Project Dolphin

Silverpig

Silverpig

Member
I've had my new (to me) dolphin grey A2 TDi for just over a week now, covering over 600 miles and I now have a good idea of what I've taken on.

First of all, the good. I've fitted the new switches and it looks a lot smarter inside. I've also discovered that not only has it got the larger fuel tank fitted, but it also has heated mirrors which are both very pleasant surprises. The sound system works perfectly including the 6 CD changer, and the car looks quite presentable. I've collected a set of light grey sports seats which I will be cleaning and fitting once the rain stops. I'll then have a set of Soul Black seats to pass on, if anyone is interested. The OSS is also a lovely addition, the extra light inside the cabin really lifts the mood.

Now the bad.

Having run it for 600 miles over a lot of mixed driving, including two 200 mile runs, I'm quite disappointed to find it only returning around 50mpg. I had expected much better, particularly with the Silverpig regularly over 60mpg in daily driving and up to 70+ on a run. Granted, the car needs a service, and it does sound odd to be unhappy with 'only 50mpg', but it should easily do better. Suggestions, anyone?

It's also just started losing coolant, I've had to top it up a couple of times but due to the horrid weather I've not had chance to see the cause. I'll start with examining the expansion tank and cap.

Starting up sounds slightly hesitant, and the tickover is not particularly smooth with a noticable vibration/roughness. Combining this with a slightly lumpy take-up from the clutch when pulling away, I'm wondering if there is a loose/worn engine mount.

There is some dampness inside and the front passenger side carpet seems to be wet. Can anyone advise me on known leak points?

Oil and filter change will be done in the next few days, and check the rattle coming from the OSF (drop link or top mount?). I'll get the wheels re-balanced and some tyres replaced as some are quite elderly.

That's it for the moment, any suggestions gratefully received!
 
I have had issues with water accumulating in the left foot-well, to the point where the carpet was saturated and it leaked into the under-floor compartment and caused humidity issues with some of the electrical connections (not good). I have not confirmed the actual cause yet but based on input from other forum members, believe it to be a partially clogged drain going from the front of the OSS and down the inside of the A-pillar on the left side of the front windscreen. The clogging can happen when the front windshield is replaced and the installers use too much sealant along the windshield frame. Until the weather warms up a little (I am in Norway), I have addressed (not solved) the problem by using a waterproof car cover when the car is not in use.

Car cover (half) recommendation

As I am still dealing with the final diagnosis of the cause of a water leak into the left front footwell, I purchased a waterproof half car cover (from other threads I have gathered that I probably have a clogged front OSS drain on the left hand side due to too much sealant applied during a...
www.a2oc.net
 
Sluggish starting could be a failing earth lead, is the battery condition known (among other things)

In my 75 tdi getting around 50 mpg but always suffer an mpg drop in any car i have had this time of year, put it down to winter diesel and increased anti waxing additives in the fuel at the pumps but this maybe mean been silly lol!!
 
So with the kids all back at school, the weather overcast but dry, and me with a few hours to spare, I finally had some time to do some work on the new(er) car. It is been parked up for the last couple of weeks, firstly due to the unexplained coolant loss and more worryingly dangerous rear tyres which I discovered had huge cracks in them. Luckily I still have my faithful Silverpig to run around in and continues to provide sterling service.

First job was to complete an oil and filter change, and this is where my voyage of discovery has turned into a house of horrors. On removing the bonnet I’ve found that not only was the small engine cover missing but the large under tray was also absent, which goes some way to explaining the extra noise of this car compared to the Silverpig. It also made me wonder if it has any effect on the aerodynamics and consequently the fuel economy?

Whilst the oil was draining I changed the oil filter before moving onto the air filter, and another unpleasant prize. Not only was the filter pretty disgusting, it was wet and covered in mud at the bottom. Yet another side effect from the missing under tray?

Then the real shocker reared it’s ugly head. With the oil now drained, I pulled the bowl out from under the car and was taken aback by the amount of oil. 4.5 litres is the normal capacity, I believe? Upon pouring it into suitable containers for recycling, I was stunned to see that there was more than 7 litres here. SEVEN!!!! I really dread to think of what the potential long term damage is. Granted, I put a pint or so of engine flush in, but how on earth could it ended up with so much? What sort of a shed have I bought here?!

To cheer myself up a bit I put the replacement sports seats in, and they really do make a huge difference. Not only do they fit me better, the lighter fabric really improves the ambience inside the cabin.

Next I moved round to the boot and removed the tools and foam packing around the battery. I had previously noted some moisture there and on closer inspection there were a few small puddles dotted around, but no clear indication as to where the water has come from. Thoughts, anyone?

Then in was back to the engine bay to have another look at the coolant issue. I have examined the obvious points around the reservoir and cap, as well as the pipework, but there’s no indication anywhere. I’ll have to keep a close eye and a bottle of coolant in the boot for a while unless someone can point out any other areas to check.

I’ll run it for a while and see if there are any improvements. Maybe I’ve bought a neglected pup which just needs some attention, but I can’t help but worry about the prospects ahead for the Dolphin. It’s on probation, and the Silverpig is remaining top dog for the time being.
 

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Wow 7 ltrs..................lucky its not blown something, always check the dipstick, even if its broken , if it is they might have thought there was not enough in. With that amount you would have thought a warning light would have lit up, the system as far as Ive read not only lets you know when its low but also when its over filled. (I stand to be corrected on that one )

"Next I moved round to the boot and removed the tools and foam packing around the battery. I had previously noted some moisture there and on closer inspection there were a few small puddles dotted around, but no clear indication as to where the water has come from. Thoughts, anyone?"

Possibly the vents at the back of the car, if damaged by a rear end shunt or disturbed they will let water in and it always pools under the battery tray or thereabouts.


Then in was back to the engine bay to have another look at the coolant issue. I have examined the obvious points around the reservoir and cap, as well as the pipework, but there’s no indication anywhere. I’ll have to keep a close eye and a bottle of coolant in the boot for a while unless someone can point out any other areas to check.

Its not always easy to see but the gasket on the coolant bottle top can perish but is not visible just by looking, if you can, swap the one from Silverpig and try it.
 
Silverpig said:
Next I moved round to the boot and removed the tools and foam packing around the battery. I had previously noted some moisture there and on closer inspection there were a few small puddles dotted around, but no clear indication as to where the water has come from. Thoughts, anyone?
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The usual suspects are the seals around the plastic vents which are hidden underneath the rear bumper - it's a bumper-off job to reseal them. I notice the car also has OSS, this is another potential source of water ingress due to failed seals if its drainage isn't working properly. Getting at an replacing those seals is a specialist job really, you have to know what you're doing. But at least you should be able to check the rear drainage exits without removing anything. They are under the corners of the fixed rear glass panel, visible when you have the boot open.
 
Was the oil that cane out emulsified at all? Is the coolant leaking into the oil across a failed head gasket? Also causes poor fuel economy.
 
A2Steve said:
Was the oil that cane out emulsified at all? Is the coolant leaking into the oil across a failed head gasket? Also causes poor fuel economy.
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I did wonder that too, the oil was pretty horrid but didn’t seem to be emulsified. It seems to run at a normal temperature too. On a normal car a giveaway for a duff head gasket is emulsification around the oil filler cap, but due to the A2’s unique design this is a no go!

Sadly the dipstick was predictably broken when I got it and I’ve able to check. I’ll need a Depronman replacement pronto, methinks!
 
Proghound said:
The usual suspects are the seals around the plastic vents which are hidden underneath the rear bumper - it's a bumper-off job to reseal them. I notice the car also has OSS, this is another potential source of water ingress due to failed seals if its drainage isn't working properly. Getting at an replacing those seals is a specialist job really, you have to know what you're doing. But at least you should be able to check the rear drainage exits without removing anything. They are under the corners of the fixed rear glass panel, visible when you have the boot open.
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Oh the joy keeps coming! I’ll have to wait for another dry day to check the rear bumper out, is it a tricky job?

I had planned to get the OSS overhauled during the spring and hoped the drain holes could be checked at the same time, but something tells me it won’t be as straightforward as that!
 
Silverpig said:
Oh the joy keeps coming! I’ll have to wait for another dry day to check the rear bumper out, is it a tricky job?

I had planned to get the OSS overhauled during the spring and hoped the drain holes could be checked at the same time, but something tells me it won’t be as straightforward as that!
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Taking the rear bumper off is straightforward, if fiddly in places. First get the rear wheel arch liners out - the locking-pin clip thingies holding them in can be fun to find, push in to unlock and extract. Then there are three or four bolts (the deepest ones) in each wheel-arch going into the bumper, and a few more underneath it and in the bottom corners. The top front corners need releasing from their clips with a wide thin trim-tool. Finally there are more bolts under the black plastic strip which sits between the aluminium trim and the hatch aperture. You have to push the plastic strip downwards at the hatch side in order to raise it at the bumper side, to allow you to get a screwdriver in and release the spring-clips keeping it in place. Then you can get at the top bolts. There are various videos and diagrams floating around on the Net to help you, and doubtless better write-ups on this site.

I re-read the advert you bought the car from, and it does state that the OSS doesn't leak so hopefully that's not the issue. A lack of stains or any sagging around the rear of the headlining would certainly corroborate that.
 
Proghound said:
Taking the rear bumper off is straightforward, if fiddly in places. First get the rear wheel arch liners out - the locking-pin clip thingies holding them in can be fun to find, push in to unlock and extract. Then there are three or four bolts (the deepest ones) in each wheel-arch going into the bumper, and a few more underneath it and in the bottom corners. The top front corners need releasing from their clips with a wide thin trim-tool. Finally there are more bolts under the black plastic strip which sits between the aluminium trim and the hatch aperture. You have to push the plastic strip downwards at the hatch side in order to raise it at the bumper side, to allow you to get a screwdriver in and release the spring-clips keeping it in place. Then you can get at the top bolts. There are various videos and diagrams floating around on the Net to help you, and doubtless better write-ups on this site.

I re-read the advert you bought the car from, and it does state that the OSS doesn't leak so hopefully that's not the issue. A lack of stains or any sagging around the rear of the headlining would certainly corroborate that.
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Thanks, that’s a really helpful guide, I’ll wait for a dry day.

Sadly I think the roof may be leaking, the headlining is sagging and the front passenger footwell is damp too.
 
A sunny morning and a few hours available before work gave me another chance to do some more jobs on the car. After yesterday’s helpful pointers regarding the OSS drain holes, I had a poke around the boot lid hinges and discovered a pile of grot on both sides. Quite satisfying to remove this, I checked pretty thoroughly but carefully with a small wooden skewer. There’s a plastic cover just below the hinge which seems to create quite a large lip from which a fair amount of crud can collect, I did try to clear this as best I could by bending/breaking the skewer to fit, is there anything else I need to consider?
 

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What I find useful for cleaning out the the rain channels on oss.
A old dipstick round off the plastic end a tip from Tom timmus
 
ahh I haven't got an open sky but I have used this method on traditional sun roofs when the drains are blocked and are normally on the A posts and the C posts.
 
Silverpig said:
I did try to clear this as best I could by bending/breaking the skewer to fit, is there anything else I need to consider?
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A thick (3mm) weed-wacker replacement mono-filament line is very good for this job. If all curled up, you can fasten it to something and stretch/pull to get rid of the "coils" and then use as a long stiff probe.
The channel in the A-frames can get blocked so that water will collect on/under the left front floor mat. A typical cause is from the use of too much sealant when replacing the front windshield.
 
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