Clutch and other Servicing Items - Golf Mk3
Discussion
Afternoon All,
My clutch is slipping on my Mk3 Golf and as i'm going on holiday I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a few issues sorted out.
How much am I looking at for a new clutch (fitted) and would it would be a good idea to change the clutch cable at the same time?
I've got a slight oil leak which I haven't been able to trace as I haven't had time to get it up the jack. So i'll be changing the oil + filter at the same time as the clutch. (Hopefully solving the oil leak in the process. (I think its coming from the sump.)
Now the car is taking a long time to get to normal working temp this could be the cold mornings I know but it eventually gets to full working temp then drops back down then goes back up to normal operating temp. Is it worth having the thermostat changed?
I'm going to get the belts changed. (Alternator or fan belt is slipping slightly).
The front brakes are going to get checked (I think one of the front calipers is sticking again).
Basically the car has just been feeling sluggish since the service/mot at xmas and i'm going to take this opportunity + my expected bonus to get it tip top again.
Is there anything else I should do? The car has 113,000 on the clock. The cam belt was done at 60/70k and won't need doing again until 140k+.
I have changed the suspension which isn't ideal (Really regretting not going for slightly more expensive shocks!) but I don't want to muck about changing it all again.
Cheers,
Phill
My clutch is slipping on my Mk3 Golf and as i'm going on holiday I thought it would be a good opportunity to get a few issues sorted out.
How much am I looking at for a new clutch (fitted) and would it would be a good idea to change the clutch cable at the same time?
I've got a slight oil leak which I haven't been able to trace as I haven't had time to get it up the jack. So i'll be changing the oil + filter at the same time as the clutch. (Hopefully solving the oil leak in the process. (I think its coming from the sump.)
Now the car is taking a long time to get to normal working temp this could be the cold mornings I know but it eventually gets to full working temp then drops back down then goes back up to normal operating temp. Is it worth having the thermostat changed?
I'm going to get the belts changed. (Alternator or fan belt is slipping slightly).
The front brakes are going to get checked (I think one of the front calipers is sticking again).
Basically the car has just been feeling sluggish since the service/mot at xmas and i'm going to take this opportunity + my expected bonus to get it tip top again.
Is there anything else I should do? The car has 113,000 on the clock. The cam belt was done at 60/70k and won't need doing again until 140k+.
I have changed the suspension which isn't ideal (Really regretting not going for slightly more expensive shocks!) but I don't want to muck about changing it all again.
Cheers,
Phill
Phil,
You post on my thread, I'll post on yours!
Good questions.
Clutch. Probably looking at around £80 for parts, plus a couple of hundred for labour. Buy some trolley jacks and do it yourself - it's very educational, and will save you money. And isn't hard either.
Shocks, too bad. Could have bought better ones? Possibly. What made did you go for? FWIW, the Boge turbogas items from GSF are excellent, and you probably wouldn't have bettered them unless you had spent 2-3times as much.
Why do you think the oil leak is from the sump? Because it is dripping from there? (Go figure.) If you are taking the gearbox off (to do the clutch) then it makes changing the sump gasket much easier. However, the oil leak could be from any one of a hundred different places. Find a pressure washer and clean the whole engine (avoiding the electrics) and then drive it for a couple of days, and you will see the leaks very easily. In practice, a small leak is often not worth fixing, just keep the oil topped up and watch the level. (Mine uses about 800ml/1000 miles through the stem seals, and I will only change them if it gets any worse.) Also VW rarely make oil-tight engines in my experience ...
Check the belts before changing them. Fit them the other way around - often solves a slippage problem.
Why is the front caliper sticking? This is rare. Rear calipers - yes. Fronts? No.
Temperature? Call me simple, but if it works and doesn't get too hot, leave it as it is.
A bit of advice. You strike me as someone who is very like I used to be. Have an old car, and pay quite alot of money to keep it on the road. Get yourself some simple spanners and a haynes guide and try some things for yourself. It's very educational, saves alot of cash and (if you are like me) very enjoyable. There are few things better on a hot summers day than a good mate, a cold beer, and a car with a (fixable) problem. (Well, actually there are alot of things better than this, but you get the picture!)
Just my $0.02's worth.
Oli.
You post on my thread, I'll post on yours!
Good questions.
Clutch. Probably looking at around £80 for parts, plus a couple of hundred for labour. Buy some trolley jacks and do it yourself - it's very educational, and will save you money. And isn't hard either.
Shocks, too bad. Could have bought better ones? Possibly. What made did you go for? FWIW, the Boge turbogas items from GSF are excellent, and you probably wouldn't have bettered them unless you had spent 2-3times as much.
Why do you think the oil leak is from the sump? Because it is dripping from there? (Go figure.) If you are taking the gearbox off (to do the clutch) then it makes changing the sump gasket much easier. However, the oil leak could be from any one of a hundred different places. Find a pressure washer and clean the whole engine (avoiding the electrics) and then drive it for a couple of days, and you will see the leaks very easily. In practice, a small leak is often not worth fixing, just keep the oil topped up and watch the level. (Mine uses about 800ml/1000 miles through the stem seals, and I will only change them if it gets any worse.) Also VW rarely make oil-tight engines in my experience ...
Check the belts before changing them. Fit them the other way around - often solves a slippage problem.
Why is the front caliper sticking? This is rare. Rear calipers - yes. Fronts? No.
Temperature? Call me simple, but if it works and doesn't get too hot, leave it as it is.
A bit of advice. You strike me as someone who is very like I used to be. Have an old car, and pay quite alot of money to keep it on the road. Get yourself some simple spanners and a haynes guide and try some things for yourself. It's very educational, saves alot of cash and (if you are like me) very enjoyable. There are few things better on a hot summers day than a good mate, a cold beer, and a car with a (fixable) problem. (Well, actually there are alot of things better than this, but you get the picture!)
Just my $0.02's worth.
Oli.
zcacogp said:
Phil,
You post on my thread, I'll post on yours!
Good questions.
No problem!
zcacogp said:
Clutch. Probably looking at around £80 for parts, plus a couple of hundred for labour. Buy some trolley jacks and do it yourself - it's very educational, and will save you money. And isn't hard either.
Sounds like a plan I was very chuffed to change the oil myself! It give me and my car mad neighbour an excuse to crack open some beers at the very least!
zcacogp said:
Shocks, too bad. Could have bought better ones? Possibly. What made did you go for? FWIW, the Boge turbogas items from GSF are excellent, and you probably wouldn't have bettered them unless you had spent 2-3times as much.
I orginally went for the gas GSF shocks for the front but they both leaked within 24hrs so I went 4 of the cheaper ones with a set of their own lowering springs. Its not too bad just sometimes doesn't inspire confidence! Tyre pressures seem to make a big difference to the handling though.
zcacogp said:
Why do you think the oil leak is from the sump?
There was a slight leak from there last time I had it up on the jacks (before the service in Dec)
zcacogp said:
Because it is dripping from there? (Go figure.) If you are taking the gearbox off (to do the clutch) then it makes changing the sump gasket much easier. However, the oil leak could be from any one of a hundred different places. Find a pressure washer and clean the whole engine (avoiding the electrics) and then drive it for a couple of days, and you will see the leaks very easily. In practice, a small leak is often not worth fixing, just keep the oil topped up and watch the level. (Mine uses about 800ml/1000 miles through the stem seals, and I will only change them if it gets any worse.) Also VW rarely make oil-tight engines in my experience ...
Good advice! Cheers!
zcacogp said:
Check the belts before changing them. Fit them the other way around - often solves a slippage problem.
Sounds simple enough for a simpleton like me to do!
zcacogp said:
Why is the front caliper sticking? This is rare. Rear calipers - yes. Fronts? No.
When I had new disks fitted last time one of the calipers had stuck slightly. The car seems to be pulling to the left both when driving normally and when under breaking. Could be the camber on the road but its just pulling slightly too much for my liking.
zcacogp said:
Temperature? Call me simple, but if it works and doesn't get too hot, leave it as it is.
No problem was just wondering if it was an issue in the making.
zcacogp said:
A bit of advice. You strike me as someone who is very like I used to be. Have an old car, and pay quite alot of money to keep it on the road. Get yourself some simple spanners and a haynes guide and try some things for yourself. It's very educational, saves alot of cash and (if you are like me) very enjoyable. There are few things better on a hot summers day than a good mate, a cold beer, and a car with a (fixable) problem. (Well, actually there are alot of things better than this, but you get the picture!)
Just my $0.02's worth.
I do try and do as much as I can (time and weather permitting!) but sometimes I just don't have a free day. (I work Mon-Sat and the girlfriend doesn't like me spending all day working on the car!)
The clutch sounds like an interesting challenge! Quite looking forward to doing that one.
pmanson said:
Sounds like a plan I was very chuffed to change the oil myself! It give me and my car mad neighbour an excuse to crack open some beers at the very least!
Be warned, it's a slippery slope from here ...
pmanson said:
I orginally went for the gas GSF shocks for the front but they both leaked within 24hrs so I went 4 of the cheaper ones with a set of their own lowering springs. Its not too bad just sometimes doesn't inspire confidence! Tyre pressures seem to make a big difference to the handling though.
Gas GSF shocks? Do you know what brand these were? No matter - you don't have 'em any longer anyway. When I had a Mk3 (GTi, which I hated - sorry) I found that it was not only sensitive to tyre pressure, but also to tyre choice. Bridgestone (I think) RE720's on the front really transformed the handling. Pirelli and Michelin's were not a patch on them.
pmanson said:
There was a slight leak from there last time I had it up on the jacks (before the service in Dec)
Fair enough. Sump gaskets are easy to do, there are just quite alot of nuts to turn to get them off!
pmanson said:
When I had new disks fitted last time one of the calipers had stuck slightly. The car seems to be pulling to the left both when driving normally and when under breaking. Could be the camber on the road but its just pulling slightly too much for my liking.
If you have just had your shocks changed, it's almost certain to be the tracking. Unlikely to be the caliper if it happens while driving as well as while braking. Get a 4-wheel alignment done (be warned, it won't be cheap) but this will almost certainly solve your problem. And make the car handle 100% better as well. (Really can transform the car - worth doing anyway.)
Actually, if you ignore all my advice (and I am dishing it out very arrogantly here - sorry) then heed this one point. 4-wheel tracking on a Mk3 is a GOOD THING!
pmanson said:
No problem was just wondering if it was an issue in the making.
Probably is ... but I only tend to worry about things when they go wrong!
pmanson said:
I do try and do as much as I can (time and weather permitting!) but sometimes I just don't have a free day. (I work Mon-Sat and the girlfriend doesn't like me spending all day working on the car!)
The clutch sounds like an interesting challenge! Quite looking forward to doing that one.
I see the time problem. It's a difficult one. If you do the clutch, I am more than happy to offer advice. But it will take a whole day, and possibly more if you are a bit new to it all. But relax - the first job I ever really did to a car was an engine conversion - baptism of fire!
Carry on dubbing.
(again) Oli.
>> Edited by zcacogp on Monday 7th March 23:24
Well the clutch has lasted nearly another year without me changing it but it is slowly gettig worse. i'm going to wait until it totally gives up on me! (Starting to save some pennies!)
Since i've changed to the slightly wider wheels the handlings been ok not brilliant but ok. (tyre pressures do make a difference!)
So far so good!
Going to be a difficult car to replace later on this year!
Since i've changed to the slightly wider wheels the handlings been ok not brilliant but ok. (tyre pressures do make a difference!)
So far so good!
Going to be a difficult car to replace later on this year!
I had my clutch changed last month. It was about £280 inclusive of VAT from an independent.
Clutch cables are about £15 from GSF and exactly the same as the £40 item you buy from the main dealer.
MK3s tend to get a bit leaky after a while. Sump and rocker cover gaskets are cheap and easy to change. Also, check that the leak is not from the oil pressure switch in the vicinity of the oil filter. Failing any of these it could be crankshaft seals either end. These are a pain to change.
In terms of service items, it's worth changing your distributor cap, rotor arm and HT leads. Again all very cheap from GSF.
Clutch cables are about £15 from GSF and exactly the same as the £40 item you buy from the main dealer.
MK3s tend to get a bit leaky after a while. Sump and rocker cover gaskets are cheap and easy to change. Also, check that the leak is not from the oil pressure switch in the vicinity of the oil filter. Failing any of these it could be crankshaft seals either end. These are a pain to change.
In terms of service items, it's worth changing your distributor cap, rotor arm and HT leads. Again all very cheap from GSF.
Pickled Piper said:
In terms of service items, it's worth changing your distributor cap, rotor arm and HT leads. Again all very cheap from GSF.
Agreed - you will be changing these quite often - along with the lambda sensor to stop very poor idling when cold. Mine is doing 20,000 miles a year (with 140,000 on the clock) and needs all of these about every 18 months.
The independent garage that I know and trust also says that leaving the cam belt for 60,000 is brave. I tend to change mine every 40,000 and have seen signs of distress on the tensioner after this period. Mind you, when I use mine, it is at fast "motorway cruising" speed so it spend hours at ~4500 rpm...
Electrics fail after a while too - I have just needed the wiring to the injector renewing and the electric windows have been dodgy for a while. Sunroof packed up 3 years ago - but then what do you expect for a well used 15 year old car?
Good luck - they are good cars for hammering up and down the motorway and mine still gives over 35mpg despite being driven like I stole it!
Glen
As you can see on my profile its well looked after.
I had the cambelt changed recently when the crankshaft seal went.
Going to give it a full service at Easter when i'm back from uni. I've done 30k nearly trouble free miles with it in 19months.
Looking out the window at it now shows it needs a wash though
I had the cambelt changed recently when the crankshaft seal went.
Going to give it a full service at Easter when i'm back from uni. I've done 30k nearly trouble free miles with it in 19months.
Looking out the window at it now shows it needs a wash though
zcacogp said:
Phil,
FWIW, the Boge turbogas items from GSF are excellent, and you probably wouldn't have bettered them unless you had spent 2-3times as much.
I agree that the TurboGas are a worthwhile improvement but the ride quality does suffer considerably with them fitted. I've got some on a Scirocco and wish I'd have bought the equivalently priced Bilsteins now.
FWIW I put a set of Koni's on my 82 Scirocco, (Mk II) the only thing I didn't much like is that I had to guess on how to adjust them, these are the ones you have to remove from the car to adjust. I put both front and rear on 2 out of 5 turns, and am pleased with the ride and improved control.
I wouldn't suggest going beyond maybe 3 to 4 turns unless you stay on very smooth roads and/or really have no concern about a very firm and maybe even harsh ride.
BTW this car burnt about a quart of Mobil 1 every 800 miles due to "bogus" valve guide seals installed by the PO in an otherwise competent rebuild. I replaced these seals when I burnt a valve (another story) and now it uses less than a quart in 7000 miles. It's possible to change the valve seals with the head still attached to the block but this requires special tools, I have never done it.
I wouldn't suggest going beyond maybe 3 to 4 turns unless you stay on very smooth roads and/or really have no concern about a very firm and maybe even harsh ride.
BTW this car burnt about a quart of Mobil 1 every 800 miles due to "bogus" valve guide seals installed by the PO in an otherwise competent rebuild. I replaced these seals when I burnt a valve (another story) and now it uses less than a quart in 7000 miles. It's possible to change the valve seals with the head still attached to the block but this requires special tools, I have never done it.
Pickled Piper said:
In terms of service items, it's worth changing your distributor cap, rotor arm and HT leads. Again all very cheap from GSF.
Just finished changing these!
I've got a long drive tommorrow so checked the oil earlier, thought i'd have a quick look at the spark plugs while I was at it and found the HT lead to cylinder 1 had pretty much broken down. (was just slotted into the end of the lead that goes into the plug (it still drove)
Nipped over to GSF and grabbed all the bits I needed to do the service apart the oil.
So far i've fitted:
New distributor cap
Rotor arm
HT leads
To be fitted:
New spark plugs
Oil filter
New Oil
Coolant change.
Started first time and seemed to be running slightly smoother (placebo effect??). Should get around to fitting the rest of the bits on Saturday.
my clutch just suddenly went, i suspected it was the release fork, as this had happened before about 40k / 5 years ago).
it was!!
so i've just had to have a new clutch/shaft/lever/cable etc. etc.
£460!!! at an independent
the worse part of all was the cable £57 + vat and that wasn't even from VW!!!!!! boy was i not happy!!!
it was!!
so i've just had to have a new clutch/shaft/lever/cable etc. etc.
£460!!! at an independent
the worse part of all was the cable £57 + vat and that wasn't even from VW!!!!!! boy was i not happy!!!
hornetcarp said:
the worse part of all was the cable £57 + vat and that wasn't even from VW!!!!!! boy was i not happy!!!
That's interesting. I bought a genuine VW cable from GSF for about £20 + VAT. I know it's genuine because I checked it against the cable that I removed. This was bought from a VW maindealer a few year earlier for about £40+ VAT. All of the embossed part numbers and markings were identical.
pp
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