Golf-Fiend

Hi All, Merry Christmas! Yes, I can confirm after driving home yesterday (Christmas Day) that the lights were vastly improved now the lenses are clean and I installed some Osram Nightbreaker +150% bulbs. However, I found for town driving that the beam pattern is still poor for picking out nearby kerbs and other traffic islands compared to the wife's VW Polo (9N3 model) with the same bulbs. It's just a design flaw. Overall I'm happy with what I did and the time it took me - about 1-1.5 hours per headlight.

Got round to doing this job today. What a FTFTBBW (far too fiddly to be bothered with!) I used pipe cleaners and IPA. I found that the front of the lens was as bad as the back. Had to get a bendy pipe cleaner and wound a few together to get the length and rigidity (f’nar) to get through a tiny gap in the side to access the front of the lens. A bit like keyhole surgery wearing boxing gloves. Made a huge difference. Can’t wait for a test drive to see what it’s like.

You could try some additives that ‘dry’ your fuel, i.e. makes the water miscible with the fuel https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/wynns-dry-fuel-325-ml-555770570?type=shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8ICOBhDmARIsAEGI6o0Unyp4zmXHx7KW48HlZHHNSk442qOrypsnV7-o6SNjoyFoIfUhMS4aArRYEALw_wcB Get yourself a replacement fuel cap ASAP. I believe it is an offence to drive with a missing or leaking cap. It’s an mot failure if it is.

Cool. Thanks for that. It's a brilliant idea. Did you find cleaning them made a big improvement? I noticed how poor my lights were performing after driving my wife's Polo the other night. Her beam pattern was far more defined than mine.

Hi all, Just discovered the inside of the headlight projector lens for dipped beam has gone all milky. I was wondering why my headlights were seeming less effective and distinct. Any tips on cleaning/dealing with this issue? Mk2 Pre-FL Thanks

A guy at work had the exact same problem with his similar aged VW Scirocco. Apparently there are 3 parts to the lock - The Key Barrel; The Steering Lock and the actual Ignition Switch. He was lucky as I think it was just the switch that was broken so the replacement was a lot cheaper and he didn't have to wait for two weeks for the part to come from Germany (none in this country at the time). It's worth getting a garage to look at it before you start changing parts. He was able to keep his same keys etc.

It just pops out. Carefully lever all around it then lift it up from the front edge. I found this trim tool set very useful for all parts of the car: https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/amtech-7pc-car-trim-body-moulding-removal-set-553773810

Useful to know. Just one thing - have you done an ABS unit bleed using VCDS? I believe it is recommended after a MC change.

Hi. There appear to be two different thermostats and they are built into housings for that engine code. It seems they changed on 17/05/2010 so your car is the later versions with the multi branch outlets. This one: https://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=5055 rather than: https://www.vwspares.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=5054 See here for the date change: https://www.vwspares.co.uk/Skoda_Octavia_1Z_Facelift_Cooling.php?model=1.6 TDi

That reminds me of "The Comic Strip Presents - Four Men in A Car" and this exact clip! 😂 Stuck CD

Here is an outline of the board

So this is what I made a few years back. It work for me. I took a power feed from the fusebox and fed it up to the cubby hole and attached a cigar lighter socket to the end. Out of this is a dual USB adapter. I also ran a lead to run an MP3 player too. The top plate was made from thick Plasticard from a model shop with a stiffener bit glued below. Suction cup mount stuck on top. Pics explain it all.

I’ve done this. I made a plastic base to slot it in and attached the Tomtom on top. I’ll get some pics tomorrow for you

It's the flap positioning motor or the flap that is stuck (usually). Mine does this every now and then. Lots of flap resetting usually helps it. Try pushing the Recirculation button. With mine when this is pressed the air comes through again.

I keep my engine bay clean. The best thing I have found is the 5 Litre bottle of degreaser from Screwfix. You dilute it a lot so that will last a lifetime. Put it into a squirty bottle. Spray over the dirty area. Agitate with a soft brush. Spray with clean water from another squirty bottle and wipe with a damp sponge/cloth until clear. Then use Meguiars/Autoglym plastic spray and wipe over the area. Now when I wash the car I just give a quick wipe over the engine covers and slam panels etc and it stays clean.

Nice. Shiney bits! Unless you are racing/rallying then a bit pointless. After 3 months they'll be covered in road muck and look like steel anyway.

I’ve just bought some Hankook I'cept RS2 W452 as 205/55 r16 for £300 fully fitted for four. They seem to have very good reviews and a good balance of performance vs cost. I’m more interested in the wet performance rather than snow. I’ll be giving them a good workout driving to Scotland and back a number of times in the new year. 400 miles each way so I’m expecting it to be wet at some point.

On a 2008 car I’d be tempted to buy a full suspension kit from an online supplier. Obviously making sure it’s suitable for your model of car. A good kit will last at least 6 years and beyond by which time the car will be 19 years old. It will cost considerably less than OEM and you’ll be on fresh components on all four corners

Any update on this @Dan13 ?

My 2.0TDi is similar. Cold start it fires up right away. When hot it needs cranking for a few seconds to get going. No fault codes. I've had the car 13 years and have had 2 new batteries in that time. They made no difference in the hot start performance. All Earthing points are good - I cleaned them all last year. It's not a big issue but still bugs me a bit. So just an advice to the OP that don't needlessly change your battery as it might not be the cause.

I bought my 54 plate 2.0 TDi in July 2008. Still got it. Best car. I’ve ever had. Recent MOT had two advisories about the suspension bushes being a little worn. I’ll keep it until it dies or diesel is outlawed.

The oil in my PD 2.0 went black almost instantly even when I used to do 2x oil changes a year! That and the stupid black dipstick are a nightmare.

Many, many years ago in my yoof I had a BMW 520 (carb version). It had a heavy drink problem. Over 260 miles it used about 4 litres of oil!!! There was a huge smokescreen behind me down the M4 and back. I bit James Bond style. Very embarrasing. Needless to say, that engine did not last much longer.

Whilst looking for some 507 oil to change mine and the wife's cars (using a SUCTION PUMP! ) I came across this link about Mannol oils as it seemed too cheap to me compared to all the others. Interesting investigation of Mannol Oil claims. It seems they are not all they cracked up to be: https://www.lubesngreases.com/lubereport-emea/vls-files-complaint-against-mannol/ Just food for thought.

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