MKIII golf, some electrical gremlins and a lousy sounding clutch :(

[ryana89]

Vortex is an international website, MUCH bigger and diverse.
VWWatercooled is (mainly) Australia only, the VW scene isn't *as* big here.

I've found most of my information by reading people build thread's and checking out the DIY link's.
Look into buying a Bentley Workshop Manual if you plan on keeping/working on your car

[The_Hawk]

VWWatercooled is still growing, we encourage people to put up their own builds/technical walkthroughs of the things they do to share the love with others, there are lots of little bits and pieces around, just not as complete as some of the older (and larger) forums out there. That said, there is normally someone round here that can point you towards just about any answer you might need, even if it's not actually amongst our pages

[hicko]

thanks hawk.

i need an idler bearing replacing.....and a window reg. i am in newcastle....i could travel to golf loons shop in camden.....but its a bit of a trek....does anyone know of anyone in newcastle that does vw work?

[The_Hawk]

I'm sure you will have been told before, but make sure you get NEW window regs. Silent trouble free operation for the next ten years! (instead of that niggling noise and repeated failure ).

[hicko]

where to buy a new window rag and how much??

i am after a euro wholesaler....used to know a dude who could get me aussie and jap and american stuff...but not euro is there some one on here like that?

[mattross]

Get yourself a Bentley from the UK, amazon.co.uk has free international postge at the moment..... best 60-70 bucks you'll spend.
UK ones good to as they righthand drive, US ones are left hand drive so many of the parts numbers aren't correct

[mattross]

instead of awaiting replies in threads, do you guys on here have a technical section? like an area that explains basic maintenance / mods etc in an article fashion on here?

Usually a google search will find it, VORTEX is really good, dan reed's page is pretty good too... other good ones is
VW AUDI Forum UK

[hicko]

thanks matt, thats really helpful

have to wait til paytime to get a bentley book though

whats dan reeds page? the link iwas given for vortex.....a lot of the articles on there are broken now which is a shame because it seems like such a good resource.

hicko

[mattross]

I got one on amazon UK for $47 AU incl shipping...Aussie dollar is strong
Otherwise this site will get them into OZ Volkswagen Jetta, Golf, GTI, Cabrio Service Manual 1993-99, Robert Bentley (Edited ) - Shop Online for Books in Australia - Fishpond.com.au

Dan Reeds
Dan's VW page

Vortex is awesome too, but so much stuff on there now a bit of a sift.... for instance do't search the title, search the body as cruise control stuff might be under Vacuum hose or something else

[hicko]

cheers man, dans page looks awesome....much better than my experience on vortex tbh.

i especially found this link nice to trawl over 2.0 tuning guide

have many people around here bought stuff overseas or are most content to use local suppliers? i am having trouble finding anyone in or around newcastle that specialises in VW outside of a VW dealer...

hicko

[mattross]

IN MY EXPERIENCE:
Locally is expensive (like from VW dealers), and might have to get it shipped in as not all parts are stocked (i waited 8 weeks for a window motor). There are a few good places around sydney that will courier them to you and are active on these forums (e.g. camden gti / evolution etc). A good google search might help you there. Parts For Sale
Wreckers are good if you can find a good one and happy with 2nd hand parts
Lately: I bought from the US (www.ecstuning.com www.germanautoparts.com & UK (eBay) with the strong aussie dollar its worth it, BUT remember US cars are left hand drive, parts numbers aren't the same on a lot of parts, but some common ones are.

There is a massive listing of website here

http://www.vwwatercooled.org.au/f47/useful-links-mkiii-tuning-sites-6322.html

[hicko]

some awesome sites in amongst all of that, thanks matt!

matt (golf loon) is happy to work on my car, its just a matter of having the time / money to get there and have it done i think i found the idler / tensioner bearing that im after too: Volkswagen Golf III 2.0 > Engine > Drive Belts > ES#1660 Belt Tensioner Pulley - 028145278E is this the one that goes on the alternator belt? mine is hella noisy

have you ever servuced your gearbox? or are they a sealed unit like many newer ford ones are? id like to change the fluid in mine.

hicko

[Golf Loon]

If your gearbox is a manual, yes you can change the fluid, but will need a 17mm allen key.

We stock all new OEM parts, and do mailorder Australia wide. Let us know how we can help.

[MiKe1_golf]

HICKSON!!!!!!!!! another R31 convert! i really cant see the progression that leads r31 owners to water cooled VWs. But there is crearly a pattern emerging. Boy is VWWATERCOOLED in for a treat with hicko on the forums

Get your gear through GolfLoon (Matt) he's always helped me out with bits for my mk1.

[mattross]

Volkswagen Jetta, Golf, GTI, Cabrio Service Manual 1993-99 (Volkswagen) : Robert Bentley : 9780837603667