New to MR2 Mk1 ownership - Hello & questions...

[Sy355]

Hello!

From the family of 205 GTi ownership I've now bought a 1989 Mk1 MR2 for trackdays & eventually entering in the MR2 Challenge - first impressions are great (with the exception of welding needed to my outer sills, a new clutch, brakes, exhaust...) - I have a couple of questions:

1) is the angle of the seats not adjustable? Are you supposed to drive lying down?!
2) what types/grades of oil do people recommend - my Haynes manual says to use 10w-40 but I've heard other opionions...
3) also the manual says to use 'only DOT 3' brake fluid - surely this can't be right?
4) and why should I use 'plain water' in the windscreen washer system?
5) why are there air vents under the steering column? What're they intended to cool?

Any advice appreciated - and sorry if this' in the wrong section,

Sy

[Milothicus]

i can answer some of your questions....

1. no. the driver's seat is fully adjustable. mine has the back tilt, seat bottom tilt, rear/forward movement, adjustable lumbar support, and adjustable "wings"(sides of seat that 'hug' you. all adjustments are on the door-side of the seat. maybe yours isn't standard?

2. do a search for oil. semi-synth seems to be recommended a lot.

3. why can't this be right?

4. i don't see why you should. it'll freeze in winter.

5. they're part of the heating/A/C system. turn on the heat, they'll heat your crotch. turn on the a/c (if you have it) and they'll cool your crotch.

ok, i can't help much, but hopefully i've helped a bit.

[BenF]

Hello!

From the family of 205 GTi ownership I've now bought a 1989 Mk1 MR2 for trackdays & eventually entering in the MR2 Challenge - first impressions are great (with the exception of welding needed to my outer sills, a new clutch, brakes, exhaust...) - I have a couple of questions:

Sy, welcome to IMOC. You'll find what seems to be an increasing number of folks picking up Mk1s for trackdays and as general fun runabouts. There are a few people on the forum who are also involved in the Challenge series.

BTW - You weren't at Anglesey at the end of last November were you ...?

1) is the angle of the seats not adjustable? Are you supposed to drive lying down?!
2) what types/grades of oil do people recommend - my Haynes manual says to use 10w-40 but I've heard other opionions...
3) also the manual says to use 'only DOT 3' brake fluid - surely this can't be right?
4) and why should I use 'plain water' in the windscreen washer system?
5) why are there air vents under the steering column? What're they intended to cool?

1- They're adjustable - levers to the left of the drivers seat adjusts the back, assuming they're standard seats?
2 - Depends on what you're doing. Semi Synth is good, but my Mk1 does tend to use a little oil so keep an eye on the level and top it up. I'm using Maganatec 10-40 Semi Synth in my Mk1, plus a flush through of comma flushing oil when changing it.
3 - LoL! Drop some DOT 5.1 in there if you're planning to do some trackdays. DOT5.1 absorbs water from the atmosphere more readily than DOT3, but if you're changing it every year you'll ensure performance is better than DOT3 at all times. Leave it longer and 'old' DOT5.1 can perform worse than DOT3.
4 - LoL - put some screen wash in and don't worry
5. See above!

Enjoy driving the MK1. If you've not already found out, try putting a cone filter on the intake so you can year the intake noise. It will cost you a few bhp, but the engine sounds fantastic on the Mk1, especaily as youi accellerate from 4k to 6k rpms and the second intake runner opens.

[sadako]

As above but I recommend 10w40 fully synth. Not needed to top mine up though as it does not use a spot of oil, either before or after the headgasket went. If you are feeling adventurous try 0w40, but change back if the level drops or the oil is burning. The engine was designed for 10w40 and with a little engine wear 0w40 may well be too thin to get away with

As for the seat try the big flat lever at the bottom on the right hand side, Lift it up and lean forward, the seat should spring forward with you. If not, get out and wiggle it with the lever up, If that doesnt work stop the car and try it again

If the vents freeze your nuts off rotate the balls until the air doesnt flow out, then try the same with the air vents.

Make sure you get all of the dot3 out if you switch to dot5, I gather they dont mix well

[Tony jinxy froude]

15w 40 Magnatec works for me, and i dont burn a drop either, look.
, Jinxy

[sadako]

Steam cleaned? My engine is still lookng sweet after the engine swap last year, Shoutouts to Alan in arundel for doing that for me.

Now all i have to do is clean the rest of the muck out and get some HT leads that match and i'm set

[stevenb]

I called a chap out to steam clean my old Mk1 engine......just bought water and a bucket with him .....he gave up after not shifting a single spec...I was watching him and laughing...he drove off without charging me.....
what a prat.
oh well. looks bling bling mate...

[Lauren]

As above but I recommend 10w40 fully synth. Not needed to top mine up though as it does not use a spot of oil, either before or after the headgasket went. If you are feeling adventurous try 0w40, but change back if the level drops or the oil is burning. The engine was designed for 10w40 and with a little engine wear 0w40 may well be too thin to get away with

As for the seat try the big flat lever at the bottom on the right hand side, Lift it up and lean forward, the seat should spring forward with you. If not, get out and wiggle it with the lever up, If that doesnt work stop the car and try it again

If the vents freeze your nuts off rotate the balls until the air doesnt flow out, then try the same with the air vents.

Make sure you get all of the dot3 out if you switch to dot5, I gather they dont mix well

There is zero point using a 0w-40 it is simply too thin for the type of engine we have. You have to remember that in the 80s 20w-50 was the most common oil. I agree technology has moved on but all you'll do if you use a thin oil is burn it and there's no point in doing that.

10w-40 such as magnatec is absolutely fine.
15w-40 is perhaps even better but really it doesn't matter too much.

If you change the oil regularly (say every 6K miles) then it doesn't overly matter whether you use a synth or 'semi-synth' in all honesty.

[sadako]

If i could make my engine bay so i could see the level in the expansion tank it'd be an improvement.

[stevenb]

As above but I recommend 10w40 fully synth. Not needed to top mine up though as it does not use a spot of oil, either before or after the headgasket went. If you are feeling adventurous try 0w40, but change back if the level drops or the oil is burning. The engine was designed for 10w40 and with a little engine wear 0w40 may well be too thin to get away with

As for the seat try the big flat lever at the bottom on the right hand side, Lift it up and lean forward, the seat should spring forward with you. If not, get out and wiggle it with the lever up, If that doesnt work stop the car and try it again

If the vents freeze your nuts off rotate the balls until the air doesnt flow out, then try the same with the air vents.

Make sure you get all of the dot3 out if you switch to dot5, I gather they dont mix well

There is zero point using a 0w-40 it is simply too thin for the type of engine we have. You have to remember that in the 80s 20w-50 was the most common oil. I agree technology has moved on but all you'll do if you use a thin oil is burn it and there's no point in doing that.

10w-40 such as magnatec is absolutely fine.
15w-40 is perhaps even better but really it doesn't matter too much.

If you change the oil regularly (say every 6K miles) then it doesn't overly matter whether you use a synth or 'semi-synth' in all honesty.

I agree. I used 0w 40 mobil 1 on my last mk1. £40. It lasted a week before I got fed up of it leaking and not making the engine run smooth. Went back to Castrol GTX magnatec 10w 40.
Will use this again when I get my next mk1.