OSS: Yay or nay?

Silverpig said:
I’ve often thought about removing the sun blind from mine to get a bit more light into the cabin, when you say “it isn’t hard to do”, could you elaborate a little please?!
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I can't off-hand give details of how it's done. It was originally removed in front of me and in a few minutes by another member (Skipton) I've also worked on it, too. I'm sure that there will be details on this Forum .... have a search ... There are three stages (1) just removing the front blind ( easy) (2) Removing the rear blind (need to take the complete frame out) (3) Modifying the frame by cutting out the centre cross-member (looks the best finish). I've done that .... I'm sure that if you just experiment, you'll get there ... Unless you lived in a very warm Country or climate, you'd never miss those blinds .... I certainly haven't!

David
 
I'm another advocate of OSS having owned two in the family without and one (the current FSI) with.

For me (and by no means exhaustive):

Pros
  • Creates a very airy cabin with the blind retracted (whether open/closed or working/non-working)
  • Provides a quality look inside and out
  • Definitely not as tinny as the non-OSS aluminium roof in driving rain
  • If working, tilt lets in a nice breeze of air, fully open it transforms the driving pleasure bringing outside in (so to speak)
  • @Kleynie is a valued A2OC member who offers a fantastic repair and replacement service, so all is not lost in restoring non-working OSS
  • Another tick box on the options list and a desirable feature

Cons
  • Weak points (especially in early models) can lead to faults and non-working OSS
  • If not opened frequently, the panels can 'seal' closed which can put stress on the motors and cables leading to failure as the roof is opened (an easy fix, open regularly even in winter)
  • Heat can build up in the cabin during hot weather making it a very hot place to be without air-con/climate control (I have climate, some with OSS do not)
  • The heat can lead to bonding failure of the headlining (a current issue I have)
  • Drainage channels need to be kept clear to prevent water ingress and premature headlining failure
  • It may not be cheap to return a non-working OSS to full operation
Good luck in whatever decision you make.
 
Hello again,

This thread helped me to remove the sliding blind and also the whole thing when I done it a few years ago. I now have it removed during the summer (unless we’re using it for family travelling on a rather hot and bright day) and refit it in the colder months to try to keep some heat in, which I doubt it actually does.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
2work said:
Hello again,

This thread helped me to remove the sliding blind and also the whole thing when I done it a few years ago. I now have it removed during the summer (unless we’re using it for family travelling on a rather hot and bright day) and refit it in the colder months to try to keep some heat in, which I doubt it actually does.

Kind regards,

Tom
Click to expand...
Yes, I'm there! #33 ;)

David
 
Quick update on the car I looked at.

Good points are the spec., it has OSS, half-leather (creamy grey colour) & 5 seats. Sunroof opens, albeit with some creaks, and I couldn't find any obvious damp spots. Tyres had good tread, body condition was nice (blue/silver) with only a small number of scratches, 16" wheels weren't too badly kerbed, 100k miles, keenly priced at £1200-. Oil and coolant looked ok, I couldn't see much wear on brake discs. It drove ok, not too many creaks, rattles and clunks.

Bad points, OSS has some water staining of the headlining and it was coming off by the C pillar. Driver's seat side bolsters were worn, squabs had bobbled. Full filler flap doesn't work. Clutch juddered a bit and engagement was high. I think it suffered from the common FSI coking problem; it felt reluctant to pull in the higher gears, ok when revs were up. Lots of wear on all of the soft touch switches too. There was also a wobble through the steering wheel (wheel balance?), and I think one or both front brakes were binding - they smelt hot when I stopped and the car didn't roll. Cheap s**tty Chinese ditchfinder tyres meant ASC action even at moderate throttle openings on a damp day.

Some of the above might be fixable easily enough, it would benefit from a good going over, and probably more use. Clutch more of a worry. I don't currently have access to a workshop, so it would have to be a pro job. I'll look at other cars and sleep on it. Sales guy was very pleasant and I didn't get my arm twisted or any aggro when I pointed out the faults.

It's near Littlehampton; if anyone wants details let me know.
 
That interior is one of my favourite colours .... It's got a lot going for it and everything is repairable. Personally I'd have been interested in this A2.

David
 
Shoestring7 said:
Quick update on the car I looked at.

Good points are the spec., it has OSS, half-leather (creamy grey colour) & 5 seats. Sunroof opens, albeit with some creaks, and I couldn't find any obvious damp spots. Tyres had good tread, body condition was nice (blue/silver) with only a small number of scratches, 16" wheels weren't too badly kerbed, 100k miles, keenly priced at £1200-. Oil and coolant looked ok, I couldn't see much wear on brake discs. It drove ok, not too many creaks, rattles and clunks.

Bad points, OSS has some water staining of the headlining and it was coming off by the C pillar. Driver's seat side bolsters were worn, squabs had bobbled. Full filler flap doesn't work. Clutch juddered a bit and engagement was high. I think it suffered from the common FSI coking problem; it felt reluctant to pull in the higher gears, ok when revs were up. Lots of wear on all of the soft touch switches too. There was also a wobble through the steering wheel (wheel balance?), and I think one or both front brakes were binding - they smelt hot when I stopped and the car didn't roll. Cheap s**tty Chinese ditchfinder tyres meant ASC action even at moderate throttle openings on a damp day.

Some of the above might be fixable easily enough, it would benefit from a good going over, and probably more use. Clutch more of a worry. I don't currently have access to a workshop, so it would have to be a pro job. I'll look at other cars and sleep on it. Sales guy was very pleasant and I didn't get my arm twisted or any aggro when I pointed out the faults.

It's near Littlehampton; if anyone wants details let me know.
Click to expand...
You say " I think it suffered from the common FSI coking problem"
Was the EML light on? If not, and it was on when the dash lights test (first turn of the key) was done, then probably not.
Mac.
 
PlasticMac said:
You say " I think it suffered from the common FSI coking problem"
Was the EML light on? If not, and it was on when the dash lights test (first turn of the key) was done, then probably not.
Mac.
Click to expand...

EML was lit with ignition on, and did go out. I've had a FSI where the valves coked up, which cause similar running problems. It could be ignition, but it did clear with load & revs. Apparently fault codes were found and cleared - don't know what they were though.
 
Needs an extended test drive, with acceleration over 3000 rpm a few times, see if EML comes on. If not, probably running on 95 octane, needs full service, plugs and coil packs (unless already done with OEM brand packs).
Probably cheap for good reason, methinks.
Mac.
 
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