andy

Cheers Chaps, just spoken to Portsmouth Branch, they said no account needed for a cash sale. Ordered, bushes, bjs and bolts/plate, top mounts and bearings, will all be there tomorrow.

It makes my blood boil, I really hate some things about this country. Mostly the legal system and the political incorectness.

Lately when I put my keys in the ignition my car locks itself, the door buttons go down. This was a little disconcerting, but it unlocks when I turn the ignition off. Its a bit like anti hijack.

However this morning, clever old me reached in, started the car and set about defrosting her. 5 mins later I tried to get in and the door is locked with the key (including my house keys) hanging in the ignition switch.

Anyone got any idea where I start looking to find this fault? I've got a clifford concept 500 alarm but its permanently in valet mode so I don't know if that could affect anything.

Its awesome isn't it, I think we need it stickied or in the wiki thing! :D

They are engine specific as far as I know.

I had horrendous rattling from my rear tailgate for months up until last week, it took all of 30 seconds to cure and required no tools.

Arround the boot opening, can't remember if its on the tailgate or the body of the car, there are two small rubber cone things that are adjustable. Mine were wound right in and were doing nothing, I wound them out 2 turns ish, bingo, no rattling at all, my car is the quitest its been for years!

Cheers Tom, very informative post mate thanks.

I'll speak to TPS Portsmouth by phone, see what they can do, I'll prob get BJs and Top Mounts/Bearings whilst I'm at it.

You reckon I could get away without doing the front ones, even with 144k on the clock? When you say they are difficult.....how difficult?

I had a second hand one and it was evil LOUD! I had to take it off within a fortnight, I had a miltek sport cat with it which I never managed to get on because the fit was so terrible. I compared it side by side with another one and all the flanges were slightly offset at different angles between them, same part no. etc! The general quality of welding and fit was awful, it never lined up properly with the car. I wouldn't touch one again personally. Bought a Magnex in the end and it fits/sounds absolutely perfect. No contest!

I haven't managed it, filled in the application form, heard nothing :(

I'm thinking maybe I'll just rebush my existing wishbones with new R32/TT stuff. Got to be way cheaper, but it will depend on the general state of them when I get them out!

I think it was Dave16v on here used to do repair kits for them, very good fix, GSF are much cheaper than VW from memory if you don't fancy repairing it!

Mines an everyday car, done nearly 50k in the last 5/6 years, not really put a foot wrong. They're incredibly tough cars imo. Mine gets used on some seriously bad roads, gets some serious spanking when the roads are clear and did amazingly well in the recent snow and ice. Loads of good clean oil every 6k miles and regular use really seems to help, although the bodywork is going to need some attention after the recent weather.

I think its highly unlikely the gauge is wrong. Vagcom reads the ecu sender (blue), i'd possibly try another yellow (or black as the new ones are) before you start looking at changing the clocks.

100 per cent agree, don't start changing clocks yet!

I think I'm correct in saying the guage uses one sensor, the ecu, a different one. Are you aware of that?

A chap at work reckons the 5 door is better on a track than a 3 door, I questioned this ,naturally, and he said its due to the longer wheelbase of the 5 door. (which is apparently b0ll0cks!) I think he's trying to justify his own purchase of a 5 dr model! I can't see how a 5 door can be stiffer without significant bracing/extra metal.

If the coolant level light is flashing you either haven't got enough in the expansion bottle or the sensor in the bottle is duff.

I can't remember which of the sensors feed the guage in the car but that sounds like it may be duff too. It sounds like mechanically everything is working as you would hope, just that you're getting some duff feedback from the sensors.

They are the same

 

Random fact - the Renault 16 had a longer wheelbase on one side than the other

Thanks chaps, was the Renault designed like that, if so why....

Does a Mk2 Golf 3dr have a different wheelbase to a 5 dr. I'm doubting they are different but have been told they are.

Any thoughts?

 

I would definately replace leads on a car I was trying to sell if there was a problem with them. I bought a set of beru ones from GSF 6 years ago, I've now done 65000 miles on them and they cost £50. Not even the cost of a tank of petrol and they've never missed a beat and are still going strong. I would be highly suspicious of anyone trying to sell a car that ran like poo and only required a £50 pound part to correct.

 

Unless they're not in a position to spend £50? :shrug:

Well technically yes, £50 is £50 and if you haven't got it you haven't got it. I would equally be suspicious of anyone who was selling a Corrado VR6 who didn't have £50 in the world to correct an easy problem. What other corners would they have cut in the cars upkeep? I wouldn't expect any oil changes to have been done properly or using decent oil etc etc.

The other problem is HT leads which hardly cost thousands, more like the cost of a tank of fuel

 

£120 a set for the original red ones from VW.

 

You'd spend that sort of money on a car you're trying to sell would you?

 

I just did !!! :wink:

I would definately replace leads on a car I was trying to sell if there was a problem with them. I bought a set of beru ones from GSF 6 years ago, I've now done 65000 miles on them and they cost £50. Not even the cost of a tank of petrol and they've never missed a beat and are still going strong. I would be highly suspicious of anyone trying to sell a car that ran like poo and only required a £50 pound part to correct.

If they're the same as Mk 3 Golf VR6 then they're £69 from TPS.

Are they genuine VW parts? How does it work with, TPS, can anyone order from them or just businesses?

I'm thinking of doing a front end rebush/revamp on my 144k mile VR6. I think the recent road conditions have just about finished my wishbone bushes off!

VW Wishbones are £111 inc vat, the (Febi/Bilstein) ones are available from VWspares.co.uk for sub £40.

Who are the VW ones made by, surely Febi/Bilstein are pretty goos aren't they?

Opinions? I don't want to skimp but I don't want to pay through the nose for possibly the same part elsewhere.

To be classed as driving you dont actually have to be behind the wheel, trundling along. I was told that even if you were pushing a vehicle along a highway with the keys in the ignition you would be deemed in control of said vehicle and could be prosectuted for drink driving. Not sure if thats true or not though? There was a case of a lorry driver who was asleep in his lorry in the drivers seat. The lorry rolled down a hill and into a house or wall while he was asleep and he was prosectuted for drink driving. The law can be funny sometimes but i am sure the judge and jury would have all the facts necessary and if there were a more appropriate sentance i'm sure the judge would have used it. Must have been a precedent set somewhere before maybe for passenger done for drink driving??

Parts of that are true, irrelevant but partially true.

If you are pushing your car, with the keys in, you could be deemed in control of it. However if you are pushing a car, someone else is sitting in the driving seat, you wouldn't be deemed in control of it would you, they would. In the same way if you are a passenger in a car, someone else is in the driving seat, you wouldn't ordinarily be deemed in control of it would you. THEY WOULD, the person in the driving seat, the one at the controls, the one who put the keys in the ignition etc.

You talk as if the guy was an innocent by-stander!

Rubbish.

I've said several times I think he was in the wrong. I just don't see how a passenger can be done for a driving offence. That was the original point of discussion in this thread.

It's now turned into, "Who thinks drink driving is ok?". Nobody on here, clearly.

Point well and truly missed :scratch:

A total menace to society, are you a complete idiot? Keep things in proportion.

 

Oh drink driving isn't a problem then??

 

Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: 2008 estimates for accidents involving illegal alcohol levels

This release includes provisional statistics on accidents involving drinking and driving in Great Britain in 2008, according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority. The figures also include final estimates for 2007. Figures show that:

 

Fatalities resulting from drink drive accidents rose by 5 per cent from 410 in 2007 to 430 in 2008, whilst seriously injured casualties fell by 7 per cent from 1,760 to 1,630. Slight casualties resulting from drink drive accidents also fell by 7 per cent from 11,850 to 10,970. Total casualties fell by 7 per cent from 14,020 to 13,020.

There was an increase of 3 per cent in fatal accidents from 370 to 380. Overall drink and drive accidents fell by 7 per cent from 9,280 to 8,640.

 

I'm sure the living casualties that weren't drunk drivers would disagree. Get an accurate perspective

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/da ... drinkdrive

Go and read the post properly. The guy in question wasn't driving, what does that have to do with drink driving.

Of course drink driving is a problem. This guy was a fool, however he wasn't driving, he wasn't speeding in wet weather, he didn't kill anyone.

Being a passenger in a car driven by someone who had been drinking does not make somebody "a total menace to society". Fact.

We have to leave that label for the murderers, rapists paedophiles etc