What did you do to your MKIV today?

[P2B]

Changed the clutch in the red y2k sedan, working in the cottage backyard on a couple of sheets of plywood under a beer tent

The throwout bearing disintegrated just 30km short of hitting 600K. Pretty sure we took out the original Sachs DMF and clutch. Friction disc was almost done and pressure plate had cracks.

Not sure why all the how-to guides have you pulling flanges out of the transmission and undoing ball joints, we didn't do either. We used an engine hoist attached near the vacuum pump to lift and lower, and a come-along tied to a tree to tilt the top of the engine forward and had no problem getting the transmission past the subframe at all.

I would not want to attempt this job alone, but with a helper it's not too bad.

 

[KrashDH]

I had some pretty bad condensation building up under my driver side projector retrofit. Came on pretty suddenly but it was bad enough to warrant me removing the headlights so I could re-seal the lenses. Also took the opportunity to install my glass lenses. I was saving them for another potential retrofit, but I decided to put them on these. I'll buy another set of glass if I need it for the next version.

I made sure to use enough sealant. Full bead width. There was a bunch of excess that squeezed out all around the outer edge. So I knew there was enough in the channel. I just flattened all the excess that came out the edge, it will just be another protective barrier so I don't mind. The glass is nice, really cleaned up the headlights. Let's see if they can last from debris.

My poor hood has seen better days.

 

[MukGyver]

Officially decommisioned it...

Liked the backward lean for traction.. almost had it!!

 

[454k30]

Fixed my hyperflash issue which cropped up after switching to LED. I spliced in an LED flasher which bypassed the original turn signal flasher which is built into the hazard button in the middle of the dash. It's a touch slower than the original flasher but much better than the hyperflash.

 

[benmarks]

FYI, there are some places that sell pre-made hazard switches that will repress hyper flashing too.

 

[KrashDH]

FYI, there are some places that sell pre-made hazard switches that will repress hyper flashing too.

Where? I looked for a while for something similar

 

[benmarks]

I don't know why but he's Facebook-only: https://www.facebook.com/ClustersbyLitke

There are a few small and interesting mods for sale there.

 

[454k30]

I don't know why but he's Facebook-only: https://www.facebook.com/ClustersbyLitke

There are a few small and interesting mods for sale there.

Dang! The price is right too. I hope this helps someone in the near future. Heck, I may order one and pull that relay setup back out of there.

 

[KrashDH]

I don't know why but he's Facebook-only: https://www.facebook.com/ClustersbyLitke

There are a few small and interesting mods for sale there.

Dang, can't use that then. I don't have social media.

Actually after looking at the Link, yeah I know him. He makes the harness for the steering wheel swap I did.

He does some really cool stuff

 

[benmarks]

You might be able to order directly from him and have him send you a PayPal invoice. His email is mentioned in the first comment which you can see even without a Facebook account. I don't have one either.

 

[KrashDH]

You might be able to order directly from him and have him send you a PayPal invoice. His email is mentioned in the first comment which you can see even without a Facebook account. I don't have one either.

Yeah found his email for the harness I was interested in for my GTI wheel and chatted with him a bit, but I just built the harness I needed myself.

I don't need the hazard switch currently and I'm not using resistors at all. The rear brake lights were the only bulb where I couldn't "cheap" out (canbus reqd there) and I purchased a bulb set from a vendor who specialized in VW LEDs. Pricey, but a lifetime warranty.

 

[SilverGhost]

I had some pretty bad condensation building up under my driver side projector retrofit. Came on pretty suddenly but it was bad enough to warrant me removing the headlights so I could re-seal the lenses. Also took the opportunity to install my glass lenses. I was saving them for another potential retrofit, but I decided to put them on these. I'll buy another set of glass if I need it for the next version.

I made sure to use enough sealant. Full bead width. There was a bunch of excess that squeezed out all around the outer edge. So I knew there was enough in the channel. I just flattened all the excess that came out the edge, it will just be another protective barrier so I don't mind. The glass is nice, really cleaned up the headlights. Let's see if they can last from debris.

My poor hood has seen better days.

I like those, reminds me of my Golf headlamp setup. BTW - if you are worried about breaking the glass lenses we installed 3M "clear bra" on the headlights when I worked in Montana. All the Subbies got the treatment to prevent busted lenses.

Jason

 

[KrashDH]

I like those, reminds me of my Golf headlamp setup. BTW - if you are worried about breaking the glass lenses we installed 3M "clear bra" on the headlights when I worked in Montana. All the Subbies got the treatment to prevent busted lenses.

Jason

Where in MT? I was out in Bozeman for 10 years.
Yeah I actually ordered a Lamin-X kit film for the headlight lenses. I'll have my hand at installing them once they get here. The glass isn't TOO curved so I don't think I'll have too much of an issue. It's not quite like tinting a window

 

[Judson]

Well my loud beep plus brake fault service manual message was just low brake fluid. Why it’s low? Don’t know. Didn’t see any leaking fluid around any of the calipers. The right rear was swapped out a year ago and maybe they didn’t top off the brake fluid and whatever leak I have is so slow as to go unnoticed

but I’m carrying half a pint of brake fluid around with me now just in case…

 

[Nero Morg]

Well my loud beep plus brake fault service manual message was just low brake fluid. Why it’s low? Don’t know. Didn’t see any leaking fluid around any of the calipers. The right rear was swapped out a year ago and maybe they didn’t top off the brake fluid and whatever leak I have is so slow as to go unnoticed

but I’m carrying half a pint of brake fluid around with me now just in case…

The resivour gets lower as the brake pads wear. It may be when the pads were new someone didn't top it off, and the rest is history. Still a good idea to keep an eye on them.

 

[IndigoBlueWagon]

I have never added brake fluid to my car, except when doing a fluid flush.

 

[PakProtector]

Started the manual swap on my 2002 auto. Moving slowly so as not to break stuff like is all too likely when I have the 'get it finished' mindset. Coolant drained, lots of the hoses separated( the engine is coming out as I refuse to trust the 'mechanic' that did the last TB job before I got the car or the work he did changing the engine)...which is all why I was able to buy her in the first place... LOL

Judson, the only time I have had disappearing brake fluid was from a leaking clutch master cylinder. One has to look carefully...
cheers,
Douglas

 

[Fix_Until_Broke]

As PakProtector said - check your clutch circuit which shares the same fluid and reservoir as the brakes.

I had a clutch master leak and run down the firewall into the carpet and you couldn't see it unless you looked/felt for it.

 

[benmarks]

It only took me 5 years of looking, but I finally found a pristine one of these via new-old-stock on eBay. I got the last one but I'm afraid to install it now!

drivers_door.jpg

• benmarks
• Oct 12, 2021

 

[Judson]

Thanks all for the replies on the missing brake fluid. I will keep an eye on things…

we just had our first snow. Ugh. Thankfully I got a new windshield wiper fluid pump from ID Parts and swapped that in yesterday. 250k and the original finally died!

 

[ssaric1.9TDI]

It only took me 5 years of looking, but I finally found a pristine one of these via new-old-stock on eBay. I got the last one but I'm afraid to install it now!

drivers_door.jpg

• benmarks
• Oct 12, 2021

Thats a great looking door handle and makes interior look 100x better especially if the door cards are black and leather. Let me know if you are looking to score other brush nickle pieces. I have the other 3 remaining door handles and also the little lock knobs and door pullers all in brush nickle.

 

[benmarks]

Thats a great looking door handle and makes interior look 100x better especially if the door cards are black and leather. Let me know if you are looking to score other brush nickle pieces. I have the other 3 remaining door handles and also the little lock knobs and door pullers all in brush nickle.

Thanks. I had actually already found all the other parts in new condition except for this one and the dead pedal (but since the dead pedal takes such a beating, I haven't really been looking.) The only used one in my car was the driver's door handle, and until now I had been using the best one I could find on eBay which was still pretty dented and dinged. I even went as far as adding a GLI handbrake with the "satin" button, and a Lupo light switch with the brushed looked. I cheated a little and also added the chrome-tipped window controls and fuel/trunk release buttons in the driver's door. There's also a company in Germany that makes illuminated shifters, and you can select a brushed look for those too. And, there's a guy on eBay who makes brushed aluminum levers for the armrest door (out of actual aluminum.) Oh, and I got a brushed sideview mirror switch from Litke.

 

[sriracha]

Thanks. I had actually already found all the other parts in new condition except for this one and the dead pedal (but since the dead pedal takes such a beating, I haven't really been looking.) The only used one in my car was the driver's door handle, and until now I had been using the best one I could find on eBay which was still pretty dented and dinged. I even went as far as adding a GLI handbrake with the "satin" button, and a Lupo light switch with the brushed looked. I cheated a little and also added the chrome-tipped window controls and fuel/trunk release buttons in the driver's door. There's also a company in Germany that makes illuminated shifters, and you can select a brushed look for those too. And, there's a guy on eBay who makes brushed aluminum levers for the armrest door (out of actual aluminum.) Oh, and I got a brushed sideview mirror switch from Litke.

wow! I’m jealous of the NOS brushed aluminum door handle!

Do you have a link for the real-aluminum arm rest levers?

 

[sriracha]

Got an alignment and new tires installed today. So refreshing to have the steering wheel centered on the straights.

 

[benmarks]

Hmmm, it looks like the guy on eBay selling the armrest latches may no longer have them. I will post this link since it has the seller's info.
This link is for the wider latch that came on Audi armrests, and the VW "telephone" armrest (which I have) but he made them in stock VW widths too. However, a quick search of the seller's active posts shows no products:

ALUMINIUM Armrest Lid Console Phone Cover Latch Catch Audi A4 B6/B7 8E0 01-07 | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for ALUMINIUM Armrest Lid Console Phone Cover Latch Catch Audi A4 B6/B7 8E0 01-07 at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Here is the only photo I have:

interior.jpg

• benmarks
• Oct 13, 2021

 

[benmarks]

I bought one of these on a whim via eBay thinking it'd be a super cheap hunk of plastic, but it just arrived and it's a solid piece of metal. It's TBD how well it will fit on my front grill. Yes, I know all-red is a PD150, but I am cheating since I have PD150 injectors and a VNT-17 turbo. I had also bought the official VW part of a V6 badge, and was going to Frankenstein them together, but now I'm not sure that will work:

front_badge.jpg

• benmarks
• Oct 13, 2021

 

[Nero Morg]

I bought one of these on a whim via eBay thinking it'd be a super cheap hunk of plastic, but it just arrived and it's a solid piece of metal. It's TBD how well it will fit on my front grill. Yes, I know all-red is a PD150, but I am cheating since I have PD150 injectors and a VNT-17 turbo. I had also bought the official VW part of a V6 badge, and was going to Frankenstein them together, but now I'm not sure that will work:

front_badge.jpg

• benmarks
• Oct 13, 2021

That's sexy, let us know how it turns out, I might do the same mod,

 

[sriracha]

Here is the only photo I have:

interior.jpg

• benmarks
• Oct 13, 2021

I didn't realize that you were talking about the center arm rest. For some reason, I was thinking door arm rest and was curious about what lever. I don't have a center arm rest, but that looks nice.

 

[Fahrvegnugen]

tempImagevDMm5y.png

• Fahrvegnugen
• Oct 13, 2021

Got a new subframe with irregular holes. The skid plate rivnuts wouldn't go in properly and the middle one was too big. The two side holes had inner and out layers of metal so I brazed them into their holes. I had a big screw driver to straighten the layers of metal so they lined up enough to get the rivnuts in. Ugh. NM the attempt at touching up the paint! Its twitchy work on the ground. On the original subframe, all rivnuts went in without a problem.

 

[kennethsime]

I bought one of these on a whim via eBay thinking it'd be a super cheap hunk of plastic, but it just arrived and it's a solid piece of metal. It's TBD how well it will fit on my front grill. Yes, I know all-red is a PD150, but I am cheating since I have PD150 injectors and a VNT-17 turbo. I had also bought the official VW part of a V6 badge, and was going to Frankenstein them together, but now I'm not sure that will work:

Definitely share some pics when it's installed!