dr_mat

I think they sell 'em in Halfords and other auto factors. Couldn't tell you a name, I didn't buy one, some research on google might do the trick though.. :)

Ah, but AAA with ABV head and TB and inlet will be more than a standard AAA, I would say. The 70cc is pretty minor compared to the remaining 2800 ... More like 185bhp I would say. I.e. so little difference that it's probably still quicker than your knackered old 2.9 block was ...

Why bother reboring a 1.8T? Just turn up the turbo knob in the ECU if you want more power.. Seems a whole lot of hassle for relatively small gains to me.

Thermostat got stuck closed, I would say. Should never hit 110 deg!! (You didn't think to turn the engine off maybe??) This would also explain your previous issue with fans not coming on. (If the rad isn't hot, the fans won't come on ...)

Trouble is the ECU will always throw a "No Signal" error on the crank sensor if the engine is not turning when you read the codes. If you see "open circuit" or "short to ground" or similar, then you'll know for sure. And yes, if you put a 'scope on the crank sensor output and turn the engine on the starter you should see a nice clean square wave with a gap once per rev..

Also could be a suddenly broken piston ring...

There are generic code readers available for £15-25. They'll just report the error code though, usually, you'll have to look it up in a book to translate that back to what the fault really is.

Doesn't sound massively down on normal for that type of driving.

Erm .. kicking in at ~95 sounds about normal, actually. The thermoswitch is on the *rear* of the radiator.

You'd notice that much overfuelling on your MPG ...

Switch in the rad is the control switch for the first two speeds of fan operation (i.e. the one that's not working in the above story). I think it's three pins but couldn't confirm that.. Go to GSF and ask for the in-rad thermo switch for a VR6 and you'll get the right bit.

Look for the ABS pump unit, there's plenty about and not too expensive either. The control unit *might* be at fault, but usually they're pretty reliable. The pump unit is known to be a weak point on this model of ABS system. Having said that, it's worth pulling the panels off the front of the ABS controller (passenger footwell, left hand side) and removing the big multi-plug on top of the black box. If there's ever been any water ingress there they can get quite badly corroded, which can at least cause the B+ voltage error. The other error is almost 99% the pump unit itself. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VW-GOLF-MK3-VR6-A ... 4637988448 Oh look! :) He's also selling an ABS control unit I think. They look the same as the Corrado ones, best to check the part numbers though.

The temperature ranges you're seeing there aren't too bad now. The VR runs hot - you need either the fans on or constant speed > 30mph to keep the thing from building heat under the bonnet - fact of life. The thing that's wrong here is that your fans don't seem to kick in till you're over 100. There's a multi-stage fan system and you should have low-speed fans on from around 94 degrees. These are controlled by the thermoswitch that you forgot to refit to the new radiator from the old one .. ;) Well. ok, maybe it's just faulty. It's mounted in the near side of the radiator, facing into the engine bay about 2/3rds the way down the plastic housings. Not sure about the idle lumpiness - does it use a lot of oil?

And on top of this, not wishing to unnecessarily cost you more cash, but if you're considering swapping the clutch it's time to get your timing chains checked - since the clutch has to come off to do the chains may aswell do both at the same time if they both need doing ...

The first one means the ABS pump is probably dying. The second one means the battery was disconnected at some point - OR your ABS circuit relay is dying .. Not good news, on the whole. (I saw those two errors once or twice..)

Apparently his car has "17s porsche cup turbos" .. For comfort you might wanna try some 15" wheels! (Oh and for performance. :) )

Accelerator switch? There's a throttle position sensor on there, but I didn't think there was a switch for the throttle .. ? IIUC the brake sensor that the ABS uses is on the bottom of the master cylinder.

Personal feeling is - I wouldn't do it. I know plenty of people would and it would probably be fine.. And the Eagle F1 is a good tyre, so it might even be worth the risk .. But personally, no. I wouldn't.

The pure width of the tyre is not the factor. It's the weight rating. The "86V" on a 205/50/15.

They will almost certainly be fine (safety margins are very high), but a particularly pedantic MOT tester might pick it up and fail the car for not having the right tyre ratings. Each front wheel on a VR6 carries ~450 kg weight. I don't see how the slightly extra weight from the engine means it needs wider tyres compared to the other models, but that's what VW said, so you might, maybe, just possibly run into issues, though it's highly unlikely.

Sorta linked question, but anyone know how the jig measures castor angle? This might explain some of my troubles too, but I'm surprised you've got probs Kev, since your hubs and struts are all new..?

They'll fit. But they're not the specified weight rating for the VR6, so technically they aren't legal .. Of course I doubt anyone will notice or give a monkeys, but YMMV. Oh and given that they're not yourtyres.net, they're based in germany and it'll take a week for you to get your tyres! No good if you're in a hurry.

I have to say "a little notchy getting into 2nd" at 124k miles on a gearbox that's delivering 180+ lbft isn't too surprising ...

Can whoever update my entry on the listing on the first page of this thread to just say "Reading"..? I haven't worked in Theale for 12 months now!

It's got PAS, hasn't it?? Poofs! :)