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Thanks, no rush. I don't really need the compressor as this one feels fine and only has 75K on it. I doubt that any used one would be in better shape.

Is that complete compressors Rich or just the clutch pulley?

Thanks for that link LR5V! That will be worth checking out for sure. There are complete compressors for sale all over E Bay in the $400 range which is OK but all I really need is the clutch pulley assembly. They are typically listed for around $80. The pictures look right, part number matches but the compressor they say it fits is wrong so I have not pulled the trigger yet.

Yup ten seconds on the trip reset button fixed the oil service notification. Thanks Rich! The EPC thing makes sense. That is in line with my favorite foreign car mechanic's suggestion (who's shop is 16 hours round trip away) to take the throttle body off and clean it out with brake clean. I will look into redirecting the crankcase vent system. Thanks all!

That service oil light I assume is something that comes up as a reminder and needs to be reset when the oil has been changed. The oil and filter are fresh but I don't know how that is accomplished.

Franklin had a surprise for the Missus this morning. He only wanted to idle. Do you suppose he was sending her the message that it's time to hibernate? It was only -20. He was back to normal tonight when I got home...

The bearing is not the whole story here. The clutch surface is worn unevenly and down to the rivets. The coil is fried too. You can see in the picture the burnt part and the broken wires sticking out.

Got it apart. The balls ended up all over the floor. Not much salvageable here! And as usual the part number you gave me I am told is not valid. I contacted my nearest VW dealer, when the parts guy found out it was for a Lupo/Polo he told me they have no access to offshore parts. I reminded him that someone in his dealership was consulted before I bought the car and I was assured by them that there would be no problem getting parts. He said he would get back to me. He phoned me back later saying that VW of Germany will supply parts if I provide proof of ownership, all related import documents including a signed import approval document from my government, proof of registration and insurance. What the *%&#@ do they think this car is? An anti aircraft missile launcher? An artillery battery? A nuclear warhead? Ok I have all that but what business is it of their's? Good grief! Well at this point I am not desperate enough to drive 5 hours round trip to lay out my life's secrets to total strangers. Not such a big deal I suppose but there are a few options left yet before I go that route!

I did not want to degas the system but it was looking like a long grind to find the bits so we had to take it off to put a short belt on to get the car back on the road. I was looking on line and yes it seems there are lots of sites that list it in lots of different languages, nothing in North America at this point. Hopefully I will get a chance to pull it apart today and see if the clutch is salvageable with a new bearing. You are correct about our weather, it will be 8 months before we will have a need for AC and then only about 2 weeks use at best. The car could stay like this permanently and not really be a problem. Funny thing is all of these Japanese cars have AC which we really don't need here but none of them so far have cruise control which we desperately miss! I suspect that over there if you did find a straight piece of road long enough to use it the traffic would be too dense. Here we have roads that go on from horizon to horizon dead straight with little to no traffic.

Shorter belt on now and it's on the road. Nothing but dead ends so far on finding replacement bits. I just noticed is says Made in Japan on the name tag. Is it possible that it is unique to that country?

Interesting! I have seen the odd Audi 100 but never an 80. The Audi 100 engine is what was in the Porsche 924. I had an Audi Fox and other than a few brackets and a different flywheel/clutch it was identical to the Rabbit engine. In fact I have the Fox oil pan and cam with a Dodge Omni crankshaft in a '78 FI Rabbit block in my '76 Rabbit as we speak! If only there was a parts warehouse within reasonable driving distance... or even an old time parts guy that knew what fit what. The modern parts guy is not required to think, just has to punch in numbers and the computer does the thinking.

Yes the Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni back in the '70s and early '80s had a 1700cc version of the 1600cc Rabbit engine. All the accessories were Chrysler parts to my knowledge. Is there any interchangeability between this Lupo 1400cc engine and the early Rabbit 1600? I will check into the possibility of a shorter belt to run the charging system until I can find the AC compressor parts. Thanks.

No Polos in this country, only Jettas, Gulfs and the new Beetle and they all pretty much share the same bits.

Not that old yet! 😉 Love doing long trips in this one! Comfortable as heck, hard to believe it is such a small car from the inside! Update on the engine noise. Turns out it is the AC clutch pulley bearings. Seized now and stopped the engine from starting. Starts and runs fine without the belt on so now to find the parts... looks like the AC compressor off my 04 Jetta is different but not sure yet if the pulley is too. There can't be a lot of different ones I wouldn't think... Back on the road to do that 8 hour trip again tomorrow. Sure wish the Lupo was drivable. Looks like it will be done in the 944 instead, it's comfortable on long hauls too just uses a bit more fuel and the heater is not as good.

We like the pin idea. Any possibility of a pair in bright green shipped to Canada?

It looks to me like the blow was taken by the bumper and dispersed into the whole structure beyond the crush zone. Open up the hatch and you will see damage in the spare tyre well, likely around the shock tower and maybe as far ahead as the floor pan under the rear seat. Measure the wheel base and compare it side to side. It would surprise me if you were not short on that side. It will most likely be "dog tracking" down the road presently. That is the story the wrinkles on the roof and the door overlapping the rear panel tell me because the rear 1/4 panel has no direct accident contact marks on it. The bulk of the damage is structural, what you are seeing in the picture is a consequence of the structural shift. Yes it could be fixed on a proper frame rack but the age of the car and present market value is against it.

Nice Lupo! Unfortunate luck with the first one. We know the feeling as we have a nice '04 Jetta wagon in our yard that met a violent end too!

Yes it could be, I am booked up again today so will check it out tomorrow. It made the 8 hour trip yesterday, you can't hear it from inside but stand in front and it's a bit nasty!

Good info, thanks! The shop that got the car ready for inspection charged me for a timing belt change which normally includes the water pump but with their record this far anything is possible!

Got the oil changed, the antifreeze upgraded and an electric heating pad block heater done yesterday. Now we have a dry bearing sort of sound coming from the pulley end of the engine. Hmm. And we need to drive 8 hours in it tomorrow!

Thanks for the pointers! I will address those edges. I had read about the roof channel issue here on this forum and was looking at the strips as I washed it up for this procedure. What holds the strips in place? I went to a local body shop last Friday and asked if they did under coating. The owner said no, which didn't surprise me but then he turned to one of his fellows and said "Unless you are interested." The fellow said "Yes I'll do it!" He did a pretty good job and the charge was $420 tax in. I thought it was quite reasonable, I have no idea how that compares with other shops, I'm happy. Saves me from crawling around in the snow.

Franklin got his under belly coated today! Hopefully that will hold back the salt and calcium slime damage for a few years.

Should be, there are thousands of them killed on our roads every year. There are more killed by vehicles than hunters take home by far. It's the biggest driving hazard in our part for sure! A fellow I know shot this one to make a wall mount out of but the rules here state that if you shoot it, you eat it so he was looking for someone to eat it. We had already got one of our own so I loaded this one up and took it to my brother 8 hours round trip away. I hadn't seen him in over a year so it was an excuse to do that but the trip seemed a little more sensible at to do at 42 mpg in the Lupo than at 18 mpg in the truck. Call me cheap but that's why we all own Lupos , not? It worked and not a drop of blood in Franklin! We got to his area and the petrol was $1.07 / liter as compared to $1.35 in our area. Don't you just love the free market economy? Definition: Free to work over the public at will!

Point of interest, did you know that if you fold the rear seat up, open up some packing boxes and put them in the boot, one of these will fit in a Lupo? Without the head and antlers of course! Well Ok, I could have fit them in too, separate from the rest!

That tire (tyre) 😉 will not be going back on anything even as a spare! Yes it does look like it sat flat for a spell. If I had access to a hoist I would do the under seal myself. I maybe shouldn't be so quick to say there are places that do it as it has been a few years so I am just assuming they still do.