dipsomaniac

the leads have now been standardised so should be ok. if you are using a lead without the registration dongle you need to download the earlier version of vag-com - 311.2.

obviously not worth

prior to bidding i would ask for some guarantee of a refund, if once keys are programmed engine/gearbox are found to be faulty. if no guaratee you would have to factor further damage into your bid.

has anyone removed the rad? if so, can you give me some tips? do i need to dismantle any of the air con system?

thanks 28vr6. will dismantle a bit more today and see what i find. soldering definately sounds the best option if it is the radiator.

have sprung another coolant leak, problem is i can't see where it is coming from although i can see coolant trickling down the front of the radiator. while looking for the leak i did notice that one of the fans wasn't connected - i think it might have been left off when last in fords. that might explain why it has been getting so hot?? i don't know whether to try rad weld or strip the car down somemore in order to try to establish whether it definately is the rad leaking. if so, do i remove the rad or try rad weld. can somebody give me advice?

thanks steve. will have a go today. the designers always like to try to hide any fixings which causes problems when you want to remove the part. i didn't want to use too much force as the panel looks expensive.

have to get access to radiator as i am losing more coolant. does anyone know how to remove the panel with the front grille attached (mk1). i can see how it fixes on the top but can't see how it fixes at the sides (it runs under the headlights and joins the wings).

170,000 on mine and ok apart from damn coolant leak

you will also need to remove the coil pack. have a look in the FAQ's as the removal of the thermostat on the v6 has been covered.

wood73 - won't coolant overflow normally if engine is running with expansion cap removed?

when sat in traffic, fans kick in when near to the red on mine before coming back to normal. it has been doing this since i bought the car 4 years ago. have also always had a coolant leak and have never found the problem despite replacing most of the cooling system. had a chemical check for exhaust gases on the coolant - all clear.

as the leads sit a long way into the head you need a special tool to remove/fit. the manufactures leads have the tabs on the caps to enable you to fit the tool and remove/fit the leads properly. if you use leads that don't have the tabs you will damage the leads when removing/fitting. are bosch leads really

you will also be able to activate and adjust certain features with the full version

i bought a cheap lead (no dongle) from eBay and downloaded the free version of vag-com from rosstech. haven't played about with it too much but i know that you can access autobox fault codes. you need to use the procedure above to check the fluid level. the box should be sealed so you will have a leak if fluid is low. the only difference i can see with the full version is that it will enable you to do a full system scan and will produce more detailed info on the errror codes. the free version will log codes but you need to access each module (ie. engine, transmission etc) individually and the error codes are a little less detailed but with some searching online you can identify them. mechanics are just fitters these days and can't know everything about cars that is the reason main dealers can charge so much. i am sure those pictures are ok for mk1.

it could be a fluid problem. low levels cause all sort of problems. the units are supposed to be sealed, have you noticed a leak? if you search the site you will find detailed posts on checking the fluid level.

these auto box and transmission control modules are so complex that the only things you can do is check the transmission fluid levels, check for any wiring damage and check to see if any transmission fault codes have been logged. the rest is best left to a auto specialist as it could be 1 of 101 things causing the problem. i had a similar problem but it was one of many and i ended up having the box reconditioned (1700). your problem may just be a simply electrical, solenoid problem that can be repaired relatively cheaply.

starts vibrating at 100 so haven't taken it much faster

just curious. if i get anymore points on my license I will be joining the million+ people on 9 points driving around with their eyes glued to the speedo.

definately FOC. Mo4, i was thinking that maybe the car had only been driven locally and maybe not noticed the loss of power initially.

seems a bit of a coincidence. have a look to see if the MAF has been reconnected. If it has, and you can't see anything obvious, i would give the people who changed the belt a call and ask them to check over their work.

core plug raymac. can you expand? i am sure that i have a similar problem with a hose dave-g as i get that whiff of hot water when i get out of the drivers side but just can't see anything. i need to get hold of some ramps and have a good look with the undertray removed.

as regulars will know i have been losing coolant now since i have had the car 3 years ago. matrix is currently still bypassed and i have replaced the following: water pump expansion cap thermostat housing + gaskets and o'rings hose cylinder to matrix to throttle housing head gasket test has been done and appears ok. no other signs of coolant mixing with oil. there are no obvious signs of an external leak so am suspecting a pin hole leak somewhere at the back of the engine which is evaporating immediately due to the heat from the manifold. has anyone got any images of the coolant system, particularly the hoses at the back of the engine. any other ideas welcome.

have had this problem and once transmission fluid had been topped up it has been ok. the system is sealed - mine was leaking.

have still not got around to replacing heater matrix behind the dash - the pipes running into the bulkhead are bypassed. i am assuming i also have a matrix in the back for the rear heating. can i still safely run the heating to the rear of car?