'88 Rocco to join the ranks

[KRaddatz]

Hi all,

I've recently entered the world that is Volkswagen. Leaving behind my first stick, an '86 Accord.
Its a 1988 Scirocco 16v that has just broken 65k. I'd to get into track/rally racing slowly, ultimately have a fun daily driver.

For the bad:

• Engine sometimes has a hard start sometimes requiring gas to keep from stalling
• somewhat electrical mess under the hood
• Clutch slippage
• tail lights leak
• muffler rattles
  

The Good:

• Bentley Manual!
• clean inside and out
• H&R coil over suspension
• VW stamped BBS rims
• Newish low profile tires
• Alpine head unit

And now for some photos

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v3...k610/Scirocco/


-Kyle

[Granitethewolf]

I remember seeing this car on Craigslist just dreaming I had the money at the time to pick it up. Congrats sir, treat it well

[Ghunt521]

Def. nice find man... keep it don't sell it

[tboygm97]

those bbs ras' look real nice with that alpine white color. congrats on the car. always wanted a white one. i have a set on apple red color. keep us posted on the idle problem. have you checked your fuel pump operation, main and in tank, and replace the fuel filter to start with.

[KRaddatz]

I remember seeing this car on Craigslist just dreaming I had the money at the time to pick it up. Congrats sir, treat it well

I saw it a while back listed at 5200 but when I saw it down to 4000 I had to act.

@tboygm97
Im gonna try the fuel filter, from what i've read so far some say the coolant temp sensor could be to blame as well?

The horn I'd really like to figure out, being so low I feel helpless when others cant see me.
The fuse is good and swapped out the relay. Cleaned contacts to the horn, so any help with tracking down the ground wires would be appreciated.

As a side note when I pulled the air filter there were streaks of oil in it, PCV valve?

[ziggirocco]

Fro the horns, try out the horn direct to a 12v source like the battery to be sure they are good, there is a connector on each if I recall correct I think the bracket is the ground (it's been a while).
Another common issue with the horn is the contact that rubs behind the steering wheel if it is worn or bad it will not make it's contact, you will need to pull the steering off and inspect.

As far ad I recall the engine has only a crankcase breather hose that goes to the airbox, there is no valve like you find on American and jap cars. Some oil blow by may be normal but not much, it should be mostly vapor going thru into the airbox.

Hope it helps!

[BluDemon]

Wow all these White 16v's being bought in the last month makes me wonder where they were all hiding a few month ago when I was looking. White is nice. Nice looking ride.

BTW finish out your profile so your location is posted under your name. There are plenty of folks out there that might be local to assist in fixing some of your issues. We're here to help.

[KRaddatz]

Thank ya, white is a first for me but I'm lovin' it.

I'm already feeling the love around here, I appreciate the replys. I'm in the Chicago suburbs, soo if anyone is experienced with a clutch replacement..

[Twinrocco's]

GOOD FIND! 88 's are more rare. The clutch thing buy parts from www.GermanAutoparts.com ALWAYS use Bosch parts for tune up needs. The hard start thing. Start by cleaning all the connectors under the hood. Take off the distributor cap an spray it clean. oil leaks into it. An get it out to some Vw shows an have fun !

Here are some of my Sciroccos goodies..www.Flickr.com/photos/car-hobby/

[KRaddatz]

Well made some progress today..

I took the horns out and tested them directly to the battery and they work.
I checked the steering column and when i pushed in on the bottom connector the horn went off.
Problem now is that it is constantly on, I unplugged the horns and when I turned the steering wheel I could hear the horn relay clicking like crazy.

Also it rained recently and the trunk was all wet, I believe it to be a bad seal on the driver side tail light, added some inner tube and tightened so I'll see and hope that does the trick.

Leaving tomorrow morning for a couple weeks to Arizona but the 4runner will be the people mover for that duty.

Till next time.

[OorsciroccO]

When you go out in the morning and have a look, is it love?

Pretty cars they are. Even MkII's!

Especially in white.

[walle197871]

Got the same issue with water in the trunk. It pools on the left and right where the covers are (the one hiding the rear windshieldwasher bottle and the where the trunk light is). Is the tail light runners what does that?

[Larboard]

Pull your steering wheel off, you'll find a copper ring which is either worn out or pushed in. If you get a small screwdriver under the ring you can lift it up so it makes contact with the horn connection. If the ring is hashed, your hardware store might have strips of copper or brass that you can cut to size and solder the contact wire onto it.

[KRaddatz]

Alright thanks, know what size socket to pull off the steering wheel?

[Twinrocco's]

24 mm some what deep socket. Just rest your knee on the steering wheel an turn. The horn botton ground connects to the steering rack. If the copper ring is worn scuffed the least bit it won't
work. I buy old beat up steering wheels just for a good copper ring. $68 new from Vw.

Hope the car is under cover for now. hope to hear from you when you get back home.

Chow, Mike

[KRaddatz]

Alrighty then! I'm back and have finally got a 24mm.

Currently I have the steering wheel pulled, I found that the brass screw on the bottom of the column is stripped so when i was pushing on the plug the screw head made contact on the ring.

So my question now is how can I take the steering wheel apart to check the buttons' connections since they are not setting it off

[KRaddatz]

Also just borrowed a multimeter and the results were:

from the steering wheel voltage 12 and when i press the buttons it drops to 0
and for continuity when the buttons are pressed i get a beep as in a complete circuit


Could the pos and neg be switched on one of the horns when i took them out and cause something similar?

Thanks

[KRaddatz]

Bump, need help, has me scratching my head

[Twinrocco's]

24 mm some what deep socket. Just rest your knee on the steering wheel an turn. The horn botton ground connects to the steering rack. If the copper ring is worn scuffed the least bit it won't
work. I buy old beat up steering wheels just for a good copper ring. $68 new from Vw.

Hope the car is under cover for now. hope to hear from you when you get back home.

Chow, Mike

Hi, it could only be a skuffed brass ring ,or the ground wire connected to the steering rack. Take a
good look under the hood on the rack there is a ground connect wire. G/L

[definition56]

Also just borrowed a multimeter and the results were:

from the steering wheel voltage 12 and when i press the buttons it drops to 0
and for continuity when the buttons are pressed i get a beep as in a complete circuit


Could the pos and neg be switched on one of the horns when i took them out and cause something similar?

Thanks

A switched pos/neg on your horn shouldn't be your issue but give it a try. When you press your horn button, all it does is complete a ground. There should be no 12v power running directly to your horn button. The horn button is just a ground switch and then there's a 12v source running to the horn itself coming out of the relay.

I'm a huge proponent of Power Probe's for electrical diagnosing...if you plan on or think you will be doing a lot of automotive electrical, pick one up. Huge timesaver

[european_rocc]

Hah! This photo makes me laugh! Was it the tail lights that made you choose?

[KRaddatz]

Hah! This photo makes me laugh! Was it the tail lights that made you choose?

Haha, they are very similar in looks, it must of been that 16v badge

[KRaddatz]

Back again, asking fora little guidance to find the ground wire. Thanks

[KRaddatz]

Well I must say Seafoam works wonders! I finally got around to using the rest on the vacuum lines before I changed the fuel filter and after I got dont with my smoke filled drive, lo and behold the horn works!

any ideas on why such a thing would happen?

[european_rocc]

any ideas on why such a thing would happen?

VOODOO MAGIC


but seriously I'm not exactly sure how that could all of a sudden happen but i do know that electrics certainly have ways of fixing themselves (especially in Sciroccos for some reason). My '83 Scirocco had sat for about 9 years by the time i first drove it and in that time the interior light, front right speaker, dash lights, gauges, power mirrors, defroster, and rear window wiper all were things that eventually fixed themselves...

enjoy that horn! Mine have never worked!

[sutton83k]

LOL! dont you love those moments in your scirocco? my interior light stopped working the first year i had it and one night earlier this year i opened the door and it came on! needless to say my friend didnt quite understand why i was so excited. hahaha. same happened with my reverse lights and tach light.

[definition56]

Well I must say Seafoam works wonders! I finally got around to using the rest on the vacuum lines before I changed the fuel filter and after I got dont with my smoke filled drive, lo and behold the horn works!

any ideas on why such a thing would happen?

Sometimes just moving a wire will trigger a connection. You may have bumped a wire while fiddling and knocked some of the green corrosion off.

or.....deus ex machina.

[KRaddatz]

And now time for another question!

earlier today I saw a picture in a thread with a tube coming from below the c0 tap tube on the bottom of the engine in the rear, what looks like some kind of exhaust. Ill try to take a pic of my own tomorrow, but any ideas?

[KRaddatz]

Today the charging light came on, last time it happened it turned off when I restarted the car.
I checked the belt deflection which was approx 5mm.
I then took a voltage reading off the battery, and it read 11.xx at 3000rpm, then with all electrical components on and @ 3k the reading was the same, so the book says its the regulator.
I took a short 5 min drive to the bank and on the way back the light magically turns off!
So I immediately check the battery voltage and its reading 13.5v now.

I would like to replace the old wires with a heavier gauge and run some better grounds, but does anyone have an idea what could be happening? Could it still be the alt?

[KRaddatz]

Got some new much needed parts installed today, im ready for beer and time in the hot tub!

Germanautoparts sent me
a set of new sway bar bushing brackets, old ones were rusted off.
oil filter, and a new hd front engine mount.

and from ebay, a delrin shifter bushing.

Everything except the shifter bushing went in relatively painless. That was a total bitch to get to, squeeze in, and re align linkage but in the end I think all is right, I just hope I didn't stab up the rubber too bad trying to pry it in..