1.9 AHU thermostat and cat removal

**hairyape1** · 11-02-2012,02:01 PM

Hi,

As in the title, I have the 1.9 ahu engine.

Just wondering if anybody can help, I'm looking to remove my cat to get the flex joint repaired. What is the easiest way to get it off?

Also where abouts is the coolant thermostat located on the AHU engine?

Thanks in advance

Ben

**hibbsy21** · 11-02-2012,02:50 PM

the cat is a really difficult thing to get out. I had to cut it as close to the cat as possible and lift it out through the engine. very tricky.

And the stat is on the right hand side of the engine under the car, its one of the biggest coolant hoses.

**hairyape1** · 11-02-2012,04:39 PM

Thanks hibbsy

Ah man getting the cat out sounds like a real pain in the rear! I had a quick look at doing it the other day and it did look rather tight...
If you have to cut it to get it out, how do you fit a new one? I'm tempted to fit a straight decat, I guess they would be easier to fit because there isnt the annoying cat-box in the way.

Also, I was having a poke around this afternoon cleaning under the seats and I noticed that thee are a couple of wires going into the bottom of the seat. Do you know what these are for? I dont have heated seats, and as far as I know there arent airbags in the seats either (I guess there arent air bags in there because there isnt a lable or anything to suggest there is)
Have you got any idea what the wires are for?

btw hibbsy, hows your car getting on at the moment? its been a while since I've looked at the forum and last time I looked I think you were halfway through a rebuild?
I hope your car is going good!

Thanks again,

Ben

**yaman** · 11-02-2012,05:40 PM

Originally Posted by hairyape1

Have you got any idea what the wires are for?

Could be seat-belt pretensioner igniter wires

Regards
Jim

**hibbsy21** · 11-02-2012,07:14 PM

Well it cost me 100 for a custom decat downpipe and that was me cutting it and removing it in the shop.

Car is still sat looking sad for itself. Saving up for all the other bits I need, AFN ECU, manifold bolts, vacuum ball, N75, MAF (old one dead), AFN oil return pipe.

So not much left.

Sent from my HTC Desire HD using Tapatalk

**hairyape1** · 13-02-2012,08:07 PM

That would make sense Jim, thanks!
Not too far to go then hibbsy, I look forward to hearing more about it soon!

Not sure how I'm going to get the cat out yet... will have to have a look and see how easy it is to drop it down through the bottom...

On another note I tried to remove a glow plug today, and the little pest snapped

thats going to be a pain to drill out! *shakes fist*

**green A8** · 14-02-2012,02:54 PM

A word of warning, the cat is now part of the MOT test. It has to be present and functioning. One of my rellies has had a Golf TDI fail it's MOT on this very item, or lack of it! yesterday afternoon. A new type approved cat is now on order and will have to be fitted along with a new engine mounting and a new PAS pipe. All of these items are "new" MOT fail points as of Jan 2012. Oddly the Golf didn't fail it's emissions test even though there is no cat! Blasted Eurocrats, It's time they were told where to go!

Kind Regards.

Paul.

**Alan G H** · 14-02-2012,09:17 PM

Originally Posted by green A8

A word of warning, the cat is now part of the MOT test. It has to be present and functioning. One of my rellies has had a Golf TDI fail it's MOT on this very item, or lack of it! yesterday afternoon. A new type approved cat is now on order and will have to be fitted along with a new engine mounting and a new PAS pipe. All of these items are "new" MOT fail points as of Jan 2012. Oddly the Golf didn't fail it's emissions test even though there is no cat! Blasted Eurocrats, It's time they were told where to go!

Kind Regards.

Paul.

A missing cat is only a fail on petrol engined vehicles, if you read the testers manual. The garage appear to have got this wrong.

**green A8** · 15-02-2012,11:28 AM

You're 100% correct Alan G H Thank You for that information.
I 'phoned VOSA on 0300-1239000 I hope that 'phone number is of any use to someone. The chap I spoke to confirmed that the new cat rules only apply to petrol engined vehicles at the moment.
Armed with that info I then had a chat with the MOT station. It would appear that a mistake was made, which just goes to show that even MOT examiners have off days and are only human. The other two fail points still stand (PAS pipe corrosion and engine mounting) I'm working on those at the moment. There is no doubt at all that both of these items were deserving MOT failure points. With luck the car should be ready for re-test this afternoon.

Kind Regards.

Paul.

**hairyape1** · 15-02-2012,11:51 AM

That is very interesting!
I must admit that I too believed the same as Paul, over the past year I have heard several people say that diesels would require a cat as of 2012
(even worse I've passed this message on! so I have became part of the 'chinese whispers' hahahaha!)
That was the main reason I wary of putting a de-cat on... it would be a pain to fit one only to have to put a proper cat on for the next mot.

Thanks to Alan for correcting us and to Paul for ringing up VOSA to confirm!

Maybe a decat is my best option, would be much easier to fit and also means I can just hack out the old one!

Cheers,
Ben