TDI Wonder 2.0

[etk300ex]

She says it stinks and it's cold 

Speaking of, thinking about getting one of these http://www.frostheater.com/

[mr.mindless]

They should make good heat once warmed up but it does take longer to warm up and below about 10f they don’t always keep up. At least they have mechanical blend doors. I sometimes think the Allroad sticks half cool.

Cold weather folks swore by frost heater a decade ago when i spent time on TDIclub forums. I’m sure they’re still good.

[mr.mindless]

This gave us a new one today. Absolutely certain it had a broken left rear spring. It was water intrusion into a blown shock absorber that froze and held the car at full compression. Bad shack was known, only had one in stock earlier and other was waiting for better weather.

New springs installed anyway along with the new shock.

I’m going to label those old springs and shelve them in case the replacements are too stiff. 2 more coils, larger OD, and thicker. Have to be close to 20% more spring rate by eye

[etk300ex]

It’s good.  I like the forward rake haha.

[etk300ex]

Hatch struts replaced.  HVAC control bulb replaced. 

Oil is at the low end of dip stick range.  What kind of oil do I put in this unit? 

[mr.mindless]

15w40 diesel oil.
I like mobil delvac 1300 or shell rotella
change at 5k or so, takes a gallon.

[etk300ex]

Purchase a sweet new tape deck to aux cord adapter lol.  I’m surprised they’re still available. 

[etk300ex]

Drove yesterday. Brakes are real bad, low pedal, bad pulsing. Ordering pads, rotors, ebrake cables.  Mike do you remember if the calipers are ok?

[mr.mindless]

they were...

the e brake uses the normal pads, need to rotate the pistons as they retract. can't just push them.

[etk300ex]

And there it is, right there  

New pads and rotors.  Front passenger lower caliper bolt hole is stripped out which makes it real hard to get the bolt out the way the caliper floats on this particular vehicle.  Rear pads were metal.  Insides of all rotors hosed.  Stops real well now but still bad pedal feel.  You can feel brakes start to grab when you touch the pedal but the stoppage does not increase until almost floor.  Fluid is full.  I did break them in properly.

Mirror glass fell off.  Ordered used off ebay $10.   

I really enjoy driving this unit, but no AC makes it hard to use in the summer . 

[mr.mindless]

Worth bleeding a bit when ebrake cables get done. Probably will help

Ebrake use adjusts the rear calipers too iirc so that could also be a factor after having been all the way backed off.

I wonder what it’d take to get ac fixed on these. I never tried. Idk if it works on the two I just got. It’s getting shitty in the Ram again for the ~4th time. It was gone in the allroad when indrove that last. Works great in the z4 and the equinox though!

[M4wdFab]

everytime i kill a GM with good working AC, it makes me wonder how much hassel it would be to make a swap run with good AC.


lol, nah

[mr.mindless]

Just one more thing in a heater box and a couple sensors & a switch? Maybe?

And condensate drains and high pressure plumbing… hell of a lot harder than heat, that’s for sure.

[M4wdFab]

there are a lot of "universal" AC kits on ebay. 

id like to find something that uses the GM compressor, has a stand along box in cab, two hoses you fit, and a condensor to mount. 

havent found such kit. 

[etk300ex]

I don't know much about AC.  For this unit the compressor doesn't engage at all.  That means it's real empty or shot correct?