[Vwdiesel] Qapla'! At least on two projects anyway

[lbaird119 at aol.com]

Finally found an ECU for the Passat, about a month or so ago.  Basically, ended up fixing a bad solder joint in the 109 relay (601 relay if it's upside down) after a couple successful starts then the dreaded no-start happened again.  Car works!  Hot weather and rememberd no A/C since coming home from KS, April of 2012.  :-P  So, find a cheap compressor and put it in.  No pressure.  DIsconnect the lines at the expansion valve to test and no pressure, no suction.  They'll take it back but shipping almost isn't worth it.  (picked it up on the way home from the beach).  After many busy days (mostly spraying it seems) I found one locally for a fair price and picked it up.  

  It's a quick, easy install, charged it up partially and had low pressure but not after testing for suction and pressure, which this one has.  I pulled the new expansion valve, made a phone call, had a couple other conversations and the general thought was to get the full charge in there and run it.  Maybe it'll be fine, maybe it'll work back in and come up after running or maybe another bad compressor.  

  So, I put the can and a bit I had evacuated, back in, dumped in a bunch more (bulk can) and finally the high side went above 60-65 psi.  It would be at 90 when shut off then the whole system would pull down to about 30-40.  Once it broke over 65psi, it rose normally as I added freon.  It works!  A couple brackets and such on the hatch and the car's ready to roll again!  Yay!

  I also did the fuel temp sensor in Dad's Passat.  I didn't have the special tool and those bolts are in so tight that driving something else on it didn't work either.  Finally chissled/filed/cut a groove into the top of that bolt and got it out with my hand impact screwdriver.  The rest were surprisingly tight as well.  After putting it all back together, Dad said there was a big fuel leak.  Crap!  Turned out I'd forgotten to reconnect the fuel return!  All fixed now but still smells of diesel so I need to look tomorrow and see if anything's still leaking or just spillage from the return line.  I also need to clear the code and see that everything looks kosher now.  

  Next:  The Golf charge pressure code's cause.  Yay, finally getting some things FIXED!
    Loren