Monday 30 June 2014

MOT Fail/Advisory Warning Bump Stops Deteriorated or Damaged

One of the items on the advisory list for the previous MOT on my Golf was an addvisory that the rear Bump Stops had deteriorated. The bump stops sit on top of the suspension within the coil spring and are there to cushion the car & shock absorber when it reaches the limit of travel over a bump.

What does deteriorated bump stops mean? What do damaged bump stops look like?


You can see in the photos below the condition of the bump stops that were recorded as an MOT advisory - it really makes you wonder what they would need to be like to fail the MOT!

The white bump stop on the left shows a brand new one with the damaged old ones to the right showing how much they have fallen apart.
MOT Fail/Advisory Warning Bump Stops Deteriorated
MOT Fail/Advisory Warning Bump Stops Deteriorated

MOT Fail/Advisory Warning Bump Stops Deteriorated
Photo of MOT Fail/Advisory Warning Bump Stops damaged

Sunday 29 June 2014

Replacing Wing Mirror Glass VW Golf/Bora & Passat B6 Models

I recently broke the wing mirror glass on my VW Golf so needed to replace it. This video shows replacement of the wing mirror glass on the Volkswagen Passat B6 model which is an identical procedure to the Golf and Bora. I believe it is also the same for the VW Touran.




Replacing Wing Mirror Glass VW Golf/Bora & Passat B6 Models
Replacing Wing Mirror Glass VW Golf/Bora & Passat B6 Models

Replacing Wing Mirror Glass VW Touran & Jetta Models
Replacing Wing Mirror Glass VW Touran & Jetta Models

Friday 27 June 2014

VW Golf TDI Fuel Economy - What is the Real World MPG for Mk4 Golf?

The reason I love my Golf TDI - 321 miles and still just over half a tank of fuel left! My Porsche 911 would have run out a larger tank 40 miles earlier as that could barely manage 280 miles on a 65 litre tank.

The Golf TDI engine is great for fuel economy and getting great mileage from a tank even on the PD 150 model as this is. My previous TDI 90 was even more economical returning over 55mpg on a long run.

VW Golf TDI Fuel Economy - What is the Real World MPG for Mk4 Golf?
VW Golf TDI Fuel Economy - What is the Real World MPG for Mk4 Golf?

How to Reset Service Reminder on VW Golf Mk4 TDI

Once you've carried out the service on your VW Golf Mk4  (you wouldn't skip this step would you!!) then follow these steps to clear the service light reminder that comes on when you start the car.

  • Insert key into Ignition
  • Hold down the trip counter reset button and hold it down.
  • Turn the key but do not start the engine. Wait a few seconds and it should beep and get message about service needed.
  • Release the trip counter reset and turn the clock button to the right towards the drivers window.
  • This should reset the service indicator and return your mileage to what it was before
  • Turn the Ignition to off. When you turn ignition back on it will no longer show the service reminder.


How to Reset Service Reminder on VW Golf Mk4 TDI
How to Reset Service Reminder on VW Golf Mk4 TDI

Wednesday 11 June 2014

Pioneer P7700MP - How to Setup Aux Input for iPhone/MP3 - Enabling AUX with IP-Bus Interface Cable

How to setup the Aux/Auxilliary input for a Pioneer DEH-P7700MP

You can cheaply buy a lead called a IP-Bus Interface Cable Cord Adapter for Pioneer on Ebay or other site

This lead will allow you to connect into the CD changer socket at the rear of the Pioneer P7700MP and use a 3.5" jack cable to connect an iPhone, iPod or any other source with jack headphone output socket to it.

However when you turn the unit back on after connecting the cable you may find that AUX isn't an option that appears in the menus. You need to press the function button when the unit is off to enable this as shown in the video.

How to setup the Aux/Auxilliary input for a Pioneer DEH-P7700MP
How to setup the Aux/Auxilliary input for a Pioneer DEH-P7700MP

 IP-Bus Interface Cable Cord Adapter for Pioneer
 IP-Bus Interface Cable Cord Adapter for Pioneer

How Can I tell if my VW Golf Mk4 TDI is a PD (Pumpe Duse) Diesel?

Is my Golf TDI a PD engine? How can I tell if my VW Golf mk4  TDI is a PD Diesel?


The VW Golf Mk4 came with a wide variety of diesel engines. Although all were 1.9 litre capacity the output of the engines varied from 67bhp with the SDI non turbo engine right up to 150bhp from the TDI PD 150.

As all the diesel engines are the same 1.9 litre size and body badging can vary considerably it isn't very easy to tell from the outside or by looking at the engine which output unit is in your car.

The easiest way to check if your car has the PD (Pumpe Duse) injector engine is to check the engine code. This is recorded on a label beneath the boot floor carpet. Obviously if the car has had a rear accident and the panel replaced then this may not be attached any more - this is another clue to look for when checking for accident damage. When you lift the carpet to the left hand side of the floorpan/ left of the spare wheel you should see a label as below:

How Can I tell if my VW Golf Mk4 TDI is a PD (Pumpe Duse) Diesel?
VW golf Mk4 Engine & paint code label
 
The coding label on the VW Golf shows the model details, engine output in kW, gearbox gears, engine code and paint code. So in the example below you can see the model is a Golf GTI TDI, 110kW with 6 gears, engine code ARL and paint code LA5G as marked in the red area below.
 

 
VW Golf TDI Engine code location
VW Golf TDI Engine code check

The diesel engine code can then be looked up in the table below to show which details apply to it. So in the example above the ARL engine is the 150 bhp PD TDI engine which matches the 110kW output shown on the label.


Type Power/bhp Torque lb/ft Torque Nm kW Engine  Codes
SDI 67 98 133 50 AGP AQM
TDI non-PD 90 154 210 66 AGR ALH
PD TDI 100 176 240 74 ATD AXR BEW
TDI non-PD 110 173 235 81 AHF ASV
PD TDI 115 228 310 85 AJM AUY
PD TDI 130 228 310 96 ASZ
PD TDI 150 235 320 110 ARL

In more simple terms the early TDI models released from 1998 to 2000 are non PD engines. From 2000 the PD engine gradually replaced the others in the model range, initially starting with the 115bhp PD introduced as the GT model. From 2001 the 130 PD was released and then the 100 PD replaced the 90 and 110 non PD engines so by the time the VW Golf Mk4 was replaced in 2004 all engines were PD Pumpe Duse technology.

You can view this video of how to find the engine code label location on the VW Golf Mk4


Wednesday 4 June 2014

How to Find the Paint Code Location on VW Golf Mk4

If you need to find the paint code location on the VW Golf Mark4 if you need to purchase a touch up kit for example then you require the paint code to get the correct colour. The paint code is a 4 character code that specifies the colour and any shade/metallic option.

The paint code is displayed on a label underneath the boot carpet to the left of the spare wheel and is shown below marked in red. The paint code in the example is LA5G which is a blue shade.


How to Find the Paint Code Location on VW Golf Mk4
How to Find the Paint Code Location on VW Golf Mk4


Video showing how to Find the Paint Code Location on VW Golf Mk4