aclwalker

Does anyone know what stages the 50A strip fuse protects on the VR6 fan control module? I thought it was just stage 3, but I'm wondering if it's also for stage 2.

What could cause the 1st fan speed to be ignored and it go straight to 2nd speed? I've not tested it yet, but I'm pretty sure the wiring is fine as I've had this problem in the past yet the 1st speed always works when shorting the connector. But the fan just goes straight to 2nd speed, missing out the first, even though I'm sure the first speed runs on afterrun and other times. In the past, my 2nd speed never used to come on, even though it worked fine when I tested via shorting out the wiring. The third speed used to come on first. I suspected the sensor was faulty but testing via a multimeter and boiling water showed it was working. So I concluded that it was just sluggish coming on and the 3rd speed would trigger before the 2nd, so I fitted a lower temperature radiator sensor and the problem was largely resolved, with the 2nd speed coming on instead of the 3rd. But now it seems to be that the 1st speed isn't working, on a relatively new sensor. Is it possible that the temperature is too high for the 1st speed, but not high enough for the second speed yet? Should the fans always go 1st speed, 2nd speed and then 3rd speed (if really hot)? I'm reluctant to put yet another radiator switch in. Is it possible that the control unit isn't allowing the 1st speed to come on sometimes? I suspect my battery is being depleted while running because the 2nd speed fan comes on too much and I suspect it's missing out the 1st speed altogether. It's difficult to tell though as you can't really hear the 1st speed while driving anyway. These fans have got to be the most infuriating thing about this cooling system.

Hi all, Not been on a while, but yesterday my 1994 VR6 with 255k on the clock passed another MoT, with flying colours. I had had some ABS problems leading up to it, but cleaning of terminals, a bit of bleeding of the unit (with some air bubbles coming out) and some messing around with the relays and ECU seems to have solved it. I had one advisory about free play in the rear bearings, but this is pretty subjective. I guess I'll tighten it up a bit. I was particularly pleased with the emissions results. Normally the guy doesn't give me a copy, but I asked to see it this time out of curiosity. For the fast idle I got 0.03% CO (limit is 0.2%), 19ppm HC (limit is 200ppm) and lambda of 1.01 (range 0.97 - 1.03). For the natural idle I got 0.06% CO (limit is 0.3%). This same tester and machine failed my dad's Golf IV last year on emissions (stuck air flap thing was the cause), so I've no doubt the equipment is working. The guy said that my car easily passes the emissions every year, as he remembers it, since he doesn't see Corrados very often. My nearly 23 year old car has done 255,000 miles, on the original cat, as far as I can tell (I haven't replaced it in the 15 years I've had it) and it still passes emissions easily! I'm quite chuffed about this. :) Alan

I've never had to replace the ignition switch, or the headlight switch (both common failures, I believe). My key is very worn though! I keep meaning to get another one cut from the spare, which is still fairly sharp-edged.

I don't know, is the short answer! I've never replaced them since I have had it, but I guess they could have been done in the 170,000 miles before I came on the scene. I do sometimes get the 'marbles in a tin' noise, but it's not too bad and usually just an indication that it's time for the next gulp of oil. New chains is something that's been on my list to do for while, but then, I might as well do the clutch, and might as well... :)

Hi all, thanks for your kind comments. The story behind the car is this. I bought her in 2002, with about 170,000 on the clock. The previous owner had been doing some 40,000 miles a year driving between Liverpool and near Stirling. The bodywork was (and is still, sadly) a bit dented, but the price was good, it ran well and I really loved the full black leather interior. I also felt sorry for her a wee bit, I must say. In the nearly 14 years I have had her, I have used her as a daily driver for work. The longest she has been off the road was one Christmas for a few weeks because my recently replaced alternator shorted out, and I had great difficulty getting another one with a 7 rib pulley. Four more alternators later and me insisting that they get the supplier to open the box and count the ribs before posting it up, and I finally had it back on the road. So in 14 years I have done about 80,000 miles. I do pretty much all my own maintenance, which is difficult as I live in a Glasgow tenement and have to park on the street, so I plan the maintenance and do it at my parents' house. Some things, like alternators shorting out and fuel filters bursting, require an on-street repair but I try to avoid this as much as possible. I have done the following repairs over the years: The usual servicing - oil changes, filters etc. All routine brake work - pads, discs, etc. All the brake lines back to the ABS unit with copper replacements (including flaring the unions). Complete suspension overhaul, front and rear, including springs, shocks, ball joints. (I didn't do the bushes, as I got polyurethane ones fitted by a garage shortly after I bought the car, but vowed to do as much as possible myself afterwards because it was a botch job). Complete driveshaft overhauls - inner and outer CV joints, hubs etc. Tie-rod ends. Wheel bearings - front and rear (too many times at the front due to a distorted housing that was killing the bearing at that side prematurely). Heater matrix (twice!) - full dash out job. Cooling system overhaul (twice) - burst pipes at the oil cooler, burst crack pipe, mechanical water pump (twice), auxiliary water pump (twice), lower temperature radiator switch (the final solution to the second speed fan not coming on - third speed would come on before it, ie too late), radiator fan cowling replacement (fell apart due to idiotic previous repair by somebody). Headlights. Alternator and new starter (I broke the terminal off, trying to disconnect it). Battery (twice). Wiper mechanism (was all assembled wrongly by somebody before me - went Lupo conversion too at the same time). Rear brake caliper. Numerous camber settings and wheel alignment, using plumb lines and trigonometry. Various electrical repairs - broken sensor wires, interior light, radio. Air intake repairs (leaks). Engine mounts. Exhaust brackets, heatshields. (I got a stainless steel exhaust fitted about 10 years ago.) That's just the stuff I can remember. I have never touched the clutch, the gearbox or much of the engine other than mounts and spark plugs, etc. It is still on the same head and head gasket as when I got it. I'm not sure what has been done before me. It does burn a bit of oil; about 1 litre per 500 miles, but I believe that these engines could burn 1 litre per 1000km or 620 miles from new (it's in the manual), so I guess it's not that far off spec. I have to periodically (a few times a year) take out number 6 spark plug and clean off the black carbon, but I guess this is a common problem. It runs well. The most annoying thing is that the idle always hunts from cold for about 30 seconds to a minute, but is pretty smooth afterwards. I get none of the cutting out that's common since I adjusted the throttle angle with some help from VAG-COM. It was set far too low. I probably get a long-term 25 mpg, but I am often stuck in traffic on the way to and from work. Driving on empty motorways at the weekend I can easily get 28 mpg, or even into the 30s if I take it easy. I have learned a huge amount about cars in general, and the Corrado and VW in particular, over the last 14 years, and there's pretty much nothing I wouldn't tackle now. I get hugely frustrated with the poor service from garages, and in fact I believe you simply can't get a car like this fixed properly in a garage these days, as they don't know how to deal with rarity of parts, or the quirks and the intermittent faults you get. So I do it all myself, save a fortune, and get to spend some time with my dad, playing with tools and having endless cups of tea and sandwiches from my mum. I also fix their car too (MkIV Golf). I take it to the same place every year for an MoT (not even in the town where I live) because I know they don't rip me off, and they are always happy to see her and see what I've replaced since the last time. That reminds me... I've had welding done twice at MoT; once on a sill and once further forward at the jacking point. One MoT my car got stuck up the hoist, because the hoist mechanism seized up. I had to wait a day or two for them to get it fixed before I could get it back! The car is really a hobby for me, but there have been some VERY trying times indeed, where I have been close to just jacking it all in (I have been under the car in the pishing rain at 2am, finishing off work before). But when it's all back together, and running again, and I'm able to go home, on an empty motorway, in those lovely heated leather seats that fit my 6'4" frame perfectly, all is forgiven. It really is a fantastic car and, despite the "When are you getting a new car?" questions, I have no plans to change it. Sorry for the long, self-indulgent post. :)

My 1994 Corrado VR6 reached the 250,000 mile mark the other day. I now quote my mileage in fractions of a million! Attached is a nice picture of the happy moment.

Has anyone got a really good explanation of ODB1 fuel trims? I understand the basic concepts of what it's all about, but all the explanations I can find talk about a short term and long term fuel trim, with positive and negative numbers, whereas my VR6 (OBD1 I believe) fuel trims seem to be based around being above or below 1.000 and there are three values: idle, part throttle and full throttle. There also doesn't seem to be a short vs long term trim. Am I right in thinking an OBD1 fuel trim of, say, 1.055 is the equivalent of an OBD2 trim of +5.5%? And one of, say, 0.900 is the equivalent of -10%? I've checked out the Ross Tech information and videos and their explanations just don't seem to fit what I'm presented with, for the reasons above.

That's a fantastic find Science! The price actually isn't so bad either when you consider that it's for a pair and the VW plastic ones were about £15 each anyway. I was looking for something like for a while today. Well, I've temporarily joined it back on with some black silicone sealant stuff which is holding fairly well. I also lubricated the thread and it's working much easier now, but I made sure to hold the base while adjusting the knob. It'll hold for now until I can get a more permanent repair. Thanks for the replies.

Are headlight adjusters (535941297) available anywhere now? They are obsolete from the dealer and it looks like VW Heritage doesn't do them any more either. They don't even come up on the classic search there any more. I had a bump and broke one of my headlights (glass and the attachment brackets at the top), so I bought a replacement headlight on Ebay, but the adjuster crumbled as soon as I tried to turn it. I tried to take the adjuster off my old headlight (as it was OK) but the lugs broke off it too. I could see it happening so I pushed down as I turned it so as to limit the force on the lugs but they still broke off. The only thing I can think of at the moment is to araldite the less broken adjuster back on. I'm needing this fixed ASAP so don't have time to get another headlight. Besides the chances are that its adjuster will be shot too anyway. Is there any other magic solution to this? I can imagine making some sort of DIY adjuster with a large washer, nut and maybe a bolt. Any ideas? It's depressing how such small, seemingly trivial parts could be the death of an otherwise fine car.

Jim I think the GKN nut does have an insert; it's just that it's a metallic colour rather than obvious white plastic. The 6 point nuts are those oval shaped ones which pinch the bolt, so still locknuts.

I just did this recently. I didn't see any ring. Mine was like this: rear beam->brake guard->stub axle->washers and bolts. ie the brake guard goes between the beam and stub axle.

eugopnosaj, that's scary! I'm suspicious of your 6 point nut though. I think it should always be 12 point for the the VR6? I think others said that on your thread anyway...

That's me fixed everything. In the end I went for a new outer CV joint (GKN from GSF - about £75) rather than a possibly dodgy cheap driveshaft. It's the same part number as was fitted before (I still had the old box from the previous one). I've attached a photo of the old one...

Yeah, I replaced the hubs too. I think this CV must have been faulty. I did both sides and have had no problems with the driver's side. The passenger side has gone through 2 wheel bearings in a few years since. In fact it had killed a 3rd one there too, but now I have rather more to deal with in addition! Any views on these complete driveshaft replacements from the likes of J&R? http://www.jandrcvjoints.co.uk/vw-corrado-2-9vr6-driveshaft-new-near-side-92-96/