sepulchrave

Why hasn't anyone mentioned the differential? ;)

You may have nipped a valve if there is a slight misfire, but more likely your HT leads/Coil are misbehaving after being dismantled to get the cam cover off, if it's rattling again you probably need a new tensioner assembly unless the bolt you fitted wasn't hi-tensile!

To stand any kind of chance of helping you we're gonna need to know EXACTLY what car you have. :unsure:

If you've been very unlucky then the camchain tensioner has disintegrated and the timing has slipped possibly nipping a valve, you don't mention mileage but camchain problems can occur with high mileage/abused VR6's and it's very expensive to put right!

Dipso, get the 8mm lead set from magnecor, as you have now proved to yourself: 'If you buy cheap you'll buy twice' Don't fit crap leads again or you'll be on here next year asking the same questions! Try here: http://www.rallydesign.co.uk/catalog/index...&sort=2a&page=4 I would say

...Are you being ironic? :)

Maybe the pressure limiter valve is faulty, that can sometimes cause long pedal travel.

Oh dear, just for a change the posters car is NOT, repeat NOT a diesel and therefore does not have a turbo! It is perfectly normal for the Cat to get very hot, this is a good thing and means it's working properly. Dipso, I reckon that you have coil pack or plug lead issues if the coil pack dries out and the problem lessens then you need new plug leads, frankly any VR6 of that age on original leads will need new ones by now, change 'em before winter gets here.

The only thing that I can think might be attributable is if the flywheel has been remounted in the incorrect position on the crank flange, I don't know if your car has a flywheel position sensor, but if it does then it may be telling lies to the ECU about the piston configuration, most crank flanges are not dowelled these days. I may be barking up the wrong tree, but I really don't buy the mechanical damage argument. Any engine will run fine without a flywheel as long as it's turning quickly enough, it just won't tick over! Both the crank and the flywheel are already balanced independently before being mated together, one does not balance the other! You can probably bolt the flywheel back on in six different positions, five of them would be wrong though (and don't expect the dealer to own up if he can charge you to put it right).

You can buy a clutch unit separately (expensive tho').

Don't be so humble veedub! Ecotek is a total waste of money and a scam for gullible muppets. There I said it. :D The 2.3 is not a good engine and although any engine can be improved using time honoured head mods, raising compression, chipping etc. You will find it difficult to find any conventional tuning parts, and any work you want done will have to be done to your head so you'll be without the car for a few weeks. If you're still determined try specialised engines in grays, essex. They have an excellent rep. for ford engine mods. Or maybe Turbo Technics will blow it for you. Otherwise flog it, buy a VR6 and off you go, loads of goodies available for VR6 tuning, 250 BHP is easily achievable without forced induction!

...Yes, but... HT problems will not be picked up by the fault reader unless the coil pack itself is failing (very unlikely), by all means replace the MAF since they're only

It's unlikely to be caused by the MAF although since yours is a '96 car the MAF is prolly kernackered, the temp. senders are on the thermostat housing near the coil pack, there are three; they are blue, yellow and brown. It's also likely that one or more of your HT leads are suspect, invest in a VAG-COM lead and read the cars memory to determine the exact fault, and replace the plugs and leads.

...But don't your brake pads have a self-adhesive backing to help them pull away from the disc and prevent glazing? In which case surely grease on the back will negate the usefullness of this adhesive backing and cause the pads to 'polish' themselves into a mirror finish of glazed excellence! ;) Or are my brakes completely different to other Gals (i.e. I actually have done the work myself, and they work beautifully TA VERY MUCH!)?

...MrT, are you quite certain of your kinematics? Acceleration is really only affected by changes in an engines torque characteristics, more Power will give more top speed. How can you argue about this?

....Ask a silly question.... :unsure:

You could be right on both counts! :16:

Yes OK, but you have quite brilliantly failed to notice that the OP needs one for a Mark I VR6!!!!!!!!!! And he has listed the correct part number!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

...Oh boy, I'm sorry MM but that simply isn't true. :) 1. Biodiesel is hydrophilic, this means it absorbs water readily and this water cannot be trapped out. 2. Pure Biodiesel gels readily at temperatures below 4 degrees Centigrade, this is why it must be blended for winter use. 3. The consensus seems to be that bio/petro blends at 20% or below are perfectly safe in most modern diesel engines, at this point the water content and corrosive properties of the fuel are balanced by the additives in petrodiesel. 4. Biodiesel generally has a significantly higher sulphur content, this is NOT a good thing. I don't know why you want an argument; is it just with me or is it with Science in general? :huh: My advice to the OP remains, blend it or risk it. It won't be a high volume seller and it will likely contain relatively high levels of water and therefore microbial contamination which WILL gum up the works. Can you please post reference material for any counter arguments!

Whoops, MM getting self-referential again. I think that the problem with bio is more to do with water content than anything else, the PD system is very susceptible to corrosion, also bio gels very easily at around 4C, please provide evidence for claims that Germans run B100 all year round, and evidence for claims that PD runs better on bio. Thank you for the stunning levels of agression on offer. :huh:

Biodiesel is Ok for old tech diesels, but I wouldn't use it for extended periods without mixing as it leaves behind various residues which can clog things up. I wouldn't use it at all in PD engines (cue argumentative green nutter) since they are sensitive to fuel quality and cost a fortune to repair! Where can you buy it separately? most pump fuels contain about 5% now anyway (cue pedantic stat freak attack). :(

No, the ECU will disable the CC if it detects any low voltage issues, it's quite a useful early warning feature for failing battery or charging problems! But only if you realise what's happening. ;)

I got mine from alpha-bid on ebay, they are registered in the US but the cables are shipped from the UK and payment is made in GBP to a UK paypal account,

On a Mark 1 it is just behind the grille next to the o/s/f headlamp, you can see the wiring behind the bulb changing cover, you need to remove the grille to get it though. Don't know if they moved it on the Mark 2, no reason why they should really.