Le sigh.
This week it was:
The seat heater grid in the passenger seat base. The grid wires came loose (stupid VW using adhesive that doesn't last more than 15 years), and rubbed enough that they arc'd and burned a couple small holes in the leather.
The mechanical fan clutch started seizing intermittently and making the car much louder (stuck on full). had to take the alternator out to get the fan out in order to change to clutch.
LR door speaker started to buzz. Took it out and found the foam ring split all around the speaker. Again - VW, can't you make a foam product last more than 15 years?
lastly, no fault of the car, decided to experiment with a different torsion / KW value. Was -2.0, and the car starts and runs fine, only getting grumpy in the cold. It had a slight miss for a couple seconds upon cold start which will clear and then the car will run fine for the rest of the day. If the car was plugged in overnight, car will start and run with no issues. again, only a slight lumpy idle for a few seconds after startup, then fine. This is also accompanied with a slight haze of grey smoke.
For reference, 560,000 km, original cam (checked 20k km ago, lobes are all fine), and good compression - engine has never been apart.
Changed the torsion from -2.0 to +0.5, and this mornings start was easier with less smoke and no lumpy idle (not plugged in local temperature right at 32 deg f / 0c
Makes sense since the cam is slightly more advanced. idles a tiny bit smoother now, but that might just be my imagination.
Going to leave it like that for the rest of the winter and see a more longer term result, including any change in fuel economy.
Oh, and I managed to score a pristine boost hose from the turbo to the crossover from a car at the local boneyard when I went to get a replacement seat. Counter guy gave it to me for free when I paid my $40 for the seat. [Bill Murray]So I got that goin' for me, which is nice[/Bill Murray]
This week it was:
The seat heater grid in the passenger seat base. The grid wires came loose (stupid VW using adhesive that doesn't last more than 15 years), and rubbed enough that they arc'd and burned a couple small holes in the leather.
The mechanical fan clutch started seizing intermittently and making the car much louder (stuck on full). had to take the alternator out to get the fan out in order to change to clutch.
LR door speaker started to buzz. Took it out and found the foam ring split all around the speaker. Again - VW, can't you make a foam product last more than 15 years?
lastly, no fault of the car, decided to experiment with a different torsion / KW value. Was -2.0, and the car starts and runs fine, only getting grumpy in the cold. It had a slight miss for a couple seconds upon cold start which will clear and then the car will run fine for the rest of the day. If the car was plugged in overnight, car will start and run with no issues. again, only a slight lumpy idle for a few seconds after startup, then fine. This is also accompanied with a slight haze of grey smoke.
For reference, 560,000 km, original cam (checked 20k km ago, lobes are all fine), and good compression - engine has never been apart.
Changed the torsion from -2.0 to +0.5, and this mornings start was easier with less smoke and no lumpy idle (not plugged in local temperature right at 32 deg f / 0c
Makes sense since the cam is slightly more advanced. idles a tiny bit smoother now, but that might just be my imagination.
Going to leave it like that for the rest of the winter and see a more longer term result, including any change in fuel economy.
Oh, and I managed to score a pristine boost hose from the turbo to the crossover from a car at the local boneyard when I went to get a replacement seat. Counter guy gave it to me for free when I paid my $40 for the seat. [Bill Murray]So I got that goin' for me, which is nice[/Bill Murray]