Club 80-90 Forums

but dont get what the shaft is for?

the shaft is there because you sit in front of the wheels... not behind

The steering column goes down to a repeater ring and then back through the shaft to the steering rack.

Ian.

Ah i understand what youre sying now thankyou


Well i decided to check the oil level on the van,should have done this when i bought it.

Guess what,the oil level was a few mm off the bottom the dipstick! Ive done 150 since i bought it so am now worried im gonna have done damage to the engine,though atleast the level was still on the dipstick.

Anyone know how far the oil in the engine will have dropped if the oil level is pretty much at the bottom of the dipstick? I assume it will be 1.5 to 2 litres from full bont dont know for sure. Anyone reckon i will have done damage with that amount of oil lost?

Also i cant seem to lock the back door.The latch opens when i turn the key but it wont close no matter what i do,anyone got any clues on how to sort it?

Sorry for all the questions!

Thanks

is your van an early one??

mine used to get the barrel of the lock stuck in (as you push in to open) pull it out with the key and it should latch.

No its a fairly late one a 1988 model,the lock is abit stiff but still pushes in and out ok.

Im either being really thick or the lock is broken.

No matter what i do i cant get the back door to lock,im having to drive with it like this.

The lock will turn fine,i can move the latch into the locked position by hand and when i press the lock the latch pops open. Can anyone help? I dont dont really want to leave my van unlocked all night!

Thanks

when locked the key is in the vertical position. pull the key out.

when its open the key is in the horizontal position.

UPDATE:


Ive managed to lock the boot by pushing hard against it then turning the key,something must be bent infact the actual door looks abit bent around the lock It might be best replacing the door when i respray the van.

Ive looked at the steering rack and the bushes they seem ok cant see any movement in them (i take it the bushes under the four metal brackets that actually hold the rack in place)

If its not the bushes anyone got other clues at to what the problem could be? (the steering is fairly tight but as said when driving if let go of the wheel it wanders from left to right.a good few inches each way)


Cheers

I would just take the barrel apart and use spray grease inside the barrel (of the tailgate lock) to unsieze the lock. At worst remove one or two of the levers inside the lock to make it work proprely.

fix wrote:UPDATE:
Ive managed to lock the boot by pushing hard against it then turning the key
Cheers

Do you mean locking or latching??

When you shut it does it open again without pressing the lock button?? If so...
You could try loosening the catch fixings and moving it back a bit ....
I have to slam mine sometimes as the trim around the back door is a bit snug

fix wrote: Anyone know how far the oil in the engine will have dropped if the oil level is pretty much at the bottom of the dipstick? I assume it will be 1.5 to 2 litres from full bont dont know for sure.

IIRC Upper mark to lower mark is 1 litre (of 4.5). Like we said before, give it a service or have it serviced by a pro and you'll know how things really are.

Ian.

toolsntat wrote:

fix wrote:UPDATE:
Ive managed to lock the boot by pushing hard against it then turning the key
Cheers

Do you mean locking or latching??

When you shut it does it open again without pressing the lock button?? If so...
You could try loosening the catch fixings and moving it back a bit ....
I have to slam mine sometimes as the trim around the back door is a bit snug

When i shut the door i have the press against it hard then turn the key so it stays locked,if i just shut the door it doesnt lock. Moving the catch fittings is a good idea

Ian Hulley wrote:

fix wrote: Anyone know how far the oil in the engine will have dropped if the oil level is pretty much at the bottom of the dipstick? I assume it will be 1.5 to 2 litres from full bont dont know for sure.

IIRC Upper mark to lower mark is 1 litre (of 4.5). Like we said before, give it a service or have it serviced by a pro and you'll know how things really are.

Ian.

Ive changed the oil and put 4.5 litres in,im more bothered about if ive done damage to the engine running it with the oil level being just above the bottom of the dip stick!

Ill be servicing it myself,i dont have the money to pay for labour at a garage plus parts. I dont think theres really much that a garage does on a service that i cant do myself,if im wrong please correct me.

Did the oil light come on ? Did you get 'The Buzzer Of Doom' ? Did the tappets rattle ? If the answer's 'No' to all of the above you should have been fine.

With the aid of a Haynes manual and/or Bentley manual DIY routine maintenance and repairs isn't beyond the capabilities of the experienced amateur.

Ian.

Ian Hulley wrote:Did the oil light come on ? Did you get 'The Buzzer Of Doom' ? Did the tappets rattle ? If the answer's 'No' to all of the above you should have been fine.

With the aid of a Haynes manual and/or Bentley manual DIY routine maintenance and repairs isn't beyond the capabilities of the experienced amateur.

Ian.

No the oil light didnt come on,but it does come on when the ignition is turned so i assumed it worked ok until now. I wonder why the light comes with the ignition but not when the oil is actually low,maybe a faulty sensor.

I didnt get the buzzer of doom! Not sure what that is but it doesnt sound good lol. Didnt hear the tappets rattling so thats a good thing

I will be buying a haynes to help me get to grips with the T25,always been a vauxhall man so vw is totally new to me.

fix wrote: always been a vauxhall man

Aw bless !

hehehe