Mk3 Golf oil leaks water leaks and suspension creaks.

[MOD500]

Long time lurker.

 

I've got 2 identical mk3 golfs that me and the OH use.

The favourite one is due it's mot on Tuesday, I plan to replace the brake pipes rear suspension bushes and do a bit of rust prevention but I've left it a bit late to get that done before the mot. It's a daft time for a mot!

The non favourite has a water leak and is always steamed up hence nobody wants to drive it!

More recently a rattle has emerged from the front suspension then I heard a loud 'twang' when I pulled out from a junction. It turns out both front springs had snapped. At least they died as a pair!

I had a spare set from a bundle of parts I reclaimed from a chav'd vr6 so it's now sitting on a set of 30mm lowered konis all I need now is a rusty roof rack and a child's trike and I can sell it for a profit due to scene tax!

 

The water leak was the plan for this weekend. It had got really bad, I was scraping water droplets off the inside of the screen earlier on the week!

While reversing a spotted a mini stream from the boot lid panel. (I don't use parcel shelves anymore

OH cramps too much kiddie paraphernalia in the boot!) a quick check with the kettle confirmed the rear screen was unbonded at the bottom.

 

I work in the design department for a company that make glue dispensers. We make electric dispensers used by windscreen fitters. We also have to test PU adhesives but once they're out of date they have to go to the bin, or my garage. So I've borrowed a dispenser and 'binned' a tube of sealant

 

I cut the window out using a Snape blade cutter and a pair of tyre levers. The tyre levers were a godsend!

With the glass off there is a lot of rust at the bottom so I've put the boot in the airing cupboard (OH is used to this nowadays.) once dry I'll treat the rust prime paint and seal. There is a spare black boot on in the mean time so the fleet is looking proper classy!

 

I found the source of the oil leak. I won't spoil it now though!

 

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[Lacquer Peel]

Good thread but wrong forum, I trust a mod will move it into the main forum.

 

What engines power your Golfs?

[r.welfare]

The Mk3 is the forgotten generation of Golf. I know a lot of people think they are awful but my wife loved her basic 1.4CL. More please!

[dave j]

Nice to see some mk3 love! I've got a mk3 too and it needs some work soon, possibly the rear axle bushes too so will be good to see how you get on!

[MOD500]

Cheers for the move!

 

Both are 1.8 auto's. and as they are the same age and spec they are both the same engine code which makes swapping bits even easier.

 

a combined cost of £315 for both cars and after a non fault prang the other drivers insurance paid out £300 without writing off the car

In fact they couldn't even be bothered to look at it!

 

I've replaced rear beam bushes and all brake pipes one one. While the beam was off I treated the rust in that area. These were the main issues in the last few advisories. I have a spare beam so I've been able to swap the bushes without leaving the car off the road for too long.

 

I'll sort the brakes and beam on the other one shortly.

 

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[MOD500]

Nice to see some mk3 love! I've got a mk3 too and it needs some work soon, possibly the rear axle bushes too so will be good to see how you get on!

If you're anywhere near Rg14 I have a makeshift bush insertion tool and a spare beam if you want.

 

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[Lacquer Peel]

The Mk3 is the forgotten generation of Golf. I know a lot of people think they are awful but my wife loved her basic 1.4CL. More please!

 

I liked the two 1.9Ds I owned.

[Keymaster]

The Mk3 is the forgotten generation of Golf. I know a lot of people think they are awful but my wife loved her basic 1.4CL. More please!

CL!! Such decadence! I had the ultimate mingebag mk3, the 1.4L. Wanted to like it, but didn't... mainly because it wasn't as reliable as everything else in life... including water leaks, oil leaks and suspension creaks funnily enough.

[cobblers]

I liked the two 1.9Ds I owned.

1.9D "SE" specd mk3 golf is the best shit car I've ever owned, cracking motor.

[MOD500]

I found some more pictures of the beam. I had to replace the brake bias as it was merged to the pipes through the power of corrosion.

 

I redone the pipes after this picture when i realised a slight routing issues!

 

 

 

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[MOD500]

The Mk3 is the forgotten generation of Golf. I know a lot of people think they are awful but my wife loved her basic 1.4CL. More please!

2 x GL in our household. 8 electric windows and 2 electric sunroofs and I have most of them working!

Nice to see some mk3 love! I've got a mk3 too and it needs some work soon, possibly the rear axle bushes too so will be good to see how you get on!

 

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[Pillock]

I think there was a recall for the hatch rusting around the rear screen, some crap technique used during build. Good luck getting your local glass walled, marble floored VW dealer to sort it now though  

 

I'll stick up for the Mk3, always felt loads more solid than my Mk2. Look better too.

[MOD500]

I think there was a recall for the hatch rusting around the rear screen, some crap technique used during build. Good luck getting your local glass walled, marble floored VW dealer to sort it now though

 

I'll stick up for the Mk3, always felt loads more solid than my Mk2. Look better too.

I took it to the main dealer to ask for them to fix the screen recall.

I was astonished when they said no.

 

Unfortunately the gap in the window seal meant that I could hear them laughing as I drove off.

 

Minor update. Kurust has been applied. The money I have saved buying shit cars means that I can afford to decant Kurust into plastic margherita glasses.

 

 

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[Asimo]

My Mk3 Golf happiness came to a bad tempered end when the bonnet flew open and smashed the 'screen.

 

Keep those bonnet catches cleaned and lubed folks.........

[mat_the_cat]

I work in the design department for a company that make glue dispensers. 

 

Ah, the company I used to work for did the heat treatment for PC Cox...they used to literally shovel thousands of the little pressed steel parts into a furnace.

 

As you were!

[MOD500]

Ah, the company I used to work for did the heat treatment for PC Cox...they used to literally shovel thousands of the little pressed steel parts into a furnace.

 

As you were!

It's a small world! It's a bizarre mix at my work. There are some low cost products that we churn out thousands of per week and some other lines that we might sell 5 over 2 years.

 

 

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[Sigmund Fraud]

Golf IIIs are truly awful, very much like a Polo 6N but larger, heavier, worse built and (even) more rust prone !

 

I'd absolutely love one as a daily !

[MOD500]

It's a small world! It's a bizarre mix at my work. There are some low cost products that we churn out thousands of per week and some other lines that we might sell 5 over 2 years.

 

 

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There have been a number of obstacles so far. Most of them driven by stupidity.

1. Planned to use my compressor but had failed to realise the spray gun was leaking.

2. It's a shit time of year to spray things.

3. The golf blue spray can I had on the shelf was the wrong colour and annoyingly, in my opinion, a better shade of blue.

 

Boot was primed and sprayed.

 

PU preheated in a specially designed water bath.

A wavy bead of windscreen adhesive was applied and the screen was placed onto the boot.

There is a trim that should be placed on before the adhesive is set to force the adhesive in the correct area and make the screen edge look neat. I was too tight to buy this and was also unimpressed as the water often pools below the rear window on the mk3 due to the angle of the window recess.

I beaded it (badly.) so it was flush with the boot lid. PU sealant does not wipe off well if you make a mistake. That is my excuse.

 

This evening i put the boot back on. I had to feed the look back through and pull out the screen demist connectors with a bike brake cable. Everything was hooked back up within an hour and it was treated to a new wiper blade.

 

Observe the shadow of a serial golf purchaser.

 

In other news 3 wings are being painted. In some bizarre miracle one of the 4 wings has not rotted through at the bottom. The windscreen scuttles dump drain water onto the inside of the wings along with some Road spray if the plastic arch liner fails.

 

I am working on using a sprayable seam sealer on the inside of the wing but compressor issues have slowed this down a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[purplebargeken]

My Mk3 1.6CL is a little honey. Nice to drive, feels solidly put together and quite easy to work on. 

[purplebargeken]

Often wondered why the wing bottoms rust. Now I know. 

[3VOM]

Welcome to VeeDubs Anonymous.

Hello, I'm 3VOM and I own a 1.4L Mk3 Golf and a 6N Polo.

[MOD500]

Welcome to VeeDubs Anonymous.

Hello, I'm 3VOM and I own a 1.4L Mk3 Golf and a 6N Polo.

There's nothing anonymous about it. 2 matching blue golfs outside the house. I have met people who live on my street who recognise the house by the collection of elderly golfs. It must look like an OCD purchase or a group discount.

 

I always fancied a 6N polo but there was never one available when I was looking.

[Pete-M]

I used to sell Mk3 Golfs new.

 

Which is why I drive a Mk4.

[Bren]

Some people but the latest golf for the privilege of oil and water leaks - you are doing it without paying £300 a month.

[MOD500]

I've been flitting about with a few jobs on the turd mobiles. The wings need doing but I've had a few compressor issues so I've parked that for just now.

Since the weathers been a bit nicer I've decided to spend some time crawling about on the floor.

The current job list is:

 

1. replace brake pipes. The rears are a bit crusty butmay as well do the lot.

 

2. Replace rear bushes. I've already swapped them out on a spare beam so it's a blue Peter job.

 

3. Paint area around suspension mount. These have started to rust but are sneakily hidden under the mounts.

 

4. Other related headaches.

 

Draining the brake fluid throws up the first issue.

To be fair I was expecting it which is why I made it the first part of the job. 2 x new cylinders from eBay thank you very much.

 

All unions behaved themselves and came off well. Beam came off quite easily.

 

 

 

The bias valve is a pain if you ever try to remove it. The valve needs to be removed to remove the beam bracket. However The bolts in the last one were seized in the ally block so even when I cut the threads off the back I couldn't get the bolts out. I had to buy a new valve in the end. £60. One was not amused!

 

This time round I left it on the bracket and cut the suspension bolt. The new bolt was fitted from the outside.

 

 

 

 

I'll start making some brake pipes in the next few days then once the rust patches are treated the beam can be re-fitted.

 

 

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[MOD500]

Other golf reached a speedo milestone this evening.