shaunhutchinson [180 quattro]

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Each TTOC Member can post one thread to contain a full journal of their TT ownership.

This can be a full blown build thread or as simple as a set of pictures, the choice is yours.
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JorgeTTCQ
Posts: 1062
Joined: Mon May 21, 2012 6:38 am
TTOC Membership: 02104
Location: Alicante, Spain
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I really enjoyed reading your post, the TT has returned to the life after your work of restoration. Great job and very good pictures :thumbsup:

Thanks for showing.

Cheers
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Instagram: @TTquattro01
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shaunhutchinson
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:11 pm
TTOC Membership: 02764
Location: Coventry
Contact:

Cheers. Having some problem with error codes though from the Audi dealership:

- bank 1 camshaft p0011
– air mass metre 9102
– engine speed sender p0321
– bank1 system to lean
– turbocharger fault p1297

Got a second opinion on the error codes today. The faults have not changes or dissipated but A further conclusion on what to do to fix the problem has been put forward. The technician thinks that the problems are caused by a badly fitting timing belt, commenting that “with these engines The belt only has to be one tooth out of place and it confuses the computer, setting off loads of different warnings including MAF and ABS.” Probably time to revisit the original technician that fitted the cam belt with this this new diagnosis.

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shaunhutchinson
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:11 pm
TTOC Membership: 02764
Location: Coventry
Contact:

Realised that I haven't updated my post in a while. The story continues...

Since last time I have fixed my Dials with BBA Remans and I am very happy with the new display. No more pixilisation in the Central LCD and the fuel dial seems to be working well. For once i’ll be able to read the MPG and other computer information. There are a few symbols on the dash still such as the water for the windscreen wipers is low and for some reason the car thinks the brake pads are worn, even though they have only bee on the car for a few months. But the remanufacture of the dials seems to have wiped all the other faults that were still on the car even after the cam belt was timed. Over all a happy chap.

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Also got my hands on some Polybush Top mounts. After fitting the OE struts & mounts I have a raised washer problem like many others. They make so much noise and I don’t feel happy having suspension that moves around so heavily so I’m planning on replacing them with these babies when I make some modified polo washers. These mounts will drop the ride by 10mm and make a more dynamic turn-in experience apparently, so advantages all around. Some have commented that they have experienced problems creaking and wear so I talked to Polybush on the phone to do some research. They told me that a mistake that a lot of installers make is that they grease the mounts. He said that this is the last thing you want. Ideally you don’t want the mount to move, you want the bearing to move and the mount to absorb energy not rotate. By greasing them you are encouraging movement against the metal chassis, hence the creaking. He also mentioned that adding grease to the top mounts stops dust from escaping and captures it in the grease so it grinds the bush down so they wear faster. He also attributed creaking to some installers only tightening the nuts in the jacked position. instead of a two stage tightening procedure where you tighten them off the ground, then when the suspension is loaded (off the jack) tighten them again. Not sure how well all this stuff will work but I have ordered some poly mounts (with the polo washers to modify a new set) and the red U.S. Dubstop spring spring plates. I feel a bit happier after talking personally to the company because engineers normally have installation procedure that help tweek problems and understand the constraints of their products so hopefully these thoughts will be the key to using them successfully.

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So, managed to fit the new spring plates and top mount to the car. All fits in well, no more suspension movement at all in the engine bay which is great. I have only attached one side because bad light stopped play today. However this has given me a chance to make a comparison of the two different systems on a careful drive home. Firstly, no squeaking at all from the top mount after cleaning the chassis contact areas and ensuring no grease was on the rubber mounts as suggested by the Polybush guys. Secondly, the ride is also very comfortable, if just a little bit harder. Seemed to make just a bit more noise when riding the wild flyover ridges of the m6 motorway but actually feel very secure. seems just a wee bit harder too around the bends but I need to test this better. However, I am still having trouble with the drop. After doing this and expecting 20mm. the car still rides at the same hight. My only thought now is that the fault must be with the type of struts I bought. I think the gas is pushing them up maybe. I have no evidence to support this other than the fact that the 25mm drop springs, 10mm drop plate, and 10mm drop polymount have been totally infective. Needs more investigation.

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Managed to fix the brake pad wear indicator after some nifty work spicing the wire, soldering the wire together and heat shrinking covering the solder to avoid contact & wet weather curcuit shorting. The old dashboard is looking rather grand now without the vast array of fault lights shining brightly like an xmas tree. Mega chuffed for now.

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My only MOT advisory indicated that I need new tyres. The Old Hankooks were bald on the inside and the rears only about 2mm on them, one had a nail in it:/ . Was first in, the guys at Jeffreys [http://www.jefferiestyres.com] swiftly popped the new rubbers on at 8:30. great service even better price. Defo go back for more.

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Finally fitted the new bulbs. At first I was a bit disappointed as the blue tints were not very dominant at all and the lights didn’t seem too bright. Now, this was when I tested the lights in the daytime but as night fell I was much more convinced. The light throw has a much much longer throw. and the beams of light are much more intense. the beams can be seen on the tarmac intensely on the dipped light where as before there was hardly any light on the tarmac with the dipped lighting on. the side lights are also much more intense. However the side lights (Philips Bluevision Ultra), although colour blue, were still much more yellow than I thought they would be. Overall I’d give them a good 8/10 in comparison to my old worn bulbs. Will definitely feel more secure driving with these.

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I thought my plate lights would clear up with new bulbs but they still looked a bit too dull so I bought some new mounts because the old ones were yellowing. With the new lamps in in things have cleared up a bit. They are still a bit dim but much clearer now. Hurrah!

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Last edited by shaunhutchinson on Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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shaunhutchinson
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:11 pm
TTOC Membership: 02764
Location: Coventry
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Finally repping the TTOC badge on the Wee Beastie. Cleaned my mancave out yesterday and found my TTOC badge, so after giving the old 8n a wash, wax and shine I thought it about time to pop on the old club sticker before I loose it again. LOL! Looks very cool.

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shaunhutchinson
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:11 pm
TTOC Membership: 02764
Location: Coventry
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The old bushes on the front wishbone had been reported to me in the audi dealership health check as ‘de-moding’. However various people have said that they will last for a while. While the front was being taken apart I thought it a good time to replace them so no more problems will be had. They were a tough old set of buggers to get out but they popped out eventually. New bushes were installed and bob was my uncle. no more worrying about them for another ten years I hope.

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shaunhutchinson
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:11 pm
TTOC Membership: 02764
Location: Coventry
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While replacing the spark plugs Vince (ace mechanic) noticed that the old plugs had oil on them. He decided that the rocker gasket needed to be replaced and, rightly so, would not install the plugs until the cam head was oil tight as it would effect the performance of the plugs. Within 30mins Vincent had Car Spares drive a new gasket to the garage, I cleaned out the cam head with cleaning fluid, Vince installed the cleaned and new parts, all was well, spark plugs went in.

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shaunhutchinson
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:11 pm
TTOC Membership: 02764
Location: Coventry
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The wiper motor was starting to show signs of weakening. Don’t want to get caught out in the rain so time to replace it quickly. Got a nice new OE motor from a nice guy on the Mk1 TT community group called the VAG man. New piece looks great, works great, all is good again, no more worries about rain.

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shaunhutchinson
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:11 pm
TTOC Membership: 02764
Location: Coventry
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The Yellar Tie bars by Cookbot Automotive Solutions have finally been installed to straighten up the rear end wheels of the car and counteract the camber created by lowering the car. All seems well in the hubs and the tyres not too worn but it is nice to have it all straight for a while. Just a nice bit of tracking and these are all good. MEGA!

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Last edited by shaunhutchinson on Sun Apr 03, 2016 9:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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shaunhutchinson
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:11 pm
TTOC Membership: 02764
Location: Coventry
Contact:

Car feels really good on the road after a bit of balancing and 4-wheel alignment. Fronts and rear set to 1.30. The suspension at the rear has levelled up to match the front making me wonder if I need to move to Eibach street pros at 30-35mm. Something to think about for the future maybe. But for now all is very stable on the urban road and see more so on the motorway which is what I seem to be seeing more and more of nowadays.

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shaunhutchinson
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:11 pm
TTOC Membership: 02764
Location: Coventry
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When I was researching what USB power socket to buy and how to install it I found that there wasn’t a whole lot of info, so while installing my 12v USB power socket I thought i’d take some pictures to make a step-by-step walk through of installation.

N.B.: Always remember to disconnect the battery when working on car electrics.

1 – I bought the 12v USB socket from eBay: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/361207013974. The connector was obviously for a different vehicle, as the part was a marine socket, so I had to snip the connector off and strip the wires to fix new connectors to it.
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2 – I used 6mm ring connectors because the voltage points use M5 screws. A dab of solder insured they would stay fixed amid vibrations and ensure the current could flow through the ring connectors as best possible.
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3 – Once the wires were adapted, the lower cover needed to be removed. The fixing points for the lower cover sit behind the fuse box panel. 20mm torx screws hold the lower cover to the car, these needed to be undone at the points marked with arrows.
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4 – There are 20mm torx screws on the actual panel itself that also need to be undone in the places indicated.
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5 – The panel needed to be pulled down. In places it was a bit of a struggle, but with a bit of care it eventually pulled away from the vehicle. The connectors indicated need to be disconnected before removing the panel from the car to work on a stable surface.
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6 – I used 29mm bore drill to punch a hole through the cover. After looking at which position to place the socket I actually decided that as far back as possible and as high up as possible (while leaving about 1.5cm gap from the edges for finger space inside the hole) was the best solution for me to ensure the socket didn’t clash with the steering column when it is adjusted for comfort.
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7 – Once the socket was popped through the hole the plastic nut needed to be tighten firmly to ensure there was no rotation of the socket in the hole. I actually chopped off the lid on the rubber cover that came with it socket, but I kept the rubber ring on the socket to ensure the socket gripped around the hole well.
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8 – Flat connectors attached.
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9 – The final assembly looked something like this.
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10 – Back at the car, with the new socket installed onto the panel, the next thing to concentrate on was the Busbox. This photo shows the connection points to be aware of; the ground for the black wire and the 12v live connectors for the red wire. The switched point will turn the power to the socket on and off with the ignition, and the unswitched 12v point will constantly power the socket regardless of the ignition. I chose the 12v unswitched point to power my socket because sometimes I need to charge my phone while I’m away from the car but I suppose this choice is personal preference really.
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11 – The nuts on the connectors needed a 10mm socket to disconnect the nuts from the screws.
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12 – Couldn’t have been easier to pop the ring connectors on then put the nuts back on with the 10mm socket. The actual points i picked we actually the easiest to undo — anything to make life faster & easier as I only had about an hour to do this in my lunch break.
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13 – The cover was carfully refitted; doing steps 5, 4, and 3 in reverse.
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14 – Then, TADA! The socket was ready to be used.
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