Goodbye Vauxhall (sort of), well hello Audi S3

[Harvey]

It’s that time of year again, no not Christmas, MOT time. The S3 went in earlier this month and all was good thankfully.

To celebrate the S3 pass, 6th birthday and having now covered 24k it had its annual festive service under the flashing lights.

The puddle lights are still doing their thing and look splendid.

Off came its under crackers and out came the lotion motion juice.

The usual filters were changed in addition to a fresh oil filter.

As the S3 is now of age I thought it only fitting to pop a set of fresh sparklers in the Gen3 EA888 lump with mine being a DJHA. Helpful hint as they are buried deep inside make sure you pop some tape on your socket and extension to stop the socket getting stuck.

The original spark plugs are 06K905601L but I opted to replace these with the RS3 FL plugs being 06K905601M. Only reason I sourced a set cheaper than the originals and they run a step cooler but otherwise identical with a posh copper crush washer.

After all my S3 loving was completed, I performed a VCDS service reset (SRI) and all was happy in S3 land.

 

[HollywoodDroid]

It’s that time of year again, no not Christmas, MOT time. The S3 went in earlier this month and all was good thankfully.

To celebrate the S3 pass, 6th birthday and having now covered 24k it had its annual festive service under the flashing lights.

The puddle lights are still doing their thing and look splendid.

Off came its under crackers and out came the lotion motion juice.

The usual filters were changed in addition to a fresh oil filter.

As the S3 is now of age I thought it only fitting to pop a set of fresh sparklers in the Gen3 EA888 lump with mine being a DJHA. Helpful hint as they are buried deep inside make sure you pop some tape on your socket and extension to stop the socket getting stuck.

The original spark plugs are 06K905601L but I opted to replace these with the RS3 FL plugs being 06K905601M. Only reason I sourced a set cheaper than the originals and they run a step cooler but otherwise identical with a posh copper crush washer.

After all my S3 loving was completed, I performed a VCDS service reset (SRI) and all was happy in S3 land.

Have you got the part number for the rear door audi logo flood lights?

 

[Harvey]

@HollywoodDroid my puddle lights are generic cheap as chips eBay specials that cost me next to nothing with my installation detailed here. Search eBay for audi puddle light and you'll find various options but if it helps this is who I bought mine from click me.

 

[Harvey]

After the success with the S3 MOT in went the Amarok a day later. It passed but not plain sailing so a few ikle jobs to sort but not safety critical so I’ll be seeing to them over the next few months.

The Amarok has reached the ripe age of 5 years old having just rolled over 34k miles so it had a derv filter change which was last done when I purchased it at 14k miles..

It’s a messy job and not helped with the filter located underside just behind the front rh wheel.

Luckily it didn’t put up much of a fight so I carefully removed old and primed the new by pouring the litre or so of stinky derv into the “In” of the new filter. It was refitted, everything cleaned up with brake cleaner and pump primed using my VCDS to purge all the air

The brake fluid was changed as it had been two years since the last flush. To my surprised the old fluid was still looking fresh but well worth doing.

Next up was air/pollen/oil filters all changed after getting the engine up to operating temps to drain the oil.

Arty picture time which wasn’t at all intentional, check out the reflection from the 8.5L year old oil.

With the service complete out came the VCDS and I performed a service reset (SRI) and the world was at piece once more, in my head it was!

 

[Harvey]

The annual pilgrimage to Mallory Park Plum Pudding 2022 was once again completed by the wife and I on Boxing Day. Weather was great and the racing was fantastic so a huge thanks to all those who took part. Some pics below and random vid of the action I found on YouTube.

 

[strtnz]

I decided to get the S3 on the rollers to get an official power figure so booked in with my local RR being Dyno-Tech in Ripley, Derbyshire. They are only 10 mins down the road from me and I’ve used them a few times over the years. I have always found their rollers very accurate and they look after your vehicles unlike others out there. They offer 2wd or 4wd runs so I opted for 4wd, not that it matters if I had only ran in 2wd with the fuse pulled.

Loaded, strapped and ready for action.

The real world scores on the doors are 298bhp/314ftlb with the Audi claimed book figures of 306bhp/295ftlb. I’m more than happy with what it’s producing and with currently 11,172miles under its belt I now have a base figure should I decide to go down the tuning route…mmm POWER!!!

For those keen eyed folks yes I’ve changed the plate as it’s a private reg and I have the same on the Amarok with the last two letters transposed, I know, posh or what

I'm in Waingroves, just a few minutes down the road from Ripley. Tempted to take my S3 here as well. Do you happen to remember the price?

 

[Harvey]

@strtnz their prices are listed on their website here just use the dropdown menu to find your exact model
I've used Dynotech a few times and always been happy with the service. If you have any further questions drop me a PM and we can have an offline chat.

 

[strtnz]

I happened to be perusing my favourite auction site and doing some random searches and came across a set of 4x RS3/RS6/RS7/Bentley spark plugs for a bargain price. These are one step cooler than the original S3 plugs I currently run which are due for a change at the next service so I swiftly bought them. They are genuine VAG plugs part no.06K905601M (NGK SILFER8C7ES short code 91006) pre gapped to 0.7mm with copper washer. The official plugs for my MY17 S3 are VAG no.06K905601L (NGK ILFER7C8EG short code 91898) pre gapped to 0.8mm with standard crush washer these have been fitted since new when I checked what was in there last year here.

Had a good rain storm the other day and the recent S3 polish has worked wonders and it’s beading lovely.

Are you running these RS3 plugs with the standard coil-packs? I've bought some new RS3 plugs but it didn't cross my mind until now that there may be compatibility issues and I'd rather not spend on the upgraded coils for now.

 

[Harvey]

@strtnz yes I'm running the RS3 plus with original S3 coils, there are no compatibility issues what so ever don't let anyone tell you otherwis.

 

[strtnz]

@Harvey 06K905601M? Audi have told me they're not compatible but list them for A3 and RS3. How they'd only miss S3 is beyond me.

 

[strtnz]

I happened to be perusing my favourite auction site and doing some random searches and came across a set of 4x RS3/RS6/RS7/Bentley spark plugs for a bargain price. These are one step cooler than the original S3 plugs I currently run which are due for a change at the next service so I swiftly bought them. They are genuine VAG plugs part no.06K905601M (NGK SILFER8C7ES short code 91006) pre gapped to 0.7mm with copper washer. The official plugs for my MY17 S3 are VAG no.06K905601L (NGK ILFER7C8EG short code 91898) pre gapped to 0.8mm with standard crush washer these have been fitted since new when I checked what was in there last year here.

Had a good rain storm the other day and the recent S3 polish has worked wonders and it’s beading lovely.

@Harvey 06K905601M? Audi have told me they're not compatible but list them for A3 and RS3. How they'd only miss S3 is beyond me.

Seems I've found the answer there and they are exactly the same as you're successfully using. I was told I need 06K905601L, which is the original part number. Bought from Sytner Audi on eBay where it lists them as A3/A6/A7/A8/RS3/RS6 spark plug, and when I messaged I got the reply that they're not suitable for my S3 but it seems impossible to me they'd be fit for RS3 & A3 but not S3. As you've used them with no issues I'll be keeping and getting them in over the next week or so.

 

[Harvey]

I thought it was about time I gave my Astra some loving having not been used since Sep 2021. The bonnet was showing signs of paint wear so I booked it in with my local painter in Nov last year. The damage is hard to picture but it started like this with a worn patch, yellowing blemishes and a scratch on the front edge.

I then removed it and stripped all the hardware attached to the bonnet before tucking the car back under its cover.

Popped over to see progress and was greeted with lovely fresh glacier white paint.

Collected the bonnet and the finish was perfect.

The bonnet was then left in my garage as I didn’t get chance to refit until earlier this month so all the hardware was cleaned up and refitted prior to bolting it back on.

Hardest part was getting the new Griffin sticker perfectly aligned but determination and measure twice, stick once got me there.

All finished and I’m very happy to repot its ready for some fun time later this year.

Huge thanks to Ben at Fleets Ahead, top job as always. They specialise in smart repairs but are more than willing to do my kind of job.

 

[Harvey]

Today is the day my Father-in-Law collected his new car. He’s been on about it for a while now and started with thoughts of a Yaris Hybrid but the wife and I soon corrupted his ideas of saving the planet after showing him pics of the Yaris GR4. Fast forward to now and the wife noted a rather good deal last week at the place we bought our Amarok so we took him for a viewing and an hour later a deal was done.
May I present a 1 year old Yaris GR4 Circuit Pack with option pearl paint registered Jan 2022, 1 owner, having covered 507 miles (including the test drive). It’s basically brand new with no wait time, not that you can order them at present as Toyota have paused production of this model. I’m just so chuffed he’s finally treated himself to a proper car and found the one. I know it’ll be pampered and thoroughly looked after so I might pop my name down for when he decides to sell as I was eyeing one up to replace my track car but never bit the bullet.

 

[Harvey]

The Amarok had steering rack bushes flagged as advisories on the last couple of MOTs and after talking with the MOTer he said it’s nothing to be concerned with and just one of those things, not that I could feel any difference while driving it. However, that’ll never do so I bought only the best for the job SuperPro SPF4463K. This kit fits all Amarok variants to date and contains everything to replace the OE rubber steering rack bushes.

As it was mid-Winter and I knew it was going to be a pain of a job I outsourced the fitting to my local Indy who did a sterling job, thanks all at Betta Fit auto Centre. Not much to see but the funky bushes are on. It might be a placebo affect but it does feel a tad sharper with the steering but then again it’s a hefty wibbly wobbly truck and it’ll never be a race car but serves the intended purpose very well.

Last month I also found one of the auxiliary reverse lights on the Amarok that I replaced last year wasn’t working properly as it had water ingress.

Luckily I previously purchased a twin pack so swapped it out for a brand new unit and successfully placed a warranty claim with the eBay supplier who honoured the claim and sent me out a new replacement.

While I was poking around the interweb I found a FOC updated POI for the Amarok with various speed cameras and other random items so updated the Discovery Pro headunit. I can now find food, fuel, cameras and karaoke in my local vicinity.

 

[Mr Freeze]

sorted

 

[Harvey]

I was round my mates the other week finishing off the rally car electronic extinguisher system wiring we plumbed in a few months ago see here.
New “E” switch fitted to the scuttle panel.

Interior switch bolted in amongst the rat nest or wiring which will be getting replaced at some point with a new tidier loom.

The two switches were then run to the main extinguisher and connected then taped up for my own OCD neatness.

Quick test and the main controller lit up green so all good.

We also got the new drivers seat and harnesses fitted so more to come the next time I’m up there.

 

[Harvey]

It’s an OCD thing but I just had to polish the S3 tailpipe tips yet again, all looking rather spiffing I might add.

While I’m on about exhaust tips I noted the wife’s Astra mk3 V6 had started to crack and peel 3yrs after having them ceramic coated.

I decided to try another company Maldon Shotblasting & Powder Coating and had them recoated in Graphite Black.

Prior to fitting I painted the shiny stainless steel rear visible face in black VHT.

Then jacked up for easier access and yes I used axle stands, safety first!

All done and sealed and bolted in place.

 

[Harvey]

I got to play with the Father-in-Laws Toyota Yaris GR4 the other week as he wisely ordered a set of funky mudflaps after I recommended them to him. Due to the sculptured shape of the GR4 front wings, doors and skirts I could see there was the possibility of getting really bad gravel rash plus lots of crud splattered down the sides. An order was placed with Rallyflapz for a set of the shortiez being a little more discreet for street use as I doubt very much he plans on going balls out rallying with it anytime soon so big floppy flaps weren’t necessary.
When they arrived I was very impressed with the quality and instructions provided so got cracking.

The fronts were easy as they utilise three existing fittings with no hole drilling or wheel removal and you even reuse the top OE screw.

This is why they were recommended by yours truly, look at all that lovely painted surface waiting to be attacked.

Nice bracket and stick-on spacers for the reverse side.

All done in record time.

The rears are a little more involved as you have to remove the wheels so you can align and drill 3x small holes either side in the plastic arch liner along with using some sticky pads. After spending time with a spirit level it all went together rather easily.

Rear kit comes with stainless screws but you can drill a larger hole and use the plastic firs included instead. The 5mm spaced goes behind the top fitting and use the longer screw there as well.

Job done, now repeat on the other side.

 

[Harvey]

A rather mute occasion this morning as the S3 reached 25,000miles at 6years 4months since registered new of which the wife and & have owned it 3years 10months having covered 15,000miles in our ownership. We both still adore it and it won’t be going anywhere as it’s been the best decision we made buying it, covers all our needs and still brings us a huge smile factor when we drive it. If you’re considering buying an S3, whatever the age or spec, just do it I say

 

[Mr Freeze]

A rather mute occasion this morning as the S3 reached 25,000miles at 6years 4months since registered new of which the wife and & have owned it 3years 10months having covered 15,000miles in our ownership. We both still adore it and it won’t be going anywhere as it’s been the best decision we made buying it, covers all our needs and still brings us a huge smile factor when we drive it. If you’re considering buying an S3, whatever the age or spec, just do it I say

You need to drive it more
We have owned ours from new it turned 4 year old in march just gone its now on 36.5k
we have been all over the country on trips in the S3 its a great all rounder and its never missed a beat .

 

[Harvey]

I decided it was about time the Astra V6 had an oil change as it was last done in August 2018, oh heck. It’s only covered around 1,300miles since then but I still felt I had neglected the poor thing. Out it was dug from the Winter slumber and last month it got some loving and check over for its 2023 usage.

Brought the engine up to temp and removed the sump bung and left it dripping to get every last drop of oil out.

The early Vauxhall V6 lumps are a bit of a pain as the oil filter is located on the front of the block and if you don’t shove a rag into the gap just below between block and sump the oil can go everywhere and you end up chasing random drips between the lowest point of the bellhousing and block. They later used paper cartridge filters but these cost more than the metal screw-on version so I stuck with the early filter setup obviously, lol.

Nothing but the finest old school genuine stock from my shed stash, this only leaves me one more OE oil filter on my shelf from way back and my bulk purchase pre PSA takeover

 

[Harvey]

Last Sunday I scooted down to the Market Harborough Sports & Classic meet they hold every third Sunday of the month. A great turnout and good mix of tin in a warm friendly atmosphere, the catering was amazing and they even had a few trade stalls. Enjoy the pics peeps. The car of the meet for me was defo the MG ZT with a Ford Mustang V8, a proper sleeper

 

[Harvey]

I dug the GTE out of its hibernation last month and give it the once over prior to an MOT as I thought I’d do some uncomfortable road miles in it this year.

It fired up lovely so I got it up to temp and checked for leaks, fuel pressure was bang on, temps and other pressures were good and no elec gremlins but more on that later.

MOT was a pass so good to go for 2023.

Coming back from the MOT the speedo decided it wanted to display KPH only which isn’t useful when you’re in the UK and it’s MPH. I stripped the dash and cleaned the contacts as it had 15+ years of dust which wasn’t very pretty. Had the same issue on another car years back so knew exactly what required fixing.

Bench tested and it was working fine when MPH was selected via a twist clockwise of the odometer reset push button and KPH anticlockwise.

Scooted over to see a mate the other evening and MPH were working lovely meaning all sorted.

The GTE has a couple of niggly dents plus loads on the roof skin, been there years so through it was about time I had them fixed. If you squint you can see them but very hard to picture.

I contacted Dean at Speedy Dent Repairs who waved his magic spoons and pure skill then banished them to the bin of no return. As you can imagine his van was dent free as was my GTE when he’d finished!

 

[Harvey]

The wife and I visited the new Vaux ALL show yesterday at The British Motor Museum displaying on the Vauxhall Drivers Club stand. A fab show with a relaxed atmosphere and some lovely cars on display. It was nice meeting up with old faces and new alike. Slightly picture biased towards a certain Astra mk3 V6 but hey they are my pictures and the wife’s car so why not.

 

[Harvey]

My mates Nova track car was smoking so we had a session a few months ago diagnosing with good compression on all four and recent (within last 12 months) lapped valves and new stem seals it had been getting progressively worse. Also checked exhaust ports for signs of oil but mostly looked dry with easier access removing the rad pack so more than likely inlet guides at fault.

The decision was made to have the valve guides replaced so we removed the head as it had taken a beating over the last few years and looked like original guides.

The head was dropped with CDH (Cylinder Head Developments) for a full refresh including new valve guides. I’ve had a few heads done here over the years and their work is second to none. Got the head back looking lovely from its health spa break we boshed it on and my mate chucked the cams in.

While I was popping the timing belt on and checking things, I got my mate to dig through his junk to find his wheel machines and get my spare track wheels re-sealed and balanced.

Initial engine test was good, all working but the full smoke test will commence 3rd June at Blyton Park as we both have a track day booked for shonky Vauxhall rustiness.

 

[Harvey]

When I had the Astra mk3 V6 out and about last month I had a couple of occurrences of the dreaded click click before the starter engaged and the engine fired up. I’ve never had this previously but it’s a sure sign the starter wasn’t happy. My intention was to get the original Bosch refurbished but found a reman with 5 year warranty cheap as chips so bough it. Next mission was to replace the starter which isn’t easy on the V6 lump with tech docs saying remove this that and the other before even reaching the starter. I fortunately only had to remove the drive shaft and intermediate shaft.

I made a bung to hold the gearbox oil back using a socket/bag/tape and didn’t lose a drop.

After a wrestle, some mumbling followed by swearing the old (dodgy) starter was off.

Old meet swanky new starter.

On it goes and assembly is reversal of disassembly. Issue resolved and the starter is working flawlessly as expected.

I also noted a split in the intake hose from the airbox to the MAF (Mass Air Flow sensor).

While removing this damage I also found a split in the hose from the MAF to TB (Throttle Body) but I had a good used undamaged spare on my shelf so this was an easy fit.

Back to the pre MAF hose I investigated a few options but a generic silicone hose was simply too tight due to thick hose walls to fit with a clip to the airbox.

I wasn’t able to source a new OE replacement anywhere so I simply used 50mm wide insulation tape and wrapped the damaged hose. As you can see it looks great and is fully sealed, you wouldn't know if I hadn't told you. Yes, I’m aware Roose sell a silicone kit with both hoses here but I really wanted to retain the original so my solution made sense to me.

 

[Harvey]

Back in VAG land I noted there was a map update available for my Audi MMI MIB2 High (Harman unit) so grabbed the download, extracted to my 64GB SD card, popped it in the S3, a few clicks later and voila!

After clicking Start update and knowing my battery was good (any vehicle battery doubts attach a charger) I turned the ignition off and locked the car. Correct folks, you don’t need to have the ignition on, car running or car unlocked as the map update will continue in the background and simply keeps the MMI awake for the update period. I knew it would take roughly an hour to complete so checked back in after 25 mins to find this.

After 1 hour 19 mins the update was complete.

A few checks and all good with maps working perfectly.

 

[Harvey]

After the successful S3 map update I checked the Amarok and sure enough an update was available so copied it to the Genuine 16GB SD as the truck has a Discovery Pro unit and the maps are stored on the SD. Another job done.

I had one of the halogen fog/turn bulbs (H11 fitment) blow on the Amarok so as a temporary measure fitted an original Osram, spot the yellow, hint LH side of the vehicle your right as you look at the picture.

Now all sorted with a pair of cheap eBay specials, I believe they are a pretty decent match to the Xenon headlights.

Had a recent holiday to Waymouth and took the truck staying in a lovely house right opposite Sandsfoot Gardens and Castle with a cracking view out the front window, ignore the rain it was a passing shower as we had glorious weather. First time we’ve been down there and won’t be the last.

 

[Harvey]

Took the GTE to Blyton Park earlier this month to dip my toes on circuit as it has been a while. A couple of mates joined me with a GBS and Nova and we all had a jolly great day with no major issues, although I discovered a problem late morning but still lasted the day.

Unloading the cars after the wife and I erected our huge event shelter, good job as the sun was intense the whole day.

A few Pro pics which are all free from Javelin Trackdays.

Now back to my late morning issue. I found my clutch folk lever was fractured so when pressing the clutch pedal the cable was pulling less and less on the level as it was bending meaning the clutch pressure plate wasn’t releasing the clutch fully to allow smooth gear changes. A temp track side fix was applied, I’m sure you’ll like it, which just lasted me the day after a few cable shortening tweaks to give a greater pull.

After getting home I checked the clutch fork level with the yellow arrow clearly showing the fracture/split and the red line showing the straight path it should be following if it hadn’t happened.

I formulated a plan for a proper fix and a few days later started work. Luckily the F20 Vauxhall transmission has a lower cover plate which allows access to change a clutch without box removal by pulling the input shaft. Removing the cover plate allowed me access to the clutch folk lever bolt but not enough room to remove the bolt in full. I opted to split the engine and box without removing entirely as it was less hassle and I figured just enough room to do the job.

The bolt that needs removing to take the clutch level out.

A while later after removing 20+ other bolts I had enough wiggle room so out came the clutch level.

After straightening the fracture I noted it was nearly the whole width and had split on the opposite side so decided to replace and not repair.

I luckily had a spare box so robbed the lever off that.

As you can see in the above pic the fractured lever had already been plated by a previous owner but they hadn’t plated the whole length which would have stopped the split. I decided to make an insert and plate the whole thing tying into the rear of the fork section where the cable attaches.

A while later with the MIG welder on full power I had created this Frankenstein never to break again.

A clean up with the flap disc, a few layers of etch primer and satin black and it all went back together. A pleasing job but not something I really wanted to be doing.

Just as I was packing up from fixing the clutch issue I noted this in the drivers footwell.

Did you guess it?…the heater matrix had developed a leak. Alas, it had lasted 32 years so can’t complain. As most of the interior is already stripped out it only took me about 5 mins to remove it. I decided to double check it was actually leaking and spliced together a pressure tester using any inflator.

It was a wee teey hole but bubbles were coming from the matrix and after chatting with a local specialist he informed me this type wasn’t repairable, oh dear.

At this point I opted to go hardcore and matrixless as I only use the car in Summer months and it’s a weight saving to boot lol. Blanked off the holes inside and refitted the lower covers.

Purchased proper silicone bungs and trimmed them to length as they come overlong.

Feed to the matrix from the head and feed from the matrix to the rear water bar both bunged. Doing so has no effect on the engine cooling and simply stops the flow and return to/from the heater matrix.

While I was at it I replaced the front fog to air filter feeds with brand new ducting as I found some splits on the old stuff.

Fully road tested and once again I’m pleased to report all is good and happy in GTEland.

 

[Harvey]

Finally, an S3 update I hear you all say, well not exactly. Last week the wife and I popped down to Cornwall and some 300 miles later arrived at a lovely lodge near St Austell.

The following day we popped over to the West Cornwall Car Show, I’ll let the picture do the talking but it does come recommended if you get the chance to go.

Spotted this sign in Mevagissey but the shop was closed, shame as I might have been tempted.

Awaiting the arrival of King Harry Ferry (car ferry) to cross the River Fal at Feock.

Extreme parking tucked away safely in the corner at Newquay Zoo. Had a lovely hols and the S3 did us proud without missing a beat having covered nearly a quarter of its annual mileage within a week lol

 

[Harvey]

After the epic holiday road tripping in the S3 it had some well-deserved loving as it has been a while. First job was to agitate the engine bay dust with a brush and then blow it all off using my Ryobi blower. While I was in there I removed the air filter and cleaned out the housing just because.

Tool recommendation time as these clip tools are so useful as they have a ratchet mechanism to hold the clips open aiding removal, you then release it using your thumb. These come highly recommended as it saves messing with pliers/grips.

With the under bonnet sorted it was onto the car bodywork which had an Autoglym SRP followed by Carpro Reload before it got jacked up and wheels removed.

A further few hours later and the rims were looking decent having used Autoglym SRP and Autosmart wax detailer. I’ve never used any specialised wheel cleaner or polishers as what I use works for me. I dressed the tyres with Armor All gel after refitting the wheels and then dropping it back down.

I couldn’t do all this work without polishing the tailpipes could I so they got a good Autosol workout.

All done and the car is back on the ground.

The reason for the S3 spruce up is due to Vorsprung International show just around the corner at Market Harborough as my tickets arrived last week.

 

[Harvey]

On Sunday the wife and I headed over to the Vorsprung International show at Market Harborough showground but the day prior I got the S3 washed and tucked away under the carport to avoid the rain.

While under there I popped some silicone spray grease on the fuel flap lock as they are prone to seizing.

Also checked the space saver pressure and found it was 47PSI so pumped it up to the recommended 60PSI.

After arriving at Vorsprung International on Sunday we got parked up and went for a wonder. Lot’s of nice machinery there but I have to say the older motors did it for me, so much presence over the newer kit. Pic’s can do the talking from here…

Now this one I really liked, just a shame my picture taking abilities were lacking

Back to more random pics from the show.

The ASN club stand but alas no huge feather flags or warm hugs but I don’t care as I got to see lots of lovely vehicles so well done to all who made the effort and attended from this forum. Yes, I ran away when the rain came as I’d seen what I wanted and didn’t fancy getting wet feet.

A couple of my S3 (wifey owns but we share it) and @Potterswheel note the darkening skies as this was a few mins before it peed down and we left having seen what we wanted. The drive home was more like a swim at times with patchy heavy storms!

 

[Harvey]

Popped up to The Motorist beginning of this month with the Astra mk3 V6 having heard it was a decent place, we weren’t disappointed and what a great venue. If you have never been it’s well worth a visit.

I was a couple of miles from home on the return leg from The Motorist and heard the dreaded fuel pump grumble, oh heck. Luckily I made it home and after the usual checks I confirmed the fuel pump was dying. Couple of clicks later and an ITP318 was ordered. This is a Hi branded direct OE replacement which is a sub-brand of Sytec.

The Astra mk3 has a very useful top access so removing the pump assembly is easy.

All clean inside the tank so no concerns with that and I also checked the external inline fuel filter plus the return line and they were good.

The fuel pump assembly was stripped to install the new pump.

Refitted the assembly and popped sealer either side of the gasket and on the bolt threads so no nasty smells could escape. Tested and all working with no nasty pump noises and fuel getting to where it’s required.

Also on the way back home the RH indicator started flashing fast having worked fine all the way to the meet. It was the front headlight indicator where the crimped and soldered +ve had broke on the angle-eye adaptor loom with the bulb fine. Rectified with a new length of wire, twisted at the end and soldered.

 

[Harvey]

Since building the Astra mk3 V6 I’ve had x2 physical Astra keys but only x1 transponder chip able to start the engine of the donor Vectra ECU & immobiliser so a plan was formulated. After cross referencing my working coded chip being a Philips PCF79735S I bought a virgin new never programmed NXP PCF7935AA being an ID40 T12 as you can't reuse previous programmed chips. This NXP chip can be used for any ID40-45 from the research I’ve done as I found this useful transponder model chart for others who might be wanting to do similar.

Next job was to dig out my trusty Opcom and find the paperwork with the donor Vectra security code. Using the spare key with new unprogrammed chip turn ignition on and watched the EML flash as it wasn't paired with the immobiliser, this being default behaviour as it won't allow you to start the engine. Then in Opcom>1998 (W)>Vectra-B>Body>Immobiliser>Programming and enter the security code where you see this screen.

Click on 'Programming Transponder-Key' and from the dropdown select a known spare slot, in my case no.3.

Job done but you will still see the EML light is flashing so back out of the Opcom screens to the top level, turn ignition off and then on. At this point your see the EML is permanently on and not blinking which means the chip is now successfully programmed.

I popped the new programmed chip into the spare key holder having had to hack the old chip out from the previous engine as it was glued in.

I confirmed the transponder chip was fully working by going back into the measuring blocks for the immobiliser where you can see ‘Transponder-Key 3 Status = Programmed’ plus ‘Immobiliser Signal = Transmitted’. So now I have x2 fully working keys able to start the engine, success.

 

[Harvey]

After installing the Astra GTE coolant bungs to bypass the leaky heater matrix see bottom of post here I had an idea to tidy up a couple of other fittings so ordered 6mm and 10mm ID non-reinforced silicone bungs. First was the 10mm which is a vacuum take-off on the cylinder 4 throttle body for servo assist brakes which I don’t have which looked like this before I started.

Next job was to trim the new bung to length as they come with plenty of extra.

Fitted and looking tidier. I suppose I could just buy a grub screw fitting to blank it but it’s not in the way.

Next bung was the ikle 6mm engine breather which started like this.

New silicone bung trimmed.

Fitted and way neater, it's the little touches that make me happy

 

[Harvey]

I booked a couple of Javelin track days earlier this year and after completing Blyton Park in June see here with my clutch lever issues I was determined to enjoy my second instalment at Donington Park a few weeks ago.

Hitched and ready for the 30 min drive to the DP circuit.

I didn’t bother booking a pitlane garage having rolled the dice that the weather was going to be kind and it was perfect so grabbed a spot in the pits.

After two red flags in less than an hour of the circuit being opened, caused by the ‘pro’ racers testing I finally got everything up to temp and really enjoyed my day. Here’s a couple of snaps the wife took on her mobile.

These are some of the Javelin free pics that you can download from their Flickr site.

With only a sticky starter motor to report I loaded the GTE and headed the short tow home.

Once home I checked the sump and it must be self-healing as the previous weep was no more…WTF

I also gave the engine a visual once over and noticed the brake booster vac feed was missing its silicone bung which I spotted hiding next to the speedo drive. It must have popped off during the track day but I hadn’t noticed.

A week later I fixed the inlet manifold brake vac feed properly with a 1/8NTP threaded brass bung.

Thread locked in place and job done.

 

[Harvey]

As I mentioned at the end of my last post my 20 ish year old Brise starter was causing me a few headaches at Donny as it simply refused to work, even after a whack, then it was suddenly fine again. It had been playing up for a while but normally works after a gentle tap but enough was enough so it got removed for good.

I toyed with the idea of refurbing the Brise but after contacting a few firms and Brise themselves it wasn’t a viable option. Then I thought I’d replace it with a stock OE starter but then again……after researching I bit the bullet and purchased a Wosp LMS086 which is exactly the same unit as the Powerlight RAC471. Managed to get a cracking no brainer deal through Demon Tweeks who had the Wosp starters on discount.

Free sticker and chewy tasteless green sweets (warning: packaging is not for consumption!)

The beauty inside the box, yummy, useful and not at all annoying like normal Wasps.

My curiosity got the better of me so I weighed the Brise 3.1kg and Wosp 3.7kg for comparison. Looks like I’ll have to cutdown eating Haribo and shed 600g to equal things out, noooooooooo.

I trial fitted and spun the starter on its fixing plate for a neater fit as they offer a useful multiple hole mount, then thread locked the bolts and torqued to 10Nm as they were only M6.

Next was to make and adaptor loom from an old battery cable so I didn’t need to cut the factory loom on the car.

All done and working as expected, should it last as long as the old Brise starter I’ll be very happy indeed.

Another minor annoyance after swapping over to my road wheels post Donny track day while I torqued my last wheel bolt this happened grrrr, a stud snapped!

As they are pressed in from the rear the hub flange must come out which means you need to replace the wheel bearing, what a pain.

A short time later the offender was removed along with the other three studs as there was no point just replacing the one.

New Febi wheel bearing installed.

The four new studs and hub flange were pressed in using my extremely versatile Record 35 vice.

Strut, brake and wheel refitted prior to a nervous wheel nut torque, nothing to see here and all now fixed.

 

[northpole]

Good to see you use it as they were intended to be used, trackday cars! (Yeah it's me from the vectra c forum) the a4 is doing alright... but needs some more tlc... to make it a little more appealing to me.

 

[Harvey]

Yeah it's me from the vectra c forum

You found me lol, as you can see I still get my crusty Vaux fix. I'm sure your A4 will get the loving it deserves.

 

[northpole]

It'll get it what it needs I'm taking my time mate... you know me run it on the tightest budget possible and still make it look like it just came out the showroom.