'84 Rabbit

Hello! I picked up an '84 Rabbit L for a fun/project/daily driver and had a few questions:

Where do I find a VW badge for the front grill?

Why do the dashboard electronics (dash lights, odometer, clock, etc.) work intermittently and how big a project is it to get in there and fix those?

Also, the car seems to run hot-- after about ten minutes of driving- the temp guage runs up to the red but not quite in the red.

That's it for now. Thanks in advance.

Reply to
Ears
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Seems for a time these VW logos were a collectable item for street punks. A junk/recycle yard would be a good place and if the mounting tips snap off you can rtv (silicone) it in place. Or your local vw dealer.

The dash cluster removes fairly easily except for getting the speedometer cable off the back. Removeing the left hand vent and pushing the duct work back and out of the way is the only way I can get my bighands to the sp/cable release. Bulbs can be purchased at the dealer. The clock also is a recycle/parts yard item. The odometer/trip meter isn't a electronical / electrical problem. Ususally on the tripmeter there is one gear that slips on it's shaft causing the trouble.

As a test : put your heater controls to high heat and the air directed all to the defrost ( if your car has a/c disconnect the clutch wire on it so it's not running) .. After it's up to temp. you should "JUST" be able to hold and KEEP your fingers in the air out of the defroster with the fan on high. The position of your gauge just might be normal on your car. Does it get hotter if driven further? Let us know your test results.. Using the heater and its fan can help cool the engine if the thermostat is not operating up to par or the radiator itself is in poor condition, or if you're in town and the radiator fan isn't kicking on.

Reply to
samstone

Reply to
Jim Behning

When my 86 Quantum ran close to the red mark, it turned out to be a severely rusted radiator that was causing the problem. A radiator flush will not fix the radiator when it is severely clogged, so the best fix is a replacement radiator. As another person stated -- Don't drive it until you address the problem, because you could warp the head and then you will have to spend a lot of money to fix it. If I were you, I would check to see when the previous owner last changed the timing belt and if it was more than 60000 miles ago, I would replace the timing belt, timing belt tensioner pulley, water pump, thermostat, expansion tank cap, and radiator. Also, make sure that your radiator fan is turning on when it should (if not you will have to buy a replacement sensor switch. If you can do this yourself, the parts will run you about $220 US.

All of these parts are available form

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. They also carry the grill emblems for $14 US.

Craig

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I'm a Movie

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Jim Behning

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