Mother in Law's - Maroon VR6

[Speed]

Hi all,

Has been a while since I've been on here. I no longer have the Mk4 gti.

Unfortunately it went for a swim without my permission.

So, now the mother in law (MIL) needed a new ride. I was hunting for a decent mk4 before I gave up.

Not ever having been in or driven a mk3, I thought I should get out and see what they are like..

I then came across this 94 VR6 auto that had more features then the MIL had in her 2001 Hyundai Lantra. Cough cough shiz box!

Has 174,000 kms and could use a fair bit of TLC.

Am missing service history for the past 70,000 kms and there is some evidence of neglect.

My plans for the car are simple. Fix it and hand it over to the MIL. Although I'm definitely deleting the suitcase and not going to tell her

The pics are after a quick wash and polish but in reality she has a fair few dents, scrapes, scratches etc that just don't show in the pics.

You can see wifey's R32 in the background of one of the shots.

EDIT: tapatalk is not uploading my pics so will do in next post

[Speed]

[VR28LT]

very nice, i like the maroon on the early cars goes well with the black arches and moulds

pitty its an auto must feel preety slow compared to the r32

[stefcio007]

A while back I posted in the random thread a link to a method where you can adjust something inside the auto transmission (some kind of turn style clicking thing), makes the shifting much much tighter instead of dragging gears. I was considering doing this since it appears to have excellent results but no apparent side effects. Could probably use new fluid too.

[KKK VR6]

Lol your signature
Nice buy though looks like it'll clean up nice though.
Being a auto u should take it to the summer cruise and open it up abit on the road

[Speed]

very nice, i like the maroon on the early cars goes well with the black arches and moulds

pitty its an auto must feel preety slow compared to the r32

R32 is a great car but I wouldn't call it fast. My rx7 would smash it. Especially from 100 onwards. 4th gear upwards in an R32 is lame IMO but that's what you need for fuel economy...

[Speed]

A while back I posted in the random thread a link to a method where you can adjust something inside the auto transmission (some kind of turn style clicking thing), makes the shifting much much tighter instead of dragging gears. I was considering doing this since it appears to have excellent results but no apparent side effects. Could probably use new fluid too.

Must check that out. Thank you?

[Speed]

Lol your signature
Nice buy though [emoji106] looks like it'll clean up nice though.
Being a auto u should take it to the summer cruise and open it up abit on the road

I had to log into Web view so I could see it. Had forgotten about that quote. Lol

Will be sure to give it an Italian tune up before I hand the keys over

[junyip_69]

ergh cant wait to get mine on the road, car looks neat man. as for it being an auto im sure you can have still plenty of fun!

[Speed]

I've made a list of all the issues, so that I can order parts and bring the car back up to spec.

1. Coolant hoses are horrible. New hoses on their way.
2. Heater core has been bypassed.
3. Appears to be a vacuum line above the heater core hoses, that is not connected.
4. Further plastic line under battery near headlight goes to nothing.
5. There is an electrical plug near front left strut tower/under rad bottle, that is not connected. No idea where it should go.
6. Tail lights leak water. Needs replacement seals.
7. Car starts in 3rd gear, flick to neutral switch off and on and flick to drive and starts in first. Replacement TCM is on the way.
8. Brake wear light is on and the fronts need replacing. Thought I'd just get 4 new discs and pads and replace all at once.
9. Airbag light is on and my VCDS won't read the controller! Yet to investigate further.
10. Serpentine belt is cracking and requires replacement.
11. Rear suspension is sagged. Not sure if shocks, springs or both.
12. Breather hose to inlet is in 3 pieces.
13. Stereo is missing. Would a mk4 cd unit plug in?
14. Skuttle panel has all tabs broken off where rubber connects to. Need to replace and get new rubbers.

There is a strange foam box in the boot RHS near tail light. It splits in 2 and has some sort of electrical thing inside. What is this?

Next post will detail what I've done so far and whatever else I need to get the car back in tip top shape

[The_Hawk]

3. Appears to be a vacuum line above the heater core hoses, that is not connected.
From memory this is the vacuum line for the cruise control??? I think.

4. Further plastic line under battery near headlight goes to nothing.
Vacuum line for the cruise control (which I'm assuming doesn't work).

9. Airbag light is on and my VCDS won't read the controller! Yet to investigate further.

12. Breather hose to inlet is in 3 pieces.
If you're not too concerned, vento to atmo

13. Stereo is missing. Would a mk4 cd unit plug in?
Any single DIN CD player will fit the issue with an OEM one is the code if it needs one. Assuming you have that, go nuts.
(For my money you might as well buy a head unit with bluetooth and USB.

There is a strange foam box in the boot RHS near tail light. It splits in 2 and has some sort of electrical thing inside. What is this?

That's a vacuum pump to run the central locking. The system fails for one of two reasons, either the pump is dead (which is an easy fix) or one of the lines are cracked/broken/disconnected which can be a nightmare to find. If you can get it working you can splice in a remote central module like I did here (post 13):

http://www.vwwatercooled.com/forums/f47/mk3-switchblade-18364-2.html

If not an after market remote central locking kit with door actuators can be installed instead.

Seriously remote central locking just makes the car that much nicer day to day and makes it feel much more modern.

[The_Hawk]

Oh... the and the heatercore is an absolute bitch of a job. Even workshops take a full day most of the time since you have to remove pretty much everything forward of the handbrake to get at it.

[Speed]

3. Appears to be a vacuum line above the heater core hoses, that is not connected.
From memory this is the vacuum line for the cruise control??? I think.

4. Further plastic line under battery near headlight goes to nothing.
Vacuum line for the cruise control (which I'm assuming doesn't work).

12. Breather hose to inlet is in 3 pieces.
If you're not too concerned, vento to atmo

13. Stereo is missing. Would a mk4 cd unit plug in?
Any single DIN CD player will fit the issue with an OEM one is the code if it needs one. Assuming you have that, go nuts.

There is a strange foam box in the boot RHS near tail light. It splits in 2 and has some sort of electrical thing inside. What is this?

That's a vacuum pump to run the central locking.

Thankyou Mr hawk. You still rocking a multivan?

3. Think I can connect this end.
4. Not sure where it connects to?
12. I'll attempt to get a new one.
13. With the stereo, is the factory plug the same between mk3 and mk4?

Central locking works with a key, I just wanted to know what the box was.
Now where should it sit as mine is on the boot floor in that corner?

Thanks so much for educating me, just makes the process that much easier for me

[Speed]

Oh... the and the heatercore is an absolute bitch of a job. Even workshops take a full day most of the time since you have to remove pretty much everything forward of the handbrake to get at it.

Figured as much. Suspect the one in it is cactus as not connected but will check when my hoses arrive.
Fingers crossed it was disconnected for some other crazy reason, regardless of how unlikely that is.

Thanks again

[The_Hawk]

Yep still in the Van and the Golf.

4 goes to a reservoir in the quarter panel that hold air pressure.

12 is expensive since you need that while I take hose assembly, not just the little bit.

13. Probably but I guarantee nothing. Remember that you still need that all important Pin.
While it won't be OEM, I'm a huge fan of hands free.

That central locking pump has a foam case that lives behind the carpet lining... Maybe you get lucky and its in there!!

I used to get a lot of parts from here for my mk3 back in the day:

GermanAutoParts.com