Alexander 0 Posted January 21, 2008 Cleaned mine, then discovered my latest mod - a swimming pool in the rear passenger footwell. Tremendous! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ProdigalSon 1 Posted January 21, 2008 Hmm, following some minor but expensive bad luck with my C recently, I decided to crack on with the headlight wiring upgrade, which I started a couple of weeks ago to give me something positive to do! Finally got around to checking the voltage at the headlight connector: 6.9V on sidelights and 10.7V on full headlight (the voltage for the spots wasn't much better!) :shock: Although it was raining on and off today I fitted the unit, all boxed up and watertight, to the O/S of the radiator air ram (inside the engine bay) and ran the power connections across the top of the rad to the battery. This is a dual upgrade, so has two complete circuits (relays, fuses, etc.) allowing both the headlights and the spots to be improved :D Didn't want to cut into the existing loom in the rain though, will wait for a dry-er day :roll: All leads are carefully tie wrapped out of the way for now, and as I'm now running the Philips Extreme bulbs, the headlights are acceptable. I can't wait to see how bright they will be with all the battery's 14V across them :lol: 8) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ProdigalSon 1 Posted January 23, 2008 Fitted the driver's side door handle repair kit supplied by daves16v at the MOT garage and got the car re-re-tested - it passed! :cheers: Total cost was around £450 including a new lambda, new cat, two new wishbones, one CV joint boot, a wheel alignment, labour and a handle repair... Was totally worth it as she is driving even better than when I bought her last July :D :D :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sandman68 0 Posted January 24, 2008 Well, after putting up with very dull (and extreamly yellow) sidelights, i did a "501" bulb conversion, using the plugs and bulb sockets from a Mk3 vaux astra, 1 hour later, "501" led's fitted, wow what an easy job...and now a satisfying "white light" :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phatso 0 Posted January 26, 2008 Bought me a beasty g60, and found out on the way home that the MFA wont show my oil temp even tho it did last week when i test drove it :D Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted January 27, 2008 Fitted new suspension with 2cc and Tempest yesterday. So far so good though it badly needs a wheel alignment doing! Seems to have FINALLY cured the banging / clunking I was getting from the front left which was the main point of the exercise.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CazzaVR 0 Posted January 27, 2008 Good job, Jim- great to have it all finally sorted. How's the ride with the new setup? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jim 2 Posted January 27, 2008 I think it needs an alignment badly mate but it looks promising - Chris and I took the car out for a thrash down a road I know well (which I know has given the car a hard time in the past) and I definately felt more confident as the car felt less twitchy. Sweeping corners, oddly, seem to give me the most immediate and noticable improvement. One which I only ever dared go into at about 40MPH (because the car rolled and twitched its way round) I went into yesterday after the work, at the same 40MPH and it felt like I was doing it at 10MPH such was the difference in feel - nowhere near as much roll, no twitchyness... It still doesn't feel perfect (not that i'd expect £300 suspension to ever be perfect!) but it feels good - and I think a full alignment at Stealth will sort that out. I also think I need to get some Bonrath lowering caps as the front of my car sits slightly higher thanks to me using the VR topmounts. Height wise all over its slightly higher all round than it was before.. I'd hoped a 40mm drop would be a little more severe than it actually is but I guess the springs will settle in time and then i'll see whats what :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vwdeviant 0 Posted January 27, 2008 Sorted Rattly heat shield over rear box (both button mounts gone) and discovered a small hole in the back box and the fact all the baffles seemed to be partying in there too! But it's only a Walker pattern (explains the horrific fit!) so will be pulled next month and replaced by something a bit more.....Hmm..... Also sorted the "Manifold blow" turned out to be the Exhust gas sensor tube at back of head, the silicon bung had died so, quick repair with some hi-temp silicon and another part to add to the VAG-only list (I asume you can still get them!) Whilst under the bonnet fitted the Drilled Airbox donated by Mrs Badcrumble (RIP) and thoughorly tested on teh London trip last night.. whils not really any qicker it does have a better induction tone when you trmp on the pedal, but still refined at "cruising speeds". Straightened steering wheel out too as it's been on the Pee ever since I bought the car! Few more off the list, and a couple of new ones to add.. Status Quo then.. :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander 0 Posted January 28, 2008 Took my passenger door to bits, fitted a new membrane made out of a rubble sack! Sealant all round, then gaffa tape, should sort my major leak into the passenger rear footwell hopefully! Interestingly, the water came through because some of the wrapping had come off a bundle of wires, which was touching the foam on the inside of the doorcard, which is (I assume) how water was getting in. Tight as a gnat's chuff now mind you! Then, I removed an old alarm LED/keyslot from my dashboard, taped up all the wires and stuffed them back in the dash, then replaced it with a nice new switch blank, looks much cleaner! Finally, fitted a G60 grille badge to the front of the car! Wouldn't clip on to my FK three-bar grille, so a little bit of superglue and it's on nice and firmly. No more of people asking me if it's a valver! Yay! Oh, and when I took it for a drive, my driver's side front indicator bulb went, so I replaced that too. :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ProdigalSon 1 Posted January 29, 2008 Have just repaired my passenger's side door handle as a bit of preventative maintenance! Before: :? climatronic wiring-Golf from May 01.pdfHandle_01_5778.jpg[/attachment:kk6alzug] After: :D 2.8l 24v Climatronic system.pdfHandle_06_5785.jpg[/attachment:kk6alzug] The original driver's side handle striker: :shock: Handle_09_5796.jpg[/attachment:kk6alzug] Thanks to daves16v for the repair kit, and to boost monkey for lending a second pair of hands to help do this! :thumb right: PS. Dave, I have more pics if you want them... :wink: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phatso 0 Posted January 29, 2008 On my way to camberley auto factors to get a new oil temp sender and pressed the clutch in and thats where it sayed, no force or feel and for that mater no clutch action. Couldnt get the temp sender in the end but i did come away with a new clutch slave cylinder, so after a short trip on a rescue lorry and an afternoon on the drive she is all back together and working again. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Is fitting the clutch slave cylinder a tricky job? I only ask because mine's on the way out! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billinjah 0 Posted January 29, 2008 drove it! first time since xmas! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtytorque 0 Posted January 29, 2008 drove it! first time since xmas! ditto. Felt great.it had been too long. :) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phatso 0 Posted January 29, 2008 Is fitting the clutch slave cylinder a tricky job? I only ask because mine's on the way out! Do you have a vr or a g60, Not sure on the VR6 block but on mine it was not really very hard just annoying as the bolts where all really stiff and blocked by the gear linkage so i had to get them out with spanners as i couldnt get a socket wrench in there. As long as you have some basic tools and take your time over it shouldnt be too bad, you will need a 13mm spanner for the bolts that hold the cylinder to the block then a 12 for the pipe that comes off the cylinder. I got the new slave cylinder for 55+vat. Once you have unbolted it find somthing to cover the end of the fluid line or it will drip the whole header tank all over the engine bay, i used a latex glove over the end and an elastic band. Once the new one is fitted and bolted up tight just fill the header tank up and bleed the line out. Prob took me 2 hours to do based on it being the 1st time i have ever done one and working out what was where and so on. Also having a mate help with the bleed as it makes life SO much easier. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alexander 0 Posted January 30, 2008 Cool, don't know if I'll tackle it myself but good to know it's not a major task (I've got a G60). Where did you get the cylinder from - VW? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vwdeviant 0 Posted January 30, 2008 I have 9m of 6mm black fine-line tape and a plan.. hopefully update and photos at the weekend (weather depending) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
christoff 0 Posted January 30, 2008 I brought mine last weekend and since discovered fish tank in n/s/f footwell, incorrect water pump making the belts squeek and the most laughably lashed up ice install you have ever seen.......... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mystic Rado 0 Posted January 30, 2008 Just dismantled my Clifford Concept 300 alarm siren, took out the old rechargeable battery pack and soldered in a new one, then put it all back together again. After two or three years the back-up batteries die and the alarm stops chirping on arm and disarm, though the siren'll still work fine as long as it's connected to the car battery. Way cheaper than buying a new siren... Culmination of six weeks of mechanical carnage during which I've changed the coilpack, radiator, spark plugs, oil and filter three times, cam position sensor, temperature senders on the stat housing and the auxiliary water pump and its useless, perished mount. I think I'll have a lie down now before the Samco hoses finally arrive and I get to mess with the cooling system again :? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Traverse 0 Posted January 30, 2008 I just fitted mine with a glass roof a few weeks ago, and had to check today to make sure that it wasn't leaking. Then I went out and tried to get better bulbs for my headlamps because I can't see 10 feet in front of my car, but I bought the wrong ones. And I found that the bulbs in it are 60W, so i've decided until I can relay them I'm not going to get much better. But unfortunately it's real hard to work on your car when it's sitting in a lot at your university. :( Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ProdigalSon 1 Posted January 31, 2008 Then I went out and tried to get better bulbs for my headlamps because I can't see 10 feet in front of my car, but I bought the wrong ones. And I found that the bulbs in it are 60W, so i've decided until I can relay them I'm not going to get much better. Traverse, you should consider fitting the Philips Xtreme bulbs until you get your headlight wiring upgraded - I have them in now, and they make a big difference compared to the original bulbs, they are much brighter and 'bluer', to the extent that even though I have installed all of the relay wiring, I haven't felt it necessary to actually connect it to the headlight loom! :oops: *shamed into getting on with that today...* :lol: You can pick a pair up for about £20-25 from any motor factors. The 'H4' unit is a direct replacement for the combined dipped/sidelight headlamp itself, but I've not found an Xtreme replacement for full beam (spot) yet... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mystic Rado 0 Posted January 31, 2008 You can pick a pair up for about £20-25 from any motor factors. The 'H4' unit is a direct replacement for the combined dipped/sidelight headlamp itself, but I've not found an Xtreme replacement for full beam (spot) yet... Osram do a bulb called the Nightbreaker which came out late last year and is claimed to be 90 per-cent brighter than stock, I've got a set of the H4s waiting to go in some time, but they also do a replacement bulb for the spot which is an H3, I think. There's a few people selling them on eBay. Alternatively relay the spots separately with their own heavier gauge wire and relays and stick 100-watt Philips Rally bulbs in, that's what I've done and it's excellent, instant daylight when you switch onto main beam 8) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kevin Bacon 5 Posted January 31, 2008 Just hope a cop isn't coming the other way when those 100W rally bulbs are on. They can spot illegal bulbs a mile away as it's slightly obvious :lol: Having said that, I fancy some myself now that you've mentioned it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mystic Rado 0 Posted January 31, 2008 Just hope a cop isn't coming the other way when those 100W rally bulbs are on. They can spot illegal bulbs a mile away as it's slightly obvious :lol: Having said that, I fancy some myself now that you've mentioned it! I'm kind of hoping I'd have dipped my main beam by then, but I'm not sure even plod will be able to distinguish between 60-watt halogens full in the face and 100-watt ones :) Fwiw, I've always run 100-watt H3 spots plus 100/90 H4 Rally bulbs with an uprated loom in my Mk 2 and never been pulled over for it. MOT testers don't seem to notice either. As long as they're adjusted properly, it doesn't seem to be an issue and I don't get flashed by oncoming traffic either. I wonder if the numbers of humungous two-storey 4x4s with blinding HIDs mean that no-one cares any more. Logically, if you have a decent cut-off on dip it doesn't matter how much light there is below the cut-off and on high beam, you shouldn't be using it with on-coming traffic anyway, so what of it :? I know it's not quite that simple when you take rises and bumps into account, but on balance, round here - Peak - I'd rather be able to see where I'm going. I've relayed and up-rated the St Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
