What did you do to your MKIV today?

Ordered up parts to repair my funky driver's seat airbag harness, which has been throwing a code for a couple of years. Found the info over at the 'tex, I believe. Or here. I forget.

Driver's side side-airbag wire harness (DB34B2), 3B0-971-582F, $41
German engineered tie wrap, N-020-902-2, $0.72
Tie wraps with plugs that attach to underside of seat, N-906-661-01, $1.39 x 2
Wiring conduit for wiring around seat back pivot (redesigned), 1J0-971-446-B, $1.54

Towed it home... after driving it 70 miles from home.

Drove it 70 miles away for a kids Sports event and the turbo blew.
So yea borrowed a truck rented a dolly and pulled it home.
That's what I did with "Walter" the MK IV TDI Jetta. Today.
I was on the throttle crossing the intersection into the venue parking lot (luckily) and the power died out with a cough. A quick check in the rear view noted the huge cloud of white smoke. NUTS!

Actually this was yesterday but just now sharing...
2005 5m Wagon
I drove it to work! Wow sounds... lame???
This has been a journey! Bought it over a year ago, motor seized. I had it sit in my garage until I finally admitted I needed help with the engine swap. I had a friend swap it with another engine, took about 18 hours in total. A few snags and had to order a few late parts. But the engine was in, took a few things tinkering with to get her to run well. A few maintenance issues etc. A few short journeys, then I drove her to work! My work is 55 miles each way so it was not a short journey. Took it again today. Only problem is the interior is needing work but also the turbo is not boosting so tracing those demons.

Solved my overboost finally. Installed and adjusted a new actuator - overboost is gone!!!
PITA to do on the car without a lift, it'd be awkward even with a lift, but it is quite manageable

Oil drain plug was leaking ever so slightly, so did a full oil/filter change and threw a copper crush washer in there for this time. I'll get a magnetic plug ordered here in the near future.

Ran out of time before work or I would've finally thrown the summer rubber on....there's always tomorrow though.

The rebuild for my wife is finally almost back together. It’s been a bit of a project to get the motor in for some reason, ip was all of a sudden bad, now I’m chasing a antifreeze leak in the front (I think it’s the thermostat flange).

Found the water leak causing 1" water on left side front and rear. Front sunroof drain seeping. Need to pull headliner. sigh. Duct tape to the rescue.

You can replace the turbo actuator in 10 minutes without a lift. Just remove the intercooler hose that goes to the ASV and reach down to remove the actuator. I have done it many times.

Yeah.....only took 9 minutes and 43 seconds for me, thanks for the tip - still a PITA.

Judson said:

Ordered up parts to repair my funky driver's seat airbag harness, which has been throwing a code for a couple of years. Found the info over at the 'tex, I believe. Or here. I forget.

Driver's side side-airbag wire harness (DB34B2), 3B0-971-582F, $41
German engineered tie wrap, N-020-902-2, $0.72
Tie wraps with plugs that attach to underside of seat, N-906-661-01, $1.39 x 2
Wiring conduit for wiring around seat back pivot (redesigned), 1J0-971-446-B, $1.54

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What code were you getting, and how did you know it was the harness?

I swapped some seats in the daughter's wagon a while back and all was fine until recently when it popped up a code (I'm in the process of finding out what code it was). I'm pretty certain that my wire splices were good (I am pretty meticulous when it comes to electrical stuff).

Installed solid shifter bracket bushings from 42 Draft Designs. I already had the DG First Gear Getter and Sigma 5 and have it adjusted correctly but something still felt off. Did some research and looked at the bushings on the bracket and and they were pretty well worn out. The solid bushings have cleaned up the shifting nicely

My driver’s airbag code is 01217 - Side Airbag Igniter, Driver Side (N199), 32-10 - Resistance Too High - Intermittent.

I put dielectric grease on the connection and double-checked it but the code keeps coming back.

Finally got around to changing the rear wiper on my Golf. The local parts stores wanted to sell me a 13 inch wiper, but I managed to find a 15 inch that locks in place and has just enough clearance. Auto Zone DL15, the cheapest one I could find since I was experimenting.

Did a turbo swap on my jetta because the actuator was shot and the bolt were so rusty and broke off. I also replace the turn signal switch and replaced 2 tires.

Lost a Porsche on an entrance ramp and got a thumbs up from the driver when he passed me when we were on the highway.

Judson said:

My driver’s airbag code is 01217 - Side Airbag Igniter, Driver Side (N199), 32-10 - Resistance Too High - Intermittent.

I put dielectric grease on the connection and double-checked it but the code keeps coming back.

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Dielectric grease is an insulator. Why would you put it on a connection that you were already getting a high resistance fault on? Clean off that crap and get some Deoxit or some other contact cleaner.

1854sailor said:

Dielectric grease is an insulator.

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Really? Seems at odds with this:

http://www.w8ji.com/dielectric_grease_vs_conductive_grease.htm

From the article above: "... low viscosity silicone dielectric grease will NOT insulate pressure connections. Silicone dielectric grease will prolong connection life as well as, and have just as good conduction performance, as a properly selected metallic powder grease (conductive grease). On the other hand, and improperly selected "conductive" grease can actually cause connection problems."

The only time I've seen an exception to this is when a dielectric grease is applied to a weak interconnection (in which case the true fix is to replace the weak contacts).

[edit:] After reading the three comments following mine, I realized that what I said here was an incomplete thought. Dielectric grease is an insulator, and that's the whole point. Powder_Hound put it quite well:

Powder Hound said:

The main use is to have something there so that when the contacts push together, they push the grease out of the way of the contact point, but remain in contact all around it to keep oxygen away from the contact metal thus keeping the contact points from oxidizing, which is what corrodes and degrades a contact.

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Getting to what I did to my MkIV, it got its summer wheels and tires installed (Spring has only recently sprung here in northern Idaho) and some fresh oil. In this process I saw that new pads and rotors all around are in my immediate future.

I think he's right. A friend of mind recommends it, but I need to check with him as to why - used in a exposed connection, it could help prevent corrosion, but in my application, 1854sailor is right, I shouldn't have used it. Learned something new!

However, it has made no difference: I had the issue before and after, for a long time, with it going away for a while, then coming back when I slide my seat all the way back, stretching the harness.

The right thing to do is to replace the harness, which is what I'll be doing.

Yea he's right.
I still have a tube I bought in the 70s labelled "Silicone Dielectric Compound". It was sold "to provide a high voltage seal of secondary ignition wire" (aka coil, spark plugs).
That's not to say they don't sell other silicone products for other purposes.
There is extensive conversation on these forums about the healing powers of silicon grease, I contend many results are achieved from the simple act of cleaning up and "sharpening" the contacts.

Silicone greases are silicone oil with enough fumed silica mixed in to make it gel. Thus, there is nothing there to conduct electricity. The dielectric in the name means it doesn't conduct.

The main use is to have something there so that when the contacts push together, they push the grease out of the way of the contact point, but remain in contact all around it to keep oxygen away from the contact metal thus keeping the contact points from oxidizing, which is what corrodes and degrades a contact.

For a grease to be conductive, further additives must be mixed in to get the desired results. For a lot of contact applications, a conductive grease may be a disaster for various reasons such as galvanic corrosion of dissimilar metals which would be exacerbated by the conducting grease. Other contact points in close proximity could be a shorting problem waiting for the grease to spread just that much...

Cheers,

PH

Replaced the intake manifold and negative battery cable on the blue car. Cold starts and idles like a champ now! Well, maybe still not quite as good as the white Golf but I can now mark that off the "to-do" list.

P.S. - I have only seen a hand-full of clogged intakes before but this one was especially bad. I may try to get a picture before I ship it back for a core.

I replaced my passenger seat with a power seat, but I don't have the power connection on the harness under the seat. I am pretty sure is is the red connector, because the green, and two yellow ones are on the old seat (Seat heater, seat belt connect detect, and airbag). This picture is of the driver's seat, which adds memory buttons and the tan connector at the bottom of this picture. But how do I power this seat?? Connectors 1 and 3 are wide, and 2 is narrow. Which one is 12V and which one is ground, and why are there three connectors??

LabeledPowerConnectors by gs1100ghoot, on Flickr

power seat wiring -8way

I connected it with a battery and found out that lead 1 is ground (-), lead 3 is 12V (+). All four motors adjust as designed. Cool.

I will assume that the memory won't work without a module to connect to. I wonder if it is possible to wire a memory module right there under the seat? The module can be powered and mounted somehow. Just need to know which module and wiring details.

Tore apart both front doors and re & re'd the windows after having had both fall into the doors at separate times over the last month - 1 day frozen (understandable), 1 day was the 1st hot day of the year so far.

New motor/tranny and dogbone mounts (did the Dogbone mod before installing). Car is markedly better feeling!

8way Leather seats

...bolted right in! As mentioned a couple of posts back, I figured out the power connection. Fused with 15A as OEM. What a great upgrade!!

dubStrom said:

...bolted right in! As mentioned a couple of posts back, I figured out the power connection. Fused with 15A as OEM. What a great upgrade!!

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Nice job!!

What a great upgrade!!

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Except now you might spend the next year replacing the door cards, carpet, arm rest and every piece of lower plastic trim with black. (Been there, done that) Then there's the memory wiring, memory mirrors, etc...

gmenounos said:

Except now you might spend the next year replacing the door cards, carpet, arm rest and every piece of lower plastic trim with black. (Been there, done that) Then there's the memory wiring, memory mirrors, etc...

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I would leave it as is as the seats match (close) the top of the dash and steering column.

I took a topside oil sample using my large oil extractor and a catch can that I rigged up so the sample would stay clean in container rather than go into the dirty extractor.

Last week I finally did the ventectomy after having the car for a whole year. Oh man... So much better. Silly easy, too.

I also jacked up the rear end and spend the rear wheels to make sure my parking brake wasn't sticking at all. They spun for a few a little bit so I'm pretty sure they're okay.

I also managed 41mpg, FINALLY back into 40's with a light for and highway miles...I need a different tune to do better i think.

Finally, I made it past 81k miles this past month.