Eco Alan
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gills
A2OC Donor
@dj_efk I use Spritmonitor (https://www.spritmonitor.de/en/). As well as keeping a record of fill-ups, you can add notes, so I put my maintenance records in it:
As/when I sell a vehicle, there's the option to dump the records out to a spreadsheet to pass on to the new owner.
gills
A2OC Donor
Thanks for the nudge @dj_efk; I was going to say there's not a lot to report, just gently clocking up the miles, but there have been a number of things worth noting over the past few months.
I had a pair of Goodyear Vector 4Season G2 tyres put on the front, in September, prior to a trip up to Scotland. They are 165/65R15, rather than the 175/60R15 it was on previously, but the new tyres actually seem to have slightly better grip than the old ones and give much better isolation from road surface harshness. I think the 165/65R15 was the standard size on 15" steel wheels, whereas 175/60R15 were fitted to 15" alloys, but they are still a standard A2 tyre size. They should be a vast improvement in the snow - the old Dunlops were dire (I struggled to avoid a car coming up a hill on the wrong side of the road last winter - very scary!)
We had a good trip up to Kirkcudbright and even indulged in a little gentle off-roading along the Raiders' Road forest trail! The other thing I discovered during the drive up and back down, which my wife drove part of, was how good the rear seats are - riding in the back is far more comfortable and pleasant than the the rear of a small car has any right to be.
A couple of weeks after our return, I went to the car one morning to find what appeared to be a dead battery - the starter motor solenoid was ticking when I turned the key, but the engine wasn't turning over. I tried jump leads, but still the same, so remembering posts I'd seen on the forum, I used one of the jump leads to provide a new earth between the engine and body. After a couple of tries, I made it work and cable tied it up until I could fit a new earth.
When I tried to remove the old earth strap I snapped the bolt going into the chassis leg, so I ended up with a secondary cable between the engine and O/S engine mount, before I later replaced the starter motor earth cable and secured it to the N/S engine mount. This is the new secondary cable:
A couple of weeks later, it got an oil and filter change. I put in Fuchs Titan SuperSyn LongLife Plus, which seems to suit the engine. I've also started adding Millers Diesel Power EcoMax, which I think may be making a small improvement to the economy. I got 68mpg out of the last tank, which I'm pleased with, although I did have the rear seats out for half the distance, which I think helps a bit up and down the hills round here. I'm now running the block heater every morning, so I get a warm start first thing. It should reduce the hit to the economy of the cold weather, but I'll have to wait for the hard frosts to see by how much.
Alan has just ticked over to 160k, so it's doing very well indeed, considering the miles its covered. Here's to many more!
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
It'll be interesting to see, given our A2s are broadly similar (in terms of wheel and tyre size, both have a block heater, both will have some aero mods once mine are fitted etc.) what the difference in consumption will be, as mine is a TDI90 (generally accepted as slightly thirstier), but with a six speed conversion. I would therefore hope to be getting consumption figures fairly close to yours.
gills
A2OC Donor
I suspect the economy in everyday driving will be similar, but you should do significantly better on fast A roads/motorways, when you can use your 6th gear. My best economy on the DIS (75mpg) came on a drive up the A1(M) to Edinburgh in mainly light traffic, with a good following wind. If I'd had a higher top gear, I'm sure it would have been even better. I keep on swithering about swapping my standard 'box out for an MNY, as there's one going locally for not much over £100 and the synchro on my 3rd is getting tired. I think a JDD would be a bit too wide ratio for my fairly hilly commute and I really can't justify going 6 speed!
The other thing I might try and get hold of is a piece of 0.5mm sheet aluminium to make up an exhaust tunnel cover. The original 1.2L tunnel covers seem to be impossible to get hold of, but it's quite a big hole to create turbulance, and drag....
dj_efk
A2OC Donor
MZN - At that sort of money, for what you're looking to achieve and considering your box is worn, buying that is a no-brainer - Do it!
Re: JDD, @depronman seemed very convinced a well remapped TDI 75 can handle the longer ratios no problem - and he lives in hilly Lancashire! I wonder if he still firmly stands by that opinion.
Re: JDD, @depronman seemed very convinced a well remapped TDI 75 can handle the longer ratios no problem - and he lives in hilly Lancashire! I wonder if he still firmly stands by that opinion.
depronman
A2OC Donor
I certainly do
The jdd box after some 8 months of use just feel ideally suited to the A2
I doesn’t take long to adjust driving style to the longer gears of the jdd box but it never feels like I’m holding a lower gear for longer as the remapped tdi as so much torque on tap it handles the longer gears
In fact 1st and 2nd are now more useful gears and third is a very versatile gear for town work. Once engine is warm 20 mph in town upto 60mph if you are in a rush is the range for 3rd
And the box is a lot sweeter to use than the original
Paul
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The jdd box after some 8 months of use just feel ideally suited to the A2
I doesn’t take long to adjust driving style to the longer gears of the jdd box but it never feels like I’m holding a lower gear for longer as the remapped tdi as so much torque on tap it handles the longer gears
In fact 1st and 2nd are now more useful gears and third is a very versatile gear for town work. Once engine is warm 20 mph in town upto 60mph if you are in a rush is the range for 3rd
And the box is a lot sweeter to use than the original
Paul
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Erlingtheelder
A2OC Donor
2nd that. I love the Jdd gearbox in my re mapped tdi 75. The extra torque released by the remap means it’s night and day compared to my ‘standard’ unmapped original gearbox tdi 75. It’s like two totally different cars and I know which one I prefer!!!! Can’t wait to get the intercooler changed and it back on the road ?
gills
A2OC Donor
It's almost exactly a year since I bought Alan, so I thought I'd do a round-up of how I've got on. Over the year I've:
I certainly intend to hang onto Alan and keep using it as my daily transport. Over the next year, I think I will swap the gearbox out with an MZN/MAL/MNY/MZK 'box, as synchro on 2nd and 3rd in the current 'box are definitely tired. It is also going to be due a cambelt change, which means I should also look at doing the oil pump/balancer shaft chain/tensioner. Eco wise, I would like to fit an exhaust tunnel cover (as on the 3L), probably fabricated out of sheet ali, due to the lack of available originals. I'm interested in how much difference smooth wheel covers/covered rear wheel arches would make. I'd also like to do a tuft test to look at the current aerodynamics, but would want some warmer weather first!
Thank you to everyone on the forum for their help and encourage and for making it such a great community to be part of.
Here's a photo from this week - it's been a bit snowy at times:
- Driven 10.5k miles
- Used 151 gallons of dino juice, averaging 66.9mpg
- Had one none start, due to corrosion on the engine earth strap bolt
- Used it to commute 37 miles a day over the eastern side of the Peaks most weekdays
- Used it for 2 family holidays to North Yorks and Dumfries & Galloway
- Did a weekend trip to Edinburgh
- Discovered what a versatile car the A2 is
- Fallen in love with my cheap motorbike replacement!
I certainly intend to hang onto Alan and keep using it as my daily transport. Over the next year, I think I will swap the gearbox out with an MZN/MAL/MNY/MZK 'box, as synchro on 2nd and 3rd in the current 'box are definitely tired. It is also going to be due a cambelt change, which means I should also look at doing the oil pump/balancer shaft chain/tensioner. Eco wise, I would like to fit an exhaust tunnel cover (as on the 3L), probably fabricated out of sheet ali, due to the lack of available originals. I'm interested in how much difference smooth wheel covers/covered rear wheel arches would make. I'd also like to do a tuft test to look at the current aerodynamics, but would want some warmer weather first!
Thank you to everyone on the forum for their help and encourage and for making it such a great community to be part of.
Here's a photo from this week - it's been a bit snowy at times:
gills
A2OC Donor
Thought it was time for an update!
Alan passed it's MoT the other week with flying colours, although I did have to free off the O/S rear brake when I was checking it over prior to the MoT. The handbrake mechanism lever on the trailing shoe was very stiff, meaning the brake was binding slightly. This probably explains why my fuel consumption hasn't been improving much as the weather warmed up over the last couple of months. I've bought some new drums and shoes, which should sort the problem long term, but I've not fitted them yet.
My wife borrowed Alan for a day trip to York the other weekend and it came back missing one of the front spats I'd put on, so I replaced both sides:
Just as I thought I was set fair for a while, after replacing the second pair of old tyres on the 15" wheels with Goodyear 4 Seasons, the engine started running roughly and not picking up immediately after starting. It settled after 15-20 seconds, but obviously wasn't right. A quick scan revealed a fault (P1145) with the MAF sensor and disconnecting it fixed the problem. Cleaning it didn't cure the issue, so I've order a replacement from @A2Steve.
Alan passed it's MoT the other week with flying colours, although I did have to free off the O/S rear brake when I was checking it over prior to the MoT. The handbrake mechanism lever on the trailing shoe was very stiff, meaning the brake was binding slightly. This probably explains why my fuel consumption hasn't been improving much as the weather warmed up over the last couple of months. I've bought some new drums and shoes, which should sort the problem long term, but I've not fitted them yet.
My wife borrowed Alan for a day trip to York the other weekend and it came back missing one of the front spats I'd put on, so I replaced both sides:
Just as I thought I was set fair for a while, after replacing the second pair of old tyres on the 15" wheels with Goodyear 4 Seasons, the engine started running roughly and not picking up immediately after starting. It settled after 15-20 seconds, but obviously wasn't right. A quick scan revealed a fault (P1145) with the MAF sensor and disconnecting it fixed the problem. Cleaning it didn't cure the issue, so I've order a replacement from @A2Steve.
gills
A2OC Donor
Time for another update!
As mentioned in my previous post, I'd bought some replacement drums and shoes after finding the handbrake lever on the old shoes seizing up. I think the old drums were the originals and they had quite a lip on them (which made getting them off awkward), so it seemed sensible to replace them too. I'm sure there's a knack to doing the springs, but I did find them hard work! I ended up using a piece of cord to help stretch them into position.
Now that they've bedded in, I think I'm benefitting from a slight improvement in rolling resistance - the car will start to roll on very slight gradients when I take the handbrake off, where it didn't before. I've also had my best couple of tanks, economy-wise (at 69.4 & 70.7mpg), since April, which I don't think is just coincidental.
Whilst doing the brakes, I noticed what a dire state the rear spring seats were in, so I bought some replacement Febi ones. There wasn't much left of the old ones to remove:
Old and new, side by side
New one in situ:
The extra cushioning has certainly helped refinement inside the car - previously the majority of the road harshness transmitted into the car seemed to come from the rear, whereas now the front seems to be a bit harsher than the rear.
As mentioned elsewhere, I found the O/S driveshaft shield had come loose, making a clicking noise whenever I reversed. Removing the metal collars and fitting large penny washers instead fixed the problem (no photos, I'm afraid!) Unfortunately it had damaged the inner CV boot, so I need to replace this at some point.
Another win in the refinement stakes came as a result of my son identifying the source of an annoying intermittent rattle coming from the passenger side of the car. It turned out to be the A pillar trim not being held absolutely firmly in place when it's clipped in. Inserting a small piece of rubber inner tube between the trim and the top of the windscreen has eliminated the rattle:
Other than that, it's had an oil and filter change, as well as air and pollen filters. The cambelt is about due, so I've got one in for when I find a bit of time!
All in all, it's doing remarkably well for a 168k mile, 19 year old car. Happy days!
As mentioned in my previous post, I'd bought some replacement drums and shoes after finding the handbrake lever on the old shoes seizing up. I think the old drums were the originals and they had quite a lip on them (which made getting them off awkward), so it seemed sensible to replace them too. I'm sure there's a knack to doing the springs, but I did find them hard work! I ended up using a piece of cord to help stretch them into position.
Now that they've bedded in, I think I'm benefitting from a slight improvement in rolling resistance - the car will start to roll on very slight gradients when I take the handbrake off, where it didn't before. I've also had my best couple of tanks, economy-wise (at 69.4 & 70.7mpg), since April, which I don't think is just coincidental.
Whilst doing the brakes, I noticed what a dire state the rear spring seats were in, so I bought some replacement Febi ones. There wasn't much left of the old ones to remove:
Old and new, side by side
New one in situ:
The extra cushioning has certainly helped refinement inside the car - previously the majority of the road harshness transmitted into the car seemed to come from the rear, whereas now the front seems to be a bit harsher than the rear.
As mentioned elsewhere, I found the O/S driveshaft shield had come loose, making a clicking noise whenever I reversed. Removing the metal collars and fitting large penny washers instead fixed the problem (no photos, I'm afraid!) Unfortunately it had damaged the inner CV boot, so I need to replace this at some point.
Another win in the refinement stakes came as a result of my son identifying the source of an annoying intermittent rattle coming from the passenger side of the car. It turned out to be the A pillar trim not being held absolutely firmly in place when it's clipped in. Inserting a small piece of rubber inner tube between the trim and the top of the windscreen has eliminated the rattle:
Other than that, it's had an oil and filter change, as well as air and pollen filters. The cambelt is about due, so I've got one in for when I find a bit of time!
All in all, it's doing remarkably well for a 168k mile, 19 year old car. Happy days!
gills
A2OC Donor
I finally pulled my finger out and set about changing the cambelt on Wednesday afternoon - I've had the parts lying around for 6 months, but not had a good combination of car availability and weather (not to mention suitable inclination!) to do the job. It wasn't too bad, although the wheelarch liner put up a bit of a fight with rusted screws and hardened plastic fastenings. Although I discovered it had a VAG belt and water pump on it, I think the previous change must have been done by an apprentice, as the old belt wasn't fitted quite right. The tensioner wasn't tightened up that tight and had slipped back slightly; also the camshaft was very slightly out of alignment when I locked it up, which I think was caused by the belt being 1 tooth out on the pulley, so that it was right at the end of the slotted bolt adjustment holes.
It all went back together easily and started immediately, which is always a relief! I found these YouTube videos by Gina Armstroff on her Die Autohändlerin channel really good for a car specific guide (rather than the Fabia version in a Haynes manual I've got):
,
With the car on 173k, this new belt will hopefully see it well into the 200k club.
It all went back together easily and started immediately, which is always a relief! I found these YouTube videos by Gina Armstroff on her Die Autohändlerin channel really good for a car specific guide (rather than the Fabia version in a Haynes manual I've got):
With the car on 173k, this new belt will hopefully see it well into the 200k club.
gills
A2OC Donor
After the success with the cambelt (and the undertray not yet back on) I decided to do the O/S inner CV joint, as the boot on the old one has been split some time. With its MoT due in the next month or so, it needed to be done (I suspect it was split at the last MoT , but hidden by the undertray, so wasn't noticed!)
Not wanting to try and extract the driveshaft from the hub, I decided to do it in situ, which meant a lot of lying under the car and limited hand space at the back of the sump. The old one came off without too much trouble and only required gentle tapping to get the inner section off the driveshaft splines.
Fitting the new one was straightforward, after I'd cleaned up the driveshaft splines to make it easier to slide together. I did, however, give up on the metal boot straps and used cable ties instead - they're so much easier to get on and tightened up, when space is limited!
One bonus of having changed the CV joint is that I've now lost a slight rattle that I used to get from the transmission area when on a very light throttle. The old joint was obviously worn and without much grease left in it was rattling when not under any load. Good result!
Now I just need to get it booked in for its MoT and hope it passes and no other jobs need doing.....
Not wanting to try and extract the driveshaft from the hub, I decided to do it in situ, which meant a lot of lying under the car and limited hand space at the back of the sump. The old one came off without too much trouble and only required gentle tapping to get the inner section off the driveshaft splines.
Fitting the new one was straightforward, after I'd cleaned up the driveshaft splines to make it easier to slide together. I did, however, give up on the metal boot straps and used cable ties instead - they're so much easier to get on and tightened up, when space is limited!
One bonus of having changed the CV joint is that I've now lost a slight rattle that I used to get from the transmission area when on a very light throttle. The old joint was obviously worn and without much grease left in it was rattling when not under any load. Good result!
Now I just need to get it booked in for its MoT and hope it passes and no other jobs need doing.....
gills
A2OC Donor
Today marks 3 years since I bought Alan and it's just gone over to 180k. Other than the cambelt and inner CV joint in the past year (see above), I've only had a rear brake cylinder blow, requiring a replacement cylinder and shoes:
Despite the rise in diesel prices, it's only costing me 19p/mile to run all in (depreciating the purchase cost over 6 year), which makes it cheap motoring, especially considering how nice it is to drive. Fuel consumption over the whole time I've had it is 67.4 mpg, with the last year having been slightly better at 68.0 mpg.
Another 2 years and I should be in a position to apply for the 200k club!
Despite the rise in diesel prices, it's only costing me 19p/mile to run all in (depreciating the purchase cost over 6 year), which makes it cheap motoring, especially considering how nice it is to drive. Fuel consumption over the whole time I've had it is 67.4 mpg, with the last year having been slightly better at 68.0 mpg.
Another 2 years and I should be in a position to apply for the 200k club!
Erlingtheyounger
Member
I doubt there is a better value £/mile proposition you can buy than a well sorted TDI when you factor in purchase price. That’s before you consider how well they actually drive.
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gills
A2OC Donor
Another 6 months has passed since my last update and Alan continues to deliver great service. It's now got to 186k miles and has just passed it's MoT, so should be good for another year. As I mentioned elsewhere, I had to replace the intercooler a few weeks ago after it split where the bottom chamber joins the core:
As others have noted, it's not a technically difficult job, but the restricted access to the back of the intercooler makes it fiddly - I was glad to get to this stage:
It's amazing it does a reasonable job, given how restricted the airflow to it is, once the deflector is in place:
Replacing the aircon condensor is a job for another day.....
One benefit of having the bumper off was being able to replace the rounded off rusty screw holding one side of the number plate on, which always resulted in a rusty dribble!
Other than that it's just had a service (including air filter!) to keep it going for the next 10k.
One other job I nearly forgot about was having to replace the rear brake lines a few months ago. I'd twisted them when removing the failed brake cylinder, so bought some made up copper ones:
Fingers crossed for an uneventful year ahead!
As others have noted, it's not a technically difficult job, but the restricted access to the back of the intercooler makes it fiddly - I was glad to get to this stage:
It's amazing it does a reasonable job, given how restricted the airflow to it is, once the deflector is in place:
Replacing the aircon condensor is a job for another day.....
One benefit of having the bumper off was being able to replace the rounded off rusty screw holding one side of the number plate on, which always resulted in a rusty dribble!
Other than that it's just had a service (including air filter!) to keep it going for the next 10k.
One other job I nearly forgot about was having to replace the rear brake lines a few months ago. I'd twisted them when removing the failed brake cylinder, so bought some made up copper ones:
Fingers crossed for an uneventful year ahead!