jaylew

Thanks! Honestly working on my car and this forum at times was a healthy distraction and therapeutic. I'll be working in the Mansfield area. Makes the good east coast ski slopes far easier to get to than from Philly. That is good to hear about the junk yards. I practically live off the ones just outside of Philly. Preferably U-Pull it yards, more fun and generally cheaper.

So I start up the car today (cold start) but this time I have the hood popped to monitor the fans....nothing. The car is operating as it should fans aren't running. I might get a new relay just as cheap insurance cause whats a few bucks vs a new ECU....that scares me...I'll do it if the ECU ever gets toast, but I don't want to have to

So today I go to start my car, and the trip computer is not working, nor is the A/C and stereo interface...the CEL is on. Pull code P0691. After turning the car off, then back on everything worked normal. Engine ran fine the whole time I did throw the A/C belt a month or so ago because of back harmonic balancer and it did wear through the compressor connector. I have replaced the harness to the connector but I am not sure if that could be my issue for this... any suggestions? I plan to check the relay but do you think I should replace it just in case? Edit: Tomorrow I will check the proper operation of the fan circuit according to the recall here. I am hoping that it isn't worst case of bad ECU...I don't know if the relay has been replaced but I figured that the car has made it thus far and it had to have been done.

Yeah I saw that....I am not looking forward to it. I already did the mode actuator which is the second hardest. The passenger blend should be cake.

Big news...I got a new job after 7 months since I was laid off. I am moving to Massachusetts so I'll have to find the junk yards up there to keep the GT going. Because of the move, my projects might slow down until I get a new garage which hopefully is sooner than later. In other news I made what I believe to be the best phone mount ever. I have had the idea of a magnetized phone mount for a long time and a rev 1 was made in my '96 outback, but this version is far cleaner. I pulled the center vents/cubby. The font fascia of the cubby door easily removes and I epoxied as large of a magnet as I could near the top. Then I bent up some metal that magnetizes to the door. I canalized what used to be a vent phone mount and bolted the phone clamp to the metal. Covered the metal in a felt like fabric so that it doesn't scratch the car plastic. Boom a stealth phone mount. When I am not using it, no one can tell that the phone mount goes where it does. When I am using the phone mount, It is easily placed and now doesn't block the A/C vents. I don't like the mounts that suction to the windshield (they leave hickies) and other mounts that adhere to the dash leave residue or aren't ascetically pleasing. Oh and so I don't drive the GT in the winter, I bought another wagon...2012 jetta. That makes 3 wagons in my current possession. I might have a problem

I will be able to double confirm this shortly...at least for the driver's side temp bled too. I ordered the G27A as well since the 2005 only is no longer available. And when I look up the new OE numbers I see their application range as being 2005-2009

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Selling wheels that I had as spares. One has decent curb rash, the others are pretty good. $200 OBO - I have them on CL for $250 but for here I'll drop the price a bit Style: 5 Spoke Finish: Powder Coat Silver Size: 17x7 Lugs: 5 Bolt Pattern: 100mm Offset: 55mm

I went to the dealer a while back and for free they cut one of those '09 style ebay keys. I did the work myself of programming the actual buttons, (pretty easy) and cutting the immobilizer chip out of my valet key to put in the new '09 style case.

Yo didn't know that existed!!! Here! That makes the final drive ratio of the Spec B 6-speed - 2.757 (10% reduction) Normal Spec B - 3.033 Normal 05 5 speed - 3.0339

Yeah, with stock turbo at 70mph (boosted at 3k rpm) I get 24.5 mpg but if I cruise at 60mph I get closer to 28-29 (no boost at 2600rpm). I have always wondered if having a second manual operated waste gate that opens just for highway cruising and keep out of boost could work? Maybe some fancy tuning that is beyond the capabilities of the stock ECU would be required, so that the waste gate closes over a threshold of gas pedal input to bring the turbo back online. Basically an ECO button that I believe some EU models have next to wiper heater (I could be wrong) My other thought has been to start with the Spec B 6 speed that has higher gearing than standard 6 speed, so it's closer to the GT 5 Speed final drive. So would a custom 6th gear that drops 70mph rpm by 400-500 could also work. This way 5th is overdrive and 6th would be a super overdrive, but not too much as to lug the engine and be detrimental

No I didn't replace the gas tank, there was only minor rust at the edge of the seam. The hose attachments were all good to. I do plan to replace the tank in a couple years. At this point, since all the suspension has been touched and are new bolts, it won't take long to do. Also it wasn't in the budget this time around. Awfulwaffle, I plan to get a smoker soon. That way I can fix the issue actually. Just for now it's easier to tune out the code so cruise control works then when I have the time / money for a smoker, I can fix it for real. More than likely it's not a leaking line but the pressure control on top of the rear end of the tank (wild guess)

I was just out on a CL run to grab steel wheels for my fiance's VW jetta sportwagon for her winter set up and the money light came on in the GT...another evap code. Time to ignore the issue by reflashing the ECU with that code turned off. I plan to fix the issue eventually but for now it causes no running issues and no leaking gas / no obvious signs under the car of major issue. Car ticked over 242k I am hoping to get through this winter without driving my GT in the salt. It has done that duty and I can't stand to see that kind of suffering.

I like this idea. I like the lack of sunroof of the unltd wagons. That is what I would prefer purely from a chassis stand point. Make the rest a GT and you've got yourself a solid wagon. You're gonna have to find the rear leather seatbacks to kinda match the spec b interior or so some serious fancy upholstery work to have spec b style rear seat backs (which would be sweet)

I've done that too. I does require removal of the door panel (easy) but the window does need to be moved down in order to get to a screw a the trailing edge of the door.

That is my assumption just because the LM is V speed rated where as the WS is H rated. The new WS90 is better rated now than it was in the past, so that is what has me indecisive

I replaced mine...granted it was from a junk yard car where the rubber looked in much better shape than mine. It is super easy. The front door and rear door rubber is all one piece, and is only covering the top half of the door frames. They are sedan/ wagon specific. No need to remove the piano black trim between the front and rear doors, the rubber pulls out of it. It is about a 5 minute job (no joke) per side I never had wind noise on my 05 so my replacement was preventative. That being said I am getting wind noise where the mirror meets the rubber gasket of the door frame on my 96 outback. 100% sure it's worn down rubber, just not worth it to replace on that car. $75 per side brand new - part break down here For the 05 *wagon part numbers* - left - 63521AG01A right - 63521AG00A

Ok, I checked the Wheel / tire section of the forum, but didn't see much activity or topics to this regard. If it should be moved just let me know where. I am getting a new set of winter tires, and expect highway miles in cold weather but not necessarily in the snow. I drive from Philadelphia up to VT / NH to ski. So the snow conditions aren't until the last 5-10% of the drive. (I also chase the storms if possible so driving in blizzard conditions is normal to me) Given that, I am leaning towards the LM blizzaks over the WS mainly so the WS doesn't get eaten up on the highway... Is my logic sound or do you think I'd still be fine with the WS and get better snow traction while up in the mountains?

Same here with my '96 outback when I was too lazy and cheap to replace the battery

I'm inspired....honestly though, I am surprised a similar solution hasn't already been commercially available.

What is the part number for the STI type RA short block, and what differs it from a regular ej257 short block?

*fixed all photo uploads so that they all present right side up after a lot were uploading upside down*

So I have been wanting to do this for a while. I used snaps and a spare cargo mat from the junk yard to make custom attachments to the rear seatbacks. This way, when the seats are folded down I don't have to put a moving blanket down first. It has a tongue that slips under the actual cargo mat when the seats are folded up, but when the seats fold down, the tongue accounts for the gap between seatback hinge point and the end of the actual cargo mat The snaps are crimped onto the mat, but the male snap is a mcmaster special that is backed with a wood screw. The sheet metal of the seat backs under the fabric are thin enough that the screw self taps with the appropriately sized pilot hole.

Added a light to the reverse light access panel of the rear hatch. This way after I MTB at night, I can see outside the car while putting my equipment away. It ties in to the cargo light power and door switch ground so I can only be switched off or it will turn on only when the door is open. It really lights up the ground and area around the back of the car, just as I wanted it.

1) do you hear the solenoid activate (a clicking/clunking) which engages the starter with the flywheel/flex plate 1a) if you hear that noise, give the starter a tap with a hammer or dead blow. Could be bad commutations and a good smack will help it turn over 1b) if this works, than yeah its the starter. get a new one 2) if its a manual transmission, can the car be bump started?