What did you do to your MKIV today?

[norbert77]

I was just about to pull the trigger on the Atoto. This gives me pause.

So what's a good replacement?

I think people might worry too much about the Chinese programs, they already have Chinese phones, Chinese televisions, Chinese Bluetooth and wifi routers and laptops

 

[Zak99b5]

So what's a good replacement?

I think people might worry too much about the Chinese programs, they already have Chinese phones, Chinese televisions, Chinese Bluetooth and wifi routers and laptops

True.

I'm not sure of a replacement, other than spending twice as much or more for something like a Pioneer unit.

 

[Sting]

I just use my radio for Bluetooth. I just have an old school single-DIN Kenwood. Does what I need it to do. and I have a decent mount for my phone when I need GPS. I think this whole screen thing in cars has gotten ridiculous. Yeah, I'm the not-so-old guy yelling at the cloud...

 

[Jonathan W]

I just use my radio for Bluetooth. I just have an old school single-DIN Kenwood. Does what I need it to do. and I have a decent mount for my phone when I need GPS. I think this whole screen thing in cars has gotten ridiculous. Yeah, I'm the not-so-old guy yelling at the cloud...

Absolutely agree. In my part of the world you get fined if you are caught looking at your smart phone while operating your vehicle. Yet many newer vehicles have a center console mounted screen...which forces your eyes away from the road if you must look at the info it displays.

 

[Sting]

I do like how Volvo implemented Google maps into the Middle of the cluster on the XC40. Smart! But I'm not a fan of the big screens in general, especially when they are controlling not just the radio, but HVAC, etc. A buddy of mine just put his Dodge Ram into the ditch, and now his screen doesn't work which also controls the HVAC. STUPID. And those units aren't cheap to replace. I've heard they run in the $1500-2000 range. HVAC should be separate controls from the screen.

 

[ekincaid]

So what's a good replacement?

I think people might worry too much about the Chinese programs, they already have Chinese phones, Chinese televisions, Chinese Bluetooth and wifi routers and laptops

I installed an Atoto A6PF close to 2 years ago. Works great! I have no regrets.

 

[Nuje]

Yeah - i think TVs, streaming boxes, phones, etc. that are always-on and always connected to the internet would be a much bigger / better malware bot target.

I, similarly, have used a number of the cheap Chinese Android head units and the only time it could conceivably be a bot would be when my phone is connected to it for CarPlay use. And you'd probably see significant cellular data usage (hundreds of MB+) and serious battery drop if it was being used as such.

 

[joe00golf]

Tried to swap over the handle and lock cylinder today to my new rear hatch. Took me all day just to get the retainer clip for the lock cylinder off. I broke the small piece that holds the spring and cut a wire but I finally got it out. I should be able to make it work when I get it in to the new hatch.

 

[wonneber]

Absolutely agree. In my part of the world you get fined if you are caught looking at your smart phone while operating your vehicle. Yet many newer vehicles have a center console mounted screen...which forces your eyes away from the road if you must look at the info it displays.

I like the way the GPS is displayed in my 2024 Atlas, on the windshield in front of me with the distance and direction to turn and the center of the dash and the map in the center radio screen.
Naturally everything is voice controlled and prompted.

 

[SilverGhost]

I do like how Volvo implemented Google maps into the Middle of the cluster on the XC40. Smart! But I'm not a fan of the big screens in general, especially when they are controlling not just the radio, but HVAC, etc. A buddy of mine just put his Dodge Ram into the ditch, and now his screen doesn't work which also controls the HVAC. STUPID. And those units aren't cheap to replace. I've heard they run in the $1500-2000 range. HVAC should be separate controls from the screen.

Well, at least the newer VW with the "tablet" screen are just a screen. The brains that cost $$$ is tucked away with other computers behind the dash. Its not like some cars (and older VW radios) where the screen is the radio/brains.

My wife's Tiguan has the maps in the cluster. Before you knock the factory nav we have made use several times (where friends live) when there was no cell service.

And the newer ones are doing better at voice control though they have tried a couple different routes recently - from training the car to recognize your voice better, to making enhanced voice recognition via CarNet, to latest AI assistant.

But my wife is a "plug in the phone and drive" type. She hates anything you have to fiddle with to make it work.

Jason

 

[northern diesel]

Did some work on the front end
https://flic.kr/p/2qRGdH5 Just shaving weight to make the car a little lighter
The welded nut side of the front bolt that holds my lower control arm in broke free.
That kind of set the tone for the day- but I also was putting together my new suspension set up - Beef on a budget basically with the strut spacer in to add a little more clearance.
https://flic.kr/p/2qREfug When it came time for the strut mount to go on even with the springs compressed I’m not too sure I’ll be able to get any threads for the engine bay side to secure them.
does anyone know if you need to shave some off of these ?
https://flic.kr/p/2qRFgJb I feel like right at the reduction in outer diameter that if that small lip was gone - it would be a perfect fit - but thought I’d better ask the community

 

[csstevej]

I did the same thing using beef on a budget springs and I made a 2” lift for my car.
You really need to compress the springs down further, then put the upper plate , bearing , rubber donut and the nut for the strut assy. Everything should rest on the shoulder of the shaft without the spring touching the plate when assembling….. the spring really needs to be compressed.
I’ve done 5 of our TDI’s with 2” lift kits I’ve made.all done the same way.
No shaving of anything is needed.

 

[northern diesel]

thanks !
I’ll see about compressing them even more.
Just to see if I understood what you’re saying , the whole top with the strut mount shouldn’t pass the height of the start of the threads ?

I did the same thing using beef on a budget springs and I made a 2” lift for my car.
You really need to compress the springs down further, then put the upper plate , bearing , rubber donut and the nut for the strut assy. Everything should rest on the shoulder of the shaft without the spring touching the plate when assembling….. the spring really needs to be compressed.
I’ve done 5 of our TDI’s with 2” lift kits I’ve made.all done the same way.
No shaving of anything is needed.

 

[csstevej]

Sent you a PM

 

[csstevej]

Do you remember what it looked like before you disassembled the strut?

 

[Nuje]

Just to see if I understood what you’re saying , the whole top with the strut mount shouldn’t pass the height of the start of the threads ?

Correct. There should be no spring pressure on that top plate when torquing the beveled nut to 60Nm.

One of these has been sitting in my Amazon cart for over a month now....

Even though I have some pretty good "saucer" spring compressors like this. That floor setup just looks so much easier.

 

[SilverGhost]

VW OEM tool looks like the "saucer" spring compressor. Always compress spring so mount and bearing get installed with no contact between spring and top plate. I have actually made this mistake and the upper plate was not seated on the shoulder on the strut.

Jason

 

[northern diesel]

Ok thanks so much !

 

[norbert77]

Three days with nothing being done? Is this a VW record?

 

[Sting]

Ugh... See my Mystery Breakdown post. Now that she's home, I can start working through stuff in the NSC thread.

 

[dieseldonato]

Three days with nothing being done? Is this a VW record?

Haven't done anything to the car since burpods last tune update.
Which I'm thankful for. Having plenty of other stuff going on right now, and not worrying about the car is a welcome relief from everything else.

 

[Jonathan W]

Three days with nothing being done? Is this a VW record?

Back in January I picked up a 2004 Jetta Sport. As I understand it, there weren't a whole lot of these sold in Canada. This one however was in very rough shape. So I have spent the past few months getting it road worthy enough to drive. Now that it is back on the road I would like to 'enjoy' my 'new' car

 

[Sting]

Got some codes, gonna post in my thread.

 

[gmenounos]

Installed a set of Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady 2 tires / Montreal II wheels on the Golf. Given how much they salt the roads here and how little I've been driving the Golf lately, this will likely be the last set of tires I buy for this car.

 

[hey_allen]

I've just been driving my TDI while wrenching on the beater pickup.

Hopefully we'll be able to park the Jetta for a bit and take care of its pending maintenance items soon.

 

[Screamingdeal]

Finally got around to fixing the lower cover on my beetle transmission. Drilled and tapped the hole, Inserted a helicoil (first time ever doing that), sealant on the cap, Bolts got tight! Then I took the new blinker assembly from my mk4 golf and put it in the beetle. Put the interior of the beetle back together. Then reset the "Inspection Now!" Warning light on my wife's mk7 tdi golf sportwagen. Productive day!

 

[CanadianALH]

Deleted the ASV today and found that my intake manifold isn’t great so I’ll have to find an other day in a few weeks to pop that off and give it a good ole clean. Also simplified my vac lines down to just the n75 thanks to a diagram on here! And wow what a difference that made as far as the rats nest goes. Car felt way more responsive after this and the best it’s felt since the rebuild so I think I had a vacuum leak somewhere because it livened right up. Still an other 3000ish thousand km to go on the break in then I can go back to spirted drives.

 

[csstevej]

Replaced the passengers door lock switch as the old one literally fell apart when I went to use it.
Adjusted dynamic timing on my DD to be around 44…..found it to be below the lower timing limit .

 

[Judson]

On my car I have found that well balanced injectors make the ASV meaningless. My .02

 

[CanadianALH]

On my car I have found that well balanced injectors make the ASV meaningless. My .02

Yup. And I put the clutch in to shut it down it helps because I have a SMF.