My S2 coupe bit of a rebuild and repair thread.

[Bowie69]

Sensor is just a reed switch and takes 2 minutes to swap out -I'd just try it, they aren't expensive.

But I think it will be a loose connection in the dash, or under the dash in aux relay panel.

[B5NUT]

I did try hitting the dash a few times but nothing. That's why I'm wondering if it's the sensor

[Tractor Dave]

It's probably the connections inside the cluster. Not difficult to strip. Have you tried a slap on top of the dash when it's not working? That should confirm it.

[B5NUT]

First fault on the S2 has appeared after all the work I did last year. The speedo has stopped working! Thought I noticed it the other week when I as coming to a junction just near my house, but after pulling away again it was back to normal. However today it's not working. I've check the wiring and the plug on the gearbox and it all looks good.

pins.jpg

I need to check the connector under the drivers footwell but I'm not seeing any water in the car and It's not been out in the rain for months, so don't think that is the issue.

So the two options remain the sensor on the box has failed or the soldering on the cluster needs reflowing. Do the sensor ever fail, and is there an easy way to test them? Anyone know how much of the cluster need to be stripped to get to the solder joints for the speedo?

[Tractor Dave]

Yes, S2 pedal feel is very different to other cars. Something you get used to. I get back in my wife's Passat and nearly go through the windscreen when I touch the brakes!
I'm my experience, S2 brakes need a lot more foot pressure to get hard braking, but it's all there in the end. I've driven 5 or 6 and they are all the same. Even the Urs6 is identical.

[B5NUT]

Thanks, that make sense.

The only other question I have is on the brakes. Compared to other cars I've driven over the years the brakes on the S2 appear to be at the very start of the travel of the peddle. They are not like a switch, but you don't need to push the peddle very far to get full breaking force. Where as on say the TT the peddle has a much longer range before you get full braking force. If that makes sense? This is the first car I've driven that does not have a brake servo, so I'm guess that is the difference.

On a positive note, I took the car out for a run and the brake squeal has gone.

[Tractor Dave]

Yes, that's normal. The bomb has an internal diaphragm. When the pump is running, the fluid side is pressurised and the gas side is compressed.

[B5NUT]

Started work on the car again. First up the squealing Brembo brake pads.

Went with a set of TRW pads as I found someone selling off some old stock TRW pads, they had a couple of sets left so got both of them. I don't think many people rate the standard S2 brakes so don't think there will be many cars running around with the twin pot Girling setup, so I'm guessing the supply of them will go EOL at some point.
pads.jpg

After taking the wheel off on the passenger side, I was met with some what of a oily mess. It appears that one of the clips holding the power steering pipe to the reservoir was just not the correct diameter and even fully clamped it was still allowing fluid to drip through and cover the running gear with fluid including the brakes. When I removed the pipe I noticed a good 1mm in thickness between the crimped section and the uncrimped. So I'm guessing the ear clip I put on was just a little to big.

Drained and removed the pass bottle then washed all the paintwork around the area and refitted using slightly smaller ear clips.
pas.jpg

once the leak was stopped the wheel arch and running gear was cleaned off and the brakes were then fully cleaned with brake cleaner and the new pads fitted.

These were the old Brembo pads from the car, with the contaminated set on the right. Ignore the circle marks on one of the pads I used it to push the pistons back into the calliper.
fpads.jpg

Now I've not been driving the car much over the last few months but it never felt like it was pulling to the right under breaking, but I'm glad I found the issue and it all been sorted.

It's also difficult to monitor the level of PASS fluid in the reservoir on the car, as over time when the engine is switched off the fluid level rises over the maximum and then returns to the correct level when the engine is running. The question is where is all that fluid coming from the BOM? Also is it normal?

[K Simmonds]

I do indeed have a bag of 94 odd grain of wheat bulbs, I seem to recall I was supposed to send you some ages ago but completely forgot about it, It'll forward you a couple before the spring.

There are two types of LCD display, one type can easily be repaired properly using a solder sucker and a fine tip iron, the other type can only be practically be done by snipping the legs off the existing bulb and soldering the new one the the stubs... Which to be honest is how I do both types as it avoids getting too much heat into the PCB and damaging another component.

[B5NUT]

It could be, I need to check with VCDS and see what the sensors are telling me. However I hope that is not the case as the temps do go to 90 while at idle and they stay at 90.

[Tractor Dave]

It might just be that someone replaced the dials on the instrument cluster and didn't get the needle back in the right spot.

[steve briance]

Its nice to know that the factory fitted wahler thermostats

Good luck sorting yours, im sure you will get there.

I have had varying results with mfts on my car, they seem to provide various readings. The overhheating that seemed to be occurring when i fitted one was clearly nonsense as nothing else had changed on an engine that was otherwise running ok 10mins before. I read that Behr branded mfts are the ones to go for, some of the rubbish out there fails very quickly and leak coolant into the switch itself causing a short and red overheat warning on the dashboard.

[B5NUT]

This was the thermostat I fitted.
stat.jpg

Thing is the car was doing exactly the same temperature issues with the original thermostat when I purchased the car.

This is what leads me to believe it could be a issue with the sensor as I cannot believe two Wahler thermostats one being fitted 20 years ago and a new one have the identical issue.

I also tested the old thermostat as I fitted an aftermarket one that was rubbish and that caused the car to over heat, which is why I purchase the genuine Wahler version
test.jpg

[johne]

The last time I replaced my thermostat I tested 4 new ones in a saucepan of boiling water first. Brands included Wahler, Ford and QH. All met my criteria of no jiggle pin, no bleed cut out, 88 degree C rating. I chose to fit the one that fully closed first on cooling down. There's so much variation between individual thermostats that when it comes to a difficult installation like the S2 buying from TPS or using an OE supplier doesn't g'tee success, you need to test them before fitting.

I suggest you don't fit a three pin MFTS if your 4 pin original still works fine.

[steve briance]

I would have suggested fitting a new thermostat to solve your problems but, it seems you have already gone down that route. I don't know what brand you fitted (vag with audi part number?) but fitting a wahler brand 'stat has cured over cooling issue on mine and others cars.

On mine, i actually replaced a new thermostat which it seems didnt have a strong enough spring to keep it closed...