oneohtwo

Sorry, I completely forgot to follow up on this, what with one thing and another. I didn't get the seats out in the end, but did find this picture I took the first time around: This is the mystery box. It is on the drivers side, under the front beam for the rear bench seat. There is something a bit aftermarket looking about it. The brown wire went off to the passenger side, but I didn't manage to trace it.

Wow, that's a super shine. Can you see the carbon weave through the blue, that'd look smart? Or was it where the resin had continued to shrink so you just had the texture of the weave? Possibly a bit late now as you've bought them, but if you were after some fancier looking fuel lines, Hel can cut you a length of their braided fuel hose with fittings. They can't preform them into a shape, but they are flexible enough to fit into the clips perfectly, and looks pretty smart.

I didn't delete the aux pup, mine is essentially OEM, so couldn't tell you what it is like without it. From what I know it: 1) Comes on pre-ignition 2) Runs after shutdown 3) Comes on with Speed 2/3 (Unsure on this one) I can't really see what difference not having it for point 1 makes, I don't entirely see the purpose of the pump coming on for this. Point 2 makes a bit of sense to help get rid of some of the heat in the block, although I don't fully understand this, as once the engine is off it shouldn't be getting hotter! Although perhaps this is more to eliminate residual hotspots - so not having the pump may place more stresses on the block, head, etc... Point 3, if true, must be there to give a boost to the main pump and help circulate coolant faster and get more heat away from the block, I guess this could be important as the main pump won't be at full speed if just sat idling in traffic. I think on balance I would probably rather have it... it gets hot under there so anything that helps with that can only be a good thing. The fan spec should include the current draw, if you have a look at those. The Comex fans I had, had a maximum draw of 8.1A.

I quite like the idea of deleting the FCM, agree it is a bit of an eyesore stuck in the middle there, and adds clutter to an already cluttered bay. Cutting down some of the wiring wouldn't be amiss either. I can't really help on wiring up the aux water pump, but kinda agree it would be nicer to keep it, even though everything seems fine without it. I had a look at the HM video on the wiring, and if it is the same one you refer to he seems to have fan 1 come on for temp 1 then fan 2 for temp 2 and 3, but he didn't seem to include any resistors as the original circuit so they'd be running full chat from the get go as far as I can see? I can't see it being a major issue, other than the fans may wear out quicker, and be noisier, but if you wanted to replicate the OEM function exactly, the write up and wiring diagram I posted on page 2 (about halfway down) does this. The only thing I don't really like about it is mounting the resistors is a pain, so the install isn't the neatest.

I went from 15s to 16s and didn't notice any difference in terms of comfort or handling on the standard suspension. I did improve the tyres at the same time though, Kumho - Uniroyal Rainsports, which may have kept the balance. Definitely worth taking the tyres into account at the same time. Interestingly I weighed the overall package and from memory there was no real difference to the 15 speedlines, may even have been marginally lighter. The 16s are MAMs so not a particularly high end wheel, but came to under 8.5kg. Tyres were still on the Speedlines so couldn't weight them without for a direct wheel to wheel comparison unfortunately, but as the MAM wheels were not significantly heavier the smaller tyre keeps the overall weight down.

That's interesting. I too changed the chains and tensioners, and had the head and injectors refurbished. Prior to doing the work, I had hoped it would fix that the warm start issue (among other things), assuming the same as you did that it was down to worn parts and tolerance. But, alas for some reason it hasn't. Interesting read, I couldn't work out what this was referring to "look at the back center of the engine compartment for a missing part. There is a damper for the idle control system that often is blown apart by a backfire when enough fumes collect in the intake/breather system (see photo 2)."

It's also worth noting that I do have a non-return valve installed on my fuel line, so in theory whether the pump is priming or not there should always be pressure in the fuel line - and I still get the issue. Based on that evidence I am inclined to agree with Vince that it is not an issue with fuel supply, or at least pressure. But either way, if it is a fault with the fuel pump not priming or not, or pressure dropping in the line, installing a non-return valve doesn't resolve it. It's extra work for not a lot of gain, and compromises the fuel line slightly, which is what happened to me when fuel started leaking out and down the road...!

I couldn't really say, but doesn't the pump run on the first ignition stage before you turn over? Vince did mention that they've tested the pressure in the system when trying to get to the bottom of it, and the fuel line has never lost pressure - he was pretty convinced it was not a fuel issue.

This is exactly the same as mine, and wasn't solved with the non-return valve. I can only relay what Vince said to me on the issue as I'm no expert, which is that he's never been able to solve it, but suspects it's the ECU. If someone as experienced with the VR as Vince doesn't know, then not sure what hope we have! The workaround he told me to do, is to momentarily blip the ignition so it just starts to turn over, literally a second or less. Then turn the ignition off and start normally - it then should start instantly. It's an odd one, but it does work.

That's f**king low. Good chance find on ebay Cressa! Mustn't have been able to believe your luck when that popped up - although bad luck about the Covid. Must be some Corrado karma at work somewhere!😂 From my experience, I probably wouldn't bother. I got Vince @ Stealth to add one to mine and it's not made a blind bit of difference, and the downside is it is a joint in the fuel line which might leak. Vince did say before fitting it that he didn't think it would make a difference and that he's never got to the bottom of the issue. He thought it was ECU related somehow - they've tested it a lot and it's never been fuel related - and the only thing he has found to work is if you blip the ignition for half a second first, just so it starts to turn, then ignition off and start again. I can vouch for it working it does then start immediately. Very odd though! Just some Auto Finesse bits for the Corrado for xmas for me, so she'll be getting a polish and a wax in the new year.

Frost do this: Ethomix Ethanol Corrosion Inhibitor Additive 250ml (frost.co.uk) Can't say I have tried it, nor if I had could I really confirm it's efficacy. but it's there and purports to do the same if other people want to give it a go.

When you get your new part, instead of a jubilee clip you might want to source some OE style hose clips, like these: https://www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk/HoseClip_Oetiker_PG167-7B.html The hose is more of a plastic material than rubber and I found the jubilee clips had mashed it up, so it was all pinched. I swapped mine for the crimp style which seems to hold the shape better.

A sounds level meter seems like a good idea. At least then you can get an actual value on what difference this has all made! Yeah, it's interesting on the decoupling layer. When I was researching I found this MLV decoupling report v1.3.pdf (dropbox.com) which suggested CCF isn't all that good at decoupling, and not that dissimilar to the MLV on it's own - to get a true decoupling you'd need a very thick layer of something really soft which isn't practical. What I did in the end under the back seat was lay down some narrow strips of CCF then allow the MLV to drape over it. I figured an air gap between the panels and MLV was going to offer the best decoupling, plus then the MLV can just sit limply. Other areas this isn't possible, so the boot I just laid the loose MLV straight down under the carpet. Hard to say what is making the biggest difference, but the MLV in the boot on it's own seems fine. Under the footwells I replaced the felt with CCF layers just to build up the depth again.

Yeah, it's surprising how tight it is. I thought 2mm MLV would fit easily but it doesn't at all. The bit by the dash is tightest at all and have had to cut it away there, and where I haven't it's really squashed in and compressed the foam. I think I might see if the door piece makes any difference, and then leave it there. Part of the trouble is I don't exactly know where most of the noise is coming from. When I did the floor plan I was aiming to cut the noise from the exhaust right down so that seemed a reasonable move. then it was a case of just putting some CLD on any bare panel that sounded a bit tinny when tapped, then all over with MLV. God knows if any of those panels do actually resonate much and whether that made a difference, but you can't exactly do it by trial and error. Likewise the doors, have got CLD onto the outer skin, and it does work in the sense the panels are much duller to tap, but I have no idea if that was contributing to any noise increase. And of course it's all adding weight!

Cheers, I used this stuff: Vacuum Bagging Sealant Tape 15m - Easy Composites Which is just a butyl tape, which I am sure you can find anywhere, but these guys use it for sealing vacuum bags so there's a bit of a guarantee of quality. It's pretty easy stuff to use. It's just the top section which isn't fully sealed due to the shape of the door, but I figured moisture was unlikely to leak through there. Just used some contact adhesive on that. I know you did a lot of work trying to add soundproofing - did you do anything behind the door cards?

Sorted a couple of jobs on the drivers side door this weekend. First, replaced the drivers footwell speak with a new Alpine unt - the old speaker hasn't worked for ages, so nice to sort that. And it was a nice easy job as it was the speaker and not the wiring. Also got the door handle off and gave everything a good greasing. Hadn't felt nice really, almost tight, so that's now nice and smooth. Thenreplaced the door membrane. Where I've had to peel the membrane back for previous jobs I don't think it was fully sealed and water has been leaking at the bottom.. Pulled the old stuff off and replaced with some DPM. Seems to have done the job overnight with the rain this morning. Surprising how much water gets to the inner membrane, not entirely sure how. I can see how it would pass the window scraper and run down between the two skins, but hitting the membrane seems odd. Slight difficulty is that the DPM is flat whereas the door and original membrane isn't. So not the nicest fit, but will hopefully do the job. I had hoped to reuse the original but couldn't really get the old sticky stuff off, and it tore in one place. Couldn't really find any replacements. Also tried fitting a layer of MLV behind the door card to try and reduce a bit of noise ingress. It's a tight fit, so this hasn't worked brilliantly, and you end up needed to cut chunks out to get it to fit, which rather defeats the purpose. I thought it might help deaden the noise of the doors shutting as well, giving it a bit more of a soft thunk, than the metallic clang they normally do but it's made no difference on that front. Need to give it a drive to see if it's made a blind bit of difference I suppose.

I don't know to be honest, but does sound like whatever it is it's aftermarket. I should have the seat off today to get a picture which might give us more of a clue.

Not right now, but need to get the carpet out again to dry it out (leaking door membrane), so will have a look and take some pictures.

Whilst taking the carpets out to put new sound deadening down I came across this little white wire that was tucked under the sill trim on the drivers side: It runs to a small box under the right hand passenger seat, but other end is unconnected. Anyone any idea what it is or what it should be connected to?

You're not wrong on the price of cats. Have been quoted £299.00 for one from Longlife, on top of £499 for the rest of the exhaust, and that doesn't seem unusual. The Miltek cat is pushing 400 and a JP is still £350. Jetex seem to have one for less than £100 for some reason... makes you wonder about the quality. Have you given it a go? I always assumed that stuff was just snake oil, but would be interested to see if you get some good results.

I don't have one, as I had the engine fully out when I had the cross member off. It's listed in the Bentley manual as 10222-A engine support, although actually that's just the VW specific tool and there's plenty of lifting beams available that do the same job. It's like a goal post frame that sits on the wings either side, where the bonnet closes, and then has two hangers dropping from the main bar over the engine, which I clip into the engine lifting eyes. This sort of thing: Laser 4842 Engine Support Beam 500kg - Machine Mart - Machine Mart Probably better than propping the engine under the sump with axle stands or concrete blocks.

I think it is probably doable in a day, but you may want to budget a weekend just in case. I have definitely got the front end off and changed the radiator in a day, but it's a bit more to get the cross member off. Front end is a pretty easy removal, once the bumper is off it's just 12 (IIRC) bolts on the slam panel. For ease of reassembly it's possibly to leave the bonnet release cable attached and just prop the slam panel out of the way. Do you have the VW engine harness that sits on the wings to support the engine whilst you get the cross member off?

I've noticed recently a lot of heat coming through the transmission tunnel right be the gear shifter into the cabin, and thinking I just need to add more insulation on the inside. But pondering it a bit more I wonder if the Cat is just getting a bit knackered. Before the engine refurb it the exhaust was getting pretty coked up with carbon and I wonder if the Cat has got a bit blocked. It can't be completely ruined as I wouldn't pass the emissions test, but I wonder if it is a bit, and that is causing it to heat up excessively. There is also the slightly unpleasant smell, which I used to put down to an old engine leaking oil everywhere, but know that is clean I wonder if it is also the Cat. I have read that overheating and an odd smell are signs of this. So I am thinking of replacing the Cat, and possibly the rest of the exhaust for a quieter system. Anyone else done this because of the above? Any recommendations?

There's this stuff: Ethomix Ethanol Corrosion Inhibitor Additive 250ml (frost.co.uk) Couldn't tell you if it is effective or not. We're OK for a few years, but as I understand it the premium 99 RON fuel will be going to E10 after a couple of years as well. Not sure what we can do then.

I think you're right it's something like this. What I ended up doing was painting over any small rust spots with Hammerite then using this stuff; Noxudol 3100 Sound Deadening Compound (frost.co.uk) Which I could just brush on thick in the areas I scraped off. Was quite nice in that it went on thick so levelled off with the existing stuff. Finished off the rest of the soundproofing anyway. What I did was strip everything back and put CLD mats on all available exposed panels. I was mostly aiming for under the rear seat, but did the boot as well, plus inside the rear side panels. Wasn't going for 100% coverage as that is a waste of time, money, effort and material. Also without knowing exactly which panels resonate it's a bit of a hit everything approach and hope that at least some make a difference. I replaced the ruined factory felt stuff with closed cell foam, and then laid MLV from front to back, basically the whole floor plan. So I do have a continuous layer under the boot carpet, under the rear seats, over the rear seat beam and down into the footwell, and then all across the front footwells to the bulkhead. The footwell MLV extends up the side of the sill as well, so got full coverage instead of just the two square pieces in the footwells themselves. Lastly stuck some open cell foam to the underside of the parcel shelf. This looks a bit unsightly and can't see it lasting long so i may see if it makes any difference with this removed. Having gone on a long drive it has definitely improved things, and the exhaust drone at motorway cruising is vastly reduced and I can hear the radio again. It's obviously not whisper quiet but dealing with the drone was my main aim so that is a big improvement. Drone still gets a bit high if having to pull up a hill with a bit more throttle, so may still swap the exhaust out. The downsides: - With the factory felt ruined I couldn't exactly work out the right thicknesses of CCF, plus I underestimated how much I might need. This means in the footwells the foam is only on either side of the central ridge, and then the MLV and Carpet is sat direct on the metal. In terms of sound and feel under foot it doesn't seem to have made a difference but the carpet doesn't fit quite so well, and is a bit loose in places. - Similarly either side of the transmission tunnels the CCF is thinner than the factory felt so the carpet isn't "filled out" against the trim so well. There's also a lot more heat coming through this area, so I think I need to revisit this area and get more foam down here maybe the stuff with the metal film on to help. Trouble is it's almost on the wrong side as the heat is already inside the car... It does get very hot down there though, either side of the gear shift, and it doesn't feel like it should. Anyone else get this?