"Leon711" (leon711)
08/27/2016 at 14:30 • Filed to: VW Fail
1
8|
"Leon711" (leon711)
08/27/2016 at 14:30 • Filed to: VW Fail | 1
| 8 |
I decided to replace my non functioning centre brake light this morning and boy was it daunting and annoying.
VW in their infinite wisdom held the brake light in with clips and two retaining screws, which are on the inside of the spoiler. Meaning you can’t get it put without taking the bonded spoiler off. Unless you take an alternative route.
First up was smashing the lense with a hammer and punch (I was terrified that I’d smash the window or ruin the paint)
Once I removed the red lense I had to break the mountings using a trim tool, again worried I’d damage the spoiler. Pressing on regardless I got it out.
Them I had to pull at that cable real hard to pull the retaining grommet out with it, hoping I didn’t rip the cable clean out. So far, so good. I plugged the new light in, got the new grommet re-seated correctly. Started to push the cable in so I could work out how to keep the new light in place. Then I spotted a mistake, the cable on the new light was not in the same place as the original, the cable went through the semicircular hike not the square hole. I’d made a mistake.
I thought little of it and proceeded to pull at the cable again, then it happened, it ripped clean off the connector. I was real annoyed at this point, I then realised I could have cut away the section between the holes and made a slot and avoided this.
After removing the grommet I couldn’t get the connector out of the hole in the bootlid, I took my trusty punch, stuck some tape over end a spent 20 minutes trying to get it out. I then cut the aforementioned slot and put tape over a second punch and pulled it put to remove the connector that had come from the light.
I had to figure out how I would get a functioning light again, I couldn’t crimp it, it would make the connector too fragile. I couldn’t solder the connector easily because I’d melt the plastic connector. So back in I go, call my local dealership, £54 and not available until Tuesday. That won’t work. In the end, I cut the cable further down on the old light and soldered them together to make one good one. It slipped in nicely and with a firm push the light clicked into its tab and it seems to be rock solid.
Moral of the story, if you come across a problem, take a step back think about every eventuality before rushing into something and having to make it work. Thanks oppo, I needed to vent.
they-will-know-my-velocity
> Leon711
08/27/2016 at 14:48 |
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I’m reminded of a metal coolant line going into the block on the 2.0 in the MK4 Jettas. We needed to replace it and we found the exact same line on a junked vehicle. 3 hours of finagling and it leaked horribly. Turns out that pipe is subtly (still not sure how, I leave that to my VW addict friend to know) different and we had to get a certain range of engine serial numbers WITHIN the right year model cars, all with 2.0L engines.
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Leon711
> they-will-know-my-velocity
08/27/2016 at 14:54 |
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Reminds me of my ‘00 Polo, they only made that one from 00-02 and even though it was a facelift, hardly anything fitted from the previous model which made getting parts difficult.
boxrocket
> Leon711
08/27/2016 at 16:05 |
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The headline describes most work on European cars.
duurtlang
> boxrocket
08/27/2016 at 16:09 |
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Meh. Haven’t any of this on my Peugeots. Yet.
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Leon711
> boxrocket
08/27/2016 at 17:19 |
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das racist yo, most things are fine, just this is GTI specific and was fixed on later versions, mine is a very early model.
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boxrocket
> Leon711
08/27/2016 at 18:11 |
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I was going to say German, but then I remembered Spain, Italy, England, and, to a lesser extent, Sweden
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Leon711
> boxrocket
08/27/2016 at 18:29 |
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but no France?
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boxrocket
> Leon711
08/27/2016 at 19:34 |
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Everyone expects French cars to be, uh, “quirky”.