mic_VR's VR - The Awakening!

[Sean_Jaymo 0]

Bugger!

[mic_VR 3]

Cheers guys, I know a lot of you have had the same pain... It's a corrado rite of passage!

[Sean_Jaymo 0]

I'm just glad you've already conceded to taking the dash out instead of messing about behind it! Good excuse to get some felt and cure that last rattle or 2, not that you had many!

[Hairyarse 10]

Is there any signs of a matrix about to go? Or does it just go without warning and in style?

[Sean_Jaymo 0]

They normally start with a pin hole and get worse and worse from there. The smell of coolant and steam on the inside of the windscreen when directed to the windscreen are the main clues. If it's displaying these symptoms, it's best to replace asap. The last thing you want in your life is the contents of the engine coolant system all over the passenger floor or even worse, all over your passenger! Especially at 90 plus degrees!

[Jim Bowen 1]

Is there any signs of a matrix about to go? Or does it just go without warning and in style?

 

Sometimes there will be a glitch in it and you may notice a sense of deja vu.

[stuarttaylor37 13]

Sometimes there will be a glitch in it and you may notice a sense of deja vu.

 

Brilliant!

[Hairyarse 10]

Ouch that doesn't sound nice! I'll keep an eye out for the tell-tales then. I don't think mine has been done but I'll be checking the file of receipts again I think!

 

Cheers for the info ;)

[Jim 1]

It'll either go gently or with a big bang depending on how lucky you are. Mine took the silent approach and the result was:

 

* Very occasional whiff of coolant

* Bits of foam from the flaps in the heater box disentegrating and being fired out in my face every time I put the heater on

* Coolant level had randomly dropped enough to flash the coolant warning light, one morning despite there being no obvious leaks in the engine bay

 

I'm crap with the spanners but it was definitely a do-able job - just takes bloody ages!

[Hairyarse 10]

No 2 doesn't sound very nice Jim!!

[mic_VR 3]

Mines doing the slow painful death treatment at the moment but I won't drive it again now until it's fixed to try and save the interior getting too wet.

 

If anyone hasn't had this replaced on their car and they're having the dash out I'd just get it changed as a precaution, or at least give it a good visual check to see if it's in good shape.

[Dox 22]

Mines doing the slow painful death treatment at the moment but I won't drive it again now until it's fixed to try and save the interior getting too wet.

 

 

You can bypass it with plumbers copper fittings, just wear a coat in the car

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Without any doubt I love these cars to bits, but they do seriously test you :bonk::bonk::bonk::bonk:

 

As do all VWs. They are definitely a case of: Same schit, different day.

 

I wonder if washing machine enthusiasts complain about motors and timing modules going on certain brands?

[Toad 0]

Start spraying the heater box studs on the inside of the engine bay with WD40 now. If they do start to spin in the plastic, they usually unwind. Good luck. X

[mic_VR 3]

Start spraying the heater box studs on the inside of the engine bay with WD40 now. If they do start to spin in the plastic, they usually unwind. Good luck. X

 

Thanks darling, I'll get the WD out later. When you say usually?.......

[Jim 1]

Basically the things that hold the heater box to the bulkhead are screwed into the heater box on one side, and then there's a nut with a captive washer on the engine bay side. Either they act nicely, and when you undo the nut on the engine bay side, it comes out. Or as is probably the case for most Corrado's with 20+ years of engine bay corrosion, that nut is welded onto the thread so as you turn it, it's actually unwinding it from the back of the heater box.

 

Does at least mean then you can put the thing in a vice and dremel the old nut off, and new ones are still available from VAG for not much money.

 

There's two fairly central which need spraying, and then one about 2/3 of the way across the dash about level with the top nut from the heater box which is connected to the ducting that runs between the heater motor, and the heater box.

[Dox 22]

Basically the things that hold the heater box to the bulkhead are screwed into the heater box on one side, and then there's a nut with a captive washer on the engine bay side. Either they act nicely, and when you undo the nut on the engine bay side, it comes out. Or as is probably the case for most Corrado's with 20+ years of engine bay corrosion, that nut is welded onto the thread so as you turn it, it's actually unwinding it from the back of the heater box.

 

Does at least mean then you can put the thing in a vice and dremel the old nut off, and new ones are still available from VAG for not much money.

 

There's two fairly central which need spraying, and then one about 2/3 of the way across the dash about level with the top nut from the heater box which is connected to the ducting that runs between the heater motor, and the heater box.

 

From memory the threads in the engine bay don't go all the way to the ends of the bolts? If so use mole grips on the unthreaded portions whilst you crack the nuts off.

[Jim 1]

From memory the threads in the engine bay don't go all the way to the ends of the bolts? If so use mole grips on the unthreaded portions whilst you crack the nuts off.

 

I did try that and mine would not budge for toffee :(

[mic_VR 3]

Right. I've managed to secure a day off on short notice so I'm going to get started on stripping this down today. Hopefully my new matrix will arrive tomorrow and I can build back up over the weekend.....

 

Wish me luck!

[Jim 1]

Good luck! Any questions just post up and will try and answer having only done this myself recently.

[davidwort 0]

As do all VWs. They are definitely a case of: Same schit, different day.

 

I wonder if washing machine enthusiasts complain about motors and timing modules going on certain brands?

 

I'm pretty sure they do, whenever I've tried to fix one there's plenty of DIY forums where the same crap parts are mentioned, but to be fair you can't expect much for a couple of hundred quid.

The thing that made me laugh the most was the 'superseded' parts, it was just like cars, damper designs changed, chassis mountings and fixings beefed up.

You don't get quite the same reward watching your clothes wash after you changed a door seal though that you get after fixing a headgasket and getting to drive a Corrado again :)

[davidwort 0]

I did try that and mine would not budge for toffee :(

 

I agree, I had one that was never coming undone.

My advice would be to cut the 10mm nuts off in the engine bay if any are suspect (and if you have a dremel), as they are easy and cheap to replace.

If you want to think 20 years into the future then give them a coat of hammerite when you put them back in :)

[mic_VR 3]

So quite the productive afternoon.

 

Start

Middle

End

 

And surprisingly the foam on the directional flaps seems in good order

 

So overall pretty successful. Could've gone further but without being able to complete the job (matrix not arrived yet) I thought I'd leave the rest until the weekend.

[g0ldf1ng3r 13]

good work Mic!!

[sexybourbon 0]

Nice work mic hope you get it sorted im really hoping mine lasts another couple of years at least till the cars back on the road and done lol