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General Information => General => Topic started by: DieselBalz on August 27, 2011, 08:40:58 am

Title: Character
Post by: DieselBalz on August 27, 2011, 08:40:58 am
I love that these cars have character. Outside of the boxy goodness, in and up for reverse type stuff, the individual quirks that your car develops.
I thought it would be cool to have a thread dedicated to such unique abnormalities. I am also curious to see if any of us share some of the same ones.

I'll start
1. After I start the car, the battery dummy light glows red untill I give the throttle a little blip.

2. When ever My FR tire goes over a speed bump sized bump, the radio cuts off for a second. I've checked all connections, jiggled relay panels and fuse boxes around, the wires behind the radio have all been securely connected, and Ive even jostled those around to see if something back there is loose, nothin.

3. In moderate rain, even if I just adjusted the alternator tensioner pulley, the belt will slip, but only if I am running the AC. Ill be cruising along, than suddenly the battery light comes on and my tach drops to zero until I shut the AC off.
Title: Re: Character
Post by: ORCoaster on August 27, 2011, 08:46:59 am
The sound of the engine clacking away at idle that builds just a little until I shift to second then coast downhill, pure silence and a purr.
Title: Re: Character
Post by: CRSMP5 on August 27, 2011, 08:52:31 am
all vw has alt light...  ;D

try a wider ac belt..

radio.. check your speaker wires.. if it grounds to chassis it will do that... like wire is chaffed in 1 spot.. id guess rear right..

character... LOL..

the evil looks i receive when out tooling round in my 81 coupe..

the giggly girls giving thumbs up when out in the toaster..

my b3 wagon gets me harrassed by local piggies.. which is odd cause of all my stuff it is most normal looking.. but ive scored more coupons in it then all the rest..

as far as odd things they do.. nada.. well besides the alt light.. LOL..

Title: Re: Character
Post by: R.O.R-2.0 on August 27, 2011, 11:52:04 am
I love that these cars have character. Outside of the boxy goodness, in and up for reverse type stuff, the individual quirks that your car develops.
I thought it would be cool to have a thread dedicated to such unique abnormalities. I am also curious to see if any of us share some of the same ones.

I'll start
1. After I start the car, the battery dummy light glows red untill I give the throttle a little blip.

2. When ever My FR tire goes over a speed bump sized bump, the radio cuts off for a second. I've checked all connections, jiggled relay panels and fuse boxes around, the wires behind the radio have all been securely connected, and Ive even jostled those around to see if something back there is loose, nothin.

3. In moderate rain, even if I just adjusted the alternator tensioner pulley, the belt will slip, but only if I am running the AC. Ill be cruising along, than suddenly the battery light comes on and my tach drops to zero until I shut the AC off.


most REAL cars have reverse in that spot.. lots of cars from the 60s and 70s were like that.

radio shuts off for a second? does it have a removable face? where is it grounded to? where does it get main power and accy power from?
Title: Re: Character
Post by: DieselBalz on August 27, 2011, 04:59:02 pm
I used the factory harness with an adapter made for a mk2. I did notice it happens now more since I ut the sub and amp in. I have the amp grounded to that screw that I believe the rear lights are grounded to. Proper gauge wiring was used and all connections are tight.
Title: Re: Character
Post by: maxfax on August 27, 2011, 10:14:21 pm
I dunno if there are enough characters to list all the quirks in one post.. Of course most of my quirks are due to the simple fact that everything is shot and I never get around to fixing things..  But the alt light, yes all of em except the one with the GM alternator...  Well let's see here,

Driver window pops out of it's holder, sometimes falls down in the door, usually when there is an impending rain storm...

Engine block is cracked, welded, cracked again so I have to siphon the oil out of the coolant reservoir every few days..  Now the gasket is leaking oil and water externally so I gotta top fluids a lot...

Shifter bushings are crap, very specific combination of movements will get you though the gears

It leaks when it rains, everywhere... It was easier just to drill holes in the floor than fix the leaks..

Struts are crap, pot holes and other abnormalities in the road are a blast at speeds over 50...  Bearings in the front strut mounts??  HAHAHHAHAH

Every time I actually spend and put new tires on it, something happens to one of them..  Been running a lumpy bald spare forever..  I do have another lumpy bald spare in the car, but the jack is probably rusted beyond use from the leaks...

The heater fan always has crap from the maple trees in it..  When the chunks aren;t blowing out the vents at me they sound real bad a$$ed...

The seats don't move..  Nor do they need to..

Upper steering column bearing rattles like a mofo..

Driver exterior door handle, yeah there's a trick to that..

Radio - That works!! But the exhaust still seems to win...






Title: Re: Character
Post by: R.O.R-2.0 on August 28, 2011, 11:11:22 am
I used the factory harness with an adapter made for a mk2. I did notice it happens now more since I ut the sub and amp in. I have the amp grounded to that screw that I believe the rear lights are grounded to. Proper gauge wiring was used and all connections are tight.

i would be suspecting a bad ground, or a malfunctioning deck..
Title: Re: Character
Post by: veector on August 29, 2011, 04:16:22 am
when i take off after a morning start she loves to lay coals down my entire driveway ;D
Title: Re: Character
Post by: R.O.R-2.0 on August 29, 2011, 10:18:28 am
when i take off after a morning start she loves to lay coals down my entire driveway ;D

diesels lay lots of coals when they are cold.. way more than when they are up to temp.
Title: Re: Character
Post by: DieselBalz on August 29, 2011, 02:49:11 pm
That reminds me, it also likes to mark its territory. Thanks to the turn down I installed, there is a nice little black patch in my driveway and parking spot at work.  ;D
Title: Re: Character
Post by: R.O.R-2.0 on August 29, 2011, 04:37:28 pm
mine marks its territory by the drippy road draft tube.. it drips maybe one drip a day..
Title: Re: Character
Post by: 745 turbogreasel on August 29, 2011, 08:44:15 pm
I'm outa gas till I give the dash a smack.
Title: Re: Character
Post by: R.O.R-2.0 on August 30, 2011, 11:21:13 am
I'm outa gas till I give the dash a smack.

should quit putting gas in your car  ;)
Title: Re: Character
Post by: wdkingery on August 30, 2011, 06:28:57 pm
I've got a speaker that comes and goes..
Sometimes my Idle goes so low the whole car shakes BAD
My speedo gets to wigglin sometomes
My gears also require yo. To hold yer tongue right
I carry 2 radiators worth of antifreeze, one oil change and 2 batteries everywhere I go
My backseat is essentially a tpolbox
My seats don't move, the driver's even comes loose on tight corners!
My headlights make my fuel mileage seem better till I turn them off :)
Title: Re: Character
Post by: R.O.R-2.0 on August 30, 2011, 07:16:37 pm
I've got a speaker that comes and goes..  easy to fix..
Sometimes my Idle goes so low the whole car shakes BAD  sounds like an air leak somewhere.
My speedo gets to wigglin sometomes
My gears also require yo. To hold yer tongue right  easy fix, rebuild the shifter
I carry 2 radiators worth of antifreeze, one oil change and 2 batteries everywhere I go  why? thats a bit excessive..
My backseat is essentially a tpolbox
My seats don't move, the driver's even comes loose on tight corners!   easy to rebuild the seat sliders..
My headlights make my fuel mileage seem better till I turn them off :)   quite impossible.. the headlights put load on the alternator, and load on the engine.
Title: Re: Character
Post by: 8v-of-fury on August 31, 2011, 05:54:24 pm
I dunno guys, my car doesn't have any quirks. Other than a manual glowplug setup, and a solid shimmed governor.. Its a completely normal acting 84 Jetta. In every aspect.
Title: Re: Character
Post by: 8v-of-fury on August 31, 2011, 05:56:48 pm
Well except that I have a lot of things switched.. The gp's, the stereo, I can turn the amp and subs off if I want to sit for hours and listen to tunes, rad fan is switched, and a 3 plug cigarette lighter under the dash is a switched power too.

But those aren't quirks or quorks, those are modifications I have done to suit me, not necessarily because the original wiring was broken either... Lol
Title: Re: Character
Post by: R.O.R-2.0 on August 31, 2011, 06:04:16 pm
Well except that I have a lot of things switched.. The gp's, the stereo, I can turn the amp and subs off if I want to sit for hours and listen to tunes, rad fan is switched, and a 3 plug cigarette lighter under the dash is a switched power too.

But those aren't quirks or quorks, those are modifications I have done to suit me, not necessarily because the original wiring was broken either... Lol

i am a fan of manual plugs..

the stereo, i have it so you have to turn it on with a switch, instead of the key. i just used one of the blank spots beside the stereo/hvac and put a rocker switch in one of the holes.. and i have had my sub amp on a switch before also, and honestly, i need to do it again.. batteries start to get weak after an hour or so..

the fan, i dont mind a manual switch, ALONG with the automatic switch on the radiator.. i had it full manual on my old rabbit, and it worked good, until you forgot to turn it on!

i also have a 3 gang cig lighter, but its inside my glove box, hidden away from view, and all the excess cord from my accessories also hides in there..
Title: Re: Character
Post by: maxfax on August 31, 2011, 09:09:05 pm
My headlights make my fuel mileage seem better till I turn them off :)   quite impossible.. the headlights put load on the alternator, and load on the engine.

Seem is the operative word..   ;D  My fuel gauges goes up a bar, temp gauge goes down a bar with the lights on...