2.0 MkIII golf GTI engine swap - wiring

[MissSpentYouth]

Hi All,

Just doing some research into a 2.0 mkIII golf GTi engine swap into a T25.

The mechanical side seems well documented and appears straightforward once you have got all the bits together and an easier task if you start with a diesel.

The electrical side seems less so. Most people seem to send off their salvaged engine bay wiring loom inc ECU connector to a guru who for about £350 pounds will remanufacture it to what is required. Has anyone done this themselves successfully and happy to share their findings ? 

Also most people seem to send off their ECU to have it remapped removing the imobilizer function. Has anyone managed to keep there's stock as I quite fancy having the imobilizer and can fit the golf key and pickup under the dash some where, I think you also need the clocks as well so I imagine there's a ton of wiring involved going this route.

Thanks Ben

[Aidan]

it's dead easy , all you need is the full VW wiring diagram for the T3 and the donor vehicle, a bunch of various appropriate terminals/terminal housings and the crimping tools for them and bunch of free time, a logical mind and a deal of perseverance. Andy at Syncrosport used to do dash upgrade to use the later dash in our van but he's old now and has/had health issues so isn't really trading.
Or you pay someone who knows what they are doing and has the knowledge, parts, skills and tools for the 10 hours it will take them to do the job If it was me I'd use J's Garage as Jamie is a proper mechanic, runs a great garage, recently moved to new bigger premises with more staff (Jamie does the T3s stuff) and is in Wales

[Resynth]

I guess no-one would seriously suggest it was dead easy to wire an AGG into a T25 but here are two things that are true:

1. It's practically impossible without any documentation.  Without knowing which ECU pin is which there is no effective way to wire up sensors or fault find issues.
   
2. Given documentation & wiring diagrams it's at least feasible.  I've wired hundreds of wires into control cabinets of 450kw Gilkes hydro turbines, FAR more complex than AGG wiring.  Yet I can't fix a lambda issue on my AGG, the difference is the ring binder full of drawings.  I think anyone with, as Aidan says, a logical mind and perseverance can do these things if and only if they have the required docs.
   

While it's almost certainly more efficient to buy an entire loom rather than make one from scratch It's not necessarily the best solution to pay someone to do everything.  I live in the middle of nowhere and can't easily get my van to an expert to fault find some wiring.  Many hobbyists actually do have the parts, skills and tools but there seems to be a serious gap in the knowledge.  That could easily be solved with documentation.  The documentation must exist somewhere but is it disseminated anywhere?

Does anybody know where the documentation is or how to get hold of it?  Does the MK3 Golf Haynes manual contain what is needed?
Does everybody take their AGG engined van to an expert for electrical issues or is there anyone out there who does the work themselves?
How do those who do it themselves gain the knowledge?  Indeed, how do those who charge for services gain the knowledge?

Thanks, Ben 2

[silverbullet]

You need a manual that covers the donor vehicle for a start, so that's the Golf Haynes Book of Lies, the current flow diagrams are a generic guide but better than nothing.
Or you contact Mike Summers aka Elvis via fb and see what he says.

[Resynth]

Thanks SilverBullet, I'll try that.
"Book of Lies", funny but tragic!