new user/ questions

[bollox]

hello all, i have just bought a golf gl 2.0 with 138k miles and some issues and i have a few questions. the more i investigate, i find many of my assumptions from years of working on my own vehicles are flawed when dealing with vw's, so my questions may seem elementary (laugh if you like, i don't mind).

first, i have no track aspirations or pretentions. i want a reliable family vehicle for everyday commuting for my wife, and evacuation for our family (i'm in new orleans). the first issue encountered was that the transmission was very difficult to shift into first. so difficult that i stopped trying for first, choosing to double clutch second instead. the previous owner had the issue evaluated as worn shift linkage parts. i was suprised to find that a simple adjustment under the shifter boot completely eliminated the problem. there is a little slop in the linkage but every gear, from reverse to 5th engages positively. i have had no missed shifts since making the adjustment. now i know that the nylon parts of the linkage are worn, but is there any harm in nursing the condition with the adjustment. i intend to replace the worn parts eventually. just want some affirmation that some evil vw transmission genie hasn't inadvertently been loosed by my tinkering.

second, there is a persistent rattling that sounds like its coming from the passenger side front end. the sound is related to bumps in the road but stops when the brakes are applied. so i'm thinking anti rattle clips, or struts. when i jacked that wheel to investigate i was surprised to find that the upper mount appears to be loose where it fits through the top of the strut well. it is almost as if the mount is missing a large rubber bushing on the engine compartment side that would take up about 3/8". i find no evidence of such an object nor do i see pictures of it in the haynes manual i have. the nuts have not backed off as the threadlocker compound is still intact. with the wheel jacked, i can move it up and down and watch the top of the strut move about 3/8". maybe the rubber bushing was on the fender well side. again, this isn't some kind of vw engineering feature. (the all new vw "floating strut " suspension). would like to find out before i take it apart.

is the engine an interference engine? ie: if it jumps time will my valves and pistons attempt to occupy the same space at the same time?

my cooling fans run non stop. is this, most likely, an open in the temperature sensor circuit as i suspect? where is it located?

thats everything so far. any (even speculative and incomplete) replies are appreciated. thank you all for your time.

[stevethefolkie]

There should be no free motion in your front suspension - sounds like the strut bearing has worn out - new ones aren't real expensive and installing them isn't that big a deal (it does, however, afford one the opportunity to replace the struts).

I don't THINK that the 2.0 is an interference engine - I recall helping a friend put a fresh timing belt on one after his had broken and it ran fine after we got it buttoned up. I have, however, been wrong before, and perhaps my pal was just lucky (for once) -

[bollox]

steve,

thanks for the reply. good advice, qualifications included. i suspect the clang would have made an impression on your friend had it been an interference engine. i need to replace it before hurricane season anyway. were y'all able to complete the job in a day?

[stevethefolkie]

Originally Posted by bollox

steve,

thanks for the reply. good advice, qualifications included. i suspect the clang would have made an impression on your friend had it been an interference engine. i need to replace it before hurricane season anyway. were y'all able to complete the job in a day?

Yes - we did the timing belt in a day - it was a pain as the cam and crank were out of phase (since the belt broke) and we had to rotate it back to TDC , get the timing markes lined up and be careful not to counter-rotate the crank with the belt off (apparently this can disengage the oil pump drive - a bad thing for obvious reasons).

If you're starting with the timing belt still in good shape it is a fairly simple job - start with the engine at TDC with the timing marks aligned - do yourself a BIG favor and use some whiteout or mechanics dye to MARK the position of the cam pulley relative to a fixed part of the engine before you remove the old belt also make sure the car is in gear and the wheels are chocked or the e-brake set (so the crank can't move by accident) - then you just take the accessory drive belt off, remove the timing belt cover, hold back the tensioner (it's spring loaded), remove the old belt, install the new belt (being careful not to bugger the orientation of the cam pulley!), allow the tensioner to do its thing and put everything back on you removed - took about an hour on the MK1s - your mileage may vary (but essentially the same engine).

It's a good idea to replace the waterpump while you're doing the cam belt - that involves draining the cooling system and adds some complexity but it's not bad.

Count on some sore fingers and barked knuckles (clearance is kinda tight) - but you don't need special tools or anything -

Grab a bentley manual for your car - it'll take you step by step through the process.

[bollox]

thanks for the encouragement. i don't feel like i own a vehicle untill i've shed a bit of sweat and blood to maintain or improve it.

the first serious auto repairs i tried single handed were on an 86 chevy nova (toyota corolla) that had jumped time. i had no tools to speak of, no other transportation and the closest place that sold tools was an hour walk away. it eventually required me to alternately jack and lower the engine with most of the engine mounts removed to get all of the timing belt covers off.

i bought the golf from a guy in the neighborhood for $700. i had intentions of having the work done professionally, but i have a deep mistrust of mechanics and the more i think about it, the more i would prefer to do the repairs myself.

[bollox]

i hope this does not violate forum rules. i replaced the forward struts and mounts to eliminate a rattle. the rattle seems to remain but the mount no longer "floats" when the tire is jacked. the old parts were still servicable in my opinion. i now believe the rattle i am hearing is the passenger side brake caliper vibrating over bumps.

i read in the bentley manual (much more thorough and confidence inspiring than the haynes manual) that old coolant can cause malfunctioning temp sensors and possibly cause the cooling fan to run at all times. so next on the agenda is a radiator flush, coolant/ thermostat replacement. the manual calls for some kind of special vw coolant??? is there a widely available equivalent?

it has been around ten years since i've owned a passenger car. my current p/u has a large heavy steel rack on it. a particular s-curve in town would cause me to slow down to about 20 mph in my truck with its worn out suspension to keep traction. and you could still hear the tires screech at that speed. i could not get the golf to drift or to even get the tires to bark a little at over 40 mph. i can't say that a honda civic or ford focus would not have performed equally well, but i am beginning to feel the "farfegnugen" and can sympathize with the desire to squeeze the most out of an already tight handling, potently powered little car like the golf.

[JOKERKID]

hey wats up i noticed that i have the same prblm wit my fan its always on did you figure out how if so please let me know cuz it seems to be keeping my temp

[JOKERKID]

sorry meant to say its keeping my temperature low which i think is the reason my heater is not throwing heat out hot enough