Can You Restore Lost Power To An Old Engine?

For this weeks #ThrowbackThursday, we're looking back at Jason's attempt to restore the lost power of a 1995 VW Corrado.
For more fantastic car reviews, shoot-outs and all your favourite Fifth Gear moments, subscribe to our Official Channel: goo.gl/IPXAgl

[@Engravatado0zX]

So one less bhp per year? I have a 42hp 1300cc '74 VW Beetle.I have 0hp.

[@l5vdi]

+Véras 0-60 in ∞seconds

[@Engravatado0zX]

Lavdi That could be the answer of the why i cant even time it

[@nightwolf8502]

hahahahahahahha

[@Xayanix]

+Véras In next year it will be -1hp lol. Only reverse gear haha

[@Engravatado0zX]

SgtPiggie Ive done it lots of times, not anymore. Have a proper battery charger now.

[@kickpublishing]

So, service it basically

[@bilal00276]

3:01 it frustrated me that he didn't use a vacuum cleaner

[@ryvoltz]

LOL

[@idocantasci]

My brother i feel ya

[@dominicpascal5512]

from the cut it even looks like he just left the leaves in there, like … whatever 😂

[@N4CR5]

Everyone knows you just change the oil. Like in gran turismo!

[@792bnz]

^^

[@minctartepie]

And a car wash!

[@MrSupercar55]

Yep, and new alloy wheels and a rear wing too. #pedaltothemetal

[@soundterrorist256]

And rebuilding the engine

[@jonahprice8717]

N4CR5 I

[@justmechanicthings]

Scroll down for an internet mechanic conference.

[@MrTheHillfolk]

Lol totally. And over 3 hp 😂😂 What a hoot.

[@-BuddyGuy]

Yeah look at all those assholes down there with their opinions. Isn't it pathetic to be interested in something and express an opinion on it. What pieces of shit

[@RebeccaLovesHumanity]

Without opinion - humanity's structure is but a lost cause and loss leader, like a deep cut is to the bleeder! RLZ SAYINGS AND PROVERBS 2017.

[@captainchaos0666]

Says the tool who probably rides the bus, doesn't have a car and relies on mum and pop to cart them around. Great observation, keyboard warrior. Oh and before anyone responds to my comment, note that I have worked in several garages and do my research.

[@chriscooper3503]

😂😂😂

[@stefan-stocksmadesimple5241]

Just get a bunch of stickers

[@Miskawhat]

we're not ready for that much power

[@dbh1cibai]

+Aussie Hipster That will burn the clutch!

[@kentyandthebikes3651]

+Stefan Supra Go faster stripes!!! :)

[@PrintedFlunky]

+Dan coleman now, come on, we all know it only adds 41hp

[@TheSpyChecker]

Paint it red

[@noelaguirre7104]

Service is key: 12 years ago I got me an older Bimmer with some 220K Miles on the odo, it was clear the car have been neglected by the previous owner. It run rough at first. So I started to replace things and add fuel injection cleaner, some years later the car was very smooth and a joy to drive. So absolutely: Service is key to keeping the car running clean and smooth.

[@brotherjoll1802]

Thank you so much. If your still alive, what did you replace that helped restore the whole car?

[@Jay-rg5mt]

@@brotherjoll1802probably sparks, fluids, injectors, air filters, clean throttle body, clean MAF…normal shit

[@armymatt83]

what it really comes down to is how well maintained is the engine.

[@juandef4115]

alao of the car engine is broken in properly from new. then adjusting the thickness ofbthe oil whembtue mileage reaches 60k

[@juandef4115]

+MRsjovealek no you dont. as cars get older the components wear out and the engine has gaps. like my old w125. it was using 5w 30 when it was new. however, 130,000 miles and 20 years later. it requires 10w 40 as it will sound tappety. fact!

[@jasonhensley3926]

+juan def That's because you didn't properly maintain your engine.

[@346L3]

+MRsjovealek That's true for relatively new engines. For really old engines, there might be oil that wasn't available on the market back when it was engineered but is available now and better for the engine. My 27 year old car came with the recommendation of 15W40 or 10W40 - the cars manual even has a table of usable "single range" mineral oils (winter and summer oil...) you can't buy in normal shops anymore. The cold viscosity was the standard back then, but i changed to more expensive full synthetic 5W50: The car has oil pressure and temperature gauges: Cold starting in the winter, oil pressure builds up almost instantaneosly now and the "hot oil" (>130°C, the car has no oil cooling system...) pressure is much higher now.

[@DulceSeeker]

+MRsjovealek switching viscosity (going from 5W to 10W and back sometimes is not possible)may plug the injectors nowadays although its not a rule you stick to norm VW 501.00 and so on(one which suits your car) the second value is just a temperature range there is more attributes to engine oil than just viscosity and temp.range Key factor is to change oil regularly in some cars even every 3-5k miles

[@ek9graphicdesign170]

also change the fuel filter

[@xxplosiv88]

+EK9GraphicDesign Yeah I can't believe they put that fuel cleaner through a dirty fuel filter.

[@loganplace1388]

I'll bet it would have been back to stock with a fresh fuel filter. VAG products love new filters!

[@TheSpyChecker]

I don't ever change oil without changing the filter. That's like saving the water from your bath for the next one. Counter-productive as it goes

[@lasagnajohn]

+TheSpyChecker the filter is way more important than the oil itself

[@xxplosiv88]

+TheSpyChecker are you guys talking about the fuel filter or oil filter? The fuel filter generally doesn't get changed with every oil/oil filter change.

[@Toastmaster_5000]

The 2HP is well within the margin of error. Considering every dyno is a little different, the engine is probably running pretty much the way it used to from factory. Another thing to consider is VW could've rounded up the numbers.

[@Hoch134]

Normally, you get a bit more hp out of the fabric. A car has to have at least the stated amount of hp. That's why many tuning enthusiasts claim to have gained 10-20hp due to a new exhaust system.

[@Toastmaster_5000]

Hoch134 Interesting point - I never really thought about that. On the other hand, many brands advertise the crank HP rather than wheel HP; the former is, as you can imagine, a bit difficult to measure on a dyno, so most drivers get a lot less power than advertised.

[@Hoch134]

Peter Schmidt I'm not sure about that. At least the models I know are known to have a bite more hp than stated. Imagine what would happen in our modern world if a car owner would get less hp than stated.

[@JohnSmith-dg9sy]

+Hoch134 probably the same thing as getting less mpg than stated ;)

[@Hoch134]

John Smith That's another thing, because those tests are made in perfect conditions - especially the fuel consumption ones. Still, I've never encountered a (new) german car with less hp than stated.

[@Elrocketero]

Gran Turismo I was always suspicious of your +25hp after an engine oil change!

[@ketsis9717]

It's a way to get us maintain our cars more it makes us love our cars more that's why Grand Turismo is an amazing game

[@BlueXonar]

£73 for 6 plugs? Are they gold plated or what?

[@stypkata85]

There are iridium spark plugs that are expensive.

[@usakott]

+Ronnie Coleman It converts to over $17 for a single spark plug. Iridiums are expensive, but run at $7-9 d piece.

[@NFreund]

+usakott That's unbelievably expensive. Even for Iridiums...i pay 4,99€ for Iridium and 8,99€ for double platinum...

[@robotsandownage1]

+Acme thats cheap for good spark plugs...

[@FFM0594]

+Acme They rip the TV station off every time they buy something?

[@blocksterz]

I did that to my Bugatti Veyron and I managed successfully to restore 8HP back

[@vforvendetta4538]

was that on forza or gran turismo lol

[@blocksterz]

+colin chapman GT lol

[@wipout1]

+blocksterz and probably cost you 5 grand!

[@magsmaggie4862]

+wipout1 actually just oil change on veyron is 30 thousands American dollars

[@incognitojoe987]

+xXxMartin96xXx your car must be covered in stickers to make that kind of raw power!!!

[@jamesb8305]

I added a wing to my civic and added 100 HP.

[@Jaimefumer13]

+James Babaniotis lmao mate

[@Cystelbreathx]

That's gold hahaha its funny how many people can argue over the blokes who actually design motors for a living. its just like any car forum you visit....everyone's a fuckin mechanic.

[@murphlyquests5931]

I remember trying to explain the uselessness and even counterproductive reasons of adding a spoiler to a front wheel drive vehicle. It creates drag, "no it creates more downforce for the tires to grip and get the most power." yes on a rearwheel drive car, yours literally got slower." My car could kick your cars ass!" if this is your version of adding horsepower to a 140 hp car, be my guest. I'll stay in 2 gear for you.

[@nintendoeats]

+MurphlyQuests I always wanted to record a rap song with the chorus "If you want yo ride good Put yo spoilers on the hood" But of course that's what we call a front splitter. So ironically the thing that people will put on their car because they think it looks cool (which it doesn't) actually does achieve what the thing they do for performance doesn't. Ignoring the fact that the speeds you need to do for any of this to matter are unlikely to be achieved on a public road.

[@mahiru20ten]

+James Babaniotis not sure if that's only wing or you put turbos inside them but you didn't say a word (i know the joke pls, i'm just ruining them)

[@MikoG2000]

I bet changing the often overlooked fuel filter would have taken it over the 189 mark.

[@zdrux]

Not bad for a standard tune up.

[@izzulamirshahir8910]

+zdrux Agree with you...

[@Georgeqaws]

It would have also been good to make sure the throttle cable is tight. Also the throttle body clean. Also new fuel filter.

[@MrSupercar55]

Only works on older cars as the throttle is controlled by a cable instead of by computer systems.

[@chiquicat1]

100% new fuel filter needed

[@lewis72]

Well, bloody hell !! I never thought that Reddex would do anything !!

[@DonTuliosS]

me too lol

[@lewis72]

***** I'll be off to buy a bottle of that for my: Granada Scorpio Triumph Stag 530i BMW (with 164k miles on it)

[@DonTuliosS]

+Lewis72 i already bought a bottle for my Peugeot 406 3.0 v6,I'll let you know the results,.. let me know as well if you don't mind!?

[@lewis72]

***** Of course... no problem !!

[@DonTuliosS]

+Lewis72 ok, mate thanks and cheers :)

[@caseygtr]

Hey, Using the cleaning additive with your next oil/filters change would be a great tip. Another thing would be to check the engine's compression. If you detect a massive leak of compression then you have ring and or valve issues. These are not cheap issues and to regain that power would require a rebuild.

[@RHDM.]

Next time don't forget the fuel filter..

[@WeKnowTheTruth2012]

True maybe the fuel filter would've made it passed 190

[@WeKnowTheTruth2012]

True maybe the fuel filter would've made it passed 190

[@quadgod8111]

+Wei Wang fuel filter not oil

[@chapel976]

+ZeroController Fuel filter and maybe an injector cleaning service and you're there for sure.

[@jamendetvarjukul]

@@chapel976 ah thanks, was looking for someone mentioning that... it can make a big difference on an old engine, the additive isn't strong enough to clean up the injectors properly after 20 years of use...

[@lolbots]

proudly sponsored by RedEx

[@Spierdalator126p]

1 horsepower per year... is got 24hp... my car is 25 years old. Yep... I'm pretty much screwed :D

[@Donbernie]

+Spierdalator126p Yes, you are - you owe the manufacturer a horse. Off you go.

[@sandonero633]

+Spierdalator126p Now you have 1 gear forward and 5 gears(?) back

[@HunterOfHalfLife]

now you can reverse forward 😂😂

[@MrSupercar55]

They actually proved this myth to be untrue.

[@Transformers694]

Miałem napisać ''24hp??? What is that? A fiat 126?" I miałem rację 😃

[@vavo4902]

Helps to clean your MAF as well.

[@captainchaos0666]

Don't forget the throttle body. Gunk can eat power since the butterfly valve moves slower and adds resistance to air flow.

[@mistersofty12345]

Stunned by this. Some ad for redex!

[@IwillBwaiting]

Or a bad ad for all the brands which sell you the fuel for your car .

[@RadostinVelchev]

Why you did not change the fuel filter?

[@andrewpolitano]

An oil change usually entails changing the oil filter element as well. I would bet they did.

[@RadostinVelchev]

Fuel filter and oil filter are 2 different things :D

[@andrewpolitano]

You're right, misread that, lol

[@donkgated8074]

+Spawny eyed wazzock I agree. Look at the old air filter - not looking that dirty.

[@sonyviva308]

Changed the fuel filter in my Fiat 20VT. God wow, the car feels more responsive than ever. In fact the filter was from the original 1999 when the car was new.

[@SugaryPhoenixxx]

I use Chevron Techron Fuel system cleaner & boy does that stuff work well. The first time I used it I had no idea how dirty my fuel system was. After a couple days, I was blown away by how mush better my throttle response was. Now I consider it a go to power booster.

[@giuliomalloni3975]

Can you name or link the product ? I would love to give it a look 😍

[@miskatonic6210]

They say it was a regularly maintained car and they didn't even change oil, oil filter and air filter?

[@mipmipmipmipmip]

regularily maintained... back in the 1990s!

[@dufonrafal]

It was probably done just before the schedule service…

[@junaidmohammed3733]

It all depends on how well the car has been maintained. This car was clearly well maintained for an older car and thus it was just dirt that was reducing power. A poorly maintained car will have worn mechanical components which would need to be physically replaced to restore the original HP.

[@Showmetheevidence-]

Junaid Mohammed first sensible comment on here!

[@Sennaxm71]

It could probably do with an engine mount or 2 though, it was moving a lot under load, I know they move a bit, but I'd say that's a mount on its way out, and if it were mine I'd change it.

[@MrROTD]

The gas powered VWs have a fuel filter under the car that should be replaced from time to time as well

[@oddities-whatnot]

Rex Holes i was wondering why the fuel filter hadnt been done

[@UsoundsGermany]

ASFAIK it does notneed replacement, Corrado is based on Golf3 or ? I never replaced the fuel filter in my Golf (and still running good, 22yr old)

[@autodidacticartisan]

so smart much wow. I can't find it on my 83 mk1 rabbit. Under the car you say?

[@kitecattestecke2303]

Red Nine just follow the fuel line? Should be not hard to Google

[@autodidacticartisan]

Metzelbaer Nibbels I was being sarcastic. Mine(and all gas mk1 vws) is in the engine bay

[@OhFishyFish]

Taking the highest result? Shouldn't they be taking the average?

[@xebek]

+OhFishyFish Seems logical to take the average, but you want to compare the greatest marked advantage from stock (assume the stock of 177 was also the greatest number of the 8 tests pre-work). That gives you the maximum delta, which yields the maximum results you can expect from a similar situation.

[@kjenk19]

The figure VW would have been advertising would have been the maximum, so it is only fair

[@junaidmohammed3733]

When manufacturers measure peak power they always use the highest figure from several tests, so it's become industry standard to dyno cars the same way.

[@OhFishyFish]

+Junaid Mohammed I didn't know that, thanks for the explanation!

[@Gigaguenther]

+xebek it's still a statistical illusion though, isnt it? from a show for consumers i would expect that they do NOT follow the manufacturers' example of brushing every number up to the absolute best case scenario, however unlikely that may be

[@duuanecooper7920]

This Video is great, Thank you for it! It'll be just what I need. I can share this to help people out that do not understand engines. Basic maintenance goes a long long ways.

[@__Diaz__]

This motivated me to get my car serviced (got new sparks, fluids and ignition leads) and i did notice the a slight torque difference when taking off and shifting between gears. The car feels great to drive now, i will try the fuel additive in a few days time to see if that helps

[@leksasdf]

177 is actually damn good at the wheels.

[@jackdiss9369]

+leksasdf It won't be at the wheels, the dyno will work out the crank horsepower by letting the wheels spin down and measuring the resistance the driveline puts up. It then adds the two figures together.

[@leksasdf]

Ah ok, but still for an old car it's pretty good.

[@erlik07]

+leksasdf VR6 pooowwaa

[@mrcaboosevg6089]

+leksasdf It'll be adjusted

[@trbossdoggy]

+leksasdf 2001 volvo c70, 240 horsepower :D

[@davijuli50]

I've tried it on my '92 MX5 and it works amazing 👌👌

[@wsbygt]

Its always interesting to watch these videos!

[@KlueBat]

Great video guys! It really goes to show what regular maintenance will get you. The only thing I think you missed is the throttle body. Those tend to get gummed up thanks to the EGR system. I really think this would have helped with the throttle response issues that were noted. Maybe a follow up video at some point?

[@DoogieLabs]

I have three Corrados, I love them very much.

[@innit_yt]

Three I can't afford two

[@FUreplygirl]

+Doogie Rick I had a purple g60 "Jet" once.. Worst lemon I ever owned. I loved it to death but couldn't afford to keep it on the road. Corrados are surprisingly rare in Germany since most were exported.

[@SkyScourgeGod]

+Doogie Rick I look forward to being able to own one someday. I love VW's! My first car was a 05 Passat which was a fun little commuter, and those Corrados look like a blast to drive on a sunny weekend day. :)

[@jonkoxl2069]

Corrodes :)

[@72Disco1998]

Which ones do you own? I loved my VR6.

[@eatthisvr6]

they used a vr6 and didn't use the glorious engine noise!

[@omargomez9407]

conclusion, don't forget to do your tune up, now and then

[@andrewm6329]

There is no need to ever really "tune up" an EFI car. The computer automatically adjusts the tune itself. Just make sure you service your car and that sensors are functioning and the computer will do the rest.

[@BensCoffeeRants]

Computers can only compensate for so much, if it needs new spark plugs, air filter, oil, or the injectors cleaned it's going to have some issues.

[@snakesolid6823]

Every now and then

[@sniperlif3]

177hp in a 190hp car (per factory) is almost brand new. Manufacturers don't really do well with HP figures. Change Dynos and you can change HP figures, change climate can also do the same. One car known for fake HP was the Nissan Skyline. Factory figures were lower than actual for legal reasons.

[@andrewm6329]

You're pretty much spot on there. I believe manufacturers often quote power made at the engine/flywheel, not the wheels. I believe the Skyline thing was actually because Japanese car manufacturers had a gentlemen's agreement to not make cars over a certain power figure.

[@TassieLorenzo]

Manufacturers quote power at the engine, because they develop engines on dedicated engine dynos after all. :) "Wheel horsepower" is only an aftermarket thing (and "wheel" horsepower varies so wildly between different brands of dyno it may as well be meaningless IMO!).

[@oldwortex5818]

I hate when dyno operators cheat with the drivertrain loss. Here is the example. Take a car and measure it's HP on a dyno. Lets say it is 200HP. We all know there is drive train loss,due to the tire friction, driveshaft weight, bearings, etc. etc. It is usually about 15-18% from the crankshaft ratings. So if we measure 200HP on a dyno, the car must have about 244HP at the crankshaft. 244-18% = 200HP. So drivetrain loss is 44HP. Then comes tuning time - put on a supercharger, exhaust, intake, hi-flow cat, etc. all the goodies. Then they put the car back on a dyno and measure a very healthy increase of 110HP to 310HP. Then the dyno operators make their mistake by adding the percentage back and claiming that HP rating at the crank. So they will say if we measured 310 now, add 18% and you have 366HP from the original 244 (at the crank) WRONG. It basically says that now it take 56HP to spin the tires instead of the original 44. It is wrong. The Drivetrain loss is a constant, as it does not matter if your car has 200 or 300 or 500HP, it takes the same amount of HP to spin the tires and overcome the drive-train loss. So the correct figure is 354HP total and 366HP. Sure it is not the end of the world but they fail to understand the basic principles of torque and force. Easiest way to explain - you pushing a toy car or the strongest men pushing the same exact toy car at the same place. It is exactly the same effort and energy to push it regardless of how strong you are or the other guy. Its a simple math and all dyno guy I have met failed to see this. Even worse argued that it was not true, bringing up factors as they added HP so the car will have more heat and it will make things harder to move. don't be fooled its just simple math and physics.

[@FriedBacon88]

+Laszlo Makrai thanks for the tip!

[@DJRoksor]

+Laszlo Makrai You're actually incorrect, here's why: The total power losses are made up of engine power losses, drivetrain power losses, and losses due to the motion resistance of the car. The efficiency of an internal combustion engine (typically around 35%) doesn't matter here since BHP is measured after the engine. The drivetrain power losses are made up off losses in all the drivetrain parts (transmission, differential, bearings, etc.). However, the biggest contributors are the transmission and differential which are basically 4 sets of gears. Gear sets typically have an efficiency of 97% and THESE LOSSES ARE PERCENTILE! (let that sink in for a moment.) The drivetrain efficiency can be approximated to the combined efficiency of the transmission and differential and thus equals; 97%*97%*97%*97%=88.5%. (82.5%-85% is a more realistic number due to the losses in the other drivetrain parts.) Finally there are the motion resistance losses, these are all forces that need to be overcome. They are made up of the rolling resistance of the tires, the aerodynamic drag, the gradient resistance (when driving up an incline), inertia resistances (when accelerating), hook resistance (when towing something). (Note that the rolling resistance isn't a drivetrain loss.) For a dyno run only the rolling resistance matters, and although the force loss stays the same the power loss doesn't since power is force times speed. The power loss due to the rolling resistance thus depends on the speed but is typically about 4%. Basically you seem to be mixing up torque and force with power; even when the losses in torque and force stay the same the losses in power don't; they are propotional to the speed and the speed again is about proportional to the total power so you should use the same percentile loss overall.

[@oldwortex5818]

You mix speed with this when speed again is constant. They measure torque at same engine speed. You increase speed and your loss gets higher, i agree on that. On a dyno you compare torque at same engine speed. How is the loss greater just because your torque is stronger ? Same speed same tire same transmission, just higher number of torque due to engine mod. Sure there are other factors like higher torque higher transmission slip but that is negligent compare to standard losses. Bottom line same speed same higher torque same factors same loss.

[@DJRoksor]

Oh you're right about the power loss due to rolling resistance being the same since the speed stays the same. The power loss in the gears of the transmission and differential still increases though, at a higher torque.

[@mrjdgibbs]

@@DJRoksor just a couple of quick corrections here. Force is a derivative of speed and weight. Power is a derivative of torque and engine speed. As torque changes so will power.

[@ToeCutter454]

while you had the spark plugs out you should have also done a compression test... that would have told you if you have a leak and if piston rings/cylinder bore are worn or perhaps have managed to line up on the gaps and are allowing bypass, but you could also see that in the exhaust as blue smoke indicating some oil blow by.

[@spoonyspoonicus4648]

+Quantum Uncertainty Workshop Any of those things would lose you a lot more that 10bhp and you would be burning oil and creating a lot of smoke. Most Engines now have three piston rings per piston so the chance of all three turning and lining up is next to nothing. Your also looking at nearly 21 years of spark plug development so the newer plugs should be far better.

[@timramich]

6 HP on a crappy chassis dyno? You said you would do 8 runs, and pick the best one. We can see your numbers before the end result. They varied greatly. 6 HP is nothing but statistical noise.

[@Cedrickr]

As a former Corrado VR6 owner, this makes me quite nostalgic, beautiful machine!

[@EazyDuz18]

Tbf the Redex probably did nothing. If the car was being driven for a week straight having been sat around for ages, just doing that will increase BHP. Italian tune up

[@SeanBZA]

+EazyDuz18 Could also have been the winterised fuel with ethanol and methanol, added to the original summer fuel mix it likely had. A good place to look for the hesitation would be to clean the inlet system, and the PCV as well, to get the carbon out. Classic flat spot of a dirty inlet system and blocked PCV piping and valves.

[@douglasaranda2010]

+EazyDuz18 Well, I can say under personal experience that it really gives a boost to your engine, even in day to day cars. Petrol oil and gasoline together many times starts hardening in your engine and head, and also clogging fuel injectors, forcing even the pumps to work under stress. I saw many cars failing, vibrating and generating all kinds of problems only by a clogged fuel injector, which after some ultrasound cleaning seemed like new! Lambda sensors also generates an error code when not working properly, which may end in other problems like these stated before!

[@4x4ManiacBadTimeGarage]

+EazyDuz18 what do you mean with "italian tune up"?

[@BiggyeMombassa]

+TommyVercettism probably driving the guts out of it :p

[@ItsFriscoBaby]

+TommyVercettism Basically hard driving.

[@SD-tj5dh]

That was a crappy job of getting the leaves out the air box. He just stirred it about. use a hoover and do it properly!

[@meyawabdulaziz3863]

+Scott Dann they have a dyno but not hoover ? i can bet that they did it

[@jakubkrcma]

Why use a dam for car maintenance? :-))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

[@Unclenate1000]

what i liked most about this is that it really substantiated the effects of things you might think are just small changes, and you think might not make any difference at all.

[@guguigugu]

but, this is a VW engine, and on top of that one of the best engines VW ever made. it lost very little power. i wonder how figures for my 17yo FIAT would look like.

[@TheComputec]

+guguigugu Yeah those VW engines are amazing... according to their technical data, they use only one teaspoon of petrol each year and the emissions are extremely low... their lab test on this model stated that the only thing coming out of the exhaust pipe was "love and cuddles"

[@andreim841]

That's a record in itself... A Fiat lasting 17 years...

[@guguigugu]

it's only got 80 000 km tho :) computec, emissions are a meaningless government-forced statistic anyway, and i couldn't care less if someone's fixed them to make a bunch of clueless bureaucrats happy. only eco-mentals care for that pointless crap. VW has proven their quality and durability through the decades of making great cars. i'd never buy a VW because they're fucking boring, even the VR6 ones, but i respect them.

[@bc9477]

+guguigugu Don't be sceptic. Fiats have very good quality engines, especially diesels (JTDs) were bulletproof and could easily last 400.000+ km if you know how to drive and not race it around like an ass.. It is the bodywork and the chasssy that sucks on Fiats nd they usually rot away long before anything mechanical breaks down

[@scottcooneymusic6736]

177 hp at the wheels? isn't the manufacturer rating at the crank and does not allow for driveline loss. If it makes 177 wheel horse on the dyno, it seems appropriate.

[@DepakoteMeister]

+SerenityNow Chassis dyno ops in the UK measure wheel HP, then 'calculate' engine BHP from that figure...usually with laughably inaccurate results. It's nonsense. You have to beg the operators to just give you raw wheel HP.

[@DepakoteMeister]

***** Exactly. UK thing I think. Everywhere else I know in the world uses a chassis dyno to gain a WHP figure, not a very poorly extrapolated (i.e. guesstimated) crank BHP figure.

[@guguigugu]

+xXxMartin96xXx why dont you google the definition of BHP instead of being wrong?

[@souheib9343]

guguigugu if brake horse power is at the flywheel, who the fuck uses wheel horsepower? I've never anywhere seen that. The power at the wheels is going to be less than that in the at the flywheel, but I've never seen anyone talking about a car and say it has x hp at the wheels. Personally I (probably as the rest of the world) use PS which the German unit (Pferdestärken) which is the same I believe as the French ch (chevaux).

[@DepakoteMeister]

Souheib Merge People who have half a clue and use chassis dynos quote hp at the wheels because, wait for it, that's what a chassis dyno measures. You CANNOT measure crank hp on a chassis dyno; sure, you can take an educated guess, but why would you. BHP = horse power measured on a dynometer (or engine 'brake'), as opposed to calculated mathematically (using calorific content of fuel, amount of fuel, friction losses, etc etc). Engines or chassis can be tested on a dyno, so either crank or wheel hp is bhp.

[@oddities-whatnot]

Id rather watch this than Top Gear these days :)

[@Paraclete333]

Simon George I would rather watch flies fuck than watch the new seasons of Top Gear.

[@pepedrat2982]

Engine flush and rad flush helped on my old heap. Also got very noticable results by putting redex in the bores, when warm. Turned it over, and left overnight.

[@DrSmoothie]

I think cleaning the throttle body and maf(if it has one) is another important step for restoring power to the vr6 and any other engine. Great video nonetheless. I love the fact that they chose the VW Corrado!

[@zuze9112]

Yes new pistons Piston rings crank valves seals oil pump and all others

[@amjedalbalushi9707]

+Zuze91 yeah, good luck paying for the labor because changing the pistons is quite a hassle.

[@zuze9112]

Klymbort B well dont drive to dealer. I drive to drifters and fro M50B25 engine change pistons + rings + main bearings ~ 450 eu. And that engine will go over 500 000 km again.

[@amjedalbalushi9707]

***** I have a 2007 Lexus IS300, I won't give it to a person just because he knows about "engines". Yeah, he might do a good job installing the pistons and whatnot, but at least the dealer will give me a warranty if the engine does not function properly, unlike the person I gave to change the pistons.

[@canadianbacon5617]

+Zuze91 You might be surprised how many "new" replacement pistons and bearings come manufactureed with wear to prevent siezing during rebuilds. Racers don't care, they don't run them long enough. But aftet 100k miles it can become apparent .

[@zuze9112]

Canadian Bacon ou, i did not know that,

[@jeffrose8175]

I would have like the plugs and leads tested separately.

[@alexwelsh5943]

Awesome, relevant content as usual from Fifth Gear.

[@initialb5009]

vr6 is a good strong engine, I'm convinced to try out the redex on my v6 merc now, worth a go . a proper service wouldn't do any harm either.

[@ItsFriscoBaby]

I'd say the VW claimed figure was done on an engine dyno whereas the rolling road is giving a calculated number which are notoriously random depending on where you go and who is operating it. Surprised the redex did anything at all though

[@DepakoteMeister]

+ItsFriscoBaby Exactly! Only rank amateurs use a chassis dyno to claim crank BHP.

[@tinatpasselepoivre]

Just do that on my 2cV ... I got from 80km/h top to 85 km/h ... Yeah!

[@andyhillhouse9813]

I'm amazed by how effective the redex was.

[@thedarkknight4243]

thanks a lot for the info, this means regular service and maintenance will keep power levels high. Did not know about the fuel cleaner, performance spark plugs with two cathodes instead of one will raise engine power but may hurt fuel economy.

[@TheTheeggmann]

put 10 more lbs of air in the tires....

[@janklement315]

IamTheEggMan why should this help with power?

[@chiquicat1]

Reduce rolling resistance, try inflating the tyres of your bicycle to see how easy it becomes to pedal it :)@@janklement315

[@AhmadAzizov]

why take the max and not the average?

[@armink9686]

+Ahmad Azizov Because the factory number is the highest, not the average. If you take a new car and do the average, it will be lower than the manufacturer's figure (which is also the max figure).

[@AhmadAzizov]

+Armin K ah! makes sense. thank you +Armin K

[@izzulamirshahir8910]

+Armin K Good reason indeed.. I was thinking the same thing on the question of max and average result...

[@dabotz_draws]

+Armin K Not always... famously, at the time of the "gentlemen agreement" between Japanese marques and the goverment (more or less, you do not build a car over 280 BHP, we do not implements rules against cars with more thatn 280 BHP" - very Japanese) , Nissan understated quite a bit the Skyline GT-R power figures to "keep" it in the limit. Some American muscle cars of the late '60s also downplayed power, to try to counter the rise of power-related insurance premiums. The same did Mazda with its three rotors Eunos Cosmo. In more recent times, Chrysler's 300C "lost" some kw becoming the Lancia Thema, to stay inside the limit of a very punitive new Italian tax (5 Euros/kw for any above the limit). The power figures of engines, and the statistics methods used to define them (and the engines used to take the measure.... a300k miles-laden engine of a experimental "mule" is going to perform, with clogged filters and the same oil it started the tests , quite differently than a mint engine, carefully broken-in for the task of getting the best figure possible) are seldom chosen for purely technical reasons. I suppose it was the max possible out of a "well chosen" average engine, for the Corrado - so much so that it is entirely possible that this car, with a truly average engine, may have been restored even nearer its effective original output.

[@FFM0594]

+Da Botz The 190HP is guaranteed, it almost certanly had a few more than that!

[@khalidiz4450]

Thank you for the effort

[@MakeItWithCalvin]

For a car that does not see many miles are driven/sits a lot, especially with ethanol blend fuels, good quality fuel system cleaners can help. What I found works is putting it into the fuel and running it around for say 15-30 minutes and letting it sit overnight. Then repeat one or two more times. It gives the cleaner time to start to work its way in and soak. Did this on my 96 Protege that ran but felt gutless. It did make a noticeable difference in the throttle response after running the cleaner. Also, the car had sat for a long time between uses so the system was most likely nice and gunky.

[@mrangulo0]

how many miles does the car have?

[@dan-5678]

96265 in the video

[@zoidburg2975]

Who says it's 'actually' came with exactly 190bhp? Lol.

[@Trussme96]

+simon jones Except emissions.

[@zoidburg2975]

TyranitarComedian Beat me to it! Hahaha

[@rvind92g]

+TyranitarComedian that's the joke

[@wipout1]

+Zoid Burg Being a VW it probably actually had 230!

[@MrSpartan117fan]

+wipout1 you mean 160

[@dominicpryor8444]

i used to own a 1990 vw corrado, i loved that car so much.

[@LatidoUniversal]

Have you tried the resurs remetalizer for weared engine for the high friction metal parts? It uses the oil as a vehicle, but it does not alter its viscosity, it recovers engine's compression ratio

[@clutchthepearls3062]

Since you didn't do the dyno runs all on the same day, it doesn't mean anything. Day to day weather can change hp numbers by quite a bit.

[@m00npiggy]

+clutchthepearls he said the machine compensates for temperature

[@JustMe-ll1er]

+m00n piggy okay but beside temperature diffrences there's also a lot of other variables for example air humidity has big impact on performance. The more moisture is in the air the better performance neat huh ;-;

[@clutchthepearls3062]

+m00n piggy It still doesn't mean anything. The computer is just guessing just as much as its guessing about the parasitic loss. There's too many variables.

[@DepakoteMeister]

+clutchthepearls I agree. An engine dyno should have been used for this test to be meaningful. Chassis dynos are OK to measure percentage gains at the wheels, and as useful as a chocolate teapot for calculating crank BHP. A car programme should know better.

[@Djhg2000]

+DepakoteMeister I think a hub connected dyno would've been close enough but yeah, I don't trust those rolling road ones to be accurate for such small changes.

[@tomstickland]

Old engines don't lose power if they're maintained properly. If anything they can make more power due to being loosened up and a slight build up in the head increasing the compression ratio.

[@eljakimdeclerck1941]

you'll get compression loss after time. for ex piston rings can get worn

[@JoshMustillo]

Agreed on this. Fuel System Air Spark Engine Oil A basic tune up, but you did start the video saying when the engine wears it looses power. But no component's were actually repaired but drop in products were used. An engine will loose compression as it gets older and that is where the cost lays.

[@mangokraken]

Did this to my 1990 300zx and that thing pulls sooo much better now.

[@murica9746]

My 3 horsepower lawn boy made in 1967?

[@murica9746]

-46hp

[@Coasterman2222]

*-56 XD

[@timpedra]

Jack Moon Do you even math, bro?

[@barscetin7614]

Greg Schwartz -95865299hp bruh

[@nicholasrich875]

Yep your screwed

[@EmilehUnk]

Last 2 horses could be found in fuel filter distribution belt/chain...?

[@noscopesallowed8128]

+Emile Unk I'm kinda thinking that the last 2 hp probably won't be recoverable because some of that will be because of engine/cylinder head wear. Obviously there are going to be alot of other things that could reduce BHP like the oil in the diff, worn out axle bearings etc... Honestly, I'm not even convinced that 13 hp is worth trying to recover in a car like this.

[@jondonnelly4831]

+Emile Unk possibly a terraclean, full de-carbonisation.

[@kaba_me]

+Jon Donnelly Or just hiding in the air. Maybe test it on a colder day when the air is a bit more dense ;)

[@jondonnelly4831]

Mmm i love a joyride on a cold day with some free water injection for free power. Can defo feel the difference.

[@jondonnelly4831]

I suppose the only way to know for sure if that vw has lost any power, is to find another low miles example of the same car and put that on the same dyno.

[@MrAdoh2010]

While changing a leaking valve cover gasket, I changed the plugs to iridium, put a heat shield between the engine and throttle body "2JZ-GE engine", cleaned the throttle, and replaced the filter with K&N. I don't know what single item made the biggest difference but it was a dramatic improvement in smoothness. My car is a Lexus GS300 and while it the engine has the 2JZ name on it it's the NA and while it's alright in the Supra "light car" it's very slow on its heaviest application "the 3700lb GS" but it does have a smooth torque curve so it does the job perfectly.

[@Claytons91]

+MrAdoh2010 the supra weights about the same.

[@Corristo89]

Using a fuel additive to clean the system is by far the easiest and cheapest way to get some lost power back. Fuel filler cap open, additive in, close the flap, done. I tried it with my Ford Fiesta from late 2007 and it did bring back quite a bit of liveliness to that old car. It's not a racer by any means, but the engine responds better at low RPMs, doesn't struggle as much when a too high gear is chosen for a too low speed and may have even gained 3-5 kph in speed on the motorway, all while running smoother. These things do work and aren't snake oil by any means. Don't expect a miracle, but they can work quite well on cars who've been running for a few years.

[@Zsolti000]

aaaaahh the corrado :)

[@ggabixx99]

+Zsolti000 aaaaahh the Magyar! :D

[@Sheehy223]

Hahahaha... They spent the equivalent of 700 Dollars for 11 Horsepower. Fucking hell...

[@ImGrumpher]

the spark plugs and leads were the killers, if you get platinum spark plugs chances are youll never need to change them

[@212993]

+ImGrumpher that's not true in thr slightest. platinum is actually a much poorer conductor than metals like copper. it is still one of thr most fuel efficient, and best burning metal out there. now as far as design of a plug.. that's another story.

[@ImGrumpher]

Andrew Long I was referring only to the life of the plug, not the performance, Platinum lasts much longer because it is highly unreactive

[@Flimzes]

They can still get covered in dirt even if they're unreactive, which probably degrades performance just as much as corrosion

[@TuttyFruttynuts]

Take them out and clean them every 20k or so and check the gap and you'll be fine

[@Dcc357]

I changed all the the exact same things with my 2000 Toyota Tacoma Prerunner V6 with 100,000 miles (160,000 km), but I also changed its fuel filter too. It also has 190 HP, and I can definitely feel a difference at full throttle. I used new NGK spark plugs and wires, a new Wix air filter, a new ACdelco fuel filter, Royal Purple max clean fuel system cleaner, and fresh full synthetic Royal Purple HMX that comes with extra ZDDP (zinc dithiophosphate) for reducing wear since my engine uses flat valve tappets that create more friction. The low end torque also feels more alive, so it doesn't require higher revs to accelerate like it does now with normal driving, which saves fuel.

[@Dcc357]

Ouch with the oil filter. I recommend those Denso First Time Fit oil filters (model 150-1002). You can get them online. They're slightly larger and allow you to drop exactly 6 quarts of oil into the engine according to my dipstick.

[@Dcc357]

People praise German cars for their fun to drive factor most of the time. Speaking of Fiats and how they own Chrysler, my mom has a 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a HEMI V8 and all the off-road goodies. Already developed an issue with an annoying dashboard rattle that sounds like rubbing 2 Styrofoam together, and creaking bushings (hopefully just the sway bar bushings). My Tacoma rattles and creaks too, but that took over 10 years, not 4 years like the Jeep.

[@markrainford1219]

When he poured in the Redex I kept muttering to myself, that ain't gonna work, that ain't gonna work. Doh!

[@TheFoodnipple]

+mark rainford And it worked a lot better than I expected

[@JKHALIN]

Did you compare the Dyno results to the manufacturers' crankshaft output? Proves drive train loss over anything.

[@JKHALIN]

+Pappy Tron Ah, at least they didn't overlook that step, no matter the possible discrepancies.

[@omargomez9407]

conclusion, don't forget to do your tune up

[@andrewm6329]

You mean service your car. Modern, EFI cars tune themselves.

[@losbigdz3350]

"Once it's clean, it's clean "😂

[@resnonverba137]

A very interesting test - not seen this done before. Food for thought.

[@espro436]

Just throw a turbo on it.

[@foxmulder216]

Or twin charge, which is turbo and supercharger 😁

[@IEATMILKA00]

espro threw a turbo on my car, now my hood has a dent

[@bobderbraumeister6919]

@@IEATMILKA00 you idiot, you are supposed to throw it at the windows, so it feels faster bacaise of the airflow.

[@MrSupercar55]

@@IEATMILKA00 Not literally, you dodo! Connect the turbo up to the engine if the airflow is sufficient to run the turbo.

[@KRAUSER0130]

Dear Fifth Gear, looking at your logo, i wonder how do you fellas go back in reverse?

[@K31TH3R]

+KRAUSER0130 A lot of cars have reverse in the 1st gear slot with a forward lockout. Basically you press down the stick and put it in into 1st gear slot and that's reverse. Personally I hate transmissions like that but it's just my worthless personal opinion.

[@canadianbacon5617]

+K31TH3R I love my VW reverse gear...super easy for parking. 1st and R right by each other

[@K31TH3R]

Canadian Bacon That's definitely an argument for them that I can't refute, it's definitely convenient. I haven't driven a VW manual but I have driven a Ford Focus manual which had that configuration and it felt horrible to me and like I was going to break something going into R from 1st.

[@ynotnilknarf39]

15 year old VW Passat 1.9tdi Estate run on 33% SVO/66% diesel during the summer and I can still get 50mpg and 115mph from the 74Kw/100bhp engine. It also passes on the first run of the opacity test at 0.4 of the maximum. I used to use BiRol BTO in the past which was amazing stuff

[@ogi8734]

I would like to tune my father's jetta automatic transmission from 1989 to surprise him but we have no money even for living. He wouldn't give that car for new more expensive one,that is real love

[@matt4270]

Corrado Soprano Edition

[@yesihavereadit]

too much to expect but I bet the averages weren't significantly different, chi squared?

[@ellisannear4465]

Would you use the fuel cleaner before installing a new fuel filter or after?

[@SolarBlackShine]

we don't have redex in the states ( that I know of) but a good fuel additive for cleaning and replacing a fuel filter if your vehicle is equipped with one is one of the most important steps I have taken to regain the power I had on my Montero. I could have never believed it until I experienced it myself.

[@icekk007]

+Jay Cass Which fuel additive did you use?

[@DoogieLabs]

+icekk007 BG 44k is really good stuff.

[@SolarBlackShine]

+icekk007 I think I used an AMSOIL fuel injector cleaner for one tank and the next tank I used a chevron fuel additive. I replaced fuel filter before it.

[@icekk007]

Thank you, Jay.

[@lukexr125]

diffiburator hahahahaha!!! and £73 for 6 plugs wtf!!!

[@Frietpan]

some plugs are stupid expensive. (tip, dont get an alfa twin spark if u dont like expensive plugs)

[@kitecattestecke2303]

It was with cables

[@ashram7936]

german spark plugs are expensive

[@MrSupercar55]

He actually says “Nurse! Fetch a defibrillator.” A defibrillator is typically used on an unconscious patient, *AND IT SHOULD BE REQUESTED PRIOR TO PERFORMING CPR.*

[@MrSupercar55]

Also, you’ll only need 6 spark plugs if your engine has 6 cylinders (i.e. V6 or straight-six).

[@senorstrong]

they forgot to clean the throttle body

[@rurruth]

+The Experience Channel this isnt a good idea just for a fine tunning on idle? because they went full trottle

[@senorstrong]

i've seen some dirty TB... it restraints the intake air flow. cleaning it makes the car work something better

[@MMR_LM]

Perhaps you could try this is the BTCC this year Jason

[@NenadKralj]

I'm so glad that I finally see some "CAR" I would say (this brings old memories to me when I was having a #VW #Golf MKIII #VR6 - that it was "some car" in my eyes and mind) that is a proper engine (it really is) because it's easy to maintain and thy will really give to you a proper joy of driving it! And it has a unforgettable engine sound (you can't compere it with anything else). I will say #FifthGear this a good one! I love #VR6 from #Volkswagen !!

[@eatthisvr6]

vr6 engines make a glorious noise and they also LOVE forced induction, iv got some vids of my old supercharged mk3 vr6 and also my mk4 r32 with a supercharger too if you fancy a look through my channel

[@jamesgeorgi170]

+Nenad Kralj We still have a Mk3 VR6 such an epic car!

[@Hellsong89]

+James Georgi I heard those engines had issues with chain tensioner that leaded up engine damages, why those engines were/are unpopular. Is there actual fix to this issue, cause i would love to buy VR6 corrado otherwise?

[@eatthisvr6]

+Hellsong89 its advisable to change the tensioners (may as well do the chains while youre in there) at 100k miles or so on the 12v vr6 but youll hear the chain rattling and it rarely damages anything. iv had a 12v 2.8 vr6 and put a supercharger running 12 psi on it making 320 hp and i didnt even put an intercooler or thicker headgasket on it to lower the compression lol i did absolutely nothing to it and it was bombproof! i also had a 3.2 24v vr6 with a supercharger running 475 hp and only changed the pistons to drop the compression a little, completely stock apart from that and again the power was no problem for it

[@mikenewbold1699]

only cost 500 quid and labour for a car that's worth 2 grand

[@nlsupernovaable]

it mostly just maintenance, if you keep it maintained properly you'd have those jobs done in time and you wouldn't suffer the loss anyway. then it's just 5 for the fuel additive. and maybe the sparkplug leads, but i suspect just the plugs would have yielded the same result so thats plain maintanance again.

[@cj4ebay]

+Mike Newbold keeping your car maintained and running its best is worth more than 2 grand.

[@Cepera540]

+Mike Newbold If you keeping the car or you love your car, it doesn't matter how much it cost to maintain.

[@Heidelaffe]

+Mike Newbold The same thing applies to cars worth 50 grand. The point is proper maintenance reduces power loss while you keep a higher value of your car as well as higher reliability.

[@mikenewbold1699]

Heidelaffe well yeah but 11bhp for 800 odd quid ain't worth it imo. there were several things he did on that car that were surplus really

[@stefan-stocksmadesimple5241]

So 6 pounds for 6 hp and then another 5 hp but for 295 pounds ... doesn't seem like a good deal

[@miltos_carhub]

when gaining back lost HP you usually also get back efficiency as well, so the engine consumes less petrol too. over the long run you'd make up some money from better fuel economy too

[@matejsommer72]

+Stefan Supra If you care about your recently bought used car, you should do this maintenance along with other procedures (other fluids, brakes,...) anyways

[@jondonnelly4831]

+Stefan Supra it is possible the car was already regularly serviced.

[@dufonrafal]

The other 295£ are maintenance you must perform anyway.

[@jondonnelly4831]

not a good deal? It is the cheapest horsepower you can add to that car.

[@antonreprovos6251]

those engines were diamonds! i have the 20V APT and with a cat cleaning it runs like a charm and of course proper maintance , also is the milieage of a car, i have seen 10 year old cars with the double of my passat with double years....

[@garyslentzii2796]

Use Seafoam for an intake clean, my car quit hesitating when I got on it after using it. Better results than what I paid a garage for basically doing the same thing.