Valla disaster...

I'm sure I'm not Robinson Cruiso, but my car didn't make it to Valla.

After spending the whole week prepping the car, we got just past the turnoff to Hawks nest when my car died and died for good. The buggy was hesitating a little and I thought it was just a bit of water in the inlet.
Several minutes later, we discovered there was no ignition, and then no EFI fuel pump. I lifted the lid of the box the ECU sits in and found the computer SITTING IN HALF AND INCH OF WATER!!!
Needless to say, that was the end of Valla for me. We tried drying offthe circuit board but it was no good. So myself, my 2 yo daughter and 2 mates sat in a golf for 3 hours and then waited in a hotel for 4 hours before a mate came to tow the car home.
Just out of tea Gardens we stopped to check the cargo straps on the trailer. The only place we could find to turn around to get back on the hwy was a bit muddy. 30 seconds later my mates invisible landcruiser was bogged up to the rear axle in mud. 2 hours later we got it unbogged and back on the hwy. By this stage even I thought it was kind of funny.
Anyway, we got home safe at 2am and I managed to find another ECU in QLD the next day on my second call to a wrecker. This is a bit of a miracle itself. Still I spent the rest of the weekend depressed and cranky.



I have to say thanx to my mates John and John for waiting with me when they could have gone on. Thanx to Brian who came and got me and car with his 4wd (even if he got us bogged), and to the NRMA towie at Tea Gardens who gave me a free tow even though the useless call centre woman said I'd have to pay for it. She thought I driven though a creek in the car coz I said it was a beach buggy! Also thanx to David from the forum who stopped and tried to find me a new ECU, as well as offering me a place to store the car if I needed to. Might I add, he was the only person who stopped and he wasn't even driving a VW, he was driving a Subaru!

Hope y'all had a nice time in Valla without me....:cry



[ Edited on 7-8-06 by pete wood ]

Oh dude... that sux

My Melbourne mate and I came home early (saturday arvo) because we got rained out with wet swags and it was cold etc etc - no fun, so we pulled up stumps.

The racing at Raleigh seemed like a disaster (timing gear stuffed up) so no fun/times there for anyone either, unless you simply wanted to wag your tail on a wet track...

Still had a good time while we were there though!

That REALLY sucks Pete...with my EJ i was going to use an aftermarket ECU but stayed with the original simply because if it died due to water ingress etc i could easilly replace the stock one.I bought a spare for $50 from the wreckers here and have it in a sealed compartment just in case. Not the best way to spend a weekend..gotta try and learn from the experience though. Good luck with the repairs...

:cry:cry:cry:cry:cry

M8 that bites, good to hear your spirits are still high......

whats the full code of the ecu Pete

The thing that really sucked was having my daughter say "see bolksvagens" every hour for the rest of the weekend and then having to tell her we couldn't. Nearly brought me to tears every time. She'd been good all week on the promise of going away with daddy and his mates to see volkswagens and then had to sit still for 7 hours all coz daddy failed to bog up one hole with sealant. The really stupid thing was I'd spent hours sealing every other hole, but the one I missed was the one that stuffed the car up. Oh well, next time I guess....

Seagull, the code is 22611 AB511. I actually can't believe I found another one, and on my second phonecall on satuday morning. The dohc ej25 is a scarce import motor in Oz (note I did not use the 4 letter "R" word). If you find another one I think I'd be very tempted to buy it despite my wifes rants.

That sucks more than not going in the first place!
Gotta love old cars, no matter how much love you show them, they still find a way to $#@% up!!!

That's a buggar!

Now, you'll just have to go to the next drag meet and vent your frustrations.!

Pete, that sucks. Let me know what weekend you want ... and I'll be more than happy to come over and bring the Bolkswagens to your house. We can't have the little people dissapointed can we.

Anyone else? Cruise to Uncle Petes (sooner not later)...

Deano, you almost brought a tear to my eye. That'd be great. Love to do that. I'll find a date with the missus and we can barbie it up at my place.😘

ill be in for a cruise to cheer up the little girl :sandrine :bounce

you're on. Sooner rather than later then.

How about saturday week? The 19th of August. Midday till 2pm. All welcome. I'll pull out my dellorto (fake weber 😉 ) and people can byo meat and drink. How does that sound? People can u2u me for the address or call me on 0431 371 692.

You know if you had a Baja, you wouldn't have got water in ..... :P


Sad to hear Pete. Whilst driving around in the Ferrari 360 Spider on a sunny QLD saturday I did wonder if I was missing any fun at Valla. :thumb

i would so go to this if only i was in sydney, maybe my missus can rock up.. dont egg her for driving a vienta

Baja Wes wrote:You know if you had a Baja, you wouldn't have got water in ..... :P

looks like you beat Terry to that comment.

But knowing my luck, it would have happened if I was driving a scwimwagen with a bilge pump.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
KRUIZE TO PUT A SMILE ON A JUNIOR DUBBERS DIAL!
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Booked in on the calendar Pete, I'll give you a call at the
end of the week to make sure. Nothing worse than big time
dissapointment for a little one like that. Won't be the same,
but hope a few local Sydney folk can make it. I'll bring the
tribe...sure mine are gonna love the buggy! - running or not.

See how many want to come, if it gets a bit big...we could
always head down to Penrith Regatta, plenty to do there and
room to cruise!...rain rain go away...

ps. My wipers yet again crapped themselves on the way home.
Got lucky (see praying does work)...packed in just as it cleared
up near Newcastle...it was torrential from Taree down...

Rain-x.

[ Edited on 7-8-2006 by crewcabconnection ]

that does sux. count me in. one volksrod.

Sat 19th? yeah I'll wander along too (unless work gets in the way)

[ Edited on 7-8-2006 by VWCOOL ]

pete wood wrote:......................If you find another one I think I'd be very tempted to buy it despite my wifes rants.

Just tell her it's for "her" car...she will understand !!!!!😂

Pete,

so sorry u couldnt make it. was a blast. but just remember..u've now got 2 years to make sure its going before the next one..

and as Mick said...tell your wife all the vw parts are for her car. I'm sure that will make it all so much better

I know your pain pete, and it really does suck

If I can fix my buggy by then ill be there for sure

Pity i didnt get to meet ya pete 🙁, i met everyone else... pretty much...

With the weather the way it was, u probably had it good by not coming. Campers got it hard

I took my 2 year old daughter to Custom Bugs and Buses in Penrith this morning, and she had a ball.
'Look theres a beetle car, there more beetle car, that beetle broken...'

She keeps disputing the point when I tell her that the Morris Minor she sees regularly at her brothers preschool is not a beetle!

Hope to make it on the 19th.

by the age of 5 they can spot 'em withing a few years. Real Kombi kids correct muggles ... no, its a bus. More kids at Petes the merrier!

5 yr old!?

MY THREE YR OLD BRO CAN SPOT OUT A KOMBI OR A 'HERBIE' WITH HIS EYES CLOSED :o

And i swear i had no involvement... Hehe...
(My parents accuse me of brainwashing... which i deny... 😂)

HEL-70Y wrote:I know your pain pete, and it really does suck

If I can fix my buggy by then ill be there for sure

come anyway Cez. Maybe we need a fixing Cez' buggy party?

BTW, I got my new ECU this morning. Just plugged it in and she fired up straight away. God bless Subaru!:thumb

This one is getting mounted upside down against the lid of the box. The box will need 6 inches of water in it before it even touches this ECU.😉

-bump-n-grind-

-bump-

Sorry to here You didn't make it Pete,
and of the people who were washed out at Valla...
Sorry I didn't meet You Chris...
Someone told Me He had just met You as I was leaving on Sunday afternoon.

The Sunday was nice and sunny and most of the water had gone..
I was expecting the place to be water logged after Saturday and Saturday night Rain...
but it must drain thru the sand...

My Son had problems on the way to Valla...
and also didn't make it home....
Car trailer to Muswellbrook from Maitland..
Here's pics of His car..

But, We'll all be there next time...

Lee

[ Edited on 13-8-2006 by 68AutoBug ]

Ok, who's comin on satday? 12-2pm, bring some meat and drink.

[ Edited on 14-8-06 by pete wood ]

I am gonna be there, at kids soccer gala in the morning ... will shoot through and come over. PM yer address kidda

Sorry pete, my car goes in 4 repairs on tues and im working this sat...so wont be able to make it, hopefully next time.

I wont be making it either 🙁
at the moment I just do not have the cash to put the extra petrol in my car
i am so poor :cry

butidontunderstand wrote:I wont be making it either 🙁
at the moment I just do not have the cash to put the extra petrol in my car
i am so poor :cry

Get deano (CCC) to give you a lift and bring a few snags.

BTW, anyone else who wants to come, just ring me, 0431 371 692, or U2U me and I'll give you the address.

68AutoBug wrote:Sorry to here You didn't make it Pete,
and of the people who were washed out at Valla...
Sorry I didn't meet You Chris...
Someone told Me He had just met You as I was leaving on Sunday afternoon.

Thats no worries mate, yeah Stewart told me he met ya, would have luved to have a great chat. Ah well... one day.

pete wood wrote:Ok, who's comin on satday? 12-2pm, bring some meat and drink.

bump...

anyone else wanna come, call me 0431 371 692. 😉

it's all good ... doing the soccer run as I said, then over after that ... who else? or did the 'community' pike? ...

I'll be there.

I think the other Western Sydney dubbers got shy....

I know this doesn't help you much but i definately would be there if i were'nt so far away. And i'm so pleased with the effort that people on this forum will put in to help others out. Great to see that there are decent people out there still. Hope it all goes well>

Brendan.

oh wow I thought it was next weekend
I have to go to the city tommorow to pick up ridiculously expensive photography paper (really, it is absolutely the most ridiculously expensive thing I have ever bought)
damn I should take more notice of things :vader

come on people, don't be shy. I don't bite, well not very hard anyway...😀

0431 371 692

a few people dropped around. thanx for coming. shame more couldn't come. next time we'll try to be a bit better organised.

thanks Pete, sorry I showed up late. My kids has a blast in the buggy. No I know why Subi power is a good idea. Best roller coaster in the west, kids came home buzzing ... despite being knackered after a big day out.