RE: Needed: Priest to Perform Exorcism (long and tedious e-mail...beware)

["Fry, Larry" <LEF@chem-tronics.com>]

I read it.  Where's my beer?  :)

Larry  sandiego16V

-----Original Message-----
From: Warren Price [mailto:wprice@neo.rr.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2001 6:26 PM
To: scirocco-l@scirocco.org
Subject: Needed: Priest to Perform Exorcism (long and tedious
e-mail...beware)


Hi,

I'm new to the list, but not new to Scirocco ownership.  In the past however
I've had 8v's and decided to treat myself to an 88 16v.  What a treat so far
(It's been a love/hate relationship with this car).  I'll just list the
problems.  I sure appreciate any advice in advance.  The advice is worth at
least a beer to anyone who happens to be in Northeast Ohio.  In fact, this
e-mail is so long, it's worth a beer to anyone who takes the time to read it
even if you don't provide advice.

Oil Pressure:  I started with an oil pressure problem above 2000 rpm.  This
was a real oil pressure problem, not just the sending unit, the pressure was
low.  I pulled the pan and cleaned out the oil pump.  It was gummed up and
there was a piece from that brilliantly designed plastic thing that holds
the dip stick to the dip stick tube clogging up the opening.  After this, no
more oil pressure problem...until last week.  I'm now getting low oil
pressure light from the under 2000 rpm sensor.  It seems to happen:
    1.  When the car is at operating temperature.
    2.  Primarily when the engine is under load.
    3.  Only below 2000 rpm.
Before anyone starts thinking on this, I should point out (and I know I
should be beaten for this) the car is currently running with 5W30 oil.  My
plan is to do the following:
    1.  Change to 10W30 and see if that does the trick.
    2.  Replace the "under 2000 rpm" sensor
    3.  Replace the oil pump.
My question is....does my plan make sense?  and if I ultimately have to get
an oil pump, where and how much?

Engine Temp:  I think she's running too hot.  At idle the temp shoots up to
just below the final line there at the top of the guage...and there it
pretty much stays while at idle or in stop and go.  The temp is ok on the
highway.  The fan is kicking on...but I've noticed a couple things about
that...it just doesn't seem to run as much as the one in my 85 8v did and I
never hear it run after I shut the car off like I did with the 85.  It does
not overheat, but it still drives me nuts primarily because the oil temp at
idle when it gets this hot kicks up to nearly 130 c which I would imagine is
pretty hot.  At highway speed the oil temp is still a bit high I guess, it's
120 c where my old one was more like 110-115.
Here's the plan:
    1.  Replace the sensor/switch that controls the fan and see if that does
it.
    2.  Flush the radiator...(I may do this anyway with winter approaching)
    3.  Pray
I'm not sure where to go after step 2.  Again, I'd like to know, good
plan/bad plan and where and how much can I get this switch for the fan, can
I get a lower temperature switch, and where is it at on the car???

Engine Vibration/Clunk!:  I know, I know...motor mounts.  I have replaced
the passenger side (rather my mechanic did) and I personally replaced the
rear tranny mount and the front mount (underneath radiator).  When I bought
the car it rattled like a bed in a cheap motel.  I mean it was bad.  The
rattling problem totally went away after my mechanic buddy replaced the
driver's side mount (he was a vw dealer mechanic from 81-91).  But there was
one problem that didn't go away...when you hit the gas there's a big
clunk...and you can really feel it in the car.  It feels like...well, it
feels like the motor is banging into something.  So, I called my trusted
mechanic with a theory which he seems to buy into.  My theory is (or was)
based on the fact that I could visually see the mount beneath the radiator
was toast.  The rubber was actually split.  I figured, well when the
passenger side mount went bad (the mechanic said it was obliterated) the
engine started resting on the front mount and that mount isn't designed to
have the engine resting on it, thereby toasting that mount too.  I didn't
notice physical damage on the rear tranny mount but I replaced it anyway.
When I pulled it off, the center part of the mount had given out and I stuck
the new one in.  Here's the problem....  the vibration is worse (not nearly
as bad as when I bought the car) the clunk is better, but it is still there
just to a lesser degree.  Now I know next to nothing about suspension.  The
mechanic tells me there is an after market anti-sway bar of some sort.  The
bolts holding this thing on run horizontally through a rubber bushing that
obviously looks important and looks factory.  He said he had this
aftermarket thing off when he test drove the car and didn't hear any clunk.
The tranny is about a 1/2 inch away from this bar.  I am suspecting that the
engine is banging into this bar when torque is applied.  Here's the plan:
    1.  Replace the driver side mount.
    2.  Remove the aftermarket thing is it's still clunking after I replace
the motor mount.
My questions are, how do I go about replacing the driver's side mount? (I'm
getting a mount that is pre-pressed, the mechanic buddy has a bunch of them
pre-pressed he's pratically giving to me), do I need to align the engine in
some way?  Should this anti-sway thing be that close to the tranny?  Oh and
I've started to notice a creeking sound when the car bounces.  Now, this car
has brand spanking new struts and strut mounts, what the hell is the
creeking?  Should I just take off the new tires and insert a new Sicrocco?
Should I drive it off a cliff?

I guess that's enough for now.  The list server is probably overloaded.  I
hate to even mention this, because it's probably just some gremlin, but it's
strange.  When the engine is under load (when accelerating only) the oil
temp guage drops about ten or so degrees).  If your eally hit the gas, along
with the big clunk, the oil temp guage fluctuates like a VU meter on a tape
deck.  Could the electrical ground be somewhow affected if the engine is
making contact with this bar?  Oh and speaking of a VU meter, should I be
able to watch the oil guage needle slightly fluctuate when I turn the stereo
up?  I mean it seems to be functioning more as a VU meter/Amperage meter
more than an oil guage.  Sould I just get a priest to perform an excorcism?

Thanks,

Warren Price

It's not all bad, it's black, excellent paint and interior, sunroof, it
looks sweet.




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