Kevin Bacon

Mine always used to take over 65 litres when running past the red. I never ran it out completely.

If yours never reads 15 Gall, I'd say your fuel level sender needs recalibrating or you have a smaller tank on the car.

Sean is correct, it's both a level sensor and a condition sensor for the variable servicing. You'd have to figure out which of the 4 pins is the level output and what kind of signal it is. R32s never had oil temp, well, the MK5 has it but it's in a hidden Menu on the MFA.

As for the engine management light, US MK3 Golf VR6s (and SLCs I believe) had a separate "MIL" light on the dash like an ABS light. You should be able to use one of those to hook into the ECU's K-Line.

Definitely 70 litres for the VR6.

Earlier 16V and G60s had 12 Gallon tanks (60 litres) IIRC.

Are you absolutely sure the tank only had 5 litres in it before the refill? Best thing to do is climb under there, get the part number off the tank and compare it to someone else's on here. If it's definitely a VR6 tank, your fuel level sender is lying.

EDIT: I've just remembered some filling station pumps click off prematurely, so it's probably that. It's happened to me at a Shell station a few times.

We all know the Corrado wasn't a massive sales success; the styling must have something to with it given the pretty little Mk1 Scirocco established such a high start point for small VW coupes. Now it's fairly plain appearance seems quite befitting of the time. It's not showy or dramatic, the wheels looking especially tiny by contemporary standards, but there's something pleasingly unpretentious about it. Or it's just a bit dull.

I thought that was a pretty schit 'Spotted' feature to be honest. They're normally pretty good on PH but I couldn't decide whether the guy actually likes Corrados or not after reading this /\ paragraph.

The styling is the one thing we are unanimously agreed on in here, being the best thing about the Corrado!

Still, it's a good example and glad it's gone to an enthusiast!

I think the way forward is to own a car no f'cker would ever want, such as Father Ted's Rover....

go for roots type charger and get the instant low down grunt, seems like a complicated install though.

Stealth Racing's old fabricator guy had a MK3 VR6 with a big Eaton attached to it. I think it was an M90 off a Merc.

It was indeed a complicated install because positive displacement chargers need a second throttle to regulate boost (they make boost at idle!) and those Eatons generate massive amounts of heat, hence their nickname: "Heaton".

Anyway, with a Vince special map, that thing was absolutely superb. Uber grunty everywhere in the rev range and smooth as silk with it. Way faster than any centrifugal charger job on a VR6.

Centrifugal chargers are best left for R32s.

Love the rewards you give yourself :)

I also like the fact you ripped out the pornstar beige interior...... after I spent all day installing it....in the cold..... with the previous owner :lol:

I did tell him beige was a bit naff and looks skanky when dirty, but he didn't listen!

Your problem mate is you're afraid to say what you think! :lol: But in all seriousness, I hear what you're saying and I'm thinking some silver Rota's might not be a million miles away from the look you got with those white ones..... and that was a great look.

 

With the carriers, do you think they'd be able to make me some to push the calipers out to 330mm or would I need to get the drawings from somewhere/send them my current 304mm ones?

I just can't lie :D Equally, if something looked utter shat on my car, I would much prefer honesty :) Not that CHs look shat, just not that exciting...imo!

I did like the white Rotas actually. A bit of an accident and probably wouldn't do white wheels again, but at the time they did look pretty sweet! I'm getting old and boring.

They're a standard part mate and may even have them on the shelf, or you could literally just use a spacer plate and some longer bolts! I binned all my old AP Racing 304 and 330mm drawings otherwise I could tell you the thickness of spacer you need, but AP may still have them on their site.

Hi All,

Thought I would jump in here with my story. My son David bought what is an ex PSI 24 valve 2.8 converted Storm.

http://www.psituning.com/page.php?xPage=26corradostorm.html

The main problem is that as it stands it will not come anywhere near passing an MoT on emissions.

I am getting fault codes from the two rear lambda sensors (which do not exist) Evap purge valve open circuit, and secondary air pump relay open circuit.

Having spoken to Graeme Coull and then his mate Dave,who have been very helpful, we think the first step is to examine and sort out the conversion wiring and possibly add in lambda wiring and SAP relay.

Firstly I would like any advice on where to source diagrams for 4motion ECU and Corrado engine loom, and what lambda configuration to go for. Also if anyone knows any history on the car I would love to hear from you.

I assume the plug for the EVAP valve has been cut off then? It should be near the offside strut. Ditto the SAI relay (that's nearer the nearside strut)?

If the wires have been snipped off and nowhere to be seen, you'll need to trace them back to the ECU. All I have to hand is a BDE (2.8 with VVT) diagram to hand, but it should get you in the right direction.

Evap valve N80:-

Blue/Yellow wire > switched live.

Purple/red wire > Pin 64 in the T121 ECU plug.

Secondary Air Injection Pump relay J299 (Needs to be connected even if not using SAI):-

Green/Brown wire > Pin 46 in T121 ECU plug > Pin 86 on relay (signal)

Ground pin 85 of the relay.

Secondary Air Injection Solenoid N112 (This should be clipped to the intake manifold and should be connected even if not using SAI):-

Brown/Yellow wire > Pin 44 in the T121 ECU Plug.

Blue/Yellow wire> Same switched live as the N80 (I think!).

Rear Lambda 1 (Post cat) G130:-

Pins 68, 69 & 63 in T121 ECU Plug. Grey/white, Grey/red & Grey/brown respectively.

These all plug into a 4 pin connector near the cat.

Rear Lambda 2 (Post cat) G131:-

Pins 6, 10 & 11 in T121 ECU plug. Blue, red & Black/brown respectively.

These all plug into a 4 pin connector near the cat.

Dave Manson (if that's who Dave is) should understand all that ;)

If you struggle, I would simply drop the car off to Vince at Stealth Racing for a week, otherwise you could end up chasing your tail for months and get nowhere.

Good luck!

Nice!

Christ that turbo is a LOT bigger than the T25!

Looking good so far!

R32 conversions seldom go smoothly and it's ALWAYS the electrical / ECU side that throws a giant spanner in the works. Kudos to you for sticking with it though!

I remember Vince at Stealth telling me there's half a dozen different ECUs for the 3.2 24V engine. I wonder if SWICT got one they weren't used to? Having said that, yours is the 3rd one of theirs I'm aware of that has had running problems. Still, that's no excuse for the way you were treated!

If a professional turbo company has had it in bits and balanced it, it should be OK. I think they would have told you to chuck it in the bin if it was that bad :lol:

Personally I would only use established brands like Garrett or Borg Warner on my engines as it's not just about the price / reliability compromise, they tend to have superior flow dynamics and turbine / compressor wheel designs over the cheaper ones.

Anyway, good luck with it, I'm sure it's going to kick some big turbo butt on the roads!

Well said Mic. If you accept the Corrado's limitations, then you avoid disappointment :D If you go 17s, make sure they are light 17s (like your Rotas) and contisport 3s are light tyres as well, and pretty comfy.

Dropped spindles is exactly what we need but no one is making them for the 5 x100 MK3 platform. I'm sure with some modification MK4 R32 / S3 ones could be used.

That's along the right lines Jim but they're 4x100 and spherical bearings only last a couple of K on the roads.

Glad to see some progress is being made!

Maybe his apprentice did it? He is raved about on club gti.

I've seen some truly awful work from companies that get raved about on forums!

I think the biggest problem with corrados now is their shell stiffness and integrity; they flex and move a bit over bumps and around corners, which newer cars don't do anywhere near as much and if you start lowering/fitting bigger wheels it only highlights the issue.

Yep, spot on. I've long harped on about the Corrado's body shell being too soggy. It's probably why VW chose to race the Vento VR6 instead.

It's the same principal as placing a decent hi-fi speaker on a thick carpeted floor instead of a purpose made stand, or building a house on a peat bog. Solid foundations give better results!

I know that I along with many others are looking for that nirvana suspension that lowers the car 40-60mm, maintains the comfort and keeps the handling in spec and I know that this is just not possible on suspension costing less than a few grand. But the fact of the matter is that most people don't have that kind of cash to spend on suspension and all they want is a slightly retro car that goes well, sounds good and can be thrown around a bit at weekends and doesn't cost the world to live with. The Corrado is this to most people. If you wanted something more focused/faster/whatever, you would have looked elsewhere before the Corrado.

 

I know I can personally make some sacrifices to have the type of car I would like and if that means I'm going to encounter a touch more bump steer or the occasional scuff of the splitter on speed humps, then that is the sacrifice I am willing to make. the B12 kit may make the best compromise handling wise and it is fantastic that a kit is out there for these old cars that caters to that need, but for me personally, I would rather give up a bit of that for a (in my personal opinion) better look.

 

I'll get off my soap box now!

Haha, 1 point for that rant. No swearing, no sweeping statements, no insults.....far too mild :D

I don't think what we want from Corrados is actually possible. As Somerset said, the body shell is too soggy to do the expensive suspension kits any justice and there is a lack of travel too. Modern cars lower cars by completely redesigning the hubs, wishbones, subframes, the lot. Lower a Corrado and the little suspension travel it has even with the 4x4 height goes to virtually nothing.

And another thing that works against the VR6 in particular is the way the engine is suspended. The mounts are at the bottom, meaning 200Kg of mass flops about backwards and forwards, which really messes up the cornering, especially bumpy corners. In the later VR6 engined cars (4 Mo, R32, V5 etc). the engine swings back n forth instead of rocking back n forth, so the weight is concentrated lower down like a pendulum. This simple change of mount position makes a big difference.

Anyway, that's all stuff that can't be changed on a Corrado. You've got what you were given and I think the B12 kit on 15s is probably as good as it will ever get tbh. Maybe throw on a bigger rear arb if you want a more over-steery feel.

Gawd knows without knowing the full spec and what hp you're aiming for, but 500cc would be a good start for around 350-400ish.

Are you going standalone then? Haven't you got a K Jet valver?

A VSR is a bloody good 'extra' to get with it!

Agreed on the roads. I've been to the lakes 3 times in my Corrado and also Wales a few times, brilliant roads.

Genuine GT35Rs are external wastegate. God knows what that turbo is. A hybrid of some kind but it doesn't look as big as a GT35, so may not be too laggy. Looks like an improvement over a T25 though, which was never a great turbo :)

Bit of a generalisation there Kev! I think folks want the ride height correct, and I guess for a lot of people who aren't using their Corrado's as daily drivers, the ride comfort can be sacrificed a little if they're only doing a couple of thousand miles a year. If anything I'd say in recent years, Corrado owners seem to be leaning more towards the camp of 'doing things right' and proper jobs on repair and maintenance work, and buying good quality components. The days of people chatting about £200 coilover kits seem to have gone away to some extent.

 

Personally speaking, ride comfort has become a real bug bear of mine and something I'm determined to find a good compromise with on my car as my current setup is abysmal.

I don't think it is. I bet there's less than 5% of members on here who don't care about ride height.

I am happy that folk are showing interest in a really decent kit, but there's still more of an emphasis on ride height over handling. If people want low, just stick to coilovers, it's what they were designed for.

I doubt you won't ever find what you're looking for in a Corrado Jim! B12s are still very firm over bumps. The difference is the car retains some semblance of composure compared to cheaper stuff.

I've just been out giving mine a clean, I've taken some better photos which shows the arch gap more clearly for anyone who's interested:

 

Looks absolutely spot on to me. Vehicle visibly lower to the ground but still retaining that one important thing that most Corrado owners seem uninterested in - suspension travel.

After all the bump steer and schitt ride quality discussions we've had on here for 10 years, and people still put looks before ride and handling. The mind boggles.

To those that actually want their Corrado to handle, there isn't much better than this out there and certainly not for this price.

As Sean_Jaymo said, the one you need is 46-190109

K Jet pumps have a lot pressure, but not massive flow. Flow reduces as pressure increases.

Standard K03 - K04 1.8Ts won't trouble a K Jet pump setup, but if you try and push for 300hp you'll probably need to swap to a bigger flowing pump.

:D

The T25 is an ancient turbo. You can go a bit bigger with modern roller bearing turbos without increasing lag significantly, but as you say, a GT30 is a bit big. Garrett have got some GTX turbos with billet wheels now, and also look at the Borg Warner EFR series.

Konis, in common with other lesser dampers, lose control when the damper oil gets hot. Bilstein Monotubes don't have that problem.

What I like best about Bilstein monos is their consistent feel. Come winter, summer, rain or shine, they always feel the same and that is exactly what you want with suspension and brakes.