SAMGLF's Mk1 Golf GTI Karman Cabriolet Progress - Recaro Sport (But not for me!)

KPCabrio said

clutch cable isn't it? attached to the gear box.

Oh yes, possibly………that would make sense as he did say it had a new clutch cable. Good shout………I'm not exactly mechanically minded to be honest and this project is a huge learning curve for me!

But gotta start somewhere

Yeah me too. Got mine in January and the job list is getting longer. - new clutch cable is one of them cf_emoticons__BangHead:It's gonna be a long work in progress…….

Does anyone know if these door latches will fit a MK1 Golf GTI Cabriolet?

It is the clutch cable.

Did it start after charging the battery then??

Maniac said

Did it start after charging the battery then??

It did and seems to be ok now…….though I've been too worried to use the electric roof when out and about in fear that it might drain the battery and I'd get stuck out again.

So……. I'm going to be replacing the gasket seals on my cabby roof today (hopefully)!

I'll share pics of the gaskets I bought direct from VW later on, for those who've asked and I'll let you know how I get on with them. I bought four in the end, since leaking appears to be only in front quaters, which set me back £19 FYI.

Sooo…..today the tools came out for the first time, with first job on the list - sorting out the gasket seals on the roof to try and reduce/eliminate the leaks through the handles!

For those who wanted to see the gaskets I purchased from VW, see pic below and I also showed a few of the other essential items I used.





The first task was to remove the screw at the header end and then slowly pull back the rubber seal. Once pulled back, there was a selection of screws holding the bracket in place, with the gasket beneath.



Once the remaining screws were removed, a rather sticky mess was revealed, in obvious need of replacement.





The brackets, once removed, were given a really good clean to remove all of the old sticky residue - note before and after shot below. I used Auto Glym Intensive Tar Remover to clean off the dirt and adhesive and it worked an absolute dream!





With both the removed rails clean, as well as the roof frame, the replacement gaskets were stuck into place and ready to be fixed back to the frame.



Now ready to be fitted, as the first screw started so go in, some silicone sealant was placed around the screw and in the area behind, ready for the rubber seal to butt up into and hopefully close any small gaps. Putting the remaining screws in, all but one at the head end, the rubber seal was ready to go back.
I found the rubber seal a bit tricky to put back at first, but after applying a bit silicone lubricant along the rail and instead of trying to slide the entire thing along the rail, I positioned the seal in place and started to push in from one end, working my way along the rail. As with the start, before putting the final screw on to fix the rubber seal in place, some silicone sealant was put beneath the fixing positon to close any small gaps as the the end of the rubber seal was pushed into place.

I only found time to replace the front seals today, but will probably do the middle set as well in the next day or so.

Nice work Sam   Hopefully you'll be staying dry soon  

good work on the seals bud, i need to change mine but i think i would use stainless screw instead

any chance you still have the part numbers for the seals?

great looking car m8, mine is same colour, helios blue. i had same leaking problem too, i bought a 5m length or neoprene rubber on ebay for £2.50 no more leaks

dik-van-dub said

good work on the seals bud, i need to change mine but i think i would use stainless screw instead

any chance you still have the part numbers for the seals?

Yeah I did try and get some stainless ones first, but I couldn't seem to find any in the right size. Halfords were out of the sizes I needed. Maybe I'll keep an eye out for some…..

The part number is 155/871/431

So……the car lasted two days from a full battery charge and it's struggling to start again

Hasn't gone completely flat yet, but sounds almost there so I've had to put it on charge again tonight. Question is, do we think the battery is knackered and needs replacing, or alternator had it!?

have you taken a voltmeter to battery with the car running
it should read around 13v if the alternator is working

dik-van-dub said

have you taken a voltmeter to battery with the car running
it should read around 13v if the alternator is working

Haven't got one Is it worth getting one du reckon?

Defo buy one Sam - even a cheapish one is worth every penny. You only realise when you've got one. I'm no electrics expert but just knowing where you've got 12V and where you haven't, for example when installing a stereo, is a great bonus!

Hairyarse said

Defo buy one Sam - even a cheapish one is worth every penny. You only realise when you've got one. I'm no electrics expert but just knowing where you've got 12V and where you haven't, for example when installing a stereo, is a great bonus!

Ok, I'll pick one up tomorrow then if I can. Will grab one from Halfrauds.

I've been reading online this evening as well that aftermarket immobilisers can be to blame for battery drain? I've got one of those, so wonder if it's that. Plus it does look like there's some pretty shoddy wiring under the bonnet but I've no idea what I'm really looking at :/

Bit of a laearning curve….

A steep one with electrics, well for me anyway, it's the one aspect of the car that still gives me the jitters!! Lead-loading for the first time, no problem - anything electrical, grrrr    

I'm quite sure it will be your alternator mate, that's typical behavior for when it's on the way out, but hasn't quite got bad enough to trigger the battery light yet. Essentially what's happening is it's kicking out some current still, but not enough to run the car and charge your battery so the car is slowly using the battery up to keep its self running. Eventually it gets to the stage where there's no power left.

Definitely get yourself a cheap multimeter, they are dead handy bits of kit to own.

Ok, so I'd be looking at this part then for my 1991 Cabriolet wouldn't I, if it turns out to be the alternator?

http://www.vwheritage.com/vw_spares_Alternator-90Amp-Mk2-Golf-T25-T4-diesel-068903017PX_act_shop.product_pID_170218.htm

Looks like there are two different amp rate parts…..but guessing one is better than the other?

Is fitting one a difficult job? Bearing in mind I'm a bit of an amateur when it comes to mechanics lol