iamstuffed.com » Filter http://iamstuffed.com/blog Fri, 16 Apr 2010 01:36:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Oil change and timing adjustment http://iamstuffed.com/blog/2009/05/16/oil-change-and-timing-adjustment/ http://iamstuffed.com/blog/2009/05/16/oil-change-and-timing-adjustment/#comments Sun, 17 May 2009 03:25:59 +0000 iamstuffed http://iamstuffed.com/blog/?p=238 Tonight, after reading 17 research papers in three topic areas, I decided to change my oil and adjust the camshaft timing a little.

I found this link on tdiclub.com:
http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=215202

It basically lists the steps to adjust the cam timing so that it’s back in spec, and hopefully fix the idling issue most people have. On my car, the engle idling RPMs pulse at seemingly random intervals. Since I did the timing belt change myself, and I had that whole ordeal with having to replace the crankshaft flange and seal, I thought maybe the timing was slightly off.

In VCDS, the Torsion value was 2.0. According to tdiclub.com, the valid values are between -2.5 and 2.5, with 0 being ideal. I followed the directions and eventually got the value to -.5, so I called it quits after that. The first attempt must have put it out of spec because the car wouldn’t stay idling, it would just quit. After I adjusted it to -.5, I had to clear the error code (camshaft sensor out of range, or something like that) and put everything back together.

I also changed the oil. It seems like a waste to extract out the 1000 mile old Mobil1 TDT 5w40 oil, but I just want to make sure no metal bits, or extra material from the sealant or flange remained in the oil. I replaced the oil filter and put in new oil, but left the Amsoil BP90 bypass filter. That filter I won’t replace until 50,000 miles.

I’ll do another oil analysis at 10,000 miles from today. Hopefully the wear rates are better than the VW spec oil.

]]> http://iamstuffed.com/blog/2009/05/16/oil-change-and-timing-adjustment/feed/ 0 Water Fountain http://iamstuffed.com/blog/2008/02/12/water-fountain/ http://iamstuffed.com/blog/2008/02/12/water-fountain/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2008 19:23:46 +0000 iamstuffed http://iamstuffed.com/blog/2008/02/12/water-fountain/ For a year or two, I’ve kept a water filter pitcher on my desk to filter the water from the water fountain.  At first, I did it because I didn’t like the way the water tasted.  I’m not sure when they put the signs up, but within the last year or so they put this sign above the water fountains:

Water fountain at work

I’m not sure what’s in the water, or whether the sign was put there because someone complained, but I don’t think I’m going to be drinking any unfiltered water at work.

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