Sunday 15 November 2020

Golf GTI Edition 35 : Boost guage vent holder with correct angle to driver

 when i first fitted this the only sensible cost option had a flat profile so didnt quite point the 52mm towards the driver, it was still readable but not ideal.

fast forward to today and now theres an angled version. yay!

before/after and direct comparison (top one is new, bottom flat)






£25 from ebay from rhyat guage pods


Tuesday 1 September 2020

Goodbye A180 , hello VW Tiguan 150 DSG 4Motion RLine

with a caravan planned in our future and the lease ending on my wifes Mercedes A180 we moved onto a Tiguan


66 plate Jan 2017 registered, has 24,000 miles

So picked it up a couple of weeks ago.



First jobs have been


  • clean the leather on steering wheel and dsg lever, mileage is checked as genuine but way too shiny.
  • replacement 3d gel number plates
  • air filter
  • charcoal pollen filter and air com freshner
  • touch up stick
  • mobile phone vent holder and charging cable
  • register for erwin an buy 1 hrs time to download cars full specification sheet
  • had the wheels off today to paint the rusty disc bells, touch up the rear backing plates (already rusting) and clean behind wheels and apply wheel wax




loving it so far, next up are


  • paint calipers, colour tbc
  • TowTrust towbar inc specifice harness + coding
  • potential remap once Ive researched who to pick
  • retrofit rear camera
  • wheel spacers
  • VCDS tweaks after I get a new VCDS cable , i only have the old hex-can which doesnt support the Tiguan


So far pretty impressed by the 150 TD drives great even on 20 inch wheels

Wednesday 12 August 2020

Golf gti edition 35 mot , 48232 miles (8k miles this year) and new rear tyres

 48232 so 8000 miles this year compared to 18k last year. 

One rear tyre badly cracked and really bad sawtooth/20p piece profile pattern.  

Both Dunlop sportmax and I think they are the original tyres from new. So now changed to match the Michelin pilot sport 4 on the front. 


Rear noise now gone and it wasn't the bearings!

Car now silent and i have 4 matching brand high quality tyres



Sunday 9 August 2020

Golf GTI Edition 35 MPG update : 288 miles @ 26.5MPG

 During lockdown , working from home has meant no daily commute to Manchester.

So 

17th May 2020 to 1st Aug 2020 , thats 2.5 months for 288 miles 26.5mpg , I would normally do that at least every 2 weeks.


Car due an MOT in a few days time


Tuesday 21 January 2020

VW Golf GTI Edition 35 : Oil and Air filter service at 45,500 miles


About time I had a go at servicing my own car again, and use my Xmas present (new Halfords Professional jack)

Having been at Rtech in March at 33,800 miles
mileage currently 45,500 miles , ive had the service due warning for a few weeks.

Bought items from ebay £49

  • Bosch oil filter x 1 (includes seal)
  • Bosch air filter x 1
  • Oil sump drain plug with seal x 1
  • Millers Oils Trident 5w40 engine oil x 5 litres (4.6L capacity listed by Millers for this vehicle)

I also bought a 

  • shallow 36mm socket for the oil filter housing
  • oil catch tray
Steps
  1. Warm car
  2. Jack up car
  3. Remove undertray (8 hex screws)
  4. undo drain plug and allow oil to drain
  5. Replace drain plug with new supplied in kit (includes washer)
  6. unscrew lower element of oil filter housing
  7. push 'nub' with screwdriver and allow to drain
  8. unscrew filter housing (36mm)
  9. remove old filter and seal
  10. put new seal and filter in housing
  11. fill with some new oil
  12. screw back up to engine
  13. ensure nub is closed and screw lower element back up
  14. fill engine with 4 litres of oil
  15. attempt to start car but kill quickly a few times to build oil pressure
  16. start car, allow to warm , leave then switch off and check 10 mins later
  17. Top up as necessary
  18. refit undertray
  19. check for leaks
Reset Service interval

I have a VCDS cable so its a simple SRI function to reset this.
cycle ignition and check service warning removed

Now ready for another 10,000 miles or 365 days (ish)





Mercedes A180 W176 front disc pad replacement at 18,500 miles


Car threw up a warning message after only 18,500 miles ! Seems pretty low for a set of brake pads,but I guess short journeys and drilled discs dont help
Bought Genuine pads off ebay and fitted myself. Cost £42.40
Genuine Mercedes Benz Front Brake Pads A-Class 176 A0004203002

Really simple to fit, only sensor on the drivers side.
Pictures below show the old and new pads side by side
No coding needed after fitting, warning message now gone.

Simple and Easy , Definitely try it yourself