developing problems...

[villieb]

Evening all... hope everyone's good and being good

Its been a while since i was last here and enjoyed reading up about everyone's problems and woes.... the pictures of motors...

I need to try and get on here alot more.

I need some advice, my gti has started developing a few niggles...

Firstly, I can't get the service light to disappear from the dash... I've been told by the garage I need a new dash panel, quoted £170 odd quid plus labour. Is there any other way to remove the reminder?

Secondly... everynow and the when I go to start the car, it dies almost straight away. it starts... then goes... but then when starting it again, it starts normally.

Thirdly... my reverse light isn't working. I've checked the bulb and it's fine. I've checked the fuse and it hasn't blown. All other lights work. Is there a switch I can try and find?

Fourthly... my horn stopped working this morning. A dude cut me up on the motorway, I horned him and then no sound... The horn itself works, I tested by setting off the alarm, but when pressing the horn it doesn't. Again, I've checked the fuses and they're all fine.

Any of this happened to anyone here? Any ideas??

ps... whats pinkering??

Thanks in advanced....

[alexperkins]

Hi mate

1. press and hold the reset trip meter button and turn on the ignition. keep holding till lines appear on the display then release. If that doesnt work, itll need to be cleared with vag-com so easily done if you know someone who has it

2. probably your temperature sender needs replacing - about £25 quid for the part from the dealer and easily changed. theres a guide in the DIY guides section

3. could be a faulty reverse light switch. its mounted on the front of the gearbox...put the car in reverse with just ignition on and get a multimeter on Ohms setting to check if its working properly

4. its probably a dirty contact underneath the airbag as it has a radial contact to make the horn work at all angles - youll need to have it off and have a look underneath if you say the fuses are ok. Just out of interest, do the headlight washers work ok?

Pinkering - i think you mean the following:

Pinking is the nicely descriptive word for knocking or detonation. (i.e. you can hear 'pink' 'pink' when detonation is occuring in your engine). Detonation occurs when your fuel/air mixture prematurely detonates due to high heat/pressure or a high octane fuel with a dumb car (no knock sensor). Normally only an issue with highly modified cars or badly set up part modified cars.

This can cause damage to points, valves and engine block. Having the combustion occur when the cylinder is not in the correct position to deal with the small explosion (i.e. on its way back up) can knacker your cylinders, and all the gubbins that's attached to it

hope this helps mate!

[villieb]

I've not had a chance to do any of this work. but I do know the headlight washers work fine.

The car has now developed a couple more faults.... when lifting the clutch (from standstill) there is a grinding/crunching noise. It doesn't happen all the time. Maybe 3 out of 5 times I go to move off.

I took it two one garage, explained the noise to them and he initially thought it was the gearbox.

Took it to another garage, who actually heard the noise and said he doesn't think its the gearbox because it happens when there is a little load and it doesn't happen all the time.

Has this happened to anyone else?

[chrischap2003]

Alex is the man. Spot on explaination for every problem your experiencing.

He's a credit to this forum

[alexperkins]

cheers mate