The best part of this video is seeing that a professional mechanic still runs into the same issues that I do in my home garage: frozen fasteners, snapped bolts, forgetting to put the heat shield back on. It's nice to see those moments and not have them edited out, it shows we're all human and stuff happens.
@@HumbleMechanic hi mate completely unrelated to this video but I have a question about the vr6 turbo build u did any chance we could chat about it as I am doing the same with my mk4 v6 4 motion, cheers
32:30 For those of you that are lost here, Paul cut open a tube of blue thread locker without opening it first in another video, thus cutting the cap and it was not re-sealable.
I'm an independent VAG mechanic in the UK, though I specialise in 1990's Audis in particular quattro models and five cylinder cars. I'm also very lucky to have an RS2 in my collection along with a couple of more mundane quattros. Anyway, love you videos, well edited with no loud music and annoying jump cuts. Just good sound advice from a likeable chap who obviously knows his stuff. I'm worryingly close to 50 years old and have been in the trade for well over 25 years yet I still normally pick up a tip or two from your videos regarding working on post 2000 VW's. I've owned a Corrado VR6 with the superior 2.9 12V lump and loved the car, I've still got a very early G60 from 1989 which remains stock. I don't like pushing those engine's anymore than VW intended. Sure she's not as rapid as the 2.9 but is much lighter on the nose and I prefer the handling, it does however lack the lovely VR6 growl. If I want to go fast my RS2 is pushing 400bhp so my Corrado gets an easy life.
bro, i didn't even realize it, but how right are you. jesus how annoying is most of the music in other videos? this video was about as relaxing as npr. no bs, just good commentary and visuals
The effort you went through to fix the head unit (and then some) was absolutely mega. There's not many mechanics out there that would go to such lengths. 🤙
Being from the rust belt area and seeing you struggle with the little bit of rust was probably my favorite parts of the video. I'm glad to see that the VW community still has a huge heart.
Ive been stranded with all 3 bolts of that transmissionmount sheared (28:09) I got home with a ratchet strap around the transmission and the mount. Had the bolts repaired, but kept the ratchet strap as a failsafe lol. I love the Golf MK4
Couldn't agree more about the locking wheel key. Best advice for the general motorist taking their car for service. Cupholder or on the front seat is perfect.
Charles, I work at a chemical factorie build in "72, beleve me, we have rusted bolts! And break them all the time... But I have learned something from an old scool mechanic. Put some manual torque on a rusted bolt, and hamer the boult the same time. The idea is to gently crack the corrosion loose and make it turn into dust by every hit. Takes time and patiance, but this mechanic did manige to get loose 90% of what we offerd him. On the jobs you know it will be a nightmare to get a broken boult loose, maybe try it next time. Remember, it takes some time and patiance, mabey even 10/15 min of tapping/hamering. But way less time then to take care of broken bolt.
as a mk4 r32 owner this video is super helpful and taught me things i never new like the 3 flash blinker relay wow now i just gotta source all these parts in the uk
Yes. Please do a sunroof dIY. My Mk6 TDI’s sunroof has a ton of wind noise at highway speed. So, making sure it’s properly adjusted and a new seal should do the trick!
There’s a old guy down the street from me that has one of these in the same color with what sounds like a sequential gearbox, I can even see the gear indicator screen mounted on the dash. Love hearing that thing on the odd occasion that he takes it for a spin.
the glovebox is held in by 6 screws :D i had mine being held on two so i fixed the broken mounts with epoxy, still haven't installed it as i'll be doing the blend door fix as well.
@@jonytube the handle could be gone but you would never know until you take off the glovebox 😀 if it rattles like there is something inside... One of the pins that hold the handle in it's place fell out or the plastic holes for it are broken, it's a pain in the ass getting it out but it's possible, i did it twice now
I don’t even own a mk4 but watched the whole video. Charles is the man. I’m a longtime VAG owner dating back to the mk4 (including a mk5 rabbit, mk6 Jetta sportwagen tdi, and currently a mk7 golf) and have had my share of pain and nostalgia when seeing these old cars. Man I miss that indigo backlight from my b5.5 Passat.
I am so happy to see all these R32’s being worked on and saved from falling into disrepair. Charles you are a treasure to the VW community. If I ever get an R32 I can only hope that you could help me maintain and upgrade it!
My 2.8 24v was notorious for eating coils for some reason. Always had a couple in the glove box and got to be a master of pulling those coils in a parking lot 😂
The phrases you use when talking to the car never gets old 😂 all the same stuff us Driveway mechanics yell and say haha “you better stop being stupid” and “that bolt got sad” are heavy favorites Man, with your level of care and respect for the VW you work on, I wish so bad I could have you go bumper to bumper and do the work on my ‘14 Tiguan R project, but I’m all the way in Fort Worth, Tx 😩 Great video as always man, and hopefully get to see your cars next year at one of the shows up north. stay awesome! 🙌🏼
I really like repair videos where someone is recording the ways how to fix it when it totally broken...just as you fight with those bolts...I like when someone show us solution because when it goes easy way its not normal :) I have this problems daily
My 2001 GTI 1.8t has a lot of these problems. Original suspension bushings, clutch, turbo, fuel pump, etc. At 210K miles, I am into run it until it's dust. I am the original owner. I have a great shop I can count on, but thanks to you I can see the cubic dollars it would take to get back that original feel to the car. Even though MKVII GTI might be a better car, the MKIV is the next step to new from old GTI. Not dissimilar from 993 to 996 Porsche. a good first step. Besides, I like the tippy handling that that the torsion bar at the rear makes when pressed. Thanks for a great tutorial.
So nice to see a video about repair/maintenance/upgrades on a MK4. The MK4 tend to be neglected lately. I have a MK4 GTI 132KW. Also done a crapload of repair/maintenance on mine over the 10 years since i bought mine.
You can pull all of the lower dash covered in soft touch, warm soapy water and a green scotch brite, scrub it off, then use a semi gloss interior plastic enamel to spray it all, and have a nearly forever good looking dash without the smell(let it dry for 24 hours or more in a well ventilated area) of crayons, etc. Thank you for removing that cold water sucking device lol, did sooo many engines because of those over time. Every 20k or 2 years for brake fluid per VW btw, may as well bleed clutch as it shares the fluid.
Charles, here in Canada, WD-40, we call it water. I think you would break less bolts using some Zepreserve NC or some similar stuff, anyways, as always, great video.
This is such a valuable video for people that are driving, maintaining, and repairing older vehicles. You went through a lot of the wear and tear items that will eventually needs to be replaced on any car.
And this video is a great example of why I'd never work this job anywhere they salt the roads. This car is relatively light on rust given its location, and it still gave you a lot of trouble. It's lucky you had enough spare parts on hand to keep going. I really hope we're working on substitutes to road salt that are cheap and don't turn people's cars to dust. Better yet, if the average price of a new car sold today is around $47K, it would be nice to see better corrosion prevention measures being taken.
I try to keep in mind when I drive on salted roads how hard it'll be to work on later. I bought a pressure washer attachment on wheels. Once I'm done driving I spray my undercarriage quite well to avoid rust.
This car was definitely was living in a rust belt state. Here in PA we deal with seized and broken bolts all the time. The next time, you install any hardware that may have problems like a lot of these bolts did, cover the threads with anti-seize, before replacement.. The next removal will not be a problem.
Charles love your videos. The first gear getter bushing put it in the other way with the large side between the ball and bar and it will never back out because it can't. No need for super glue. 5:30
It looks so nice topside, and so crusty underneath! Mid-west car? dubs sure seem to rust more than average. For the ball joints, whack the ball joint from two sides with two hammers.... often works first whack or two.
Another great vid Charles! Would love to see how you go about swapping the keylock for the glovebox. The way VW suggest in the manual is near impossible without damaging the handle.
another good tool to use for the coil packs on a vr6 is a paint can opener. hooks right on the pull tab and makes it super easy to pull them out without breaking the clips.
I hated pulling the center console in my mk4 GTI...literally broke every stinking hidden tab (why do there have to be hidden tabs 😡)..... it's good right after fixing it Charles....it's a month or 2 after fixing it when you need to start worrying about it (the fix) again. car is now more unicorn 🦄 status than ever..... 🏁
Any plans for anymore update videos on the Audi TT you guys bought a while back? Watching you rebuild the engine was awesome. I was hoping to see the actual install and how you handled running new piping for the turbo and all that.
Yes please on the sunroof video! The sunroof on my MK6 GTI “skitters” when closing from the vent position once the outside temperature is above about 50 degrees, which is obviously when I use it the most.
this was a great look at pm for the vw - experience plays a major role here - reps...and heat pay off in spades - thanks for the exhaustive and in depth coverage - years of experience and techniques distilled down in a humble (and sometimes sad) way - great content- keep fixing stuff!
I love watching your channel because I tell my friends I won't work on VW's anymore. You make these things seem fun... even though we all know how frustrating it can be. Well done!
Great video as always! Even though im not mechanically inclined, your videos are very entertaining and informative. Thanks Charles. Really loving the engine swap on Paul's channel too!
I don't think there is a video of yours that I haven't watched since I discovered your channel a couple of years back. You are always straight to the point and make watching your channel interesting. You explain stuff well enough for any car enthusiast or DIYer to understand. Something to look forward to. However, whenever you're with your friend Paul from ShopDAP, it's a different story... I honestly think the not-so-funny attempts by Paul to be funny is what's killing the vibe. My opinion anyway. Great job Charles.
Paul is super smart! I cant tell if he's just having fun or trying to hard but seems like overkill. Who knows, as long as you guys are havin fun! I love the content
We forgive you for forgetting to link the videos. The only problem is when I go to look for it I hit a rabbit hole and watch your other vids. 200 iq move Charles. Touchay
Charles, another fantastic video, so lucky to get your hands dirty on such a dying breed, god bless the VR6's👍, why VW can't reproduce a modern version is beyond me, though it would probably be muffled to death😤 Keep up the good work my friend 🎉
@@HumbleMechanic I know in principle but when an engine has such a following. and sounds sooooo good...... Charles, you're an absolute gentleman taking the time time to reply to messages, thank you. I always love watching your videos, and Paul adds that crazy twist.
I still think the Mk. 4 and Mk. 5 Golf R32 are some of my favorite cars, because you get AWD and a really cool VR6 engine. Unfortunately, that engine does take up a bit more space, so you'd struggle to find room for any aftermarket power adders like a turbo. It can be done, but then the engine bay ends up practically water-tight due to everything being so close together. But even in the NA stock configuration it's a fun car. And the blue is a great color. Just be prepared to need to use an adhesive remover to strip all of the soft-touch plastic off of the interior panels so you can re-spray them with ceracoat for a durable satin finish. I had a bog standard Mk. 4 Golf and I so wish that I'd been in a position to just gut the interior, remove the soft-touch plastic coating from every surface and respray them, and reupholster the columns, door cards, and headliner with alcantara or some other durable foam-backed upholstery fabric. The problem with the Mk. 4 Golf (and a lot of other VW group cars from that time) is that the foam backing for the fabrics was kind of garbage, so the foam weakens, the adhesive loosens, and you end up with saggy fabric coverings that make the car feel particularly old and gross. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that FWD is an inadequate drive type for a shoebox on wheels and my Golf ended up spinning several times on the highway before ending up resting against a tree at the bottom of an embankment. I wonder if there's any way for forcibly lock the central diff into an active state so you have full-time AWD?
Common MK4 issues may include 4motion/Quattro/4/4x4 haldex oil and filter lack of maintenance, gearbox oil and rear differential oil never changed or checked the level. And strut top mounts. 034 makes the black ones with harder shore like the Seat Leon Cupra R ones or there are polyurethane made so you don't need to hear a bang everytime you hit a pot hole with only one wheel...
Great content. Noticed that the brake booster valve has a crack in it. Brittle plastic tubes. I found that after many mechanics missed mine and was causing a vac leak throwing a p0171 code.
I am trying to convince my friend to go with me this upcoming year to Wookies. I got my mk7.5 last december and unfortunately couldnt get off of work to go for 2023. this year, however, will be different
I've had that same radio sitting in my attic for over 10 years. Monsoon, CD, cassette, and some minor dings at the edges of the bezel, and of course sticky knobs.
