Goodbye Vauxhall (sort of), well hello Audi S3

[Harvey]

The other month the Amarok TPMS light came on and I noted this screw where it shouldn’t be.

So promptly went to my local friendly tyre shop and got it sorted for pennies with a plug. I’m probably going to replace the rubber on the truck this year with new so happy it could get repaired.

Went over to my mates to assist with engine removal from his Nova as it’s a 100-a-day smoker and was still as bad after a head refresh. Our initial suspicions were bottom end but the head was ready for a freshen up so that got sorted first, slapped together for a few more track day jollies and now time for the bottom end.

Head removal which made the tight bay a little less tight.

Block and box split and stuff everywhere. We suspect it was the piston oil rings but noticed the block had a bit too much piston slap so he’s got another block and new pistons being outsourced for a bottom end refresh as we don’t have time to tickle it ourselves.

A recent holibobs over to Llandudno in the truck lead to some extreme parking!

Walked the Great Orme and then decided to drive it the following afternoon as the weather was amazing.

On the way back I thought I’d pop into MWP for a nosey at what they had in.

Had a chat with Mike in sales and a poke around. The 3x Maloos were lovely and if you’re in shopping mood why not buy an ultra-rare and mint 2019 VXR8 GTS-R for £89,995 mwhahaha

 

[Harvey]

The VXR8 front bumper had a very noticeable paint lift next to the top right grill so I took the decision to take it to my local paint shop who does smart repairs. Bumper removed along with grill inserts.

Difficult to picture but this looked nasty.

I wasn’t initially going to but decided the satin black lower center panel wasn’t looking great so opted to have that painted while it was away getting spruced up.

Left it like this looking very mean.

It’s a huge front bumper so I was very relieved when it just squeezed into the back of my truck for dropping at the paint shop.

I decided to remove the Walkinshaw shark fin aerial as it’s not exactly my thing and had been rattle can painted with no lacquer so popped it in with the bumper for a waft over. Fortunately, the OE aerial base was in fine fettle so I’ve sourced a mast and it’s back to stock for now.

While the front bumper was away I sourced new stainless top side fittings and bzp lower to replace the crusty removed items.

As the headlights and front fogs/driving lamps were removed it was primetime to replace all bulbs with Xenon cool white from a seller I’ve used previously on eBay Argo City LTD. Kept to OE bulb wattage but it should bring the car up to a more modern look and improve visibility a smidge at night.

As the front fogs/driving lamps were removed it would be rude not to get the brackets refurbed so they got carefully stripped and sent to my local powder coaters.

Next job replace the weak and original boot and bonnet gas struts/springs or whatever you want to call them. A bit of research in the Magneti Marelli catalogue and I ordered the following which are the exact spec required for the VXR8, fitted perfectly and work wonderfully.

Part no.GS0169 which are for a BMW 3 Series E36 1990-99 tailgate without rear wiper, used for VXR8 boot

Part no.GS0158 which are for a Lancia Y11 1995> tailgate, used for VXR8 bonnet

I noticed the PAS reservoir always look a horrible colour on the VXR8 so sourced a brand new replacement which looks way way better.

With the front bumper still in rehab it gave me the opportunity to inspect the air filter which wasn’t looking great condition. It had been washed/cleaned/reoiled a few times in the past from the service history but I bought a new exact replacement K&N which I traced to part no.RU-1008. It’s a huge filter which the pics don’t really show.

Next up refit the freshly polished headlights and the new air filter.

I then had a call to say the bumper was ready so popped and collected it. Huge thanks to Ben as Fleets Ahead a sterling job as always.

Also collected the front fogs/driving lamp brackets after a lovely powered coating job by Morton Industrial Coatings.

All rebuilt using stainless steel fittings where I could including the bumper fixing screws.

 

[Harvey]

When I purchased the VXR8 the first thing I noticed was the supplied keys were looking very tired so I popped onto Aliexpress and a short time later found this seller click me offering replacement keys along with a cutting service. I took a punt and they arrived a couple of weeks later being OE quality and the key blade fitted all vehicle locks perfectly. I had tried ordering flip keys from another seller but they supplied incorrect non-flip version and gave me a full refund. The VXR8 uses GM45 key blades where Vauxhall UK use HU43 so sourcing from UK suppliers is tricky but possible and can prove expensive.

Lots of keys and time to get circuit boards and immobiliser chips swapped over.

Carefully split old keys and found the battery to be a CR1220 but was expecting a CR2032 so think the boards might have been replaced in the past.

The new keys ready to receive the remote board from the old keys.

Next up swap the immobiliser chip which is housed in the flip part of the key and requires very careful removal or you’ll need to get a new blank programmed.

Chip inserted in the new key and all done with old on left in the bags and new on right.

Wifey got me a funk keyring for Christmas but I have to say the keys are really confused “Am I a Holden or Vauxhall…no wait I’m a HSV…oh heck”.

Thanks to the wonderful world of the interweb I’ve since sourced some lovely HSV gel coat key badges but not got round to installing them.

The wife had mentioned about seatbelt pads so I sourced a full set off Aliexpress as a stocking filler for her. As with the keys the interior is also confused, HSV or VXR8 now it’s both!

Got hold of a spare front driving lamp as they are prone to stone chips and one of mine is starting to blemish on the inner chrome reflector so stashed this away for a rainy day.

Sitting in the drivers seat you could feel the seat base r/h bolster was a tad saggy along with the centre armrest padding which had an obvious elbow dent. Seat and armrest cover removed.

I contacted Steve at Classic Car Services enquiring about a repair to which he said “No problem” so I dropped them with him. He kindly sent me these action pics.

All done and back in the car.

 

[Harvey]

While sourcing VXR8 parts I decided to continue with the HSV exterior themed rebadge already running on the car and as per the VXR8 equivalent at the time, the Australian 2007 HSV Clubsport R8. My plan was to remove the V8 lower front wing badge and replace. My initial purchase was metal Chinesium (top two) but I managed to find ABS plastic (bottom two).

OE “V8” front lower wing badge on the VXR8 being the only one not replaced thus far.

Freshly installed HSV with the continued nod towards its Aussy roots.

During my inspections I noted the RH front drop link boots were looking sad so removed it for closer inspection and found the ball joints in perfect condition so measured up and replaced both boots.

Also found a split boot on the LH TRE and again the ball joint was perfect so dug out a universal boot from my stock.

 

[Harvey]

As part of the Walkinshaw performance package my VXR8 got back in 2008 a Wortec switchable exhaust system was installed. This is the electric motor flap version and not vacuum operated so it has two motors either side just before the rear silences which allow it to go from loud to LOUDER. However, I found both motors had the wiring cut and were set to LOUDER and after checking the button, controller and wiring it all worked so I hatched a plan.

The flaps off the car were looking rather sad with the RH already looking to have been replaced and the LH an original that came with the Wortec.

The exhaust is a 2.5 inch but expands to 3 inch where the flaps are fitted so 3 inch exhaust flap motors were ordered from Aliexpress see here.

The replacement flap motors had a rewire with the correct waterproof plug ends prior to a final test on the car…or so I thought!

During testing I noticed the flaps weren’t opening a full 90 degrees so I modded the cast alloy casing and also opened up the ID from 65mm to 68mm.

With the flaps now where I wanted them I rebuilt each one using thread lock and high temp grease wrapping each motor and cabling in alloy tape to help protect them from exhaust heat.

It was a major headache aligning the gaskets and flaps to get them opening correctly within the exhaust but in the end, I won and they are both working lovely. Purchased new stainless steel M8 nuts/bolts/washes to hold them in place.

It’s now a case of pressing the infamous button next to the handbrake level to make the V8 go from a grumble (loud), button in…

…to a bark (LOUDER), button out.

As a precaution I also purchased a spare flap motor just in case as it is possible to swap the motors without having to remove the flap from the exhaust system.

While checking underside I noticed an OE front exhaust rubber was looking tired so replaced both and added my patented extra support, a huge zip-tie around the outside of the rubbers.

 

[Harvey]

I've had a few people asking me about the VXR8 exhaust flaps so hopefully this will help explain it as the rear boxes have two flow paths through them. The picture below shows the LH exhaust gas flow "in" with the RH being an exact mirror. The blue line is the primary feed from the engine, it can then take the red flow if the flap is open and thus passes straight through the box/muffler with next to no silencing roughly 102dB. When the flap is closed the exhaust gasses route through the yellow path with silencing and roughly 92dB.

With the flaps closed you still get a lovely chunky V8 grumbly/growl being less ASBO like and more acceptable on my very quite street. However, with the flaps open it's more a bark and a proper V8 noise that shouts "HELLO" at the top of its voice. I've driven with both settings at the designated speed limit and neither are intrusive when inside the car, the same can't be said from the outside mwhahaha

Power wise you don't notice any difference under your right foot in either exhaust flap setting but the same wouldn't be true on a rolling road which I'm planning on doing later this year as a general heath check.

 

[Harvey]

My last major job on the VXR8 prior to being unleashed from its Winter slumber were to sort the brakes, sit back and relax as this is a big update.

When I got the car I checked all pistons were moving freely and during this noted a few issues one of which being a front brake pad coming unbonded from the backing plate, eek! The sales company where I had purchased the car were great and simply sent me a free set of new front pads.

As it was Black Friday around the time I bought the car there were a few deals to be had so bought a set of HEL flexi lines as I noted it was still on the OE rubber and felt it was about time they were replaced.

On the previous two MOTs the inner face of the front disc had been noted as advisories. Having removed a front disc I can see why and measuring they are below spec at 28mm worn, the new measurement is 32mm so they had been used to the fullest extent.

After visually checked the rear disc the decision was made and I bought new DBA (Disc Brakes Australia) discs all round from the main European distributor Ozparts. Opted for the 4000 Series cured slot and this is what the price of a small hatchback buys you with free next day delivery and some discount as I got chatting with the sales chap.

With the discs sorted and new matching DBA Xtreme Performance front pads I x-referenced and noted Mintex sell a pad that fit the rear caliper which are the front pad on a few sports models (Lotus/Morgan/Seat/Renault) so found new/old stock rear pads for the price of a medium sized pizza, yummy.

The front calipers weren’t too bad but the pints and anti-rattle plates looked in poor shape. However the rear calipers had seized pins so a call to Walkinshaw and new parts arrived the next day.

NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is what went through my head regarding the seized pins but once again I hatched a cunning plan and this happened using a grinder, WD40, mole grips, centre punch, 2mm/3.5/4.5/5/5.5mm drill bits, a punch, hammer and finally a bent punch to get the collet out with lashings of patience thrown in for good mix. What a mission that was and the other side was the same and equally as torturous , m’eh.

As I was in the thick of it I removed all calipers and checked/cleaned all threads along with decal removal as my sticker man made me some posh new ones.

 

[Harvey]

HEL braided flexi fitting, rear relatively straightforward with careful use of mole grips to ‘crack’ the pipe joins as the solid pipe union were never going to spin freely due to how long they had been on the car. The fronts were less easy as the OE are press fitted into a bracket so you have to grind and drill them out, again unscrewing the flexi from the join. Brackets were them etch primed and painted in satin black and new flexi clips used. Note my patented anti-drip bungs.

While fiddling I noticed the car was running lots of poly bushes including the rear diff mounts and had King SL springs with the OE HSV/Monroe shocks. King also make SSL and SSSL springs but the heigh is perfect on the SL without going silly low which for street use would compromise both the handling and ride quality.

All wheel nuts had seen better days and kept sticking in the socket due to impact gun abuse over the years so more spending and replacement nuts sourced being M14 / 60 degree / 22mm socket. Wheel nut torque is a hefty 170Nm.

Back to the brakes and having rummaged in my shed I found some ancient red gloss enamel paint I must have had for 20+ years so boshed a couple of coats on each caliper to tart them up before adding the new HSV stickers. I left the old discs on during painting to save me masking everything.

It was then time for the best bit, get the new discs and pads fitted and re-bleed all brakes. Caliper mounting bolt torque is 110Nm, should anyone need it. All slipped together with ease thankfully before they got hidden behind the wheels.

 

[Harvey]

While bleeding the brakes I noted the clutch hadn’t been done at the last service so having a remote bleed next to the clutch reservoir makes it so easy. Thank you to whichever previous owner had that installed.

You have to setup the handbrake which involves loosening the cable yoke at the lever but I explored further in the console and found it has a Walkinshaw Performance Shirt Shifter, bonus. Back to the h/brake, shoes had a clean prior to fitting the new rear discs then tighten the bottom adjuster until the disc won’t spin then loosen 3 clicks, same on opposite side. Inside the car tighten the cable in the centre console and should be holding tight at 4 to 6 clicks of the lever.

With the centre console stripped I removed, disassembled and cleaned the skid control switch as it felt sticky when pressed, not that I’ll ever be pressing it but who knows!

I found the gear knob a tad wobbly left to right so carefully pulled straight upwards (no wiggling) and off it popped. I used duck/gaffer tape on the end of the stick and it’s feeling much better now.

I also found a random boot net in my shed which fitted lovely and will save me clambering inside to grab the small items that have slid all the way in.

 

[Harvey]

With all this V8ness going on in my life I haven’t forgot my VAG motors as the S3 and Amarok both had the native satnav maps updated yesterday.

Amarok now has the 2024/25 maps after the SD card was updated.

With the S3 having it’s MMI tweaked long ago (FF peeps) I’m able to update the maps myself and it now has the 2024/25 (P370 release) churning away.

 

[Harvey]

Earlier this month I sold a lung and taxed the VXR8 with my first drive after owning it 6 months being everything I expected. What a car and so easy to drive with so much road presence and the Impulse Blue looking stunning in the sunshine.

During my first shakedown I popped to grab fuel and smiled to myself while paying knowing I’d be visiting here again sooner rather than later.

With a few more local trips under my belt and the wife (a fellow petrol head) also having a blast we felt everything was good with the car so popped up to The Motorist near Leeds as they had a Vauxhall gathering. It’s a spec list in the front side window before any comments.

Oh, look, another fuel stop lol. With 232 under its belt I calculated it achieved the dizzying heights of 22.45mpg (dash says a smidge more), lets just hope the V-Power continues flowing for a while yet as it’ll need it to keep the ultra high smiles per mile going strong

 

[Harvey]

It’s always exciting when you receive a parcel from Walkinshaw but what VXR8 goodies could be inside I hear you ask.

Why it’s brand spanking new screen side trims of course part no.92212084 LH & 92212085 RH. My existing trim rubbers were mega dry, cracked, bits missing and rather miserable looking so they had to go.

Easy removal using a trim tool tucked underneath and simply lever up, off they pop and in the bin they go.

Cleaned up where the trims fit and it’s as simple as pushing the new trims in place and hooking the lower end clips under, job done and much better.

I converted the roof aerial back to stock from the shark fin and initially purchased a 280mm mast but the reception was OK at best so opted for a 400mm which doesn’t look too long as the car is substantial anyway.

280mm tiddler.

400mm mammoth with hopefully a tad better reception.

While perusing the exterior I found a rather annoying issue with the drivers door lock trim as it was lifting off. A short time later after popping off the door grommet and using an 8mm socket I was able to carefully pull the lock out enough to remove the trim piece.

I found the plastic moulded retaining clips had broken off, no idea how but luckily both were still in the lock fixing so they got epoxy bonded back in place and I’m pleased to say it’s now fixed.

 

[Harvey]

I was out and about in the VXR8 earlier this week and noted the mileage so had to take a pic as it’s now reached 75,000 miles and feels amazing to drive. I just hope all previous owners have enjoyed it as much as the wife and I currently are and hats off to you all for looking after it so well, shame on you if you didn’t.

We hadn't experienced the dash lighting at night but it doesn’t disappoint and looks so mean with all the red dials.

For those VXR8 owners (VE series) that didn’t know there is hidden engineering menu you can poke about it. Press and hold the left scroll wheel then turn the ignition on, detailed here.

There’s isn’t that much in there but I did find this dash testing feature, so pretty lol. Turms all lights on and sets the needles to half-mast.

 

[Harvey]

I decided to make a half height bonnet stay for the VXR8 with a few items I had laying around so behold and be amazed with my practical idea for an impractical solution. Just means people aren’t leaning into your engine if you happen to wish to display it to the world. Wafted etch primer and satin black rattle can finish over it which I’m sure will end up flaking/chipping/peeling off.

The top part is some random alloy which I drilled for the r-clip to hold the bonnet gas struts from opening in full, uses a piece of keyring chain then drilled/tapped to M8 for the bar to screw in, finished with a half-nut and thread locked.

The bar is 8mm diameter stainless steel, tapped at the top to M8 and strategically bent in my vice using a large hammer. It’s hooked and flap disk diameter trimmed to engineering tolerances (7.5mmish) using an angle grinder so it can be clicked into the bonnet catch and only be removed once the top is disconnected and it’s tilted forwards to feed it out the catch. I know I know, pure genius and yet an utter waste of my valuable time.

 

[northpole]

does your VXR8 have the supercharger mate?

 

[Harvey]

In other exciting VAG news my trusty Amarok is now for sale click me (also on Autotrader as I have the opportunity of another mid-life crisis purchase that I've been hankering over


View: https://youtu.be/ItElvWgYKRA

 

[Harvey]

When I bought the VXR8 it came with the funky Aerpro double DIN dual climate panel and a JVC touchscreen headunit model KW-M745DBT which by the looks of it is way better than the stock unit I also had supplied but never used. Having had a poke around I noticed it had reverse camera option, hmm. A short time later my cheap cheap reverse camera landed so testing ensued which looked promising.

A week or so later I removed the boot panel and replaced the number plate bulbs with LED for a crisper/modern look.

Then the scary stuff started by drilling a 2mm pilot hole opening to 6mm. The fresh metal was touched up with colour matched paint before the camera was installed.

More fun routing the cabling after soldering into the solid green for reverse (camera power) and earthing at the point next to the boot catch.

Boot wiring completed one final test before pulling the interior apart to route the lead to the headunit.

Rear bench seat out, this just yanks up from the front, unscrew/pop a few trims out and lay the cable carefully to the centre of the dash.

Just to be safe a final wiring check prior to trim installation, success. As well as the PDC distance sensors in the Aerpro screen I can now see and hear when I hit things.

Having also seen the headunit had the option of a remote I grabbed a copy RM-RK258 for pennies and it works a treat so will give passengers something to play with when they get bored.

 

[northpole]

nice and clean camera install ...you'll hate driving in the wet though as the lens will get dirty really quick to the point you won't be able to make out what is shown on screen. Rally style mudflaps will help, that is if you don't mind them.

 

[Harvey]

600+hp with rwd plus rain sounds an interesting combo, I'll try to avoid it as best I can so no flaps are required hahaha

 

[Harvey]

The wife and I popped down to the Harborough, Sports, Classic & Vintage Meet earlier this month as there’s always a plethora of vehicle goodness to view. Decided to give the VXR8 a leg stretch so took it along to blow the dust and cobwebs off. I’ll let the pics do the talking as there were some amazing vehicles that attended with a very warm and friendly atmosphere.

 

[Harvey]

After the VXR8 front bumper paint correction a few months ago I noticed a stress fracture appear. I can only assume the general movement of refitting might have put extra strain in this area due to previous work.

While I was at it I thought I might as well get this deep scratch sorted that had been on there since purchase.

Nevertheless, it won’t do so I booked it back in with my favourite painter for a tickle at Fleets Ahead.

Collected and I’m very happy with the results as it was taken right back being deeper than expected.

I replaced the rather unsightly DAB aerial that was stuck on the passenger side screen a-pillar location with something a little more subtle tucked up behind the rear-view mirror. I did try an FM/DAB splitter which utilises your existing FM aerial but DAB kept dropping in and out so time will tell if the new one is any better.

For those VXR8 owners who haven’t done so get your fried eggs (orange bulbs) removed from your front indicators and fit some lovely silver/chrome coated bulbs like these which light up amber. For OE headlights it’s an offset pin for the bulbs and in my opinion looks much better.

 

[Harvey]

Apologies if you're all getting very bored with my non-VAG diary updates but both Amarok+S3 are chugging along at the moment with nothing to report

The wife noticed the VXR8 original faux leather shift boot was looking tatty so I found a place in the US that offered direct replacement boots in various main and stitching colour options, for the price it was cheaper than having one custom made here in the UK.

The place I found offer manual shift boots (what I required) along with auto boots and lots more for loads of vehicles Redline Goods main site but I purchased via Amazon UK and their RedlineGoodsUK store here. I chose genuine black leather with silver stitching to try and match the seats and three weeks later this arrived.

RedlineGoods didn’t have an install guide after I enquired for the manual boot and subsequently asked if I could help for a 50% refund so I wrote the guide which is now hosted on their site here and received my refund. To summarise the install, you use your existing plastic frame and with careful work remove the old boot and fit new prior to separating the old boot and gear knob.

It all went well and I’m extremely happy with the results as it matches the seats perfectly, is a top-quality product and cost me very little.

 

[Harvey]

Scooted over to Wales earlier this month to help my mate with servicing duties at Menai Stages rally held at Anglesey Circuit (Trac Môn). Super weather which made the event great over the two days with action on Saturday afternoon and all Sunday.

Only issue was the diff wiring as the plug crimping had failed so in true rally style that was fixed using electricians connections lol. Engine bay was a tad hot leaning over it and it was right next to the darn turbo.

When rallying goes bad it can go really bad as this poor driver/co-driver were air ambulanced away.

The Saturday accommodation was comfy if not a tad cool overnight.

4th in class and 18th overall so not a bad outing and best of all thoroughly enjoyable weekend with friends. A few of the other motors at the event while I was mooching around the service area in between swapping wheels and checking fluids during servicing.

 

[Harvey]

I decided to bring the MOT and service forward for the VXR8 to realign it with the month it was registered new being June as it had slipped to Sep/Oct over the years. Earlier this month I took the car to MWP and left it nestled amongst friends. It had a fresh MOT with no advisories being a first for a whole plus oil/filter and full inspection.

I also booked a rolling road health check as this hadn’t been done since the power was upped in early 2021. I’m happy I did as issues were found with the supercharger belt tensioner slackened off, instant 100HP gain with the correct tension. Also, during the runs bank 1 sensor 1 lambda died (lefthand pre cat) plus a misfire noted on cylinder no.6. MWP went above and beyond checking and sorting what they could on the day and the scores were 580bhp/545lbft with more to find as I’ve booked it in to leave with them for a week to poke and tickle some more. Turn it up loud and enjoy the vid I took of the last run.

When home I swapped the LH and RH pre cat lambda and the fault followed moving to bank 2 sensor 1 so placed an order with Rockauto in the US for x4 genuine lambda, might as well replace all of them. They arrived two days later so I boshed them on. Fault codes I was seeing were P0030 & P0135 when in bank 1 LH and P0050 & P0059 when moved to bank 2 RH.

Lambda pre/before cat/upstream GM part no.12569429 ACDelco no.213-1568

Lambda post/after cat/downstream GM part no.92068713 ACDelco no.213-4325

For interested parties these are the lambda codes that could be thrown with faulty lambda on the VXR8.

Regarding the no.6 misfire, I saw this previously a couple of times and had already swapped coil/lead with no.4, fault stayed at no.6. I’ve now swapped plugs 4 with 6 and monitoring. To be 100% new plugs ordered and gapped to 0.70mm (0.028”) ready for fitting so will stick them in at some point post monitoring. New spark plug torque is 15Nm but did read 11Nm for used cylinder head which doesn’t make much sense so I’m sticking with 15Nm which is very little anyway. As you can see the plugs don’t use a crush washer and just tighten/seat to the head, thus why the fitting torque is so low.

 

[Harvey]

I experienced the dreaded fast flashing indicator on the RH of the VXR8! You might think that’s an easy fix just replace the bulb but it’s not that simple. The VXR8 has LED taillights with LEDs used for indicator, sidelights and brake lights where the reverse uses a standard bulb. You can sometimes experience fast flashing indicators where the first three flashes are normal followed by fast flashing as if a bulb has blown. The taillights have inline modules that convert the voltage/load resistor so the BMC (Body Control Module) knows what’s happening and the LEDs light up appropriately. When the light module goes faulty it can cause the fast flashing. In worst case scenario the actual light units could have blown LEDs which can also be fixed but is a mission. I swapped the light modules RH to LH and the fault followed so a call to Walkinshaw and a new module arrived a day later with HSV part no.12E-060615P

New replacement on the left and fast flashing dodgy module on the right.

You have to remember it might be a new part but these cars are getting on a bit so the date stamp on the new part was August 2017!

As I’d moved the suspect to LH I installed the new module in the LH. Tested and issue resolved…I’ll await the RH light module to fail next.

I’ve gone all posh as you do, well as I do, and bought some Norma W2 claps for the exhaust so replace the crusty old u-clamps. I got these from Hoses Direct at a cracking price.

The old crusty clamps looked like this, yuck. I really don’t like u-clamps as they can damage the pipes and can easily be over tightened and deform them. They have all gone ‘in the bin’.

Nice new Norma clamps freshly fitted.

While I was underside as I had with the front exhaust rubbers I added more support to the rear rubber with a couple of whopper zip ties.

 

[Harvey]

The S3 reached a milestone last week at 7.5yrs old reaching the dizzying heights of 30K miles exactly as the wife and I arrived to collect our new ride.

The Amarok sold via Carwow which was an interesting experience but it’s gone so that’s the main thing. We owned the Amarok 5yrs and weren’t planning on selling this year but a friend mentioned he was moving on his uber rare 2012 Touareg Altitude. I say rare as it’s of the V8 variety and being ex-VW UK owned has very nearly all the options.

Another V8 I hear you say, well of course, who wouldn’t what two V8s for a double midlife crisis! This particular Touareg V8 boasts a 4.2L twin turbo derv lump delivering a healthy punch from 335hp/590lbft(800Nm) as standard with a none shouty wolf in sheep’s clothing exterior.

The only obvious part is the subtle boot badge.

VW UK owned this particular vehicle from Late 2012 to early 2020 when it appeared for sale in Durham having only 6.5K miles when my friend bought it. At the time he purchased it I asked for first refusal so jumped at the chance when he said he wanted to sell it a couple of months ago. It’s now covered 35K miles so plenty of life in the old girl yet.

I have a few tweaks to add but on the whole it’s our daily so feeding and watering is the name of the game. I’ve not had time to do much with it but will be adding to my diary soon so in the meantime I’ve found in the depths of the media button it’s got a TV receiver as standard!

 

[northpole]

that is a gem right there! nice to see a v8 diesel joining the ranks.

 

[Harvey]

Popped down to Vauxfest near Ipswitch held at Stonham Barns last month in the VXR8 and took friends along for the ride. Car performed faultlessly apart from an annoying random clonk, I’ll come onto that in my next post. We booked a lovely accommodation but George the cockerel was darn annoying ****-A-DOODLE-DOO at 4am onwards isn’t something you want to be hearing when you just want sleep. George was quieter the second night after I threatened him with a grilling on the BBQ. Show was OK but not many there on the Saturday plus we got a heavy rain shower midafternoon but Sunday was glorious with lots more attending. Overall, a decent show with potential to grow as it was the first year in this new location. Amazingly and purely for my interest the VXR8 managed a healthy 27.3mpg with 4.5 people and the boot rammed fully of weekend stuff, not too shabby I say.

 

[northpole]

Popped down to Vauxfest near Ipswitch held at Stonham Barns last month in the VXR8 and took friends along for the ride. Car performed faultlessly apart from an annoying random clonk, I’ll come onto that in my next post. We booked a lovely accommodation but George the cockerel was darn annoying ****-A-DOODLE-DOO at 4am onwards isn’t something you want to be hearing when you just want sleep. George was quieter the second night after I threatened him with a grilling on the BBQ. Show was OK but not many there on the Saturday plus we got a heavy rain shower midafternoon but Sunday was glorious with lots more attending. Overall, a decent show with potential to grow as it was the first year in this new location. Amazingly and purely for my interest the VXR8 managed a healthy 27.3mpg with 4.5 people and the boot rammed fully of weekend stuff, not too shabby I say.

A shame I didn't know about it as It's right next door... but I'll be attending the festival of wheels in Ipswich on Saturday 3rd of August...

 

[Harvey]

Just before the road trip to Vauxfest the VXR8 developed a clunk and using rear passenger under bump mechanics was traced to the rear LH. I got the car down the drive and pretty quickly found the rear LH anti-roll-bar drop link had a loose fitting that I wasn’t able to tighten so ended up using my nut splitter to remove. The thread was damaged which I suspect was due to not being correctly tightened by the person who installed it.

After having a look around and finding Pedders and Whiteline drop links listed VXR8 fitment but were a tad pricey I measured and dived into x-ref mode. A short time later I found Toyota Celica/Corolla fitment are the same with length 104mm and M10x1.25 fitment so ordered a pair of Febi part no.18105.

Prior to fitting the drop links I removed the both ARB d-bush mountings and using some SuperPro bush fitting grease I had spare gave them a good lathering then fitted the new drop links. No more clunking and just the supercharger whine making noises now but I’m not greasing that!

While I was poking underside I checked the dipstick lower seal as I replaced the o-ring just before the MOT having noticed a minor weep, annoyingly it was still weeping even with a new seal.

Plan B was formulated using another new o-ring in addition to a gooping of RTV sealer, leak now dipstick I dare you.

 

[Harvey]

The Father-in-Law asked me if I could service is 2019 Vauxhall Viva SE AC as his used car warranty had expired having bought this wheezy underpowered bean tin as a run about so he doesn’t get his Toyota GR4 dirty.

It’s only got 7K miles on the clock but being 5yrs old I decided to server everything anyway so I knew it was done.

I hate the colour, which I’ve told the F-in-L and it feels so woolly to drive but it does the job intended for him. May I present the throbbing heart of the bean tin, a 1.0L 3 cylinder B10XE, with an equally ikle airfilter. Note the BTCC link here using Napa parts

I then removed the glovebox lid to replace the pollen/cabin filter, this car feels so cheap it’s unreal compared to VAGs.

Next up the spark plugs, being only three there these didn’t take long.

Dropped the oil and filter and with it being the height of an SUV I didn’t even need ramps to get my drain tub underside. Seems Vauxhall had been tight, no surprise as the sump bung o-ring had obviously never been replaced but I luckily had OE spares from my old Vectra VXR estate.

No locking nuts in sight as it’s got wheel covers! Four spoke steelies, get in there.

Made the car a floater and changed out the clutch and brake fluid and swapped the wheels front to back before reprogramming the TPMS so it knew what was going on. I then thoroughly washed my hands and disinfected myself after handing it back.

Stuff is dirt cheap for it so that’s a bonus, only downside I get to service it again next year d’oh. Vauxhall really do make crap stuff of late, so glad I found the VAG way forwards.

 

[northpole]

The Father-in-Law asked me if I could service is 2019 Vauxhall Viva SE AC as his used car warranty had expired having bought this wheezy underpowered bean tin as a run about so he doesn’t get his Toyota GR4 dirty.

It’s only got 7K miles on the clock but being 5yrs old I decided to server everything anyway so I knew it was done.

I hate the colour, which I’ve told the F-in-L and it feels so woolly to drive but it does the job intended for him. May I present the throbbing heart of the bean tin, a 1.0L 3 cylinder B10XE, with an equally ikle airfilter. Note the BTCC link here using Napa parts

I then removed the glovebox lid to replace the pollen/cabin filter, this car feels so cheap it’s unreal compared to VAGs.

Next up the spark plugs, being only three there these didn’t take long.

Dropped the oil and filter and with it being the height of an SUV I didn’t even need ramps to get my drain tub underside. Seems Vauxhall had been tight, no surprise as the sump bung o-ring had obviously never been replaced but I luckily had OE spares from my old Vectra VXR estate.

No locking nuts in sight as it’s got wheel covers! Four spoke steelies, get in there.

Made the car a floater and changed out the clutch and brake fluid and swapped the wheels front to back before reprogramming the TPMS so it knew what was going on. I then thoroughly washed my hands and disinfected myself after handing it back.

Stuff is dirt cheap for it so that’s a bonus, only downside I get to service it again next year d’oh. Vauxhall really do make crap stuff of late, so glad I found the VAG way forwards.

It's because it's been bought by another company and they won't make an already loosing brand with high quality parts... if it does them profits for years in a row the quality will go up... so in 10 yeats time maybe they'll be better or will be gone just like Saab.

 

[Harvey]

I had a mooch over to Great British Car Journey as I’ve attended the odd evening meet but never entered/viewed the museum. I can now confirm the museum has a decent mix of vehicles, it’s well presented with a nice flowing layout through the ages with a funky handheld video/audio guide. A good two to three hours was spent perusing before refreshments were consumed in the café and there’s always something of interest parked outside. If you’re keen you can also drive some of the models displayed but I didn’t bother with that as I’ve got enough toys to keep me entertained.

 

[Harvey]

The meaty Treg V8 was in need of a service when I bought it so I acquired enough stock for two services and dived in the deep end sorting the air filters first.

Next up was the cabin filter and luckily my in stock Amarok filter was the same part as a Touareg so I saved myself some pennies.

I attacked the fuel filter which is mega easy on these as it’s on top and not buried underside like the Amarok or under the bulkhead as on my previous Touareg V10. Post fitting, I purged the air out using VCDS in module 1 engine basic settings pump prime.

Now the messy part, the engine oil and filter. Not got any oil pics but it needed doing that’s for sure. The oil filter is right at the back of the engine but again on top so easy access.

I had seen a previous service note about sump corrosion and I wasn’t happy with the tiny OE sump bung so used a brand-new in stock Vauxhall o-ring type and replaced it, VAGhall FTW. Not really sure what to do with the corrosion but might Kurust it or just Hammerite the crispy bits.

Next up was to add 9.4L of Castrol 5W30 LL being 507.00 spec. I tend to fill 0.5L short when changing engine oil then start the car I’m servicing for a couple of mins to circulate the fresh oil through the oil filter before topping up with the remainder after checking the level.

On about oil level this is the first vehicle I’ve owned without a physical dipstick and me no likey at all, sometimes I just don’t trust tech but it’s reading correctly so I’m happy after adding the correct amount in. I used VCDS again and performed a proper SRI reset but looking at those numbers the oil will be changed sooner than 18K miles that’s for sure.

The wiper blades weren’t good so quality Bosch were ordered for front and rear. Mixing it with the big league here as they also fit Porsche, OK it’s the Cayenne which we all know is the same as a Q7 and the Touareg under the skin sort of in places.

One last thing for now as the V8 Touareg comes standard with an auxiliary heater which also has a timed start and a remote option. The previous owner wasn’t aware about the remote feature as he was never passed the heater remote. After taking the punt on a later part number I bought a brand-new old stock remote shown here to the left of the Touareg key part no.7E0963511B taking a CR2430 battery. The original heater remote no.7E0963511A with the B superseding it.

You can program/sync the remote using VCDS via module 18 Aux Heat in basic settings under group 4. I crossed everything and went for it and it worked whoop whoop. Tested the remote and you see the climate panel spring into life, in Summer this pulls in fresh exterior air to cool but in winter it heats. This means front screen defrosting and cabin pre-heating from the comfort of my bed in freezing Winter the same as what my previous Amarok had, happy days.

 

[Harvey]

Some more Treg tinkering with coding as the seatbelt bongs had to go. I never drive without a seatbelt but they drive me insane if I’m ever hooking up a trailer or just moving the car on the drive so they had to go, thanks VCDS for all you offer.

VIM (Video In Motion) is an option, never drive and watch TV/DVD as you might crash, but it got coded anyway. I won’t go into the ins and outs as it’s not hard to find the info online but you basically convert your 5F module serial number into a security code then edit channel 48 from 0 to 255 and voila VIM is activated.

The DRL on/off menu option in the RSN850 was next so I can completely turn off DRL should I wish like when I’m messing with coding and the engine is running.

I like the fact my mk3 FL S3 has rear DRL so I coded the Treg rears to come on along with the existing front DRL.

A carryover from the Amarok are wind deflectors as they come in useful and look decent so I found the cheapest I could on eBay from Edge Visors. I wasn’t expecting anything fabulous but fitting was easy and they function well and look OK so I’d recommend them as extremely good value for money.

After faffing with coding and other stuff the battery wasn’t great so I had to pull the key apart to gain entry as VW have a hidden plastic key blade within the main key for just such occurrences. You them pop the lock barrel cover off the drivers door handle and away you go.

I left my AccuMate Pro charger on for a couple of days, you know the voltage is low when it says Bulk, it eventually flicked to Maintain so all is well in vehicle battery world.

Another item on my wish list for the Treg was a smart phone interface as the OEM RSN850 is an old unit with early BT connectivity and now outdated satnav. Instead of opting for a cheap far East unit I chose quality UK IMI-1000 from Integrated Automotive. It arrived swiftly and first impressions were it was a quality item.

I removed the glovebox and HVAC panel as it’s a simple plug and play installation, this pic was an initial test prior to final fitting. I admittedly had a few issues but these got resolved swiftly with the support of Integrated Automotive and were me not the kit supplied.

Rather pleased with the end results meaning the old Treg unit now looks fresh and updated with full integrated OEM touch screen/mic and any radio/media streaming I want, added Radioplayer (other radio/media apps are available) plus instant real-time satnav and any Android Auto/Carplay app I wish to add.

 

[Harvey]

A bit of a mishmash update as I’ve been up to all sorts over the last few weeks.

The Astra mk3 V6 hasn’t been out to play this year but will be making a reappearance next year, got the roof lining still to sort and it’ll be good to go. It hadn’t been started for a while but does sit on a battery conditioner so I fired it up the other week and all was good with no dramas.

My funky monkey hybrid mk2/mk3 dash is still rocking it and working great.

Outside temp sensor is sorted as I had grief finding one in my spares stock that played nicely.

On a day with temps above 20C why wouldn’t you check the AC is still ice cold, nothing to see here with just the clunk of the compressor clutch as you press the on button.

Helped a mate with his wife’s Astra K as it was new discs/pads time so fronts were done in super quick time as that’s the easy end. The rears required use of my wind back tool not helped by incorrectly supplied rear pads. All sorted now and able to stop as the rears were literally down to metal on metal.

Last Sunday’s activity was rally servicing duties on my friend Scoobydoody at Fulbeck just the other side of Newark for the Jordan Road Surfacing Stages.

This is the stage layout for 3 & 4 so plenty going on with 30 second interval starts.

There were some lovely machinery there but this caught my eye with a VAGhall theme. A Vauxhall redtop in a Skoda Felicia, turned out it’s an Astra G rally kit car wrapped in a Felicia body, loved it.

I still have a soft spot for an Astra mk2 even though I sold mine last Oct. I know this car as it last competed in British Rallycross and later Retro Rallycross but now fully converted for normal rallying.

When rallying goes back this can happen. A chap I know from Lincoln who came round a 90 left where a car had stopped on stage but unfortunately no room and hit then rolled, reshell time.

Queuing for a now infamous stage 6 start which was going well until it wasn’t.

Unfortunately, a hay bale jumped out in front of the car but luckily quick responses meant the cheapest corner of the car hit it with a light tickle on the front right. A super quick fix by myself and other mate who was servicing and we got him back out for the last couple of stages with only a stage max time on 6.

Did you spot my JDM bumper stitching hahahah. It’ll be fixed over Winter but will require checking on a jig, he got away lightly as others were not so lucky with lots of retirements at the event.

 

[Harvey]

The Treg got new boots as I’m consolidating down to one set of wheels as a second set with Winter tyres were supplied when I bought it. I run the Michelin Cross Climate on the S3 and they are an amazing all rounder and it was the natural choice for the Treg but in the SUV variant as they are a hefty 275/45R20, not cheap but will mostly be funded when the other set of wheels are sold.

Out with the Continentals just under 4mm left but old OE fitment from new.

The Tregs posher looking wheels also required new TPMS so I initially opted for quality aftermarket Hamaton branded sensors with black valves as the OE TPMS come with silver valves on black rims, go figure that one.

In with yummy Michelins and black wheel weights for extra street cred.

A week later I got a darn screw in one of the Michelins. I could have cried but luckily fixable as it wasn’t on the tyre shoulder.

As it turned out the Hamaton TPMS just wouldn’t work with my Treg with only one or two auto registering, sometimes three but mainly none then occasionally all four working but mostly with the TPMS warning light lit on the dashboard. I even tried force programming and TPMS basic setting using VCDS but even that didn’t work, grrr.

I found OE sensors part no.7PP907275F and from new were Beru branded which later became HUF and then BH Inteilisens (BHSens for short) after multiple company buyouts. With TPMS annoyance setting in I purchased BHSens RDE048C21 (45144000) but they only come with silver valves listing a service part as a black valve RDV026 (73902026). An order was placed with Autodoc and two days later these arrived.

My third trip back to my wheel company of choice being Sapre Deal Tyres and they swapped out the Hamaton for the BHSens TPMS and I’m very pleased to say the new TPMS worked from the off and auto registered straight away with no issues to report at all. The Hamaton were returned and the vendor who gave me a full refund no questions asked stating they had sold 15 sets to Treg owners and none had issues unlike myself meh.

Hamaton returned and refunded.

BHSens fully working, fantastical.

 

[Harvey]

I was a tad warm after a frantic rubbing session polishing three sets of pipes with Autosol over the weekend.

S3 still looking fresh and tasty.

Treg looking good but have a few weird dents, better than they were so they’ll do.

VXR8 are well used and ideally require re-chroming but it’s a get in and drive car so not going to tart them up.

The Treg has had lots of loving and it finally where I want it as it got new discs and pads when I did the service. The discs came coated in a grey finish but I wanted black so popped VHT exhaust paint on.

Fronts are a hefty Febi branded 360mm x 36mm and the calipers are huge!

Rears are Mintex 330mm x 28mm and have a separate shoe parking brake.

As the h/brake shoes had plenty of meat left I chose not to replace them so only had to perform a basic setting for the air gap and not a full grind in procedure. The air gap basic setting proved interesting and is detailed here

I had to re-code Module 53 to ceramic brakes as this is a Ross-Tech workaround detailed at the bottom of the link. You then code it back once the air gap basic setting has completed successfully.

Costco has my favourite Castrol 5W-30 LL on offer so I grabbed some 5L tubs for stock.

At my mates prepping his Astra mk2 rally car over the last few weeks. It’s not been used competitively for a couple of years due to various reasons but he’s hoping to compete next month so a health check was done with a few issues noted and rectified.

 

[Harvey]

I took the VXR8 to the VauxALL show last month at the British Motor Museum, great show with circa twelve Monaro and VXR8 in attendance and a plethora of other lush Vauxhalls of all ages.

Found a friend who can join club “Y (something) HSV” lolz.

This pic really shows off the Impulse Blue as I get so many comments regarding the colour.

I gave the car a once over and noted the supercharger cooling pump wasn’t working, no idea how I missed this, so did some testing. Supercharger has its own cooling circuit and radiator but to work the elec water pump must be functioning. Luckily, I was able to carefully remove the bumper grill to gain access without removing the whole bumper.

Supercharger header tank showing the pump not working and working. With testing proving the pump was good more digging and wire tracing was required.

A while later I traced the fault to a dead relay with the greenest pins I’ve ever seen, it’s obviously not worked for a long long time. Tried cleaning it up but still dead so bought a new one and added new wiring connectors. I now have supercharger cooling restored and it’s amazing how much cooler the sc is to the touch after a drive.

While I was out smiling ear to ear listening to the lovely V8 and supercharger noises it would be rude not to add more V-Power, smiles per mile are mega high.

 

[Harvey]

‘What is it?’ I hear you ask with intrigue…after going through the substantial pile of paperwork for my VXR8 I noted the receipt for the supercharger dated May 2008 so I dropped an enquiry to Walkinshaw and this envelope arrived shortly after.

I’m officially certified as inside was the Certificate of Authenticity confirming Walkinshaw carried out the supercharger installation on my vehicle. Huge thanks to Walkinshaw for assisting me with my enquiry as this certificate was missing from the history file but is no more.

I decided I wanted to add a missing warning sticker that is on the stock intake but as my VXR8 has an aftermarket intake it was nowhere to be seen. The sticker is NLS from Holden/GM but new/old stock is available at silly cost. I had a word with my sticker shop who made me these which is as close to OE as can be without going custom font.

I’m really pleased with the outcome and the sticker wasn’t just for warnings as it states the AC fill volume. It doesn’t pull your eyes away from the bright red blob on the engine but clearly says don’t stick your fingers into the spiny bits.

I’ve also got rid of the unsightly screwheads holding the rear plate which also has sticky pads, go figure why both are used. For the time being it’s got smaller screw size with yellow plastic caps which I had to fatten to fit using masking tape.