what have you done to your car today ?

[Battoussai]

Well, after being two years lost, the "black beauty" went to MOT and has been banned with minor imperfections: right sided steering end rod busted.
I'm getting one of these to do the job. Seems pretty easy.
One question: If I do it very "slow" and trying to keep it "straight as it was" do you think I will have to make a full wheels alignment?

 

[iammooks]

Well, after being two years lost, the "black beauty" went to MOT and has been banned with minor imperfections: right sided steering end rod busted.
I'm getting one of these to do the job. Seems pretty easy.
One question: If I do it very "slow" and trying to keep it "straight as it was" do you think I will have to make a full wheels alignment?
View attachment 42721

I think if you're careful, you should be OK. If you keep the lock nut in roughly the same place and mark it with a paint pen or something like that, and then count the number of turns it takes to get the track rod off, it should be roughly in the same place. Maybe not perfect, but close enough.

Somewhere there's a thread called something like 'track rod replacement for the non-mechanically minded' I did a few years back that will take you through most of the stuff that can go wrong...

In fact, here it is... You're not taking the whole lot out, so it won't all apply to you...

 

[Battoussai]

I think if you're careful, you should be OK. If you keep the lock nut in roughly the same place and mark it with a paint pen or something like that, and then count the number of turns it takes to get the track rod off, it should be roughly in the same place. Maybe not perfect, but close enough.

Somewhere there's a thread called something like 'track rod replacement for the non-mechanically minded' I did a few years back that will take you through most of the stuff that can go wrong...

In fact, here it is... You're not taking the whole lot out, so it won't all apply to you...

Great DIY guide! I have already done that a couple of years ago but the alignment is mandatory on those cases.

For the end rod I will take your advice and tape the lock nut so it will remain steady at that point. I will let you know how it went after MOT. Fingers crossed.

 

[mty12345]

Got the AIrcon regassed. Was down to 150g from 750g, but then i've never had it refilled in all the years i've owned the car. Guy said it was the biggest system he's ever filled, said he hasn't seen a car that takes more then 500g

 

[Dazzalcr]

Got the AIrcon regassed. Was down to 150g from 750g, but then i've never had it refilled in all the years i've owned the car. Guy said it was the biggest system he's ever filled, said he hasn't seen a car that takes more then 500g

Do you get a warning when this is low, I very rarely use it. I live up in the north see more rain than sun lol.

 

[Dazzalcr]

Great DIY guide! I have already done that a couple of years ago but the alignment is mandatory on those cases.

For the end rod I will take your advice and tape the lock nut so it will remain steady at that point. I will let you know how it went after MOT. Fingers crossed.

Good luck on m.o.t, and yeah as already stated not a difficult job, count the turns off and hopefully new 1 will be there abouts. But I remember speaking to a friend who use to be my mot guy he said any changes to suspension steering even if it's ever so slight can cause a big difference to your alignment.

 

[mty12345]

Do you get a warning when this is low, I very rarely use it. I live up in the north see more rain than sun lol.

No it was still working, just wasn't very cold. I think when it gets to a certain level the system would automatically turn the compressor off like it does on a cold winter morning,

 

[Nam-uk]

Do you get a warning when this is low, I very rarely use it. I live up in the north see more rain than sun lol.

even when cold your better using aircon now and again to stop the pump from seizing and seals drying up as its a common mistake when people say there air con don't work in summer and take it for a re-gas after years of none use then get a big bill, also they don't use it as they say it takes away MPH but most don't use the recirculation button as its not forever cooling outside temps, when i first got the Leon the last job was a re-gas even though it worked, it was just to check if there was any leaks ect ive not done it since..

 

[Nam-uk]

No it was still working, just wasn't very cold. I think when it gets to a certain level the system would automatically turn the compressor off like it does on a cold winter morning,

air con wont kick in under 5c last i looked

 

[Alexis27]

Interestingly there is a lot of stuff on social media that comes up saying you should you use the recirc function in summer, yet the manual specifically says it should only be used for short periods.

 

[mty12345]

even when cold your better using aircon now and again to stop the pump from seizing and seals drying up as its a common mistake when people say there air con don't work in summer and take it for a re-gas after years of none use then get a big bill, also they don't use it as they say it takes away MPH but most don't use the recirculation button as its not forever cooling outside temps, when i first got the Leon the last job was a re-gas even though it worked, it was just to check if there was any leaks ect ive not done it since..

12% reduction in MPG from memory, and yeah it helps de-mist faster in the winter due to the dry air produced by the aircon. Very well designed system seeing as most of the components are over 20 years old, yet none of us seem to suffer with leaks! Guessing a lot of it was made in germany not china back then.

 

[Nam-uk]

Interestingly there is a lot of stuff on social media that comes up saying you should you use the recirc function in summer, yet the manual specifically says it should only be used for short periods.

yea i find that weird they say that unless there thinking people smoke or something as that wont help, i vape but don't if the AC is on

 

[Nam-uk]

12% reduction in MPG from memory, and yeah it helps de-mist faster in the winter due to the dry air produced by the aircon. Very well designed system seeing as most of the components are over 20 years old, yet none of us seem to suffer with leaks! Guessing a lot of it was made in germany not china back then.

ive only noticed MPG drop on a very hot day like that spell two years ago and that's with reciliation on other than it just seems same, only issue and it seems common the ac unit LCD screen develops a black dot and goes bigger but it took years, i bought an aftermarket screen but it wasn't great from AliExpress but got a refund, ended up buying the whole unit off ebay for £35 this were i found out above it were you see all the little holes, that's the air sensor i recon and was all full of dust ect but i never use system on auto..

 

[Dazzalcr]

Some interesting facts about the aircon system mentioned above, have to agree when I use the system it's ice cold and blows well and I've never touched it, so defo have to agree with that it's a well made system especially for 20 yrs old.

 

[Dazzalcr]

Well the last few days here and there me an the father have been busy more hom than me, fitting new braided brake lines all-round and brake fluid change, it showed 2% condensation which is ok. The fluid that came out from rear lines was a dirty colour fronts alot cleaner, did this due to putting slightly larger disc on back which but the old lines abit tight. So while dad did that I crawled under and wax oiled. Not a 5min job at all.

 

[MoToJoJo]

Still here, just learning CAD to design some parts for the next bit of car fun I'm working on

 

[Nam-uk]

Well the last few days here and there me an the father have been busy more hom than me, fitting new braided brake lines all-round and brake fluid change, it showed 2% condensation which is ok. The fluid that came out from rear lines was a dirty colour fronts alot cleaner, did this due to putting slightly larger disc on back which but the old lines abit tight. So while dad did that I crawled under and wax oiled. Not a 5min job at all.

while your at it, push back the inner front wheel arch liners and the one you see after even take that out and check the bottom of both front inner wings as its a common fault were it can rust down there as its part of the Drain off, it even happens on other vag groups cars, passenger on mine was fine, but the drivers side had a rust hole behind the inner cover at the bottom yet it was clear i had to remove the side skirt to get at the hole, sorted that and treated both bottom of wings.. better looking as you don't want the sills to rust so worth looking

 

[Dazzalcr]

Good to know cheers Nam ?

 

[mty12345]

Well the last few days here and there me an the father have been busy more hom than me, fitting new braided brake lines all-round and brake fluid change, it showed 2% condensation which is ok. The fluid that came out from rear lines was a dirty colour fronts alot cleaner, did this due to putting slightly larger disc on back which but the old lines abit tight. So while dad did that I crawled under and wax oiled. Not a 5min job at all.

Gonna change my brake fluid this weekend too, flush the whole system through.

 

[Nam-uk]

Good to know cheers Nam ?

some of the wing fixings were not great so i bought theses later on https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100....order_list.order_list_main.30.2a3e1802WFCjzA i changed a few today and rechecked wings, odd place to rust were it was on mine as it was all covered, it was chance i seen it while sorting the bottom of the wing it must of been going for years, if you do have a hole i used a pre mixed fiberglass filler and rasps that attached to a drill (handy them)