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TomD

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Posts posted by TomD

  1. Posted

    Ok...having said that the voltage being produced is ok...

     

    I'm 99% sure I've found the problem...

     

    When I tested the voltage after firing it up from cold it was above the 12.8v that the PSD guide says the ECU needs. My headunit (for some reason) has a voltage meter built into it, so I checked the readings compared to the mulitmeter, seemed pretty accurate.

     

    So...started car, voltage was over 13 volts. Set off, first few minutes, drove sensibly, and the volts stayed over 13. The car returned a sensible mpg too (about 25...not bad for when its cold) But then went onto dual carriage way, and as engine speed/load increased the voltage decreased, staying consistlently under the 12.8v (around 12.3-5 ish) As it did this I reset the mpg...started doing about 17-18 mpg. (This is only with sidelights and stereo on) As in the ECU hasn't got enough Voltage -and has gone into limp mode.

     

    So I'm guessing the alternator's had it, but what are the other causes? I'm guessing:

     

    1) Dodgy wiring

    2) Loose belt (though it seems ok)

     

    Is there anything obvious that I need to check that would cause this?

     

    Also, has anyone got a working G60 alternator for sale?? :)

     

    Thanks in advance!

    Tom

  2. Posted

    Ok....more info on this....

     

    I found the Pit stop Developments G60 Diagnostic article which was useful....

     

    http://www.pitstopdevelopments.com/guid ... gement.pdf

     

    ...so borrowed a multimeter and off I went...

     

    Point 1) My voltage levels were below what the guide said, so i traced the wire from the alternator to the bat...found part of the insulation had rubbed away, so taped it all up, wire brushed all the connections and put it all back together. I'm getting a much better voltage now, so fingers crossed the alternator's not knackered.

     

    But it still managed 18mpg! ARgh.

     

    So onto Point 2) I checked the impendence of the CO pot .... guide says 500-600ohms....mine was reading 89!!

     

    So turned the screw a few times and set it at 550 ish.

     

    What would having the CO pot set to a very low resistance mean for fuel economy and engine runnning/performance?

     

    I can't take the car out to see how it feels at the minute.

     

    Cheers! :)

  3. Posted

    Its not a genuine one. :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

     

    I know I know.....I was having a very very expensive couple of months due to the rest of the work above, and found a Febi one that was the right one for £60, rather than £120 odd quid.

     

    Any chance I can get a refund from AVS (where I got it from) as its not working properly?? Unlikely I guess but still.

     

    I thought lambda's (of this type anyway) were all generic anyway, and it was just the wiring/plug that changed?

  4. Posted

    Ok...

     

    Car came back from the garage on thursday. I plugged the lambda back in before it went, and the timing was fine, and the CO pot measurement was fine.

     

    but its still doing the same thing.

     

    So I re-earthed the Lambda sensor to make sure it was earthing properly...no change.

     

    The only way I can describe it is its taking too long to move from closed loop when cruising to open loop when opening the throttle.

     

    Like you press the pedal down anf normally it takes off pretty much straight away, but with the lambda plugged in its flat...flat...flat...then picks up eventually. But if you've been giving it stick, come off the throttle quickly, and then back on it, its fine. (i.e. I'm guessing hasn't gone back into closed loop??)

     

    Also, doesn't seem to do it when its cold (i.e. does the car not go into closed loop mode until its warmed up??)

     

    I'm beginning to think the low MPG is a seperate issue now.

     

    Anyway it makes the car a pain in the arse to drive, and nowhere near as fun, so its unplugged again! :(

     

    Thinking maybe its a crap lambda too?

  7. Posted

    Hi All! This may go on a bit as its been a while, but here's the story...

     

    Some time ago I put a new decat pipe on the G60. When I did it I broke two of the wires on the lambda sensor as they'd gone very brittle with time. Blew the fuse on the fuel pump circuit etc...

     

    ...After some help from some of you guys, worked out what the problem was, unplugged the lambda sensor and it worked fine.

     

    I was expecting the MPG to go way way down with it unplugged but it didn't really change at all - stayed around high 20's. Did seem a little richer though

     

    Anyway, this was well before christmas.

     

    Also, engine mounts were worn out causing the manifold/downpipe to leak. Fixed engine mounts but left leaking exhaust as was

     

    Easter weekend suddenly the MPG dropped loads, stuggled to get it into the 20's. Also accompanied by big flames out of the exhaust, it used to pop a bit before but this was much more often, much louder etc. Plus it seemed much richer, smell of fuel/black smoke/soot etc

     

    I thought this must be a combo of no lambda sensor and a leaking exhaust, but why did it take 4+ months to happen?

     

    So I decided that it would be a good idea, as I had to fix the manifold/downpipe anyway, to buy a g-werks 4 branch :)

     

    When the time came to fit the 4 branch, it turned out half the studs were snapped, rounded bolts etc, and I didn't have time to do the work, so it went off to the garage to have the head off, new studs etc.

     

    When it came back, it still had very low MPG, popped occasionally but nowhere near like it had done. So I decided to get round to doing the lambda sensor. So I fitted a new one on the weekend.

     

    Anyway. on the way to work this morning the car felt pretty flat, with a more noticeable flat spot/hesitation low in the revs...pretty noticable in a G as its normally really good from low down.

     

    I'm sure it was running leaner, as the engine temp was running hotter and the 4 branch was getting much hotter than it has been so far without a lambda sensor. So the lambda is doing something. But it was still returning a crap MPG.

     

    Anyway, before I came home I unplugged it (just in case I was doing it damage more than anything) and it was back to how it was before - Running well but a fit fuely and still bad MPG.

     

    So at the minute I'm wondering...

     

    a) The timing would have been set with no lambda sensor (it also had a new cambelt about 2k before the manifold was fitted)...is it possible that having one is throwing the timing off? (Thats the kind of flatness it feels like) What timing should have it been set at? 6 Degress BTDC? Would it effect it at all?

     

    Could explain the crap MPG/running hot/flat spot?

     

    b) Is there something (i.e. in the ECU) that needs to be reset now its got a working lambda sensor? Like has it got used to not using one?

     

    I'm starting to feel a bit lost on this one now, it needs to go in to the garage for a new front wheel bearing during the week so I think I might ask them to set up the timing again with it plugged in?

     

    Please help if you can...she's looking sweet now she's got the RS's on for summer but I really want to get her running right....plus the petrol's killing me!

     

    Thanks in advance!

    Tom

  10. Posted

    The new bearings can be tapped in using appropriately sized sockets.

     

    Does that work? When I was doing the rears on mine I had a quick bash, didn't like the look of it and took them straight down the local garage to get them pressed in. I was a bit worried I was gonna damage something by hammering it in....do you need to 'tap' it pretty hard?? :)

  11. Posted

    I had this problem too, solved it by just pushing the bugger until it wedged in! Maybe you could get a hammer and some long thing and persuade the metal bar until the headunit fits?

     

    That was my techinque for my Pioneer....bit of wood + club hammer. Do be careful though! :)

  13. Posted

    i bought some freshly trimmed recaro's last week, knew i could not get recaro subframes. so got 2 corrado seat bases, and simply welded them onto the bottoms of the recaros :)

     

    i still have the usual corrado seat adjustment, plus i'm 6ft 2" and i still have enough head room, so all you short people will be fine.

     

    i was half way through doing this with 2 RS turbo Recaros for my golf, but then I sold it before i'd finished.

     

    They're sitting in the garage as I assumed that they'd sit too high for the rado

     

    They're on Scirocco subframes...do they sit at the same height as rado ones?

     

    Might have to finish them off!

    :)

  15. Posted

    balljoints at vw are £19.04 :-) in case you want to make a price comparison , i found they were similar at gsf ecp , i dont think the wishbones are that dear from the dealer

     

    Wishbones from VAG are about £40 a side plus VAT. I don't think they come with the bushes already in although I may be wrong! :)

  16. Posted

    It sounds very similar to mine....

     

    I think its the thermostat thats knackered, so it lets the coolant straight to the rad from cold....so the coolant takes ages to warm up and the needle hardly leaves the white bit

     

    Picked one up from VAG so I'll try and fit it when I get a minute and see if it makes a difference! :)

  17. Posted

    I'm sure Darren'll confirm it soon enough, but I asked the same question when I had my charger done and he said as its got loads of the solid type lube in it when its rebuilt it won't need any spraying for (i think) a year! :)

     

    Works well on sunroofs though! :)

  18. Posted

    Is the pump running on ok?

     

     

    Yeah It feels as good as it ever did before, if not better. The car itself is great, pulls like an absolute train and goes round corners fantasticly, its just all the annoying niggly things that I spend so long trying to fix! Like the exhaust has now developed a leak somewhere, but only when the exhaust warms up, and then it starts to idle roughly! and then there's the knocking...

     

    :)

     

    I'll whip it apart next weekend when I've got a minute and check all the hoses and that its seated properly.

  19. Posted

    I did it when I got mine, makes more of a whoosh noise and at a smaller amount of throttle. But then I played about with it and wondered if you adjusted it too much that it would stop the throttle butterfly from opening fully, as the return butterfly can only go so far.

     

    So I changed it back. Makes bugger all difference but makes more noise. TBH I wouldn't bother. :)

  20. Posted

    Its probably brake related, but it could also be the wheel bearings, mine had a knackered one when I bought it and made a nasty sound, more like a whirring though, but it did sometimes go away temproraily

     

    Otherwise, it could be the strut top mount, or the rear beam mounting bushes. Or your exhaust kncoking on the underside of the car/rear beam.

     

     

    I've just spent a shed load buying bits and peices to try and stop all the rattles, knocks and bangs on my C, but I don't think it'll ever be quiet and smooth! :cry:

  22. Posted

    Hi all, fitted a new fuel pump the other day. It seems to work absolutely perfectly, only the first time I start it for after a good few hours (first thing in morning or after work) It won't start first time, just turns over. If you prime it a few times it will start fine though.

     

    I spoke to a knowledgable mate who said that it might have air/air lock in the fuel lines/injector rail, which could cause it.

     

    He also said that there's a bleed valve like a house radiator on one end of the fuel rail, which I think I remember seeing.

     

    But how do I bleed it? I'm guessing the fuel pump needs to be running to do to get it to fill with fuel.

     

    Any help welcome!

    Cheers in advance,

    Tom

  24. Posted

    That said, I think all Corrados have a clunk or two from the front suspension, they're just old and clunky...

     

     

    I'm starting to think that too!

     

    Just been pricing up new suspension components to try and get it a bit tighter...wishbones, ball joints, wheel bearings etc. Thing is, the normal bushes are pretty cheap and would make it a not too expensive job. The powerflex bushes are a fair amount more and would make it quite a bitmore expensive job.

     

    Is it worth the extra money?

  25. Posted

    Sorry, I was a bit vague! I'll try and describe it better....

     

    ...with the weight off then wheel, you could grap the top cup in the engine bay and shake it, which made the whole strut move with it, and the hub too (mostly in the camber direction) It moved way more than they're supposed to, and made metal on metal noise.

     

    Jim, You already had the MK3 Mounts on you car tho as it's a late 16V - if all you have changed is the rubber dohnuts and bearings then it just proves the old ones were completly knackered if it's sitting higher...

     

    Agreed!

     

    Mine sits a tiny bit higher now its got the new ones fitted....

     

    ....but its because the old ones were totally fubared! One was bent, and when we took the other one off the strut the ball bearings all came out. When you looked at them in the car and compared them to the new ones theres a metal collar that sits inside the rubber 'donut', it just wasn't attached and went up and down on its own.

     

    Might take some pictures of them later...not good stuff, but still its fixed now.

     

    But it wasn't too hard a job, only tricky thing was trimming the drop spanner with an angle grinder so it would fit in the top cup! Took about 3 hours in all, with many cups of tea.

     

    But now they're really firm, and the only movement from side to side is from the rubber compressing. So happy days!

     

    Thanks very much for all your help guys, much appreciated! :)

     

    I'm tempted to replace all the ball joints, bearings and wishbones etc along with the bushes at some point, it feels much tighter than it did but not perfect! :)

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