Author Archives: Scott
Ham Radio and VW Nuts Unite Again?
The first weekend in April brings RARSfest, an annual ham radio festival hosted by Raleigh Amateur Radio Society (RARS) in North Carolina. April can be a tricky time of year to schedule events with outdoor activities due to sporadic rain … Continue reading
Nine Years: Slowing Down?
November 11th, Veteran’s Day, marks my GTI’s ninth anniversary! I wish I could tell you that I’ve added more cool modifications to the car. After all, my car’s early years of adding stereo, software, turbo, and exhaust upgrades played a … Continue reading
250,000 Miles: A GTI Health Update
A quarter-million miles or 400,000 kilometers! I didn’t think I’d share this milestone since I only recently shared my “Lunar Landing“ hoax. But this is too big of a milestone to not share! I was on the road participating in … Continue reading
Keeping Cool: Both the Engine and Myself
I shared in February that I was watching what I suspected to be an oil migration problem. I was finding a sludge in my coolant reservoir. It was not obviously oil, but it certainly was something that didn’t belong there! … Continue reading
Cargo Organization with Husky Build-Out
I have been a fiercely independent traveler for a very long time, both in vehicles and on my bicycles. I often carry more tools or parts than necessary. I had been carrying cargo in bags, then boxes, and even some … Continue reading
Lunar Lunacy; Plus, Small Problems
I’ve shared common milestones in the past: Every 10,000 miles to the 100,000-mile mark, 150,000 miles, and 200,000 miles. I even shared a metric milestone at 300,000 kilometers or 186,335 miles. Coincidentally, the speed of light is 300,000 kilometers per … Continue reading
Eight Years!
November 11th, Veteran’s Day, marked my GTI’s eighth anniversary. I delayed sharing this post because I had just had the fuel tank suction pump recall performed and wanted a chance to include comments about it here. With over 233,000 miles … Continue reading
Fuel Tank Suction Pump Recall
Over 261,000 Golf, GTI, Jetta, GLI, Sportwagen, Alltrack, and A3 owners received a notice in February 2024 about a possible fire hazard. The notice read, “The suction jet pump inside the fuel tank is designed to purge fuel from the … Continue reading
Thule Force XT Sport Cargo Box
I bought my first-ever cargo box years ago in the form of Yakima’s quickly-discontinued Showcase 15. It fills the roof on my GTI; so, I never thought that I’d consider another box. Fast-forward to 2022 when I started to dive … Continue reading
“Reverse Rake” Spacers by EMD Auto
I’ve moved most of my ham radio content to its own website. Still, those of you who’ve been here for a while know that I’m carrying a bit of extra weight in the car, probably an additional 200-300 lbs (300-500 … Continue reading
2024 Solar Eclipse Road Trip
I had loosely planned this trip in 2017 when a partial solar eclipse passed over Virginia. I was at work and got a brief glimpse of the ¾-eclipsed sun through an office window with a set of borrowed safety glasses. … Continue reading
7 Years and 200,000 Miles
I’ve done it, two milestones within 30 days of one another: My GTI’s 7th birthday and over 200,000 miles of driving it! When I bought the car on Veteran’s Day 2016, my driving schedule suggested that I might reach 200,000 … Continue reading
HamCation 2023 and Raleigh Car Shows
January and February were busy months for my car and mobile ham station! My previous post detailed the completion of a “micro tower” on the roof. Next, I worked on my amplifier and feed line installation. I shared that project … Continue reading
Rooftop Antenna Tower w/Rotator!
I now have a dedicated ham radio website, KE4WMF.com. See this article and more, starting HERE. If you’ve been watching my site, then you’re aware that I’ve been slowly building a VHF contest Rover. I’m documenting my process on my … Continue reading
Daughter’s Car is Fixed!
My daughter’s car is fixed and on the road! The repair happened before my daughter came home for Thanksgiving, which gave me time to take the car for a few test drives and to shoot a video (link below). In … Continue reading
Dometic CFX3-35 12V Cooler
I’ve mentioned my Dometic CFX3-35 12-volt cooler a few times during the two years that I’ve had it, starting with the kick-off for a coast-to-coast road trip. I’ve even published videos dedicated to it. But I had not shared an … Continue reading
Electronics Overhaul!
I now have a dedicated ham radio website, KE4WMF.com. See this article and more, starting HERE. I receive a lot of compliments regarding the level of detail and workmanship on my electronics panel. However, something interesting happens over the course … Continue reading
Six Year Anniversary – Still Adding Stuff
My GTI recently saw its six year anniversary. I bought my car new on Veteran’s Day in 2016 and it’s been really good to me. Yes, I did have an injector problem and a few minor issues over the years, … Continue reading
Is an Old Mk7 Golf Worth an Engine?
The official diagnosis, confirmed by a shop that I trust, is that my daughter’s 2015 Launch Edition Golf needs an engine. Compression and leakdown testing confirms a major leak in the block. So, this isn’t a problem with the head … Continue reading
Needs an Engine?!
My daughter’s 2015 Launch Edition Golf recently had the dreaded Cylinder #3 misfire. She’s recovering from shoulder surgery; so, she couldn’t do much. Unfamiliar with any European specialists in her area, I suggested going to the dealer for what could … Continue reading
Eurofest Maggie Valley with Growing Comms Exhibit
I now have a dedicated ham radio website, KE4WMF.com. See this article and more, starting HERE. A few weeks ago, I shared an update which shared recent amateur radio activity as well as my plan to attend more car shows … Continue reading
Ham Radio Updates
I now have a dedicated ham radio website, KE4WMF.com. See this article and more, starting HERE. I’ve been neglectful, but busy. I’ve enjoyed making YouTube videos and publishing every week. However, spending so much time making videos meant that the … Continue reading
Volkswagen Show Catch-Up!
This entry is a bit late. I find it difficult to take the time to write articles when I’m focusing on creating YouTube videos. Coincidentally, I find it difficult to DO the things worth sharing if I’m making YouTube videos. … Continue reading
My First POTA Road Trip
I now have a dedicated ham radio website, KE4WMF.com. See this article and more, starting HERE. My website has fallen behind. I hope to do some catch-up work in the coming weeks. While this site has been primarily automotive-related, my … Continue reading
Orion-Tr Smart 12|12-30 360-Watt DC-DC Charger
I now have a dedicated ham radio website, KE4WMF.com. See this article and more, including details about an upgraded charger, starting HERE. A car’s alternator is NOT appropriate for charging LiFePo4 batteries. First, it’s output voltage is not quite correct; … Continue reading
100-Ah Lithium Iron Phosphate Secondary Battery
NOTE: I now have a dedicated ham radio website, KE4WMF.com. See this article and more starting HERE. This year is the first time in many years that I spent a lot of time using my ham radios. As much as … Continue reading
Deep Discharge – Get Restarted Fast!
Own a car for long enough and you’ll eventually find yourself with a weak starter battery. If the battery is just old, then maybe it will turn-on all of your accessories, but lack the grunt to turn the starter motor. … Continue reading
Five Years in a Mk7 GTI! More Mods or Time to Sell?
I can’t believe it’s been five years in my Mk7 GTI already! Is it too late to add more mods to this geriatric GTI or should I sell it? According to some, I’m way overdue for ditching this car! I … Continue reading
Rear Seat Delete: New and Improved
This entry may seem like déjà vu if you’ve been following my site for a while. Yes, I had created and installed a rear seat delete in 2019. I removed it after a couple months of use because I felt … Continue reading
Coast to Coast: Fault Diagnosis and Lessons Learned
This report is LONG overdue! I had drafted it, then forgot about it. Oops! What follows is my recollection of a engine fault that my GTI suffered while pulling a trailer on its first Coast-to-Coast trip. I have a series … Continue reading
Fuel Economy with IS38
One look at that title must have you wondering – “What kind of lunatic tracks fuel economy in a modified GTI?” THIS GUY does. HAHA! Coming from a Volkswagen turbodiesel background and having a lifetime of fuel economy testing under … Continue reading
VA to CA and Back: Full Trip Wrap-Up
Being a former TDI owner, I still love to track fuel economy and other technical stuff. Come to think of it, I’ve tracked MPGs from the day I got my first car, a 1973 Beetle in 1986. Overall for this … Continue reading
Return to VA: Part 3
As I was digging in my suitcase and deciding what to wear, I saw a strange color that surely was not my normal thing. “What’s this?” A kid somewhere is upset! I guess finding someone else’s clothing mixed-in with my … Continue reading
Return to VA: Part 2
I left Rawlins, WY bright and early. The drivers of the pickup trucks that had parked around me were early birds! They were already gone long before sunrise. I was certain that I-80 would be endless miles of boredom; that’s … Continue reading
Return to VA: Part 1
My wife got up around 3:30am to pack her bags. I slept until about 10 minutes before we needed to leave. The hotel was just five minutes from the departure terminal; so, I had the luxury of kicking her out … Continue reading
Return to CA: Packing and Sequoia National Park, Round 2
After a good night’s rest, we went to my mother’s storage unit to unpack and decide what was coming home with us. I nearly had a heart attack every time I heard my wife say, “Awww…” It seemed like a … Continue reading
Return to CA: Sequoia National Park, The Giant Forest
In my previous entry, I had left my trailer in a pull-out just below the snow-line on the mountain climb to General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park. I didn’t want to spend too much time away from it since … Continue reading