GolfGTIforum.co.uk
Model specific boards => Golf mk3 => Topic started by: Rossy on 17 August 2009, 13:43
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Hi All,
I am a new owner and new to this board, and wanted to say hello and ask for some advice.
I have just bought a 2.0l 8v, 1996 GTI. First Golf and first GTI, so I am hoping to take care of it. Its done 126000 and is a pretty nice blood red. Though it could do with a good t cut.
I am wondering if anyone has a good idea of initial work I should do to get the car back in shape and improve its performance, looks etc. I reckon the last owner didn’t take much care of it as there aren’t many notes of services etc. They also seem to have hit every pothole going and drove the car along the kerbs, rather than along the middle of the road. The alloys are a bit buggered.
I was thinking of starting with the filters and probably the timing belt. But im not sure where else to go with it. I’m more use to newer cars so this is going to be quite a challenge for me, particularly with my tight budget as well.
I am based in Edinburgh mainly, so I was also looking for recommendations of any good garages in the area, even any in Glasgow would be great.
Thanks, if you can offer any help
Ross
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Hi welcome to the site mate, as you said just general service if there is no issues, oil filters check the brakes etc.
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Yeah defo a good service wouldn't go a miss.
This will include pollen filter, oil filter, spark plugs / leads, along those lines. :)
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And welcome to the MK3 section :grin:
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Hi and welcome mate.
I would suggest a good clean of all areas of the car first. That way you get to know where all the good\bad bits are visually. Go easy on the T-cut. Try a good buff down with some Auto Glym Super resin polish. It might be all it needs.
Mechanically yes the cambelt is the way to go first. Get it done and out of the way. While you are at it if your budget allows get the other belts checked as they can be done at the same time. i.e Power steering belt etc.
Then the usual service items, oil, spark plugs, air and pollen filter. But don't forget distrubutor rotor arm and cap, and the fuel filter.
Then when your up to it, clean out the throttle body with some carb cleaner. Do a search in this forum for more info. It's easily done. I bet your bottom dollar it'll make a difference. (these get coked up easily and the MK3 will start stalling on you etc).
Enjoy !
:cool:
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Welcome to the site.
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Welcome to the forum, the Guys are here give great advice and enjoy the banter!
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hello and welcome to the site mate :smiley:
as above give car a good clean and service
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Thanks for the info guys. shady, i guess are these are things are could do myself at the weekend, even though my talents lie elsewhere rather than with cars?
I took her on a trip to Glasgow and noticed a few niggling problems. sticky first gear, had to fight with it a few times to get it in, clutch pedal is a bit sticky on the change, fuel gauge is a bit temperamental, and the rear drivers side alloy was roasting when I got back. Reading on here, and a few other forums, it sounds like the caliper has ceased a little. Again is something i can have a quick fiddle with?
Apart from a few minor things, it was great to drive, although its a bit of petrol junkie..
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I know feck all about cars, well at least not much, and I changed spark plugs, HT leads, pollen filter, mind you I did get a garage to do the oil change as I couldn't jack my car up properly.
Those first few things a easy peasy, one thing you defo want is the Haynes manual for MK3 Golfs :) but if in doubt ask on the forum.
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lol Welcome to the forum mate.
yea easy on the t-cut. use as said some good polish first.. and give the engine a ruddy good service.
Go to Vw for a Oil Filter. (dont go to the auto parts local shops etc, i dont rate them)
and as said spark plugs, HT's and all the other bits....
Then go for the Belts.. Cambelt, Fan Belt, Powersteering belt.
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Thanks for the info guys. shady, i guess are these are things are could do myself at the weekend, even though my talents lie elsewhere rather than with cars?
I took her on a trip to Glasgow and noticed a few niggling problems. sticky first gear, had to fight with it a few times to get it in, clutch pedal is a bit sticky on the change, fuel gauge is a bit temperamental, and the rear drivers side alloy was roasting when I got back. Reading on here, and a few other forums, it sounds like the caliper has ceased a little. Again is something i can have a quick fiddle with?
Apart from a few minor things, it was great to drive, although its a bit of petrol junkie..
I would get the rear brakes checked out if its heating up. Will be a sticky caliper or siezed handbrake cable/linkage. check your clutch cable is adjusted properly if you are having problems selecting gears and go to a vw garage and get them to do a diagnostic check if you think its using a lot of fuel. One of the sensors may be faulty
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cheers,
my list of tasks this week are cambelt and fan belt..booked in at garage.
Then oil change, spark plugs, oil, air + fuel filters. am i right in thinking that if I dont have air con I dont have a pollen filter?
had a quick read at how to clean the throttle bottle. Seems straight forward, even for me.
Spoke to the garage, and they expect that the caliper may need replaced, 100 quid quoted..ooft..though the cambelt and fan belt are only going to cost 130 quid to fit.
hopefully I will get this all done at weekend. Bit adventurous i know..... The distributor rotor arm and cap. Are these easy jobs? How do i go about it?
I should say..im coming from driving a 2005 diesel megane.. got something crazy like 55 - 60 mpg..so i expect the mpg isnt too bad though I might pass it to VW to check. haha
I will post some pics on how I get on with throttle bottle..that sounds like it might be quite enjoyable... its done 126000, with no notes of a service being done for around 60 or 70000 :rolleyes:
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Oh yeah..got a quote for alloy refurb...was 100 per wheel...pah..
I will post a picture of them up, apparently they have a 'special' paint on them that if re-furbed as is. costs a fortune. I just want the dent out from the inside of one of them so I can get the gamy spare wheel off.. Nothing worse than being stuck at 50 on the motor-way. buses and truck were overtaking me ffs.
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Hi Mate
You defo have a Pollen Filter. It's under the plastic scuttle panel, on the right hand side under the windscreen. Expect to find leaves and compost in there if it hasn't been done in a while. :grin:
As for the distributor cap and rotor arm. It's really easy indeed. Just make sure you know what type of dizzy you have (bosch, or Valeo\Sagem). Just read the side of the distributor main body. Then buy the relevant parts. Costs about £8 in total from GSF. The cap is held on by metal clamps, and the cap itself usually has a shroud over it. Keep the shroud but put a new cap in. The rotor arm just pulls off. Ensure the correct lead goes into the correct plug on the cap. 10 minute job.
:cool:
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before spending loads of money on a caliper try some penetrate oil on the hand brake mech and try and free it off.....otherwise i recoemend buying mk4 calipers (you'll need some goodridge hoses tho) as these are superior quality on anti seize!
and the clucth cable is auto adjust and if its sticky you'll need a new cable
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Well I didnt get very far on wednesday night. My rear caliper problems were bigger than I expected. I got 4 miles into my 50 miles trip home and had to get rescued by RAC in Edinburgh. Seems my caliper was sticking and had effectively locked on the handbrake, resulting in the pads locking onto the disc and causing extreme amounts of heat. In the end smoke was flowing from the pads and I had to stop. Not even a wind back tool could release the caliper. So if anyone gets extremly warm alloys after driving, theres your problem.
RAC guy had a quick look round the car and suggested I get my breaking system replaced, 'pretty damn fast'. Which was kind of worrying, so Thursday, my day off, was spent replacing the rear pads and discs, rear caliper and front pads and discs. Quite a challenge when the most I have ever done is check the oil. lol. Also got a mate to replace the timing belt for 50 quid, which was a result! :smiley:
He checked my brakes and I had missed a pretty vital step in the installation, so he fixed them. awesome.
Going to have to leave the servicing for a week or two. Unfortunately the rear shocks look to have gone and I have a leak in my power steering tubes, which sucks, but on the bright side I managed to put her through her paces last night. sh!t its fast..lol
I wonder though, does anyone, when hitting bumps or dips feel the car pull to the side? I hit a few bumps on the motorway and the car wanted to pull to the right, not just the front wheels, but the whole car felt as though it was pulling to the side, almost like the car had taken off from the ground and slid to the side when it landed.. result of rear shocks being buggered?
Also, anyone know where I can get decent spacers? my alloys seem to big for the discs and as a result we had to grind the outer edge of the caliper to get the wheel to go round, seemed to be clipping the inside of the alloy struts. Plastic ones on the drum dont seemt o be enough. Ill get some pics up if I get the chance to show what my problem is.