My S2 coupe bit of a rebuild and repair thread.

[K Simmonds]

Just read the rest of your updates....

Yes, the mount sits over the seal, though they always end up a touch mangled there.

I will have one of those clips you can have for free with the rear light cluster, I even know where they are will dig it out in the morning for you.

I'm trying to chill out after my phone has just wound me up but when I calm down I'll run through doing tracking with string for you, unless Dave steps in the mean time.

Interior looks fantastic BTW.

[B5NUT]

This is quite odd as it should behave in the opposite way. So the lighter bulb should come on with the side lights and stay on throughout the operation of the exterior lights and go off when when they're turned off. It actually kind of sounds like a bad earth of some sort and given that it's been damp in your car I'd start with checking the headlight switch connections. The lighter itself and the bulb are not electronically connected, I've just checked this as I have centre console in my conservatory, the bulb is run off the same loom as the ashtray illumination light, can you see what that's doing?

Just been out to check and the ashtray light works as normal. So I will look will look at the wiring around the lighter and see if I can see a fault or bad earth.

[K Simmonds]

Yeah, it's got be a fault there then, still weird.

[K Simmonds]

I have half an hour before it's firewood time so here's the principle behind doing tracking with string, there's numerous different ways of going about it, this is simply how I do it, however I have always had the advantage of a workbench in front of the car to attach the string to and a nice flat garage floor. Also this will not be perfect, the only way of doing it super accurately would be to fabricate jigs that bolt on in place of the bumpers where one could attach the string, I've seen this done.

You need to establish two parallel line's, one each side of the car, with the car centred as best you can in between them, the lines need's to run at the same height as the wheel centres.

Measure off the same bit of metal bodywork both sides to get the car in middle, this can take a quite a while. The car also needs to be on as level a surface as possible with enough space to roll it back and forth one full wheel rotation, unless you have tracking plates under each wheel. Four cheap plastic trays can be used for this purpose, though they're obviously not as good and it will ruin them.

I fix the string to my workbench at the front and used heavy axle stands at the back. Though I think wrapping it around the bumpers and using packing could also work pretty well, however this will be less accurate.

The steering rack must be centred and the steering wheel set in the straight ahead position, it helps if one can lock it with a bit of wood cut to length and propped off the floor (which I do) or a mate sat in the car holding it will also work. We use a spring loaded device when doing tracking at work, but wood does the same job.

Once your as happy as you can be with this set up you simply measure the distance to the edge of the rim at the the front of the wheel and the back of the wheel. Using the tie rod adjusters you are aiming to get this dimension the same.

Depending on how straight your car is It should be close to the same on each axle, but worry more about getting each individual wheel correct as opposed to this dimension.

NOT front to rear, as the front and rear track widths aren't identical. I think this is where I went wrong the first time I did my Coupe, as both rear wheels ended up toed in 30 minuets or half a degree.

However I got the front very close to being right, some less reputable tyre places would have probably let it go.

Unless you have the luxury of tracking plates (or trays) to put under each wheel the car will need to be rolled back and forth one full wheel rotation in between major adjustment's and certainly on your final bit of tweaking. Even with tracking plates I do this on the final check as it helps let everything settle.

This will give you zero toe but will allow the car to be driven safely with ruining the tyres.

Though by rights both axles want to be toed in if anything, so if there's a margin of error with your measuring (your eyes only so good after all) go with as little toe in as you can achieve.

This way is probably over complex but it does work, please if anyone else reads this and can give better advice (ie Dave) do chime in!

[B5NUT]

Thanks for that Kit the write-up the way you have put it is easy enough to understand how I would go about doing it. However think I'm going to be a bit stuffed using the string method. My driveway is on a slope and at either end it's not level (it slopes then goes level) Think I'm just going to have to get the toe in/out as best as I can then take it for tracking.

Got the car started today for the first time in 11 weeks. Had a little leak from the stainless compression joints so just tightened them up a bit more and the problem was fixed. Thankfully it's the only fuel leak I found.
1-joints.jpg

Now on to a To Do list with about 60 + jobs

[K Simmonds]

No worries at all, I was sat here waiting for it to finish raining before getting outside and attacking the wood, I'm in between loads at the moment.

I didn't mean to make the write up sound condescending, which upon reading it back it does seem a little, but my method is quite complex and if you have the space to follow those instructions it's surprising how good you'll get it. And I didn't even touch on camber and castor.... Camber can be done with a level and straight edge, castor all you can do is aim for as much as possible. However you have to have a very flat surface to work on to stand any chance of getting it right.

If your stuck on a slop you really are a bit stuffed... I'd just use plastic tray's and string around bumpers and get it as close as I could statically in that case, you can get a pack of trays for less than fiver from somewhere like Pound Land etc.

Congratulations on the first start up, with just one minor fuel leak to tweak up, it's surprising how quickly you'll get through the other jobs.

[B5NUT]

It was not condescending in the least. Only time I've seen string used used with alignment was project binky and they were talking about ackermann. I got some plastic which I've used before with basic alignment, just stuck a bit of grease between the two pieces so they can move freely. Basic alignment will be a pain but it's on the growing list

[Tractor Dave]

You can also use string under the car. This is less accurate than the method listed by Kit but easier. Raise all four wheels. Centre steering. Use string to measure rim to rim marks made half way up wheel using a level. When you have it about right, you can mark the string and double check. A good tape measure also works but it's not so easy to read accurately. A digital measure might be good . Go for zero toe as when you drop the car it will naturally toe out slightly.
Another version of this is to clamp spirit levels to the wheels on the outside at a mid point on the wheel. Get them level and take your measurement from the level edge front and rear.

[B5NUT]

Thanks under the car is tricky as I would struggle to get it high enough. It's raised at the moment but at the front my nose rubs against the chassis so my head has to be sideward and any adjustment would be difficult to say the least.

I also don't have a digital measure. The WV dealership that I get some of my parts from is just around the corner from my house, so I'm tempted to take it there.. it's just a question of weather I trust them enough, and the cost involved..

[B5NUT]

Little mod done today. Taken the mod from another forum member who also hated the 2x2 connectors under the bonnet for diagnostic. Also sure this has been done many time by other forum members.

Started off by cutting the power end of the 2x2 connector, for the data plug I'm going to use the clamped terminals in the fuse box.

Got the OBD connector from ebay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182121455551 MOLEX 51116-1601 Wire-To-Board Connector, OBD-II 51116 Series

Made up a harness with 4 wires and enough cable to easily lower the trim panel.
1-harness.jpg
As I don't want to hack into the cars harness in any way, power was taken from the black 2x2 connector and data from the two terminals. I could have done the same trick with the data plug but there is not much room in there, so felt this was neat enough solution.
2-connect.jpg

There is a nice little place on the trim panel to secure the OBD port.
3-port.jpg

Also the hole is already cut out. Not sure if this hole is intended for a footwell light or an OBD port originally.
4-hole.jpg

So far this is the extent to my modifications to the S2.

[K Simmonds]

Cool, the main reason I felt I might need to say something is that it has been pointed out to me by my folks that sometimes I can come across as a bit of a know it all, this is not intentional, far from it. It's actually a side effect of my mental state, I can get bit OCD about stuff.

I like the two bit's of plastic with grease in between idea, that's good thinking, will probably do that myself in future if needs be.

Dave's method is also good, maybe not quite so accurate but much less hassle, he's made me think some tweaks I could make to my method that'll improve it, not going bore everyone with that now as it does start getting quite complicated and it sounds like you'll be able get it somewhere near anyway.

To be fair to VW I took my first couple of cars (MK2 Golfs & Scirroco's) to South Hereford Garages to have my alignment done and they always did a great job, got a proper print out the lot for £40, but that was expensive back then. Still, a MK2 Scirroco is a fair bit of work due the way the camber is adjusted with a cam washer each side of the top strut bolt, fair play they always set my cars up just right. However, God knows what they would charge now and I have no idea what your local dealer will be like, I guess the first thing to do is phone them and ask how much it's going to cost and if they're even prepared to do it.

I put an OBDII port in the lower shelf very like you've done, much easier on a 3B as that's roughly where the 2x2 connection's are anyway, save's having to fanny about with the adaptor cables every time you want to pull the codes.

[B5NUT]

My post are most likely the same, as these cars are 25+ years old people will have seen everything I've done a hundred time before. Maybe some of my fixes or idea's are newish but most will be very old hat. I'll try and have a go at everything, but at some point the cost of the tools become too much for a one off fix. Would love to get some tracking tools be with not having a level drive it kind of pointless unless I have some custom stand made to level my car out.

So I have a few more questions I hope someone can answer.

Anyone know where the jack fits in the boot on the coupe? There looks to be a fitting location near where the spare wheel goes, but for the life of me I cannot remember where I got it from and how (if at all) it's fixed to the car.
1-jack.jpg

Also is this correct for the boot floor, found this loop of plastic and there is a slot in the floor of the boot so you can access the warning triangle
2-correct.jpg
Finally what have people done with the front plastic grills on the bumper. Ones on my S2 are almost white. Tried the heat gun trick but that did not work, and some back to black chemicals but again did not really make much difference. Thinking about painting them in a plastic primer and then 2K satin top coat.

3-front.jpg

[B5NUT]

Only other thing I did today was to polish the wing I painted a few months back, The colour match is not too bad. Note that the rest of the car is dirty, it's never been washed since I got it! So it need a wash, full clay bar, machine polish and finally a ceramic coating. Not doing any of that until I know the leaks on the car are fixed.

1-wing.jpg
2-wing.jpg
3-wing.jpg

[K Simmonds]

I guess it takes a certain type of person to go to the trouble of looking after these cars properly, that's why I like Forums so much, I enjoy helping others as well as learning stuff myself, and one never quite finishes learning.

I can help with a couple of your questions...

The jack is fixed to the cars body, through a slot in the body of jack, behind the spare wheel with a long (roughly 75mm) M6 threaded bolt with a fairly large plastic head that designed to be turned by hand. I have one I use on my home trolley jack to fit the handle extension I could take a pic of if your stuck.

Can't help with anything to do with warning triangle or boot carpet as that was all long gone or ruined on my car and got binned with a lot of other stuff... My 3B ended up weighing 1350 KG's with nearly a full tank of fuel, in hindsight combined with full RS2+ spec this really was quite silly, but a lot of fun.

The paint you require for re-blacking the bumper grills is called 'Huttons Trim & Bumper Colour', it's a trade product and it's fantastic for this sort of thing, though no doubt there's other ways of doing it.

Tristan introduced me to it as he used it with great success on various parts of his turbo MK2 Scirroco that wouldn't respond to other treatments. I'm looking at a tin of it at the moment as it currently lives in my conservatory and I had to dig it out to remember it's name. Tell you what, I'll post a pic of that in a moment for you.

[K Simmonds]

This is the stuff I use to re-black trim parts that won't respond to heat etc...

That wing look pretty good, it's pretty much impossible to match metallic finishes perfectly without blowing paint and lacquer on to adjoining panels so I'd be quite happy with that.


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