So after running my mk2f 86c polo on the road for 1 week!, I decided it really wasn't the right car for daily family life.

Enter gumtree......just got home with this

So basically picked this up for £650. It's got MOT till end of July, has advisories in front brake lines and weeping power steering pipes (already sourced second hand ones).

It's a 1999 1.8t (150bhp) AGU code (cable throttle) black 3 door with 130,000 on the clock.

It drive really nice, but of course There's a few issues:-

ABS light on
Power steering pipes
Half the dash isn't lit up
Dash Centre pixels are dying
Slight idle hunt (temp sensor)
Temp gauge not moving much (again coolant temp sensor)
Slight clunk from rear caliper
Handbrake pulls up a lot (new discs n pads)
Leak from wiper washer into boot on left hand c pillar. fogging on windows (either pollen filter kid cracked or door card seals or just moisture from washer leak)
Service on dash (oil change & filters)

It's nice and standard, so gonna try and keep it that way (famous last words!).
Although bbs CH reps and 30mm springs might end up on it at some point, and remap
(Something like this)

Gonna contact VW and see if I can get recall on Coilpacks too (got these done last year on Audi)

I had one kept standard in jazz blue and was a lovely car but at the time couldn't afford to do what I wanted to it with wheels and stuff being a lot more expensive being bigger etc so I sold it, a 1.8t is good for that price even with the few problems if they are easy sorted you have had a result

Nice little (non project you got there!) Ever since my mate got one a few years back (2010) I wanted to get a MK4 Golf, but really wanted the R32. Fast forward a few years and I ended up with the Octavia vRS and loving it!

Welcome to the 1.8T Club.

Here is my mates old one, customer interior, R32 kit. (Not to give you the modding bug of course haha )

Have some inspiration!

Very nice!!

So my list for my 'non-project' is as follows :-

ABS Light (gonna code read this tonight)

- Weeping power steering hose (gonna fit new hoses all round)

- 2x new front brake hard lines

- Blue/green Temp sensor (idle is a bit erratic)

- New rear (and poss front) Brake /discs

- Oil Change

- Coolant flush

- pollen filter (check lid for cracks as this can mist up the car like crazy!)

then :-

- New dash (pixels gone on center, and only illuminated on left hand side so cant see speed at night) poss bora sport upgrade, get mate to code this in for me hopefully

- Sort boot leak (washer pipe come off in c pillar most likely by position of puddle near front of boot)

- Move bluetooth stereo from polo to golf

- Boost gauge (just to keep an eye on things)

- BBS CH reps 18x8 all round

- KONI SRT shocks/springs OR Just Eibach springs (not going wild this time, -30/35mm will do)

- Stage 1 AMD/Revo Remap to 190bhp

- K&N panel filter

- Spark plugs

- G60/vr6 clutch (if original gives out after remap) seems kinda heavy at mo, heavier than my mk4 tdi?.....

- new key fobs (as bit that attaches to keyring is bust on both

- fit my sub and amp

- maybe forge 007p DV?...

- OEM grab handle sunglasses holder

- OEM Black badges all round

- SMD interior light kit (fleabay)

so keeping it nice and standard ......

not spending any money this time......

learnt from polo.....

Hmmmm....D'oh!!!

i'm getting carried away again!!! Damn you VW obsession!!!!!

So moved car this morning and found this!! Might explain lack of handbrake!!! OMG, metal on metal. How the hell this got through the previous MOT I'll never know!!

Oh and found Vac leak on pipe going to the servo. Temp fix using brown parcel tape (only thing I had to hand!) and that's sorted the pulsing brake pedal and idle is a bit better (still think MAF may be main issue?).

Just noticed a chattering from DV valve too, so think the Diaphragm may have split. Parts List is starting to add up!

So did some shopping.

Discs/pads

Thermostat

Temp sensor

Air filter

Pollen filter

Spark plugs

Coolant

Tailored car mats (ain't got any at the mo)

Also Pretty certain i've just found out what the power steering leak is, its the pressure switch!

http://forums.vwvortex.com/showthread.p... Switch-Fix

so ordered one from china £11.89 delivered. (good old ebay, even has VW part numbers stamped on it!)

thats a damn sight cheaper than the £70+ for second hand pipes i was gonna buy!

Thats another thing off the list.

just the washer leak, vac leak to properly sort, ABS light (may go off once calipers are actually wound in again!), and possible DV valve replacement.

oh and oil change too.

£106.10 (with Extra5 discount code) at eurocar parts & next day delivery. Will be nice to see if new discs/pads have any effect on the ABS light

New DV fitted (much better now!)

New power steering switch fitted (was leaking and advisory on last MOT)

Threw a Bucket of water over her and a shammy

And I've got a puncture! Front passenger tyre was down to 9psi!!!!

nice - despite some of my comments on vw reliability in another thread, I do have a soft sport for the mk4. I think it was the best golf for just being great at everything, enjoy.

nice - despite some of my comments on vw reliability in another thread, I do have a soft sport for the mk4. I think it was the best golf for just being great at everything, enjoy.

Cheers bud, yeah I think the mk4 is a pretty good all round motor. Our PD115 estate has been a great workhorse and milemuncher. Once I get all the issues sorted on this it'll be a great car. Just done thermostat (right PITA to do) and brake servo pipe. Running much better but still occasionally cuts out?... Gonna do a code read 2mrw

Better MPG now :-)

Oh poo! Now the car keeps cutting out when u press the clutch down coming to junctions and sometimes seems to die then suddenly kangaroo back to life..... On the plus side I managed to polish it a bit

Here's some half/half before and afters

Left before/right after using autoglym Polish

And a drop of autoglym super resin polish (I think from what I remember?!)

Always love how well black cars come up with a good polish.

Have you checked the fault codes yet? I had a 1.8T A3 a while back with the AGU engine, that too kept on cutting out at junctions etc. turned out that the throttle body was knackered. But do a code read first.

Also if you ever have the spare cash I'd highly recommend putting a Miltek exhaust on it. My last 1.8T Golf had one and it sounded fantastic.

Yeah did code read and came up with MAF? Hadn't cleared the code some fitting the new one so now cleared it and will see if it come back. Tbh I reckon it's either the ignition amp (built into the air box) or the crank sensor. But as it feels like it's dying then coming back I reck ignition amp as AGU's had issues with the wires inside these coming unsoldered and then certain cylinders wouldn't fire. That's what the car kinda feels like, but like its missing then suddenly picks up again (or dies and have to restart). Might get another MAF for good measure, as eurocar parts said it had 12 month warranty (and have heard these are a bit hits and miss from here!)

Definitely fancy a miltek, but resonated so it's family friendly

After my flat tyre saga, my wallet is £192 lighter!! And have 3 new tyres and tracking is now spot on (was 2degrees out - explains why the old tyres were bald on outside edge!).

Also managed to clean the throttle body

Before:-

After:- (not 100%, but ran outta light!)

Also replaced crankcase vacuum valve while I was in the engine bay tinkering.

Old one:-

Gonna take it for a test drive to Dublogic show 2mrw to see if it cures the slightly erratic idle and stalling. (Think the ignition amp has solved this already).

Not seen a TB as dirty as that before !! should run a lot better now it's clean :)

Took it for a good long drive Ipswich to Chelmsford today. Ran beautifully! No stalling or idle issues and got nearly 41mpg!

Well chuffed! Seems like the combo of ignition amp, throttle body clean & Crankcase breather valve has sorted things out.

Also had 1 bit of good news. When I got tracking done, the guy said it looked like car had recently had 2 lower control arms fitted which is good to know :-)

Next up........Modifying!!!!! Watch this space