5KCSTQ Questions

["Richard Haroutunian" <Richard_Haroutunian@inso.com>]

Hey List

My car is running too well lately -- nothing has gone majorly wrong for the
past coupla months since I dropped the 5-6K into the rack, pump, BOGEs, oil
cooler and turbo lines, brakes, etc.   Let me pound on wood so they I don't
screw myself -- *knock-knock*

Now it's time to work on the 'little' things and upgrades to make the car
perfect -- and very, very fast.  Here are some things that bother me, that
I wonder about, and that I need advice on:

Every once in a blue moon the car stalls.  It stalls at the weirdest times
-- but it is very inconsistent.  It stalled last week when I rolled down a
driveway with the car in neutral.  It runs fine -- the fuel pump is loud,
but fine.  It started after I changed back to Bosch silvers from the
nightmare Platinums.  Is this worse than I think?

Rattles.  Very slight and soft rattles.  I have a few that drive me crazy
for 2 reasons: 1. I'm anal and 2. because I haven't fixed my radio yet.
When I have others people in the car -- they can't hear the rattles and
think I'm crazy.  I've tightened every screw imaginable -- under the dash,
sides of the dash, etc. -- and it doesn't seem to help. .. It most
certainly has to do with the stiffness of the suspension due to the install
of BOGE Turbo Gas shocks a few months prior.

Question 1.    How can I stop them?
Question 2.    Is there any way to- reinforce things like shock towers,
etc. etc. to keep the shocks from potentially doing some damage?  The car
is real solid, but I've heard that stiff shocks can do damage..

Heated Seat -- driver's side.  I know I could do this myself -- but what a
pin in the rumpus.  It will run me $300 to have the dealer work it through
an upholstery place and install a new element.  Is it worth it?  Or is it
that easy that I should just do it myself?

Brakes.  I have been very lucky over the past 2 years because I figured out
a way to get new rotors -- I simply go back to the dealer after 6 months of
driving and explain that the car shakes when hit the brakes -- and the
automatically get a new set for the front.  I'm on my 3rd set in 2 years.

Question 1.    What about the rears?  Should I do them? it's been a year
since they were replaced -- rotors, pads, everything.  How often do the
rears need to be done?

Question 2.    I know there's a brake pad warning light -- but I've never
seen it go on.  Should I do pads on all 4 corners if it's been about a year
since they were replaced?


TIA for your help and suggestions!

Richard
87 5KCSTQ
85 4KSQ
82 VW Cabriolet