oneohtwo

Sorry yes, should explain! The cables should be fine, it's the usb plug on the laptop that needs adjusting. Assuming it is Windows 10 you need to open the Device Manager (easy enough to search for it in the search bar next to the windows button). Then you need to look for "Ports (COM & LPT)" in the long list. As an added complication it might be hidden so go to the menus at the top: View - Show Hidden Devices. Once Ports is visible click on the arrow next to it to see a list of USB ports "USB Serial Port (COM...)" and whichever one you have plugged your VCDS cable into should be visible. Right click on it and select Properties, then the "Port Settings" tab at the top, then click on Advanced. A settings box should pop up and there is an option for Latency Time (msec). Select a lower number for this. I put mine to 5 and it seemed to work with VCDS ok. I had a valve fitted recently, but don't know the size. It hasn't made any difference that I can tell so I am not sure I'd bother... the only thing it did do was leak fuel everywhere at the new joint!

I think it improved things, although I can't exactly remember. I definitely didn't break down again after but I don't think the engine ran brilliantly still. What you've described there sounds quite similar to the issue I had recently where it was idling really badly. Have you reset done the ECU reset? Mine seemed to just sort itself out after a while, which was a bit odd. Also not sure if you know but to get it to scan the ABS properly you need to drop the latency on your USB port.

This was the thread to the crank sensor issue if you're interested: M25 Breakdown - Engine Bay - The Corrado Forum (the-corrado.net) Funny how the memory works, we actually came to a complete stop and I turned the engine off but it wouldn't turn on and I had to push the car onto the hard shoulder.

I changed mine due to some odd running issues at the time. This was all before the engine rebuild. The engine had cut out on the M25 - it was a very hot day and the traffic had slowed due to an incident further up. From memory the revs suddenly started dying/hunting so I made it to the hard shoulder, but it wouldn't start again. I seem to remember having to avoid a fire engine barrelling down the hard shoulder as I limped over! The car did eventually start again after half an hour, so quite possibly was heat related rather than anything. But they were some rough running issues generally as well and someone on here suggested swapping the sensor out. It wasn't long after that though I rolled it into the garage and commenced the rebuild as I could hear the chains rattling, so I can't really say if it fixed anything. There should be a post on here about it somewhere. Maybe even in my thread. I got a Valeo one from Autodoc I think.

What's the pipe with the blue clip on? I don't recognise it. If you're looking for the crank sensor you're best off going from the underside of the car. As Dox says it is by the oil cooler, and just above the sump. I changed mine not too long ago and this was really the only access. There is a small socket head cap bolt that secures the sensor. Cam sensor is, I think, in the chain cover housing towards the rear.

Cheers! It's nice to get to a point where I don't really have to worry about the engine (well... maybe just a bit less than before!) I drove it up to Stealth on the hottest day of the year, right slap bang in the middle of the 40 degree-er and it ran OK. Water temps were definitely higher than normal, but generally seemed fine. Only 1 nervy moment when I stopped at some lights and turned the engine off as per normal, and it didn't start on the first attempt. And an odd moment coming off the motorway slipway when the revs briefly started dropping. But changing down stopped that. Certainly gives me confidence that it'll be fine in most conditions, and maybe if I ever wanted to take it abroad. Although with the lack of aircon maybe not... I think I was in worse condition than the car by the end! Yeah the cams were a nice little treat! You've got a Schrick though haven't you? That's the ultimate VR6 shiny toy to cause maximum envy!

Just got back from Stealth where the Corrado has had the ABS pump rebuilt (fortunately still under warranty with BBA), a quick service and a re-map. With the 263 cams it's now showing a quite healthy 215 hp@5810 and 201 ftlb@4194: Forgot to ask if that was high/low/in the middle of the expected range, but I'm pretty happy with the results. Nice to get a small increase in torque lower down the rev range as well. Hard to say, but I definitely thought it felt a bit more responsive on the way home. Surprised it was already just over 201 before the remap as well. Together with the recent work around the throttle area, replacing of the PCV, ISV and Dashpot it's running really nicely. Probably the best it ever has since I have owned it. Had to use one of the Thermtec gaskets on the throttle body when I refitted it, they are surprisingly thick. For reference: They do ones for the manifolds as well, but at that thickness I wonder if it throws out the alignment when putting all the parts back together? I only mention it because there don't seem to be many other options available at the moment.

Just got back from Stealth Racing, and chatting to Vince he suggested avoiding Shell V-Power for the time being as there's reports circulating it's quite low quality at the moment. They've found instances of cars running poorly when they've only been filled up with V-Power. I think he mentioned someone tested a sample recently and it was only around 92Ron. Potentially something to do with them pulling out of Russia and having to find alternative sources. Thought I'd pass the info on anyway.

VW now do the latest coolant ready mixed. Naturally it's an opportunity to charge far more, but it does at least avoid the demineralised/de-ionised/distilled water conundrum, and you can top up as necessary without having to use tap water!

Ah sorry I assumed you had aircon on your own car. I'd sort of got the same impression that the Diavia system wasn't a brilliant install as well, and can see from where the new airbox meets the fan it's ... not very neat! Maybe I will try to source a Passat airbox as I have read that is a fairly direct fit, and maybe the OE LHD compressor, drier etc...I figure it's in the same place on the engine so should fit. Either way the distance is a bit prohibitive for this one so will leave it.

I am interested in this as I've been keen on getting air con for a while, but unfortunately I am nowhere near Crewe. Which isn't much help, so not sure if this is a goer! My slight concern with air con is dumping extra heat into the engine bay. It already feels excessively hot under there (not the engine temps which are fine, it's the excess heat in the bay) and the aircon is going to be in use on hot days, so it's a triple effect of hot air temp hot bay and heat dumped from the cabin. Have you ever noticed any adverse effects?

Looks great! Nice to treat yourself now and then to a shiny part.

Will the clay bar get the white marks out? I think you're right on this, and I will go down this route. Might do some paint myself, I have attempted this before and the results weren't too bad. Will get the car looking smart again in the short term.

No problem. Wasn't much detective work involved... I can't remember how I stumbled upon it but think I was just googling "VW dashpot" and that popped up looking almost identical so I took a punt! Seems to have worked for me so hopefully it might help others out as well.

I think you've got the o-ring in the right place. I always thought it was an odd place to seal as it doesn't get really clamped by the bolts. What Rad have you got? If I recall you got one of the last available aftermarket brand ones? I had a GSF radiator at one point and it was a very poor seal... The plastic housing was slightly too big so the elbow wasn't a tight fit. When I replaced with a Hella version a couple of years ago the difference was instantly noticeable, so it could be the rad rather than the seal. In the end all I could do was smear gasket sealant around where the two faces met.

I have been looking for a replacement for the dashpot on the throttle body recently as mine is knackered, and I am sure no longer properly doing it's job and contributing to poor running. I imagine this is the case for a lot of people given how old they are, but unfortunately the VR6 version is NLA. However, by chance I stumbled upon a likely replacement from a Passat B3 and T4 that is still available: Dashpot for VW T4 (volkswagen-classic-parts.com) Part number is: 037 129 103 So I took a punt on it. It is not 100% identical, so not a direct fit, but the actual dashpot body appears to be identical to the Corrado version: Corrado on the left and Passat on the right. as you can see the central section i.e. the actual dashpot appears to be identical. Same shape, diameter and length. The differences as I can see are twofold: 1) The plastic cam at the tip is a different size and shape. It is slightly longer which is OK as you can just wind it back a bit to get the correct contact. The end also is narrower and not flat so the contact patch isn't quite as good, but it still seems to be fine. I didn't risk trying to swap the caps over, but someone might want to try this! 2) The thread is different. The thread pitch on the Corrado version is much finer, not sure what it is exactly, whilst the thread on the Passat is 1.25mm. This is where you will need to alter the bracket on the throttle body. This is fairly straightforward however, and all it requires is the old thread drilling out and Helicoil/V-coil inserts instead. It's about a 1.5hr job all in all. The inserts needed are: M8 x 1.25 x 1D (e.g. M8 x 1.25 x 1D V Coil - Fits Helicoil - Wire Thread Repair Inserts (QTY 10) 4022835072119 | eBay) The 1D refers to the length of the insert, i.e. 1x diameter. The bracket is quite thin so the regular inserts in the Helicoil kits will be too long, but you will need the rest of the kit with the right size drill bit and tap, plus the handy installation tools. Caveat emptor: Once you start this process there's no going back... Once the thread has been cut for the Helicoil insert the old dashpot is done and you can't put it back. Make sure you get this bit right. Once this is done though, hey presto: Brand new dashpot! I took a video of how the new compares to the old in terms of operation, but it hasn't uploaded. I will try and post that when I can but namely the spring back is almost instantaneous on the new so that it pretty well stays in contact with the roller constantly, where as the old was slow to respond. The damping is also stiffer. It has had an almost transformational effect on driving the car at slow speeds, making it a lot smoother, particularly in first and second When you come off the pedal there's no longer the sudden jerk of deceleration. Gear changes are also smoother. I say almost transformational, because whilst the stalling when coming to a stop seems to be fixed I did still get the odd occasion where the revs drop to almost stalling. I think this may be because I haven't reset the ECU so it hasn't got used to this, so I will do this and hopefully will all be good.

I've been doing likewise the last couple of weeks and I've stumbled on a possible replacement that might interest you as well. I'll do a separate thread as it's good info, but it uses a dashpot from a T4/B3 Passat: Dashpot for VW T4 (volkswagen-classic-parts.com)

Did you ever have any luck finding a replacement?

I found it to be ok - I used it to remove the sticky stuff from the black bump strips along the side of the car and the paint was fine after. I think as long as you wash it off pretty quickly it should be OK, but as ever - I'd try a small area first and see, always a risk it might do something odd.

Oof tough job, and one I have been putting off as well. I would suggest that, from my experience, white spirit isn't really up to the job of cleaning adhesives. I have tended to find that cellulose paint thinners do a pretty decent job at removing sticky gunk. Not found anything that does it better. Obviously it's not pleasant stuff so use in well ventilated area, wear gloves... etc... but it's always the nastiest stuff that works the best! Bit of a soak in that should dissolve it nicely to scrape off. Will still require a fair bit of work, but might be easier than the with the white spirit.

Oh you're absolutely right. Felt good to sort the throttle cable, felt so much better I am quite excited to drive it again. Recommend everyone doing this, it's such an easy 5 min job to fairly transform the car.

If anyone is still following this saga it may have resolved itself... All a bit odd. Will keep monitoring it. I did find the throttle cable was a bit slack, and I have always thought the pedal was a bit unresponsive, so I tightened that up. Surprisingly easy job, there's just a clip that holds the cable in place, don't even need any tools. That's improved things markedly and made low speed running a lot better, just picks up straight away now. So that could have been part of the issue. I also think the rest of the odd running at low speed is down to the dashpot being knackered. At low throttle it hardly offers any damping and is slow to react, so the throttle is just snapping shut.

Do you get any vibration if you turn the steering wheel to the right when stationary? That would rule out power steering issues I'd have thought, if you didn't.

One thing I have just noticed is that the RPMs on the measured blocks on VCDS don't match the tach in the instrument panel. I don't imagine the tach in the instrument panel is that accurate, but they were significantly different: VCDS Tach 800 ~600 (idle) 1160 ~1000 1600 ~1500 2080 ~2000 Then came off the throttle and idled again and had the following: 720/680 ~500 VCDS was constantly flicking between 720/680. Could this mean there is a faulty sensor somewhere so the ecu is not getting an accurate engine speed, or would this be a normal tolerance? It does converge as the revs increase, which is where everything is smoother but I have noticed it sometimes will be quite jerky at low speeds low revs in 2st or 2nd gear. The revs issue also only occurs on the initial cold start where the idle is higher. Once the idle has settled down to ~600 it seems to run fine. I pulled away straight away and was basically bouncing down the road!

Think you might be right about the garage! I think I will see if I can get one of those mobile dent repairers to do the dents form now, or maybe a repair shop, and then try to fix the scrapes myself. At least then the package will look presentable and can then get a good respray further down the line.