Niges16V

The connector is got to from under the bonnet, you only need to 'get dirty' when accessing the sensor.

no no no, there's a little plug for it down the back left side of the engine on a little bracket. The sensor has a cable of apprx 35cm which is just enough to get away from the heat.

the noise you hear on startup is more likely to be the tappets untill they get up to pressure (filled with oil), this is normal! If you are going to spend on the engine then it would be sensible to include chains as a matter of course.

the old ones are 'welded' in so you need to cut them out! You have to be carefull soldering the new ones in as the heat can obviously blow the fuse. I took mine out of the bucket of oil and it was still stiff, no play in the fan at all, so I smacked it with the hammer a few times and now it's freed up :cheers:

why can't it be the obvious?? It's not a Fiat or Renault you know!

It'll be the bulb. I think it is housed in the centre control knob, carefully pull that off (you need to push the lug in at the bottom) and there is a little green plastic holder with the bulb in. It uses light pipes to illuminate the other bits which is why it isn't all that bright.

I can't face paying good money for someone to change oil/plugs/grease the doors etc as I am perfectly capeable of doing it myself. I do however use specialists and a reputable garage for things that are too difficult for me - rear beam bushes, exhaust etc.. Basically, the C is getting a bit long in the tooth now so has gone beyond the VW service schedule so you are better off doing regular oil changes etc yourself and any other repairs you are happy with then get it down the garage when you haven't got a clue or can't be bothered. On cars this age maintenace is a constant thing and cannot be dealt with on a 12-18 month basis.

The thermal fuse normally blows cos the motor is drawing too much power, if that's the case then you need to fix that or it will keep blowing fuses or melt the motor. Mine also went this week and it was probobly due to the fan not being able to turn freely, think the bearings are drying up. Got it soaking in a bucket of oil as we speak!

I had the same problem when changing the CV joint. Ended up removing the whole hub carrier and giving it a good whack, soon came out then. I suggest you brace the hub so the full force helps shock the shaft out.

Ha Ha, exactly my thoughts when I see cars advertised as 'lady owner'. My wife still can't tell if she has a flat tyre, drove 30 miles to Guildford on Sunday with just 15psi in the front tyre :mad:

My new seas were also too bright but putting the tweets out of phase made them sooo much better. Just swap the wires over.

Mines currently on 147k miles so it will be difficult to sell even though it runs very well. So for the first time in my life I am going to resign myself to the fact that I will keep it for as long as it runs. I can then justify spending out on the occaisional treat such as a respray, charger or even a R32! My only worry is after I've done this parts for it will be hard to get.

You buy the pipe in 3m coils so you will need 2 coils I think then make them up yourself. You can get the kits off ebay.

If your still on original bushes then your not going to get anywhere near the performance from any of the above! Fitting new rear bushes really does give a WoW factor and imo should be one of the first consideration.

very easy! just undo the plastic covers, remove HT leads and then the 4 bolts securing the pack to the block. Check out GSF as well for price - £125 I think, or short term option is get one from a breakers for £25 but run the risk of it being no better.

Check the obvious first - PAS belt, it may be slipping. I think you should only have about 10mm movement on the longest run. I guess you know where the pump is? If not, it is the thing bolted to the front botton left (or drv side) of engine, you have to get to it under the bumper in front of wheel. My wifes Golf intermittantly lossed the PAS when it was wet, the water spray caused it to slip and loose power causing the steering to go heavy when you needed it most. We were all novices once, you just need the confidence to have a go and to know when not to!

I think everyones does that now. I changed the little white plastic rollers which stopped the rattle but still get the glass/bar contact when shutting the door. I reckon it's the rubber glass guides on either side, probably not a servicable part so it would mean a complete window mechanism change.

I want to revive the suspension on my ,96 1.8 Golf SE (GT spec) runabout but without spending a fortune. As I have a spare Golf VR6 ARB I thought I could use that as it is a bit chunkier than the existing one. I checked out the fixings yesterday and it looks as though it's just the wishbones which are different as the VR6 uses droplinks at the end of the bar. I held up an old VR WB and it looks as though it has the same dimmensions but I can't be sure. Does anyone know if this is possible or does the Golf VR have different drivetrain dimmensions??

You'll need the MkII > MkIV conversion hoses (std male connection to fine thread banjo) and I also believe you will also need MkIII carriers

Check out the 312 wiki as this provides a good step by step. Normally the biggest problem is cracking the flexi pipes off the hard ones, use a bit of heat (gentle though) and good fitting spanners. Make sure you can do this on both sides before progressing, if you can't do it then you have the option to take it to a garage. Once you have done this, bolt the new calipers in position with the old ones tied out the way on the springs, this is so when you actually undo the flexi pipe you can instantly connect the new one and pump the brake peddle (with nipple open of course) to expel the air. This avoids having fluid all over the garage floor and air in your ABS system, which is a nightmare! Good luck

I drove around for months unaware that my aux pump was goosed! It won't cause overheating, just won't be as efficient

Just finished replacing all the suspension on my VR and am so amazed at the improvement. Problem is now, when i drive the wifes Golf it handles like a bucket of slush, so i thought I could have a go at that. It is a MkIII '96 1.8 (ADZ) SE, very similar to the Driver. I don't want to spend a fortune so was thinking of just using GSF replacement parts and maybe keep the standard springs and just change the shocks. Then I noticed that they do a 'sports kit' for £165, anyone know what this is and if it is any good? I don't want to 'slam' it with a rock hard ride, just tighten it up a bit with minimal cost. Any suggestions??

Naa, took it to a cylinder head shop, I think it's best to let someone who know's what they're doing attmpt that bit, especially on a much luv'd mota!

I managed to do my 16V OK and I'm no grease monkey! You just need to have some quality tools (the money you will save in labour will justify a few purchases), suitable place to do it and some patience - it's only nuts & bolts after all (just that some are impossible to get off and places you can't possibly imagine how to get to!). As for costs, I think it was £250 +vat for the refurb + parts and you can price those up at GSF. It costs a fortune at a garage as it takes some time to remove all the gubbins. Have a look for yourself, once you've shifted the air intake pipes, HT leads, coil pack etc there isn't much else to do. The hardest bit I found was the exh manifold due to rusty bolts and my fingers aren't 8" long. Good sense of achievement when finished, as well as a nice smooth running engine!

central locking whine is probably due to an air leak i one of the pipes, which is why it can't get the pressure to open the locks. Stereo might be due to ignition switch (another common fault) as one of the symptoms is you lose the ignition live for the stereo. The heater fan is easily removed, give it a clean and squirt some oil into the motor. Reverse light - mine does that. The switch is somewhere on the selector in the engine bay, probably needs adjusting. Does your sunroof work?? :)