1st time corrado owner

[Jonjwt 10]

Hello all thought I'd better join the forum as I will be using it regularly by the looks of it. Just picked up a 1990 16 v today un modified with full vw history, it now sits on the drive with my mk1 golf , 71 Westy and the family passat tdi.

Unfortunately it now won't turn over at all, I think the immobiliser has gone wibble , apart from that and a few small fixes it's great.

:thumbleft:

[Portent 0]

Welcome to the family :)

[jamiehamy 0]

Welcome! Corrado's and Vw campers complement each other beautifully! I've got a T25 and with the Corrado, I have vehicles for any occasion! :)

[dumptyboy 0]

Welcome mate. Let us know how you get on with sorting out the car. I purchased my 3rd Corrado yesterday and it was advertised as spares or repair due to an electrical fault that wouldnt allow it to start! I removed the clifford alarm and repaired the cables that it was spured into and it starts first time now. Let me know if I can help with some advice if you decide to remove/replace the immobiliser/alarm.

 

Good luck mate.

[Jonjwt 10]

The not starting is a little strange as it started fine when I viewed the car and when I picked her up, drove her 50 miles home parked up, went to move it later on and nothing, dash lights are on pump primes and wur runs , but starter motor won't turn, tried gentle persusion with a stick, I'm rubbish with electrics so might have to bite the bullet and get a auto electrician to strip the alarm out.

[dumptyboy 0]

Do you have a fob for the immobiliser, or what is used to de-activate it? What did you do when you collected the car to disarm the immobiliser?

:)

[Jonjwt 10]

It has two fobs which switch the alarm and immobiliser on/off , I just unlocked the car , turned the ignition and it fired up no problem , I also have a key which fits in the alarm module

[dubweiser 0]

Its not the ignition switch thats at fault is it?I just had to replace mine at the weekend and it seems quite a common fault

[Jonjwt 10]

What do you mean

by the ignoin switch please.

[dubweiser 0]

Theres an ignition switch that is fitted to the bottom of the ignition barrel.Its quite a common fault for these to pack in as i found out recently.They can cause allsorts of ignition problems and starting troubles.I had all my dash lights on like you and the pump was priming and everything but the car wouldnt turn over.It was dead as a dodo.I think a good way to test if it is your starter thats sticking is next time it wont start,run a cable from the battery straight to the starter solenoid,then if it turns over you can rule out the starter.To test the switch you need to get a multimeter and check the voltage at the connecter on the starter solenoid (unplug the red/black wire and stick the multimeter on there and the negative to the car body ot battery somewhere) and when you turn the key you should get 12v on the reading.If not then your switch could be to blame.Mine was worse when we had that hot weather recently and it wouldnt turn over at all if it had been left in the sun all day.Its due to the switch heating up and the components inside having worn/broken down over the years and probably expanding in the heat so not working correctly.

When you couldnt get it to turn over,did you try bump starting it?and did it go then?

Edited June 7, 2012 by dubweiser

[Jonjwt 10]

Thanks dubweiser for the explanation, I have just been out and tried bump starting the car, and she started straight away of the bump, so I guess that rules out the alarm and imobiliser , I think I will go straight for the ignition switch as that looks the most likely culprit. I would test it but I don't have a multimeter and as they seem to be a common problem there's no harm in changing it. Thanks again all for the advice

[dubweiser 0]

It might be worth trying to get someone with a multi meter to test it for you mate if you can.Its a good thing to change it i suppose as it could be worn,but it can be right pain in the a**e lol.The tiny little screw holding it in can be an absolute bugger to get out

[Jonjwt 10]

Just slaved a ignition switch in and it started first time, now to contort myself into the footwell to secure it in, fire brigade on standby

[dubweiser 0]

if you got the old one out then you have done the hard part mate.Did you get the screw out ok?You can just connect the new one up and secure it with cable ties instead of fannying about trying to get the screw back in

[Jonjwt 10]

I have been trying for about 2 hours to get the dam screw out and the stubborn thing is still in, tried watchmakers and right Angeld screwdrivers. All I have achieved is a headache and feeling sick from being upside down for so long

[dubweiser 0]

Welcome to the corrado ignition switch mate.It took me two days last weekend to get that bloody screw out,but it can be done so dont give up.There are a few guides around how to do it and the guys on here gave me advice aswell.I found in the end the way i did it was to remove the instrument trim first (pop the two triangle shaped bits out in the bottom corners to reveal screws),then remove the steering wheel cowl.If you have a small mirror you can angle it up backwards to see exactly where the screw is.After smashing 3 screwdrivers trying to bend them,i found the easiest way was to put the steering wheel in a position where i could best get the longest thinnest screwdriver i had,up between the barrel and the switch where the screw is and using a pair of long nose pliers,turn that screwdriver by the handle.It only moved a tiny bit at a time so be patient and it was just enough to start working the screw out.Then if you drop the steering wheel a bit,and peer over the top you can just about see the head of the screw start to appear.I then used a watcmakers screwdriver to just about make contact with the screw head and slowly turn it bit by bit til it came out.I kind of used a mixture of the guides i had found and mixed them all together until i found a way that worked.Good luck mate,but it can be done and you dont have to start drilling shear bolts and stuff off your lock to do it.I know some people have done this but it is possible without.

 

---------- Post added at 2:53 PM ---------- Previous post was at 2:52 PM ----------

 

This helped me a lot (ignore the bit about the bolts as you will most likely have round shear bolts instead) but it gives you an idea what you are looking at

http://www.corrado-club.ca/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8617

 

---------- Post added at 2:55 PM ---------- Previous post was at 2:53 PM ----------

 

P.s,try getting into it from the top.I never went at it from underneath so there was no need to be stuck upside down

[Jonjwt 10]

Happy days job done, went in from the top like you said much easier. Still tricky though, it's now securely held tight by 2 pink zip ties, next job now is to get it blowing warm air not just cold and bits of foam.thanks all for taking the time to reply with help And hellos

[dubweiser 0]

Nice one mate.Glad to help,hope it cures the starting problem

[Peebee 0]

Aahhh, another non starting Corrado owner, welcome, you are DEFINITELY not alone.