Almost an ex-Corrado owner!! [Whats that? All fixed? :o)]]

[saysomestuff 0]

Just thought I'd share this exciting tale :)

 

On the way down to London yesterday i had a bit of a scare. After a smooth run on the motorway (3 passengers, 1 pregnant!) dropped into McDonalds for a little light refreshment.

 

Pootling down the Edgware road I noticed the car was i little clammy, thought I'd whack the heater on as it wasn't clearing with the window open, i flicked the heat control all the way across to hot and turned it on full

 

:shock: Steam came billowing out of the vents like something in a movie! :shock:

 

I couldn't see the steering wheel let alone where the hell i was going so i had to just abandon it in the middle of the road with my 3 (now deleriously screaming) passengers to the chorus of "Switch the engine off!!" "Get out get out get out!!!" etc. etc. provided a bit of entertainment in the least shall we say :lol:

 

Like a good boy I refrained from beating the old girl with the nearest branch (or scaff pole) and took a few deeps breaths, called the AA and started ringing around for prices on a heat exchanger.

 

AA man said theres no way it'll get me back to Wales and bypassed it so i could get to Citygate VW further down the road - now i know why they are called stealers!. For starters they didn't offer me a cuppa (by now the wet feet were v.cold!) and proceeded to quote me £507!!!! :shock: for fitting!

 

And they couldn't even look at it til Monday!! And the absolute icing on the cake?

A pristine L plate VR6 just sitting there in the service dept car park making mine look a very sorry sight indeed :cry:

 

And finally I get to the point of the post.

 

What if this happened twenty minutes before on the M4? We would have been toast (hence almost ex-C owner!), it was literally like someone threw a smoke grenade in the cabin. Has anyone got any mileage out of the recall/ design flaw issue mentioned here?.

 

I'm gonna have to fix it this weekend anyways but i genuinely think its a very dangerous flaw in the car (aside form the lights and wipers!) and want to take it further if there is chance they can sort it for free - any thoughts?

[Tempest 0]

and want to take it further if there is chance they can sort it for free - any thoughts?

 

Good luck, would be good if you could take it further.

 

I recently contacted MK VW HQ regarding the heater matrix and whether I could benefit from a free recall for my VW dealer to fit a bypass valve, but the answer i got was twofold:

 

a) As I have a US-spec Rado, they couldn't find mine on their data base of VINs, even though I gave them both the official US-VIN and the ZZZ-containg rest-of-world VIN, and

 

b) they simply told me the car was too old :mad:

 

So much for VWs opinion on safety issues on our beloved Rados :cry:

 

Tempest

[seanoVR 0]

The exact same thing happened to me a few weeks back..... would love to have got VW to do the job for me for free. Would have saved me 2 days work!!!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I don't understand why all the Golf MK2s got recalled for the same issue and yet VW's attitude toward the Corrado is so harsh and uncaring. It's very dangerous and if an accident ocurred because of it, I think there would be grounds for a lawsuit, regardless of how old the car is, especially if the car was entitled to a recall earlier in it's life and was never offered.

 

To be honest, getting it done outside of VW would mean a better job of it being done but they should be liable for the bill.

 

It's a bit of a grey area on the C because I think some cars got a beefier heat exchanger following the lessons they learnt with the MK2.....but some clearly didn't :roll:

[JBOB 0]

Ive got an old copy of Golf that has a "How to" section showing how to change the matrix on a Mk2 Golf. As you say all Mk2's were all recalled for this and Golf mag says that no matter how old the car if its been recalled then the dealers will fix it free of charge.

[The Hub 0]

Can you explain this in more detail :oops: about being able for a recall as I need my matrix replaced(have the parts) and would rather someone else had the pleasure of replacing it????

[dr_mat 0]

See the "Corrado Recalls" thread: ( http://the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13717 )

 

VW Corrado possibility of coolant leakage into passenger compartment WVW...50.KK 000 001 to WVW...50.KK 014 927 01/08/1988 31/12/1989

 

If your VIN falls into this range, your car should have been recalled. If it doesn't fall into this range, you have the later fittings which are more robust. The changes made were really only designed to prevent boiling hot coolant from spraying towards the driver/passenger - they were never going to be able to prevent steam coming into the cabin, despite the obvious danger of reduced visibility...

 

I had the same happen on my old Cavalier, ironically right in the bloody middle of nowhere (at the Stonehenge car park in fact!), and that was pretty scary too. Fortunately it only cost £50 to get fixed on that one... :)

 

Unfortunately VW seem to think it's cool fitting a consumable, £30 part BEHIND the dashboard, requiring pretty much a complete dash removal to get the sod out...

[saysomestuff 0]

Here are some pics from my weekend replacing the heater matrix. not much skin left on my knuckles but managed to get it done with no parts left over except a buggered exchanger!

[The Hub 0]

Holy s**t :shock: now i am really looking forward to the christmas holidays :roll:

suppose it's best to see how it should be done first :lol:

[Louie Lungbubble 0]

Jeisus... If mine ever goes pop I'm selling the car!

REALLY could not be arsed trying to figure out how all that goes back together. :|

[saysomestuff 0]

The Hub, if you need some instructions - just email me, I got it done in about 6 hours total with a willing mate to make the tea and hold things and tools required are pretty minimal. There are a few strangely placed bolts you need to get out but the guide on CCA is pretty much spot on EXCEPT the size of the nut on the steering wheel - it's 27mm not 25mm :roll: - but a quick trip to Halfords fixed that!

[The Hub 0]

Sorry for being a bit slow but what is CCA?? :oops:

I would appreciate any instructions you can help with. I will send you an Email tomorrow :)

 

Cheers

[Louie Lungbubble 0]

what is CCA??

 

Corrado Club of America

[The Hub 0]

Cheers you can tell I am new to C ownership.

Will check it out tomorrow if my hangover isn't to bad :roll:

[saysomestuff 0]

Hurrah! It was the thermostat, car is running at a steady 80 odd degrees, sorted it all last night, it's a hell of a relief as it was :onfire: scorching last week, getting up to 120C in like 15mins. So I am well pleased with myself.

 

New parts count is rising much faster than i thought it would though! Since July:

 

4 x Tyres (£360)

1 x heater matrix (8 hrs + £50 parts - VW wanted £507)

1 x radiator (£42 not too sure on the build quality though so might get a vw one)

1 x fan switch (£9)

1 x thermostat (£4)

5L Coolant (£cant remember)

4 x skinless knuckles

10000 x swearing fits

 

Would i take it all back and buy a newer, more reliable motor with my graduate loan?

Would i bug£erry!! I can't think of another car that looks so ageless and agressive - demonstrated by my new habit of looking back at it when i walk away :luvlove: .

 

Planned for the new year:

 

Bumber pack of jubilee clips - (i broke my pliers in the middle of replacing the rad - those clips are not fun when plierless :mad: )

Proper clean and Engine bay detailing - (everything off and cleaned)

Uprated (shiny) disks/hoses

 

Any other tips on where to start the transformation?

[pablo_vr6 0]

I *ALWAYS* look back lol ;)

[The Hub 0]

The Hub, if you need some instructions - just email me, I got it done in about 6 hours total with a willing mate to make the tea and hold things and tools required are pretty minimal. There are a few strangely placed bolts you need to get out but the guide on CCA is pretty much spot on EXCEPT the size of the nut on the steering wheel - it's 27mm not 25mm :roll: - but a quick trip to Halfords fixed that!

 

Ok i am not looking forward to starting this job, but temperatures say i must :mad:

I have been looking on the CCA forum and can't find the info on this topic. can anyone help out with where to look or have any advice of their own.

 

Thanks

[The Hub 0]

See the "Corrado Recalls" thread: ( http://the-corrado.net/.archive/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13717 )

 

VW Corrado possibility of coolant leakage into passenger compartment WVW...50.KK 000 001 to WVW...50.KK 014 927 01/08/1988 31/12/1989

 

If your VIN falls into this range, your car should have been recalled. If it doesn't fall into this range, you have the later fittings which are more robust. The changes made were really only designed to prevent boiling hot coolant from spraying towards the driver/passenger - they were never going to be able to prevent steam coming into the cabin, despite the obvious danger of reduced visibility...

 

I had the same happen on my old Cavalier, ironically right in the bloody middle of nowhere (at the Stonehenge car park in fact!), and that was pretty scary too. Fortunately it only cost £50 to get fixed on that one... :)

 

Unfortunately VW seem to think it's cool fitting a consumable, £30 part BEHIND the dashboard, requiring pretty much a complete dash removal to get the sod out...

 

Just checked the recall thread and it seems my VIN falls within the second WVW...50.LK 000 001 to WVW...50.LK 012 693 bracket. As I am from Northern Ireland can anyone give me any info on who i should be contacting to see if VW will do the dirty work for me.

What a Christmas Present that would be

[saysomestuff 0]

Hi Mate,

 

Just to reiterate though, an earlier message said that the recall was in order to prevent boiling water/coolant from spraying in the cabin, did this happen? If not, the recall may have been carried out already and your matrix may have just failed due to another fault, mine turned out to be the thermostat :roll:

 

Just a thought :)

[The Hub 0]

Cheers mate, i hear what your saying, but really i am looking for the easiest way out of 6 hours work and a load of bare knuckles :wink:

The matrix was gone when i bought the car so i dont know if boiling water/coolant sprayed into the cabin when the Matrix went :?

Worth a shot though so if anyone knows who to contact to find out it would be appreciated :)

[The Hub 0]

Can anyone help me out with the above question?

Who do i contact to find out if VW will do this?

[Supercharged 2]

Just go see your local dealer...