My S2 coupe bit of a rebuild and repair thread.

[B5NUT]

Not touching LED's on the S2, I'm sticking with the stock bulbs.

Even during the summer months it was still sitting around 75 when driving the car around, and would get up to temperature when idle. The thermostat was replaced last year with a new genuine stat I got from TPS. Also when I purchased the car back in Sept 21 it had the same fault. I figured it was a thermostat issue so it was changed when the belt was done. The rubber cover is over the sensor, however the sensor is still the original. I guess I need to check it out with VCDS and see what reading I'm getting. I did buy a MFTS but never fitted it.

Far as the brakes go there does appear to be plenty of options, however will most likely go for ATE.

[johne]

If you use a 14 volt bulb it should last a long time, don't be tempted use a LED as the display won't look right with the more focused light source. There's a guide on here somewhere (by Jas11n?) to replacing it.

The car temperature issue you can do some things about and there's some aspects you can't change. Check you've got a thermostat that closes fully, doesn't have a jiggle pin or bleed cut out in its rim. Check if you've got a 3 or 4 pin MFTS. The MFTS drives the temperature gauge and the 3 pin all electro-mechanical ones are known to under read. Whilst you're there also check that the MFTS still has a rubber boot around it to help prevent it from being cooled as you drive along. Use Vagcom to read the true engine temperature so you know what's really going on. Vagcom reads from the ECU engine temperature sensor which is the more reliable indicator of engine temperature. The rest is down to the way the cooling circuit is implemented but covering the auxiliary radiator in winter or removing it completely help.

As for pads, I've not found any brand to be particularly quiet. The best so far for me are a set of the cheapest Chinese origin pads I could find

[B5NUT]

Been told they are a little tricky to soldering iron so should be ok. I'm just waiting for the temperatures to start increasing before I start any of the above.

[Rikki Kitto]

The bulb in outside temp lcd is a bit of a mare to do if your handy with soldering iron you will be fine the bulb is a grain of weat bulb, tiny, Kit has some I think, he fixed mine for me

[B5NUT]

Had the S2 out today, roads were nice and dry and the sun was out for a change. It was a nice little drive but was spoilt by the squealing front brakes. This got me thinking of the list of jobs to do on the S2 this year.

Replace the squealing Brembo brake pads (Any recommendation would be welcome)
Replace the bulbs for the external temperature display, as the bulbs have failed.
Sort of the engine temperature issue, as around town driving the car is always 90, but drops around 75 when going on any sort of speed (40+)
Head liner, thankfully is only dropping around the passenger sun visor at the moment, so not noticeable until it's lowered
Find a screw that holds the lower B pillar trim.
Exhaust is still touching the prop occasionally so need the exhaust modifying
Fix a vibration rattle on the upper B pillar around the passenger seat belt height adjustment .
Replace the tyre on the spare wheel as it's 20 years old
Replace the rear quarter rub strips as they are badly painted. Already did the ones on the doors.
Couple of oil changes in March & October


So not a massive list and about a weeks worth of work including the painting.

[newsh]

I have managed to break quite a few of mine being heavy handed on removal I'm driving the car around with no interior trim or roof lining looks a bit of a mess and sounds as noisy as f

Sounded good going off up the road yesterday though!
Once I’ve got my car back I’ll have a bunch of trim left over, might have what you need.

[K Simmonds]

I managed to crack the rear quarter trims in my RS2 and I was using proper trim removal tools as well taking my time, I'm either going to have replace them or get them professionally repaired.

If you want to quiet things down inside your car make a temporary headlining out of a thick blanket and use some bungy cords to hold it up, stops the reverberation... Not my idea Bowie's done it in his Coupe, far from an ideal solution but doesn't cost anything.

[Rikki Kitto]

I have managed to break quite a few of mine being heavy handed on removal I'm driving the car around with no interior trim or roof lining looks a bit of a mess and sounds as noisy as f

[K Simmonds]

Good plan, cold 30 year old car plastics will be much more prone to cracking than nice warm ones.

[B5NUT]

I assume you need to remove the trim panel to get to the pin, so will leave whatever is fitted to the car in place until next year when the temperatures have increased as there is less likelihood of trim panel damage. I always find cold plastic lead to damaged plastics.

[newsh]

Yeah I recon he's ID it, the question is what's now where it should be?

Usually a Phillips screwdriver bit from a “multi tool”

[K Simmonds]

Yeah I recon he's ID it, the question is what's now where it should be?

[newsh]

Just had a quick look in etka. It kind of looks like number 5. Boot opens and closes OK and it not wobbling around! I've never been near that area of the car either. It does make me wonder if someone has bodged something in there

3-boot.jpg

Oh yes it does, hinge pin!

[K Simmonds]

Just had a quick look in etka. It kind of looks like number 5. Boot opens and closes OK and it not wobbling around! I've never been near that area of the car either. It does make me wonder if someone has bodged something in there

3-boot.jpg

Hmmm, good spot, it does look like it could be that component, though if it's not in place the boot would be totally on the piss when you opened and closed it, have a look I guess.

I've never seen one before as I've always removed the boot lids complete with hinges when either braking or working on Coupes.

[K Simmonds]

As John say's that looks like a clevis pin from god knows where, it certainly doesn't belong where you found it or anywhere on the car for that matter. Honestly, some of the stuff we find in cars at work is truly baffling.

I know you really like to keep everything stock but now the cars running well I'd suggest putting a T piece into the pipe to the ECU so you could fit a temporary boost gauge just to be sure it is boosting correctly and the over boost function is working. It could also be potentially useful in future if you have running issues, which of course hopefully you don't. You could do it for £20 and simply blank the T off when you don't want use it.