Worried...help please

[SunnyP]

Bought a 99 T Golt 1.8T a couple of weeks ago, it had 66k on the clock and a full VW SH and MOT in Feb showing the car had done 59k. I did a HPi and everything came back clear. Anyway, went to Hersham Wheelbase for the REVO tuning demo on Saturday. The guy plugged the compiuter in and there apparently was some sort of software on the ECU already!!! It was deactivated and said something like Please register to activate, it was a SHAREWARE program.

Anyone know what this could be??

Also, the guy got me worried as he started asking about the legitimacy of the cars miliage as it has a 'very shiney steering wheel'...which it does, he said it suggests it's done more miles than the computer says. I said I've polished the wheel a couple of times but he said it shouldn't be as shiny as that after 66k.

So my questions are:

1) Does anyone know what this shareware product is on my ECU?

2) Does anyone know how 'shiny' a steering wheel should be on a Golf thats done 66k.

Many thanks.

[SunnyP]

Just had a call back from the guy at Wheelbase (nice guy). He said he's been in touch with VW, the shareware thing is apparently one of the sensors gone on my car, the oil temp sensor or something and should be changed at the next service - not expensive he said.

So the only worry now remains is the miliage.

[Franko180]

Dont want to worry you, but when I got rid of my previous 1.8t in June this year it had about 98800 miles on it and it did have a shiny stearing wheel. Another tell tale sign is a heal mark or even hole in the floor mat on the driver side. I was a bit lazy with mine and because I didnt get new mats the hole went through to the PVC (i think) area just near the pedals and that got marked as well.

Maybe we need a "what mileage and how shiny is your stearing wheel" poll?!

[SunnyP]

Right then, the cambelt is getting done asap. I don't think it'll have that many miles, it's MOT was in March and it had a recorded milage of 59k...can't have done too many in 8 months? The guy i got it off was a local plasterer so couldn't have used it on many long journeys etc?

Are the steering wheels matt then on a low miliage car? Any other way to tell the cars true milage?

[golfvr6]

Sunny mate, check the condition of the axle bushes, the rear ones in particular. If they have done high miles they will be cracking up, most people don't bother changing the rear ones to they shag completely as they are a right pain in the arse.
And what are the seats like?

[SunnyP]

Cheers VR6, the seats seem ok and the floor mats are worn but no holes in them. I wouldn't know how to check the axel bushes. There is a knocking noise coming from under the car sometimes, it's more of a rattle, like a loose exhaust pipe of something? This only happens occasionally. The Drivers door creaks quite a bit tho? Getting paranoid about this now, ah well nothing I can do I guess apart from get the cam belt done asap and get it serviced.....bugger!

[golfvr6]

Don't listen to Wheelbase! they seem very nice on the surface, but trust me , i have had a few years experience of them and they are CRAP.

[SunnyP]

Oh no, wheelbase,  the guy that runs the place seemed a right shifty barsteward, the guy that came down to do the REVO thing (Simon) seemed nice as pie, and he called me this morning to tell me not to worry about the shareware thing on my ecu as it's just the cause of a minor fault on one of the sensors. If he was a shark he wouldn't have advised me to get the cam belt and service done before i get it chipped.

[golfvr6]

Do they have access to a rolling road?

[SunnyP]

Didn't look like they had one on site, only got a smallish garage. I asked about the cambelt, he said it would be ?300 and you need to hold the engine in place whilst you do the work? Would this involve a hoist of somesort? Would you be able to do this?