fendervg

Still available from VAG in Germany

I remember the aux pump isn't cheap - some people just get rid of it and haven't had any issues. I put my old (yellow) sensor back in this evening (those little clips are definitely not field serviceable units! Once gain the Corrado calls for a mechanic with incredibly long and anatomy defying flexible thin arms with little hands) . Went for a good spin, mixed motorway and back roads, and the gauge sat at a steady 80-85 with the oil temp at around 95-105. Came to a stop, let it idle and it went to 90 and fans did their business. So there's a definite 20- 25 degrees difference between the two sensors - maybe I have a bad one. I'm not the best with a multimeter - obviously I set it to ohms to measure resistance, but I have a choice of 200, 20K, 200K etc. Which one do I pick? Next problem is the fan bearing is making a horrible sound - better prepare the wallet for some GBH.

Yeah, it keeps plenty of people worried - just have a look at the sticky "definitive VR6 cooling thread" in the Engine section here!

I think it's worth doing the lot in one go if you can afford it - the problem with the cooling system is that once you replace one piece with new, that tends to highlight a weakness somewhere else, for example a new water pump will raise the pressure in the system a bit, and you may find that some of the hoses or flanges give way. I had this with a MkII GTI and it was an absolute nightmare to fix it all, as soon as one leak was gone, it would spring another one somewhere else! In the end I replaced the whole lot, and in the end the whole car with a Corrado ;)

All the parts I bought were new from VAG - the housings and seals can be had from VW for about €60, crack pipe was €27, and the sensors another €60 for the three. Thermostat is about €20. All still available from the dealers, although I usually buy direct from Germany as they tend to get the parts quicker. Don't go for generic parts for this lot, it's not worth it because of the labour required to get at the cooling system - any non OEM thermostat housings I've seen did not fit together perfectly and a couple were not even flat on the part that fits to the block. Also get new bolts for the housing, as the old ones will be well rusty and make sure not to overtighten them as they shear real easily. I can check all the part numbers and prices for you if you want.

Please count me in for a VR6 set - no logo. Chris

Cheers for that. Not really in the mood to take the thermostat out! I'll check the sender first this evening - I still have the old one so can swap it out. The anti-freeze mix is 60/40.

Hi all - after about 6 weeks finally got the front end back on my car. The initial problem was a bad coolant leak, which turned out to be a cracked thermostat housing where it joins the block. It took me three tries to get it all back together and water tight with no leaks. I replaced all of the following with new VAG parts: - all of the 3 part housing - crack pipe - thermostat - the 3 sensors - new seals all round - oil cooler hoses - bottom radiator hose Car drives well, but the coolant temp gauge shows 70-80 C, when cruising. Oil temp sits between 90 and 104. I thought it might be a bad stat, but had tested it before fitting, and the top hose warms up normally, and then the bottom as it warms up. I checked the blue temp sender temperature reading with VAG-Com, and this showed 84 C after a good run with the fan kicking in. I would have thought the gauge would sit at about 90 C most of the time, and no higher than 80 C seems a bit low. Is is possible I have a bad sender, or is the temperature too low anyway? If it is the stat, I'm not looking forward to diving back in there again - has anyone ever managed to just undo the bottom thermostat housing for replacement without the whole front end off? Oh, and as an aside, make sure you test your bonnet release thoroughly before you close it all up - it may slacken a bit after time, and it actually takes quite a lot of force with a pair of pliers on the cable end to pull it taut enough. Leave the grille off until you are sure it is right. Cheers in advance for any help or advice.

cheers - will do.

Does anyone know how the fog light loom should be routed inside the bumper assembly? Indicator plugs come out the fog/indicator housing, but the fogs themselves have quite a long cable that is routed to the plugs on the loom.

Ah - it won't be going anywhere for a while! But good advice. I'm sorting out all the little things you come across when you can actually see and reach stuff - unless you have arms like that elastic guy from the Fantastic Four or Inspector Gadget. Cheers again.

Cheers.

Sound - thanks for the quick replies - will give it a go so - I can always turn it off real quick! Has anyone actually done it before just to be sure, to be sure?

Hi all - I have the whole front end of the car off to work on the coolant system and know that you can't move the car with the bumper off - but is it possible to start and run the engine while filling coolant? I'll replace the rad, hoses etc. Car is on jack stands and he engine mount is in place and the front cross member is on, and I have the sump and gearbox supported. I don't want to put the bumper and rad support back on and then discover that it's leaking or I have forgotten something.

Did it come off a C or a MkIII? I could be interested after Christmas if it's still around.

There's a great one I have that is a pressurized plastic bottle with a plunger and a gauge - means you don't rely on a spare tyre for the pressure. Never had a problem with it. Just don't over pressurize it or you risk wrecking some of the older seals.

No colour ones I'm afraid - although all the diagrams have the colours of the wires marked on them. That thread on CGTI is probably the best. I have some German Corrado specific ones as well for a 93 VR if anyone is interested.

You shouldn't need any washers - there are adjusting screws front and back for proper alignment

Don't complain, 96 is good. A VR will be anything between 88 and 112, with most sitting around 100, my average is 104.

They're still available - it's not a Corrado specific part.

How much did you end up paying for the tensioner unit ?

If you are replacing the tensioner it comes as a whole unit - you can replace the bearings individually but it's quite a job - there's a how-to in the wiki. The ribs need to match what's on your pulleys. I wouldn't replace the tensioner just yet - try the belt on it's own first.

Drain plug on crack pipe is the easiest - take the reservoir cap off and undo the drain - might be an idea to buy a spare drain plug in case the old one gets damaged.

I was planning to go with a different kit - an aftermarket one, but haven't got around to fitting it yet - all I have is the stalk in place. http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?46616-Retrofit-GRA-Cruise-Control&highlight=cruise+control

PM me your email address and I will send on what I have