tony_ack

So just to add a bit to this one. We sold our big car to a dealer earlier this month (we've gone for camper life!). When they came to collect they saw the vr on the drive and told me how they had sold a corrado with 4k miles on it last year. From what they said (not sure how much of this is hyperbole), the first owner was a business woman and got into trouble with money and ended up being murdered about 20 years ago. The house and car were left untouched for years, with the car on the drive, before it was recovered and sold on. I've just come across this thread, so I'm pretty sure it's the same car... But he also said it was sold for £24k (which it wasn't) so read into it what you will! Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

So, totally predictable post given the issues I've been having recently! I have the Corrado factory immobiliser fitted and working, and the remains of a laserline system providing remote central locking and "alarm" (the siren is bust, so just flashing indicators) when it wants to work. I don't need Cat 1 for the insurance, and now the legendary Toad Ai606 is discontinued, I'm looking for a decent replacement, but want something that's effective rather than just offering the standard cat1 features for the sake of it. Not fussed about extra immobilisation as Cat 1 systems are easy to bypass (but if there is immobilisation, I'd rather have one that did not arm passively or if it did, that worked off proximity to the reader rather than buttons/touch pads when trying to start the car) open to having an alarm or not, silent alarm or tracker perhaps needs secure remote central locking (i.e. protected against code grabbing) with full closure (button on a fob is fine here!)

Bypassed the immobiliser yesterday, everything okay so far and the milliseconds delay when starting has gone too, fingers crossed.

Thanks - I'm going to do some investigating this weekend. The alarm/immobiliser needs taking out anyway as there are quite a lot of things going wrong with it. And I'll have a good look behind the fusebox at the same time as the control box for the alarm is nearby. It happened a few times again yesterday, but rocking the car in gear with the ignition on always sorts it, so at least there is a workaround.

The plot thickens!! I've been armed with a multimeter today to try to work out what's going on. Normal readings (cold, left overnight, engine off). The engine started fine after I took these. Voltage across the battery = 12.1v Resistance battery negative to starter housing = 0.01ohms Resistance battery positive to positive starter terminal = 0.01ohms After being run (warm, engine just turned off) Voltage across the battery with engine off = 12.25v Resistance battery negative to starter housing = 0.01ohms Resistance battery positive to positive starter terminal = 0.01ohms When starter won't engage (engine obvs off, usually 10 mins - 3 hours after last been run, happened twice today) Voltage across the battery with engine off = 12.1v Resistance battery negative to starter housing = 0.01ohms Resistance battery positive to positive starter terminal = 0.01ohms So nothing obvious there... BUT... When the starter didn't engage today, the relay definitely clicked in the starter when I turned the key. I wondered whether rocking the car back and forth in gear might help a little, so put it into third and rocked back and forth, with the ignition on... as I rocked the car I heard a two quick clicks from the fusebox area. Then I tried to start and guess what.... fired straight up!! So when it happened again later (luckily both times were at home), I decided to experiment. Starter got no power, so I'd rock the car a little (no fusebox clicks), tried to start... nothing Then I'd rock the car a little more, the fusebox would click and the car started. Also, I heard another fusebox click about 2-3 seconds after switching the engine off. Tried to start again... nothing. I repeated it all, same results - I'm convinced the clicking is a relay that is causing the issue. There is nothing in the fusebox diagrams related to starting, other than the x-over relief relay, which I've replaced with another (made no difference) Now I'm wondering the aftermarket immobiliser is kicking in and killing the solenoid (and I'm getting the click at the starter because the solenoid kicks in briefly before the immobiliser kills the circuit?) Bloody Corrados.

Right so it's let me down again today. There is a click in the engine bay when trying to start which I guess rules out everything to do with the switch and immobiliser, and any wiring behind the dash. That leaves the big positive from the battery to the starter (cleaned at the starter) the contact between the starter and gearbox (cleaned up when swapping over) or the big earth from the gearbox to the battery (will look at this again at it not a thorough clean as it was hard to reach)? No idea why, but it always ses to start fine when it's completely cold. Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

There's a relay on the starter itself which I've ruled out when I replaced the starter. There's the x-over relief relay, but I don't think that sits between the ignition switch and the starter? (I could be wrong...)

I cleaned up the contact area on the gearbox before fitting the starter. It wasn't bad, but benefited from a wire brush and a spray of contact cleaner

I finally managed to fit a refurbed Bosch starter today. All wiring was cleaned as I refitted, as was the bellhousing. So the new starter cranks much better than the old one - I never thought the old one was weak, but I see now it must have lost a lot of power. It's been cranking and starting on the first touch of the key all day, but this evening on my last journey home there was perhaps a 1/2 second delay between turning the key, and the starter turning over. It might not sound like much, but this is how the problems begin, and the occasional delays increase until eventually nothing happens. If the starter does kick in after the delay, it does so at normal full power, there's no hint of voltage drop. I've now replaced the ignition switch and starter and cleaned up the wiring and earths. Is there anything else it could be? I'm starting to wonder if the aftermarket immobiliser is involved? It's an old Laserline 996 that is literally falling to pieces - the install manual suggests one of the immobiliser circuits is between the ignition switch and the starter solenoid...

First Corrado spotted in the wild for years! Green corrado, looked like plate started with 'H' (could have been private) on the Leeds ring road near the Headingly/A660 roundabout, about 7.30pm yesterday. I was in the (also Green) corrado on the other side, but don't think you saw me. Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

I've cleaned them up a few times (including when I had the starter off a couple of months back) but maybe not enough. For the earths, are you meaning the bulky cable from the starter to the battery? Or the earth points on the head?

I wonder if the one I have is from a 6-speed....

Thanks for the heads up - I think I'm after a new bearing and outer CV joint ultimately

Just an update on this - I investigated the play in the wheel and the hub nut was a little loose! Squeak and grind have now gone.

Hi everyone, I'm trying to fix a starting problem. Sometimes I turn the key and I get no crank. X-over relay kicks in but nothing from the starter. Sometimes it kicks in after a short delay (anything between half a second and about 5-6 seconds) Sometimes it doesn't start at all. I also get an issue where sometimes the starter does spin but it's not engaging with the flywheel (it spins freely). There are a couple more intermittent starting issues but I'm pretty sure these are fuel management/crank sensor related. I changed the ignition switch to rule that out - it seemed fine for a few days and then started doing it again. I am planning to get a refurbed VR6 starter, but is there anything I'm missing that might be causing the problems? Is there anything to look out for when getting a new starter? Differences in years, etc.? I did get a MK4 V5 starter a while back but it's completely the wrong shape.

Thanks for the input - ABS ring *is* slightly distorted - it seems to have enough clearance with the wheel off the ground, but it definitely sounds like this might be it. There's also a little play in the wheel, so the wheel bearing may need replacing too.

Corrado VR6 with 288mm brakes, Koni T/A shocks, -30mm HR springs and 15" Speedlines. It's developed a squeaking/grinding noise on the NSF lately. It's rotational, proportional to vehicle speed rather than engine speed It's intermittent. It's nearly always present when cold, sometimes it goes away when warm, sometimes it comes back again. Happens when the wheels are under engine load, nearly always goes away when coasting in neutral or with the clutch down (but very rarely doesn't) Happens more often when slowing down (either engine braking or with the brakes) Happens slightly more often when steering slightly to the right Braking makes no difference to the noise (if it's squeaking, it'll carry on squeaking the same under braking, if it's not squeaking, braking doesn't make it squeak) Sounds either like thin metal or rubber (my first thought was something fouling on the CV boot, or disc guards) Quite loud when it does it (can be heard inside the car with the windows closed). I've had the wheel off, stripped down the brakes and rebuilt. No evidence of rubbing on inner or outer boots Brake guard (fairly new) had one bolt broken off and was causing an annoying rattle, so reattached - rattle gone, squeak still there. No evidence of rubbing against the disc (guard still coated in black, no scratches) Looks like there has been something catching the caliper at some point, right on the tip. Checked the inside wheel for weights - one was in a position where it may have caught the caliper and had bubbled up with a bit of rust. That said, there was no evidence on the wheel or weight that it had ever been catching, but I still filed down and smoothed the rust on the weights (took a good 1mm off). No different at all to squeak/grind. No evidence of tyre rubbing, or anything that could catch it Everything else looks fine and secure. Any ideas what it could be?

I went for Hanook Ventus Prime 3, they still do them I think Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the replies, I'm fairly sure now it's the wire to the solenoid - thr connector is quite loose, and when I take it off, the symptoms are exactly the same. I've cleaned it up and tried to secure it a little better and it's been okay since, fingers crossed. Sent from my Pixel 4 using Tapatalk

Hi everyone, just want to try to narrow down whether this is the ignition switch or starter... Occasionally I'll turn the key to start and it won't turn over. Sometimes it kicks in after a few seconds, sometimes nothing (and sometimes starts first time) Fuel pump primes at ignition on cross-over relief relay engages when turned to crank bump starts okay My thinking is the starter because of the relief relay engaging when 'cranking', but just wanted to check as changing either is not the easiest job!

A couple of weeks back now, but I saw a green g60 I think, between Keighley and Bingley... Saw it again a week later on the a65 between Skipton and settle

Thanks for all the suggestions. I found that the plug lead on 1 was loose last night - I put it back on properly and it improved for a bit then started doing it again. I took it off again and noticed quite a bit of corrosion inside. I've cleaned it up with a file and contact cleaner, and now it idles bang on 650 when warm, popping had gone (has just started again a little after about 10 miles), and power is smooth. I think the fact it cleared up after messing with the plug lead suggests I've found the issue - I just need to get some new leads now. Thanks again for all the help!

The car has been running pretty rough lately, and I'm scrathing my head and could do with a fresh perspective - can anyone point me in the right direction as to what might be wrong to save me replacing everything? Takes a while to start from cold sometimes - strong crank, turns over and over for about 10 seconds then starts to splutter into life before finally firing up. Other times starts first time Popping on overrun once warm - does it nearly every time (quite severe) and even does it sometimes when changing up a gear Erratic idle - sometimes okay at about 600-650, sometimes goes up to about 800rpm. Cuts out when approaching junctions sometimes (I know, standard VR) Idle adaptation exceeded error on Vagcom, when checked the adaptation value is up at more than 1.2 Flat spot at about 2.5k rpm It's never been this bad in 10 years of ownership.

FFS...! I've just spent the weekend stitching my battered centre console together with 3D replacement bits and a soldering iron. Wish I'd seen what you'd done with the MK4 one first - looks fantastic. A bit late now, but I solved the sticking out climatronic panel by putting the u-clips on the clima panel and mounting it behind the centre console insert - completely flush that way. edit - just realised your is an early dash, so the clima panel would probably sit differently to mine

Not sure what you meant by the tube exensions, but could it be coming through the bulb hole? It's usually a tight fit, but those seals on the holders will be pretty old now.