for a couple of seconds, I'd be laying in bed cringing! None of that was ever documented in the service history.

I undertake all the time as I am not prepared to sit in the 65mph train running down the outside lane. If people cannot be courteous enough to move over it's not my problem, I move over for anybody who wants to pass me (not that it happens too often!) as I feel that maybe the next time they'll move over for me. We must be one of the worst countries in Europe for ignorant motorway driving, most other countries manage with mainly two lane motorways that flow at a higher speed than ours, I wonder why that is?

I did exactly the same job last winter although mine only got a new clutch as the gearbox is fine. Even then the clutch was a waste of money, at 113K it was no more worn than the new one I put in but you have to do it when it's in pieces don't you? The head gasket you're looking for is the one steel one off the Sharan, p/n 021 103 383 N £41.86 + VAT when I got mine 27th Oct last year.

How much is that in old money? :lol: :lol: :lol: Call it £1.60 per 4 litres, ball park.

102.9 for V-Power in Chesterfield. I filled the pickup with diesel at work two weeks ago, 60 litres for 12 Saudi Riyals. Exchange rate 7.6 Saudi Riyals to £1.00. Petrol doesn't cost a deal more, are we getting ripped or what???

You gotta say that was worth the effort, a real result 8)

I already went through this process and bought an S3 as a replacement. I figured at the time it was as close as VAG had come to a new Corrado and my VR was in need of retiring. After 15 months and some investment in the VR I sold the S3 even though real world it was the better car by a long way. Can't decide what I'll try next, probably a chipped diesel dog of a Golf/Bora/A3 for the big miles I'll probably pile up on the next contract. I'll not try getting rid of the Corrado next time though cos I'm know that's just not gonna happen :lol:

Just bolted a couple of my new wheels on for a quick check before they go for refurb. Always had a thing for Borbet Cs, about time I bought some :D

I bought one supposedly for a Corrado from ebay, turns out it's too big and I don't like the look (Golf I guess, p/n 1H6 853 679C) If anyone wants it, it's yours for the price of P&P.

Got the recaros in last night, well some time this morning when I'd done. Impressed with the refurb, they look quite a bit lighter on the photos but much closer in daylight, of course it'll take a few years for them to develop a bit of patina! But compared with standard, are they comfy or what???

No problem with all the questions, it's not like there's a lot of stuff to do in Saudi to keep me occupied. For the relays I used some from Halfrauds with a fuse in the base, will have to check the part number. I didn't cut any wires, just spliced into them so that the main beam power drives the relay, then I took cables direct from the battery through the switched contact and spliced them into the dip beam power supplies. That way if a relay dies or it's fuse blows dip and main will work just as before, it'll just not switch on dip with main. That's opposite to the way most uprated looms work as they are designed to supply full voltage to the dip beam. I fly home tonight so I'll check the wire colours, relay details etc and post them some time tomorrow night.

Picture me standing looking at my computer upside down :lol: Yes I think you're right and it is set for LHD in the picture, rotate the deflector in the direction of the arrow all the way to the other end of the slot then tighten the screw. Looking at your light from the back (as you'd be when driving your car) turn the whole thing upside down and the deflector will show which part of the beam it's going to cut off, you want the beam to be high on the left (curb side) and low on the right for oncoming traffic. To extend my adjusters I got some 10mm diameter bar 25mm long, drilled it 5mm through the centre and tapped it M6. Cut the adjusters in the centre and screwed each end into the extension pieces with locknuts to secure everything. I've got a fair bit more stuff in my garage than a lawnmower though! Once you've got them in the car you'll notice that on main beam only one half of the lights comes on, that's because the dip beam uses a single fillament H7 bulb rather than the standard H4. I fitted extra relays so that the dip stays on with the main beam, much better than before now. Next I'll be fitting HIDs into them for full effect :)

There's a circlip holds them in, just get hold of the loop and pull, it should come away pretty easy. Then the sensor pulls out. Did you get a new O ring for it too? Old ones don't like being disturbed too much.

Man you've taken them to bits further than I did and I painted the insides black! The deflector needs to stay at the bottom as the beams's inverted by the lens so if you put it at the top the road'll be black in front of you and nobody else will be able to see anything but your lights. It just adjusts from one end of the slot to the other to set the cut off from left side of the road to right, that's what it means by loosen the adjustable screw.

Mine's pretty low on coilovers and I used to get probems with the magnex hitting the body or rear axle. I ended up fitting extra rubbers wherever I could just to stop the exhaust bouncing so much over bumps.