seanl82

Need a new alternator now! Car wouldn't start yesterday, as battery was flat. Charged it for about 20 hours and it struggled but eventually caught. Battery was new 2 weeks ago as originally thought that was the problem, but obviously alternator is on it's way out. Getting 13.4v on and off load, so there is charge getting there, but it's obviously insufficient current to ensure full charge is taking place. Will pop down to devondubshack to see if I can pick one up tomorrow, if not then the bay of E it is as I can't afford a new/refurb one at the mo.

I love pics like this. It shows how different Corrado's are to everything else.

I know, its weird how small they look in comparison to modern cars. Mines lowered but only slightly, and it just looks really narrow at the front. Seems so much bigger when up close and when driving it! So much character in comparison too! God they look so good!!!!

Stuck in some BG44k after brimming the tank today. Heard lots of good things about it, and will report back with findings in a week or so. Changed leads, dizzy, rotor arm, cleaned panel filter, and changed the thermostat today as well. Got the ramps booked for Wednesday afternoon so will get some photos, but only got oil and filter and plugs left to replace (can't to plugs as don't have a deep socket yet). Gonna drop the sump for pickup clean and pump inspection too. Got some waxoil too for any ropey bits on the underside, and obviously give everything else a good eyeball. Only pic I've got since is this phone pic with the bra fitted. Will update as and when.

You may be able to remove the base foam and swap them around. Saw a thread on golfgtiforum today actually where someone did exactly that in a mk3 gti. It looks a bit long winded, and removing the foam was a bit of a pain in the arse, but it may be able to be done.

I also found an original alarm/immobiliser that had previously been disconnected last week. Control unit was behind the glove box. Wiring went into ignition loom and controlled all the above (ignition/fuel/coil). If you drop the panels under the steering wheel, you should see where it's spliced in. My aftermarket one died just before Xmas, and I disconnected that to get it running. The cabling into the bay on mine had been snipped and taped up, but you should be able to see where it comes through the firewall just below the coil. I got a mixed bad of grommets from halfords for a couple of quid, and one of em fitted perfectly to seal that up. Hope this helps mate.

Auto glym bumper care is by far the best stuff I've used. About £6.99 from halfrauds iirc. Last a good few months before even beginning to fade, and you get no streaks when it rains either. Boiled linseed oil is supposed to also be very good, or you could restore it to almost original colour by using a heat gun on it. Removal would obviously be best if your worried about paintwork, but there Are plenty of guides on u tube.

Could be a damp/wet dizzy or coil if you had the bonnet up whilstit was belting down. Spray a load of wd40 around electrical parts and check inside the dizzy for wetness when the rain stops.

After all the above with windows etc not working, the car wouldn't start that evening. Had no spark, and what I though was fuel pump relay working, was actually ignition relay. Ordered a new ignition switch and fitted that just after Xmas, but still didnt work. Thought I must have seriously cocked something up when I changed the matrix! Disconnected the immobiliser to rule that out, even though I didn't think it could be, and she sprang to life! At least that's sorted now anyway! Had towait obviously before servicing as I couldn't get it down to the ramps, but hopefully next w.end as ECP delivered the wrong sump gasket so don't wanna do oil etc before I have that. When I first got the car too, the oil pressure alarm intermittently beeped. Turned out the sensors and wires were the wrong way round. Changed em and has been ok until yesterday, when it did it again very briefly. I've already changed one sensor, so ordered the other and luckily I had previously ordered the sump gasket so I could clean the pickup, and inspect the pump. That's about it for now. Will get some more photos when the weather clears up and I can give it a good detail. Will stick the bra on that I got the other week too.

Yeah I looked around about a year ago when the one in my golf went. Exactly the same battery and halfords was £95, and GSF was £45 but with a year less guarantee for some reason. Doesn't matter, I could have bought 2 at GSF for less!

I got a Bosch battery from gsf a couple of weeks ago for 45 notes! That was with a 4 year guarantee though if your picky!

Check the connections behind the clocks first. Speedo is mechanical drive, so that's why that is unaffected, but lighting, fuel and temp are controlled by the wiring. This could be an earth but I don't know which ones would cause this problem sorry! Rev counter looks pneumatic to me!? There is a thin(ish) tube a bit like the vacuum lines in the bay, that just pushes onto a connector at the back of the clocks. The end could have become disconnected or split over time. Worth checking as it's free and easy before panicking about earths or replacement clocks.

Later mk3 gti (8v & 16v post 94) as well as vr6 topmounts are all the same. Any one of those should be ok provided they fit the C. Spring are stiffer for the golf vr though to compensate for the weight. 8v and 16v gti were the same

I had they recalled metal and plastic bypass valves, these were faulty so did the copper pipe mod. Still I was getting very very slightly warm air, so flushed the matrix through. It didn't seem like it was blocked, as plenty of water was gushing out the other pipe. Still I was getting no hot air, so took the plunge and swapped out the matrix. I now get warm air, but I need to change the stat as well (doing it at the w.end with new coolant too). I cut the old matrix in half and it looked like a obese persons arteries! Clogged with dirty limescale and mildew and debris. Markings were 3/90 so was the original, so well worth doing IMO.

Probably just un-needed wires. Looms were generic so some will be for heated seats, adjustable seats aircon etc etc....... If they don't look like they've been plugged in previously, they're probably not needed mate

Thought I'd complete the thread invade someone stumbled upon it in a search.

As said above, was getting no spark, but on further investigation, I was getting no fuel either. The relay pinging was actually the ignition master relay. I swapped out fuel pump relay for a couple of new ones, and did the same for the coil. Picked up a new ignition switch this morning and fitted it with the help of the guide in the wiki section. To add to that at of now, switch is £26.89 incl VAT from VW, and the small brass retaining screw was not visible until I'd half demolished the old one. PITA to get the old one out, butnew one was a little easier. Just that screw that's the only difficult thing to do. Anyway, did that but still had nothing. Checked behind the fuseboard and all seemed ok. No damp, and connections seemed sound. Batteries on the multimeter died so didn't test voltages etc, but decided to remove my immobiliser for peace of mind. Didn't think it would be this, as it's only 4 years old, was professionally installed and all wires were soldered in and properly spliced. On removal though, she fired straight away. I can only conclude it got wet when I replaced the heater matrix. I thought originally it just cut power, but as the engine was turning over, I dismissed the immob as being the problem. Don't make the same mistake I did, it only takes 10 mins to remove so it's worth a shot before forking out for things that aren't necessary!

Ok, been through every thread now relating to non starting and coil pack issues. I've had to insure the crappy pug that was sorn to get up to the parents for Xmas too. I have no spark, and no voltage to coil, not sure if I'm getting fuel 100% although pump relay is pinging, and I can smell it around the bay, but cant hear pump working/priming. My radio has no power and elec windows are hit and miss, so will get a new ign switch, fuel pump relay, and ecu relay tomorrow from vw. Does it even have an ecu being an early kr? Will also get a hall sender as didn't get one with the other service items I picked up yesterday. To reiterate it started just! After fitting a new battery, and went to give it some gas it just cut out. Since then it's not starting at all. Anyone had these symptoms that have turned out to be anything else???

Ok I've replaced the coil with two other used ones, and still no spark. What else is there in the line that may cause this anyone???

---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:42 PM ----------

To add, I don't have 12v to coil either. Supposed to be going to Bristol tomorrow for Xmas with family, help please!

Hi again Gents, after getting a new battery yesterday, returned home all fine. I then fitted the new battery, went to start the car and it sort of spluttered into life. I went to give it some revs and it died. It then refused to start. Turning it over, I can smell fuel but I don't have a deep socket to remove the plug to make sure so not entirely 100%. I did stick an old plug into the lead though and grounded it out before turning the car over. This produced no spark. I managed to also lock myself out of the car yesterday with the engine running too :bonk: and had to pull the king lead from the coil to stop the engine before disconnecting the battery. At the time though I could see and hear the coil still arching away when the lead was pulled (hence the reason for disconnecting battery). This time though I don't hear anything when canking. Should I hear anything? And does it sound like a duff coil? Also is there anything else that would cause it to not spark when cranking etc. Thanks fellas!

Managed to bleed the cooling system after matrix replacement this morning. Battery died yesterday so spent 24 hours charging it but it worked at least. Now have nice and warm heaters (not hot though as still need a new stat). Whilst bleeding it, I managed to lock the key in with the engine still running! Only key as well - berk! Had to pull ht master lead to get it to cut out, then disconnect battery again to stop it sparking. Then had to pay £50 for a locksmith to take about 3 minutes to get in, and another £50 for a new battery! Really didn't need the extra expense now! On the way to get the new battery and service parts, noticed my stereo, windows and mirrors weren't working! Windows randomly started working again after pulling up though, mirrors/reverse lights needed a new fuse, but radio is still dead. Tbh, the cables to it had been cut and fannied about with about a million times previously, so probs something to do with that. Will have to investigate tomorrow along with the gazzilion other things I have to do! This car is already costing me a bloody fortune, and nothing has gone quite right so far! I suppose that's the beauty of owning an older car though, and despite all of this, I still love it!

Nice! Looks a very good example!

Glad to be of help mate, its probably a loose connection in the heated seat element causing it to click constantly...not the relay as people usually think

This is true. If the relay is clicking, it's working. It's when it sticks that they need replacing.

Looks great in the photos, but up close - not so much! It's solid underneath, but has a couple of very small rust bubbles around the bodywork that are on the verge of breaking through. That coupled with 21 years of swirl marks makes it look a little tired in the flesh. Rust bubbles will be sorted in the summer, but paintwork should come up ok with a good mop and polish. Have a rotary polisher in the shed, but precious few products and no cover to give it a going over. Will get to it in the next few weeks though hopefully. As said, a good service is required which I'm doing Thursday, and so long as the new matrix has cured the heating issue, should be spot on with exception of superficial things.

I know mate, both laptops have died in the last month so only have my phone atm, not sure how to upload pics on here and its a pain doing it via iPhone!

---------- Post added at 07:46 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:31 PM ----------

Ok think I've worked out photos via photobucket. Here are a few shots before, and just after purchase.

Cracked paint on the wing that needs replacing. I have another wing but I tried unsuccessfully to remove the front bumper as the bolts on the subframe wouldn't budge cos I couldn't get the leverage with it on axle stands. Have soaked em with plus gas and will soak em a couple more times then try it again when on the ramps on Thursday.

Old bypass valves out and copper pipe in

And finally I went the proper long way round today to get the matrix out! Realised the error of my ways just before the whole dash was out, but took me 6 hours in all! Really don't wanna have to do that again!

Hope these come out ok. Comments/suggestions welcome. :thumbleft:

Changed the heater matrix today as I had cold air. Replaced bypass valves a couple of days ago with copper pipe, but still only blew cold air. Can't bleed the system and check it though as I now have a dead battery! ChRging it up now and will try again in the morning, but knew it was on it's last legs anyway so a trip to GSF is in order tomorrow me thinks. Hopefully my service pRts from ECP should all be ready too so I can make a start on that Thursday after a swift stop at the stealer for oil, filter and coolant. Got air & pollen filters, plugs, leads, rotor arm, sump gasket, v and pas belt, thermostat and seal. Also ordered some bg44k fuel system cleaner from the bay of E, so hopefully all this will sort out my shockingly low economy!

Bottles are 1.5 litres, and 2 are recommended. Top up remaining with water. Capacity is around 6 litres so 50/50 split is spot on.