g0ldf1ng3r

100% true Jim also, with the way the rado's seem to mist up on the side windows too a hot air feed is essential in damp / cold weather im still a bit miffed that i got the matrix done in the valver well in time for winter but still cant drive it due to the unaligned & current unalignable lights :( if i can have a weekend off from working on my house this weekend i hope to start to dismantle the donor lights received from stuarttaylor & make a working set with those in the car currently

that's what i like to see, a bit of optimism :D

no danger Rob - that number will help :) thank you

it would be feasible to tackle the job out doors but obviously on a rain free day & wrap up in thermals in this weather. just need to be a bit more organised with keeping relevant parts all together

any chance you could link me up pls rob? i can save the URL for future as i will probably tackle under the carpet when i take the VR seats out for a refurb in the spring

indeed the underlay does - in fact when the VR had a leak due to an incorrectly fitted foliage scuttle cover i ended up completely removing the underlay from the backing card i have not yet found what to replace it with but a bypass would stop the water flowing through the matrix & thus stop the wet carpets

whoa that last picture puts the fear in me just looking at it lol

i would say so m8. i know some on here have done it with part of dash still in place but i honestly have no idea 1. how the hell they got the heater box into a position it could be worked on! 2. how they didn't mangle the Bowden cables as there is very little slack as it is 3. taking the matrix out of the heater box itself was a wriggle as was putting the new one back in without a garage it would be harder work & i found it much easier to lay everything out as each bit was removed & put all screws etc by the relevant parts. i am unsure if the cold setting actually does anything other than move the large heater box flap to close off the air which feeds around the matrix to be warmed up. i dont believe it actually stops the water flowing round the matrix itself & am unsure how it would do so as the matrix is a simple radiator really with a flow in & a flow out i think the only way of stopping water moving through the matrix would be to put a temporary bypass in place. this however would mean cutting existing feed / return hose & jubilee'ing a copper 90 degree elbow to reattach the 2. again if you check my build thread the valver had a bypass in place when i first brought it back oh & it is hugely worth the few £'s for a hose clip tool as getting the constant tension clips back on at the bulk head end would be made much more difficult without one PS the pictures do make it look much worse than it is lol if you PM me your email address i will send you the matrix removal guide to have a read through

i bet!! new pants required once home i guess lol

few options available ebay, as per a post by Wesley or a 2 relay one from rayne automotive - these ones have OEM connectors but only 2 relays (1 for dipped beam & 1 for main beam) - http://www.rayneautomotive.co.uk/31-corrado personally, i have always used & favoured one of Zak's (user ID on here KUR2Y) 3 relay looms. i have one on my VR, one on my valver & fitted one on the gf's storm whilst she had it. i favour them as tough they do not have OEM connectors the triple relay gives you redundancy due to having 1 relay for nearside dipped beam, 1 relay for offside dipped beam & 1 relay for both sides main beam. thus if a relay fails, which they do from time to time, you maintain 1 side of dipped beam rather than loose both sides. Zak has made a couple recently but not sure if any currently available - http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?41616-Uprated-Headlight-looms-for-2013/page83 1 final thing, make sure you get a spare relay or 2 for whichever loom you get & keep in the glove box for emergencies Oh & i also use Ring Xenon Ultima bulbs & they are superb!!

ouch glad you & the C are both ok & unhurt m8 i know what you mean about collecting nails & screws etc! both my VR & the gf's (when she had it) managed to pick up about 9 punctures of various forms in a very short space of time :( my VR's crimbo present is tyres too, replacement bridgestones getting fitted on the front today :D

thought it might be. i am almost certain it will be a relay issue - good luck

good advice Jim - only takes a few moments to remove that shelf :)

on my VR Jim it was the other way around - the failing sump oil pump was massively over pressurising! i still have the picture Vince sent me showing the test result was at 9 bar!!! IIRC it should be around 1.5-2 bar personally, if i was you m8, i would try to sit back & relax & forget about it as much as you can for the duration of the festivities. then hopefully look at it with refreshed eyes & brain next year i would also, as you say, not waste any more money or your time attempting to diagnose it yourself. forget about it for a few weeks & give it to Vince. even if they don't fix it he should be able to diagnose it far less painfully than yourself. it is funny when i think back as with all the issues & pain i experienced it should really have left a negative feeling towards Stealth but Vince made damn sure he gave me the result we both originally wanted & a little bit more (sending my inlet manifold to be re-polished due to a scratch appearing was very much welcomed) Vince, & the way Jon works with him, really do make Stealth fairly special place. his final result was an excellent piece of workmanship which has performed superbly ever since

hi Stu steam in cabin when heater set to hot certainly sounds like a matrix issue :( make sure you buy a Valeo branded replacement - i got mine off ebay & can find the link for you if req'd in terms of 'much of a job' - kinda depends on how you look at it. most people it puts the fear in them, i was not looking forward to talking the one on my valver for certain. however, with the help of a good guide with loads of pictures showing you all screw / fixing locations etc it really wasn't that bad i took my time & removed the dash etc on day 1, then put all back together day 2 lots of labels & envelops are a necessity! have a look on my build thread for when i changed the valvers http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?44751-g0ldf1ng3r-s-VR-amp-1-8-16V-headlight-woe-s/page18 PS take note of the heater box flap liner part. if i was to do again i would definitely put the time into making sure that was renewed somehow

i had that issue when my head work was done at stealth - vince carried out some pressure testing & it was way way out. it was another ailing part that caused issues due to the weak link moving along the chain of parts not renewed new sump & sump oil pump sorted it out

Kev that is a true classic! i spat my tea out i laughed that hard when i read it! lol PS ooo that SP site has far too many nice shiny parts :D

Veedubbed & sean82l - thank you for your posts & advice, i will most certainly heed it all :) i am hoping the Bentley manual will show me an exploded diagram of how the parts assemble to make a headlight unit & crossing fingers i might get away with a quick fix oh dear have i shot myself in the foot with that last sentence lol

not yet Neale - the current broken adjuster lights are still in the valver I am hoping to begin on them this weekend after getting as much advice as I can on here first i haven't got a plan as such yet as i want to inspect the donor's first. if the reflectors & glass are ok in the donors, which i believe they are thanks to stuart, i may be able to get away with just swapping the outer black plastic with the securing tabs off my current ones. rather than take them all fully apart as one of my current lenses has a crack....which funnily enough was something i had put there when i first owned the car & was still there when i brought it back lol

nice :)

oh dear Jim, really sorry to hear your woe's continue all credit to you for persistently trying, the tenacity you have shown is very strong. unfortunately, as with most complex things, sometimes it is best left to the professionals as they know the tricks learnt from painful experiences even then it can be a difficult process, as I know personally too well, BUT your VR will reward you with big grins, a tingly driving sensation & make you look back at it every single time you walk away from it :D

I had the condensation issue too before my head work & before I got my longlife SS exhaust - it was the old CAT holding moisture. IIRC if you rub the smoke between your fingers you can feel if it is oily or not how much oil are you using? the VR really should use much at all. I know mine normally uses maybe between a 1/4 to 1/2 a litre over 10,000 miles. IE only requires a very small top up on a couple of occasions between oil changes. as you mention in your last sentence it is very difficult to pinpoint a suspect, if any, without taking it all apart. has your had the chains & top & bottom tensioners done? if not you could have the head inspected whilst the rocker cover etc is off I wonder if a compression test would help point you in the right direction. IE would it show lower compression on a chamber if say the piston or its rings or the chamber itself were worn? I would imagine so. that potentially could help you identify if it is top end of bottom end either way, & whatever you do, I would advise trying to allow for at least double whatever the intended budget may be to allow for the replacement of other ailing parts which become weak links

ok if it has 2 relays then normally you would find one relay will control the dipped beam & one for main beam (both sides in each instance). it sounds like it could be a ryan automotive loom. I have a KUR2Y made loom on both my rado's as they have 3 relays, one for each side of dipped beam & then one for both sides main beam - thus if one fails it doesn't leave you without lights did you install it yourself & if so did you disconnect the dim-dip resistor? the yellow connector by the passenger headlight behind the battery if not then try that first as I have a lingering memory of someone saying that has to be disconnected (2 ends pulled apart & taped up) to allow sidelights to function along with dipped & main beams thus if not disconnected it kind of makes sense you could only get sidelights & not the other 2 beams you could also try giving the current relays a tap with a very light hammer or similar as it is heard of for a relay to get 'stuck'

potential OUCH!

hello reverend the first of your questions is very tough to answer but from personal experience it can turn out costly. at a guess maybe around the £1k to £1.5k depending on what is exactly done (but be prepared for much more! my budget went right out the window & into the ether lol) I would check out your cars history for the rebuild info as if it has already had a top end rebuild they should have replaced the valve stem seals - which can cause your blue smoke do you get any blue smoke on the first start of the day after leaving over night? reason I ask is that is a classic sign of valve stem seals on their way out - as the oil seeps past them over night & into the combustion chambers, thus resulting in a blue smoking on first start up that can then go away whilst it is running. I had a top end rebuild along with some subtle mods a while ago, take a look at my build thread for an idea of what I replaced & what ailing components then also needed replacing due to them being weak links in the chain http://the-corrado.net/showthread.php?44751-g0ldf1ng3r-s-VR-amp-1-8-16V-headlight-woe-s/page2 as for the 2nd question - I wouldn't imagine it would do much if any harm to drive as it is. it may have a long term detrimental effect on the CAT but like you say just make sure you keep the oil topped up & it should be ok by all means ask any questions you may have :) hope that helps