My S2 coupe bit of a rebuild and repair thread.

[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?

[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]

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, 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]

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]

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]

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

[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 think I will get a sensor, its only £19 for next day delivery, then will check the connectors under the dash and it that's all OK then I start work on the cluster. Need to change the bulbs on the temperature display anyway.

[B5NUT]

New sensor arrived today but did not fix the fault, have put the old sensor back in but swapped over the o-ring just so I don't get any new oil leaks. Think I'm going to take the cluster out next need to change the bulbs in the external temperature display anyway.

[johne]

When my speedo stopped working it was the connections inside the cluster, some of which are just sliding pins through the PCB. The chip that actually drives the speedo is bullet proof but I do have some if it turns out you need one.

[B5NUT]

So the fault with my speedo was due to the cluster, as suspected the pins needed cleaning. So stripped out the cluster and took it apart.
1-cluster.jpg

All the pins that I could find on the cluster were cleaned with a some 1000 grit paper and cleaned with isopropanol and then some dielectric grease was applied to the pins.
3-pins.jpg
2-pins.jpg

While I was there I also replaced the bulb in the external temperature display. Got a replacement bulb from a kind forum member (Cheers Dave) and got to work replacing it.
4-temp.jpg

The new bulb is slightly larger that the one fitted and there was an issue refitting so had to get the bulb as close to the board as possible. I've hunted around for some replacement bulbs and found some the right length so ill replace it when I next take the cluster out.
5-bulb.jpg

However for now it's all working, speedo is back to normal and I can see the temperature display again.

Next job on the list is to replace the brake bomb. The fluid level in the power steering reservoir fluctuates quite a lot when the car is first started in the morning, to the point it is bring the warning light on as the level temporally drops below the minimum so setting off the sensor in the reservoir. I had a spare bomb which I have just sent to Pleiades to hopefully be serviced, if that comes back OK then I'll send the one off the car to be serviced and keep it as a spare.

I take it that all I need to do to remove the pressure in the one fitted to the car is to pump the brake pedal with the engine off until the brake peddle goes hard then it can be removed?

[Rikki Kitto]

If you need a brake bomb for parts I have one that I took out of mine when I converted to doodaa brakes postage costs its yours if ya need it bro, think it worked but would need a refurb

[B5NUT]

If you need a brake bomb for parts I have one that I took out of mine when I converted to doodaa brakes postage costs its yours if ya need it bro, think it worked but would need a refurb

Thanks for the offer Let me see what Pleiades say about the bomb I sent to them, as they should have received it today so I hope they get back to me in the next day or two. If it's scrap then I'll take it off your hands if that's OK.

[Tractor Dave]

Yes, just keep pumping the brake pedal 20 times and bomb will be discharged. There is a small filter on the bomb fitting that needs a clean while you are there. I also replaced the crush washers last time I did mine. Good time for new green mineral fluid to if it's not been done recently and clean out reservoir.