chuck

looking good mate, still brings a tear to my eye about selling i, but glad to see its gone to a good home! Just read about your brake conversion. How'd it go? Something I always wanted to do...

I have to say I'm VERY biased :D Those are some nice shots of the car Gary. I'm sorry to have sold her :cry: but glad she's gone to a good home...

Hello I have done a search on this and only found one, with no solution posted... Anyway, the indicators won't work, the warning lights do tho. When I move the stalk to indicate, the green light goes from faint to bright but solid and not flashing. The relay doesn't make a noise with indicators, but clicks and works fine with the warning lights. The fuse is OK too. Any ideas? I may change the relay, but I reckon its expensive... Cheers Paul

I came across this site randomly today. Anybody ever heard of this?? And if so does it work as advertised? http://www.turbonator.com

The dreaded happened a few days back. There I was cruising thru town, when the windscreen becomes a cloud of steam. A short drive Ace Ventura stylee and I was stopped in a car park trying to bypass the matrix. Anyway I did a search on here and found a debate ongoing as to whether or not the matrix could be replaced without taking the dash out. As it seems to take peeps about 8 hours to do it by removing the dash, and a claimed 3ish hours without, I naturally decided to try without. And I can confirm that it is possible to remove the matrix without removing the whole dash. The method as i found it 1/ Remove lower panel on passenger side. 2/ Remove glove box (unnecessarily difficult) 3/ remove the dash centre console (a lot easier than it looks) 4/ remove the 3 nuts in the engine bay (2 for the heater box and one for the fan arm), and disconnect the coolant pipes from the matrix. 5/ Remove the knobby nut thing above the fan. 6/ remove the air duct for the passenger side. 7/ (This is the bit that had me stumped as it doesn't come out without removing this). Remove the triangular steel bracket (3 screws) at the top left hand side of the centre console (just to the right of the glove box) 8/ bit of a heave and the whole box complete with fan arm should come out. Careful not to break the attachments for the fan arm to the box. (it should be possible to remove the fan arm separately but I couldn't get at all the clips) 9/ The rest is easy as the matrix simply lifts out. Refitting is easier if you remember which screw goes where! So there you go, matrix replaced in 3 hours. Could definately do it in a couple of hours now having done it before. Hope this helps someone.

cheers guys. about an hour after the gearbox jammed, (aprox 59 minutes after a teretts outburst), I managed to select first, slip the clutch with loads of revs, and the car inched forward. The next morning the engine fired without having to use the clutch (tho there was some squeaking from the box), and i was able to drive it to the garage. After about 5 mins of moving, I could select all the gears again. Since then the box has returned to normal. Mechanic couldn't find a problem. :roll: I've checked the linkages and cables and everything looks OK. So I have no idea what happened, and can only forget it and hope it never happens again.

Had a 'mare the past few days. First the heater matrix goes. (BTW I can confirm that it is possible to replace this without removing the dash). Now while I'm warming the engine to make sure it all works before reassemling everything the engine made a funny noise and then stopped. Now I can only start it with the clutch in even though the stick is in neutral. Even with engine off and stick in neutral, car won't freewheel. Engine on and stick in neutral, releasing the clutch and revving makes the car want to inch forward, but won't go any further. I can select 1st, 2nd, 3rd (with difficulty) 4th and reverse, but can't get 5th. Whats wrong!!! AAARRRGGGHHHHHH :x :(

Mmm. I reakon he would take a lot less for it. corradowales - funny enough its dash looked pretty unmolested :) I think that if he doesn't accept substantially less, I'll be looking at something else - the BMW 3 series estates look like a similar cheap alternative. nick48480 - I'm on the isle of wight for a while - where's salisbury - is yours an estate? I'm really after an estate... Cheers guys.

buying a cheap and cheerful runabout. looking at a 1990 passat 1.8 8v digifant. only thing is its got 215000 miles on the clock :!: Its an ex-taxi. he's only looking 500 quid for it, and its in generally good nick, and drives fine and doesn't smoke. needs a heater matrix tho, and the gaskets could do with being changed. should i be concerned about the mileage?

Hi, does anyone have any tips on what is best to do to the C for leaving it for nearly a year without driving it. I might be able to get someone to start it every week, but they won't be able to drive it as it will be uninsured. I was going to sell it, but its worth more to me than I would get in cash... :)

cheers guys -my mind is once more at peace....

20 litres with the cap on!!?? thats a lot :shock: try replacing the expansion cap... also try warming it up with the cap off - might help trapped air escape, but not so much that it gurgles over the side. Be careful not to put cold water into a hot tank - you could end up with a cracked block. to check that the pump is working, and that the water is not just simply boiling while static, check that there is a steady stream of water coming through the return pipe from the top of the rad to the expansion tank, should be a little jet of water noticeable with the cap off.

So does that mean yours does the same or not? Done a lot of rewiring and wouldn't want this to be an unwanted short

Eibachs are 25mm at front and 30mm at rear (as standard rear sits well high). H&R are 30mm all over. Eibachs are harsh, word is H&Rs aren't.

Sounds like your problem IS fan related. I had all the same problems you describe last year, and all seems OK now. If rad is hot ALL the way down, the thermostat is OK, and the likleyhood is the pump is fine too... That sensor is an engine bay temp sensor - not directly linked to coolant temp. This is the sensor that will turn your fan on up to about 10 minutes after the car has been turned off (should have the temp stamped on it). It should be on the rocker cover bolt just by the timing belt at front. THe thermoswitch at the bottom of the rad (where you would have disconnected the three wire pplug to bridge the fan, controlls the fan, directly on coolant temp. As i recall the standard thermoswitch operates the low speed fan at 95 degrees and the hight speed at 102. Not expensive from GSF. Bridging this connector should produce 2 very different speeds on the fan - if not that loom is at fault. trace it back and check it is properly connected at the other end. If this bridging does work then the thermoswitch is knackered. Also the time to heat up to running temp (90deg) is about 5 to 10 minutes at idle, though it might only take a couple of minutes after that to reach the first fan on temp, so unless air is rushing over the rad (from either moving or the fan)- it WILL overheat in about 15 minutes. BTW, mine sometimes goes up to 110 before coming down again - tho the fan comes on well before this (and usually moreso in the summer - hasn't gone above 105 in a couple of months). Oh, and the first few times you drive it after refilling the coolant, you will have to top up about half a litre or so as the airlocks gradually get forced around the system

Anyone noticed how, if your lights are on, ignition off and wipers on, that when you flash the headlights the wipers operate. Never noticed this before until the other night when a light fuse went, in the rain. Or maybe I'm due a wiring loom fire?

wot you done with the doorhandles? I've done the same and am interested to see how you get in...

If it won't start when warm, its most likely the thermotime switch. Just disconnect the blue connector on the cold start valve and this will sort it. You will have to reconnect it to start from cold tho. Ran mine like that for a few weeks till I got round to getting a new thermotime switch. Oh, and go to a breakers, the stealer charges a fortune fpr a new one!!!

Gulp Definately the rack tho, cuz the UV joints into it all turn with the steering wheel, just nothing comes out of the end of the rack. As for how sturdy it feels on the motorway - it is just noticeable, though it pulls ever so slightly to the left (more camber on english motorways than those back in ireland where I set it), which means it doesn't wander. Will try and get it on a ramp and adjust the allen key thing - gotta be worth a try considering the replacement cost. Who was it that was saying recently that other people look at the car and see a beautiful machine - I look at it and see the scratches, new dings on the doors and suspension that needs looked at and now a dodgy steering rack. :(

is it an MOT failure?

Wow, just done a search and it looks like I'm not the only one to have a problem here. Ok, so the rack has play in it - steering wheel turns about a cm in either direction before engaging the rack. (had a wheel off and track rods are OK - everything else is new). The rack was allegedly replaced 3 years ago, dunno what it is tho. Rack was fine last year - no play at all. Seems surprising it can get so loose in a matter of months. There seems to be a large allen key type adjustment device on the rear of the rack - different to the one in the haynes manual for the golf MKII, but in the same place (ish). Is this an adjustment for play in the rack? If so is it possible to tighten it while on the car?? I have no money to spend, and an MOT coming up. Cheers

Dan, No, I'm not living in N Ireland now, will be spending most of my time on the Isle of Wight for at least the next year. We really get ripped off back home!!!!!

Just got a quote from Chris Knott insurance. Bearing in mind i was paying 850 quid for TPFT back in Belfast. The quote was 350 quid fully comp, protected no claims, all mods declared!!!! :D 8) 1.8 16v (1990) 26 yr old 6 years no claims limited mileage 6k Wow - dead impressed. (could get it as low as 230 quid for TPFT)

Bump cuz I know a few of you are from the Isle of Wight...

Hello all Its been a while since I've been on here. Nice to read about and see pics of corrados again :D Anyway, I'm excited as I get to drive my car again in a couple of weeks. Returning from oz where I've been for a few months to the UK for a while. Did you know they've never even heard of the C here!! When I return I'll be based on the Isle of Wight for a few months. Can anybody give me numbers of good insurance companies/brokers etc... on the Island??? (My home is in Ireland, and insurance companies there generally don't do anywhere else) I'm still in oz at the moment and will need the car as soon as I return, so I'll have to arrange it all from here. Any help much appreciated. By the way its a scorching 30 deg today with cloudless skies :D - wots the weather like back in the UK???? :?