I'll be there! I'll be making the trip up with Robert T. (Don't know his name on the forum). I'll bring both my broken TDIs if I can trick him into driving one for me.
I'll be bringing chicken, eggs, and sausages from my free range poultry farm. I hope to donate some for meal time and the rest will be gifts/barter for any who takes the trouble to tinker with my car(s). Payment in real people money is also an option.
Here's the run-down. If you're interested in helping, send me a pm. If you'd like to barter, you can check out our products at
www.fili-westfarms.com. Here it goes. Brace yourselves...
2003 Golf GL TDI (Automatic):
1) AC BROKEN. Stopped working abruptly. Worked great until a couple weeks ago. Haven't done any troubleshooting yet. Too busy on the farm.
2) VENTECTOMY NEEDED.
3) TURBO TROUBLES. Loss of power/mpgs. Previous owner took it to a VW dealership where the mechanic said the turbo was failing and would need replaced within a year or so. Hoping the turbo can be fixed rather than replaced.
4) OIL CHANGE. I still need to learn how to do this myself and buy whatever tools are needed. I'm quite a noob, as you can see. I have oil, but no filter.
5) FOLD DOWN REAR SEAT BROKEN. The larger of the 2 rear seats has a broken hinge or something preventing it from folding up and down properly.
6) ARMREST WANTED. I'd like to put an armrest in this thing if anyone has one that will match the grey interior.
7) DASH LIGHTS. They sometimes don't come on when I turn on the headlights. I then turn off the lights and turn them back on to solve the problem. This usually works, but I'd like to fix whatever the root problem is.
2000 Golf TDI GLS (Manual):
1) FUEL LEAK!!! This has been an ongoing battle. The guys at Import Service Center in Summerville (TDI Club Approved) said I have a leaking fuel tank. Robert T. and I replaced the tank with a used one in good condition and the problem is even worse than before. There is a LOT of fuel coating the underside of my car. I'd like to know where it's leaking (Is my luck truly bad enough to have TWO leaking fuel tanks???) and find out how to fix the problem.
2) FANS INOP. Both fans are inop. They spin if power is run directly to them. Replaced the fan control box (Can't remember what it's actually called). Hoping that fixing the fans will give me working AC and keep my car from overheating.
3) TIE ROD ASSEMBLIES. Both need replaced. They are rusted on pretty good. Parts are in hand.
4) CLUTCH. May need replaced. Needs diagnosed. No parts bought yet.
5) FUEL TANK STRAPS. Need new/used fuel tank straps. Mine are rusted terribly.
6) BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHT ON. Front brakes need bled. The guys at ISC told me this will likely fix it since I bled the rear brake lines without bleeding the front ones.
7) FUEL INJECTION PUMP LEAKING!!!..cough...jimbote...cough! lol. Would like to patch/repair rather than replace.
I think this pretty well covers things. Marathon post comleted! Thanks to all brave souls who read the whole thing.
Nathan