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It's that time again. I really haven't been driving our TDI much since getting a used Tesla Model S 85 and used Fiat 500e, but I still need to get the TDI smoked for registration. After a series of Murphy's law, I'm now trying to swap the RC2 ECM with my stock OEM ECM. Unfortunately, I'm...

I ran into a smog check issue two years ago. The smog check technician told me that all the monitors were not "ready" and that if I had a modified ECM program that the car would not pass. Luckily I had my original stock ECM sitting on my parts shelf (for 15 years). I reinstalled the stock...

I installed a pair of LED headlights in my wife's Fiat 500e. I just needed to cut a hole in the dust covers for the heatsink fans to stick out through. By rotating the LED housing, I was able to get more light output with less energy than the incandescent bulb. However, HIDs would be better...

I came back from a 1K miles road-trip (roundtrip) and measured 80-93 decibels from speeds between 35-85mph. It was deafening. It turns out my original rear wheel bearings were toast. Best $250 I spent. I thought all that droning noise was coming from my new tires.

I haven't tracked the TDI in a long time, but I've got a set of H&R Dunebuggy coilovers, Autotech 28mm adjustable RSB, GLI spindles, brakes, poly rear axle bushings, TT control arm bushings, and a Peloquin LSD. The coilovers have 180K on them and the rear shocks started leaking so I replaced...

My friend just replaced my rear hubs and bearings in his shop in about 40 minutes. He lifted the car and removed the wheels, calipers, rotors, hub cover plate and bolt, and disconnected the ABS harness. Then he whacked at the back of the hub with a mallet and used a puller to get the hub off...

I had a similar experience around the 220K miles mark. Shifts from 1-2 and 2-3 had to be down gingerly (as if the synchros were bad). I tried replacing the tranny fluid to AC Delco Synchromesh, adjusted the shifter linkage about 100 times, and finally took it to a mechanic at 280K miles. I...

Thanks for all your help. Firehawk618 was right, I had a bad connection and had to unplug and replug the connectors a few times. Sometimes the VCDS would show a bad manifold pressure reading, a bad coolant temp sensor, and one time a fault in the throttle position sensor. I literally when for...

I had the all the belts, rollers, and tensioners changed during my first timing belt change at 80K miles. At 125K miles, either the idler pulley bearing or the tensioner pulley bearing (can't remember which) seized and cause my serpentine belt to shred. My point is even a new pulley bearing...

Good to know. I've got a set of H&R Dunebuggy coilovers and would compensate the smushed strut mounts by raising coil perch. I have about 160K miles on both the coilovers and the mounts. I'll replace them with the higher density soon.

Thanks, I'll check each glow plug connection and ECT. I'll try more dielectric grease.

Well I got the original ECM to work, I think it was just a bad connection. However, now the Check Engine light is on with the car is "ON." The car starts up and everything appears fine, but running VCDS OBDII shows an issue with the glow plug, engine coolant temperature sensor signal, and EGR...

My friend suspects that a number of tuned ECMs/ECUs disable one or many of the readiness monitors, and that California is now testing through OBD2 to make sure the monitors are functioning properly. He's got a tuned Evo and is still able to pass (he's got his own shop with smog testing). I'll...

It's passed with the RC2 the 3 times since the diesel smog test exception was lifted in 2010. From what I'm seeing around the internet is that many tuned ECUs aren't passing this year's smog check in California from Hondas, Audis, BMWs, etc. I guess my next move might be to find another OEM...

I got frustrated with the locking mechanism so I temporarily removed them from the harness. I'll try comparing the pins and using some dielectric grease on them. The ECM sat in bubble wrapped and inside a bubble wrapped VW box for 12 years, corrosion is a possibility in my coastal town.

12 years ago I bought a used ECM and it sent it to Jeff at Rocketchips for a stage 2 flash. I swapped out my original ECM and place it on my parts shelf for 12 years. Fast forward to today and my 01 Golf TDI no longer passes California smog due to a failed OBDII test. I tried to remove the...

I also went with a Peloquin on my MK4. It was sitting on my parts shelf for 8 years and I wish I did it sooner. I was waiting for my clutch/flywheel to wear out and it took 14 years for the pressure plate fingers to break (the actual friction disc still had plenty of meat with 250K miles on...

I just failed my california smog test on my 01 Golf with RC tuning. I haven't had an issue in the past, but I'm having a lot of issues now. First, I tried to have it checked at my friend's shop. His smog computer wouldn't communicate at all with the VW, but his regular scanner had no problem...

I tried to get my 01 Golf TDI smogged at my friend's shop, but the smog computer would not communicate with my ECM. He used his non-smog machine scanning computer and everything was fine. He had me go to an associate's smog test only station and he had the same problem. I'll try one more...

I'm going to have to give his a try. I have 290K miles on my 01 TDI and have never done a Diesel Purge. I use to use a little Dieselkleen or Powerservice, but have gotten lazy over the last 5 years. However, I do make sure to rev up the engine and go heavy on the throttle at least once every...