dr_mat

No spark with a new coil, distrib and leads generally points the way of the ECU not switching it on.. So we're talking about ECU relays, ignition switch, immobiliser or the dreaded crank position sensor... Check VAGCOM..

Well at least HALF of you voted for him! ;) As for the rest, I wasn't so sure it was a good thing to build roads everywhere. On the one hand it makes it easy for people to get to see places, but on the other hand it inevitably pollutes all the nicest and best (and most fragile) places. Vancouver Island has a place called Cathedral Grove. Stunning, ancient, massive, giant redwoods, and there's a road right through the middle of the densest section of the forest!! It's beautiful, but it's the kind of thing that trucks should NOT be thundering past. Mixed blessing...

One thing about California (and the US in general) is that they're so obsessed with roads and cars over there that all the really nice scenery can be driven to and parked right next to with ease. Here to see the special places you have to get your walking boots on or risk your lovely car down some tiny little country track that's usually only driven down by tractors...

OE but not red (and not badged VW) leads are available for around £60 for distributor cars, or £70 for coil pack cars. The coil pack leads are actually slightly shorter, but have higher quality all-metal fittings. http://www.vwspares.co.uk/corrado_electrical.html

Have to agree. If you want cheapness *and* Corrado-style performance/fun then you're really looking at something pretty old, and you're not likely to get any kind of reliability. I mean an old MGB or something would fit the bill in all but the reliability stakes. Perhaps an ageing MX5 even would drop into your budget Jim.. Totally different, but a great drive too.

It's sunny california, it's all like that. Trouble is you keep getting overtaken by black trans am t-tops with flashing red lights in the front grille... I've always thought black would make a good colour for wheels. Particularly on a car like the C where there's a lot of black trim anyway. What finish do you have on the wheels? They look like a matt finish (which would be ultra cool)..

Thinking about it.. (but not knowing for sure) maybe: Bore Wear would result in a good compression test, but cylinder pressure would not be maintained so you'd get a failed leak-down test. Valve stem seal problems would show no problems with compression or leak-down. Head gasket could show both poor compression and poor leak-down. Someone can correct me if wrong, but using these two tests you should know for sure. Of course, adding the fact that you've got oil in the water, there's a strong possibility it *is* the head gasket, but you could have a combination..

A head recondition is expensive, but it's certainly not as expensive as a rebore, or a replacement engine. (Unless you fall lucky on a 2nd hand VR engine in good shape..) Compression tests and leak-down tests will help to diagnose things, but to be honest, this is a bit out of my league.. There may be people on here who can tell you more though.

Like the black wheels on the red C.. Wonder how they'd look on a black one..?

Hmm, yeah, oiled-up spark plugs *can* be a sign of bore wear (oil blowing past the piston rings into the combustion chamber), but it can also be caused by head wear - valve stem seals (or the head gasket!). Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that cylinder 6 is the worst for this. BTW if you call VW they should be able to report the car's service history based on the VIN number if the book has been lost.

Tekara, CVs and bearings tend to be worse when you're putting them under sideways loads. Certainly if it's either of these, the rate of ticking will go up proportionally to road speed, not engine speed. If it's a CV joint, it'll likely be worse while on steering lock than when straight ahead, if it's a wheel bearing I'm surprised that the engine load has anything to do with it. I suppose anything's possible though..

Well - worst case scenario on a VR is chewed up cylinder bores - basically requiring new block or rebore and piston work.. Big deal, cost wise. What do you mean "with no regular service before"? You mean you lost the service history? Or you really mean it's never been maintained?

Timing chains don't care whether the engine's under load or not - they aren't, either way, so I doubt it's those. Might be something engine mount related - perhaps the aux belt is catching as the engine moves under load? Who knows, it's a bit of a vague description..

Unlikely to be pinking at 1200rpm. Sounds more like something drivetrain if it only happens when the engine is under load and actually driving. Perhaps a CV joint or wheel bearing?

You need a fully registered VAG-COM to edit these settings, too (freeware one won't let you change anything). No idea about how to re-code the ECU for a key, or vice versa though.

Blimey, there's a RHD Lotus Carlton on ebay... *drool*

Lotus Elan? Pocket fun mobile that's cheap...

The hose to the heater matrix is pretty much always the first to go (mine did). The aux water pump tends to go at around 100k too (mine did), as can the heater matrix. Thermostat housing too (mine did).. Nothing all that unusual in your story so far. Those hoses are all 8-10 years old now, so rubber gets brittle. If the car's not been very well looked after you might well have serious troubles brewing, but a VR that's had regular oil and coolant changes should see you through way past it's current troubles. (Probably just the oil/water heat exchanger, like I say.)

Water can get into the oil via a number of methods, not just the head gasket. What engine you got? Looks like a VR6 logo in your avatar, so it could also be a dodgy oil/water heat exchanger starting to leak. These are relatively cheap. As for the noise, it's most likely tappets or timing chains - how many miles has your engine done?

Why wasn't the pulley keyed or something? Would seem like a better approach to me. Anyway, yeah, sounds like this is one of those things VW should have mentioned in the service schedule or something..

No, I have a VR. Just trying to fill some gaps in my G60 knowledge.. :)

For those of us who're completely stupid the crank bolt would be the one that keeps the crank pulley timed, right?

The VR should come with a plastic tool that you use for pulling the plug leads off. It's not amazingly strong, but it should work for the time being..

thought yours was fixed now?

Well, depends what you mean by stodgy, really. The VR is only producing about 130lbft till 3500 rpm, then you get this huge slug of extra torque that takes you to the redline. They're all like that...