italiastar

This is not specifically to do with my Alhambr, but PD oil related. When my wifes Fabia required a service a few weeks ago, the dealer told me that the service was expensive because of the price of the special oil - "only comes in 1 litre bottles sir" as I'm sure we have all been told. I've always suspected this, but I was recently talking to an ex-Audi "technician" at a party and he told me that they did in fact use 1 litre bottles. I had reason to go to my dealer today and took the opportunity to drive into the workshop. To my surprise were several large oil drums, and other large containers of brake fluid, gearbox oil etc etc etc. One oil drum contained Quantum PD oil. When I challanged the service manager he said it was not for PD engines - I questioned this further and he said it was for waste oil, despite there being a large tank next to the drum labelled "waste oil" He finally admitted that this was PD oil and that he was not aware from where it was supplied from. He asked me to believe thim that he was not aware of this drum. I'm not annoyed that they used quantum PD oil, what annoys me is that they *hagged me for the cost of "highly expensive" VW oil and did not invoice or charge me for Quantum. When the Alhambra was serviced recently, they charged me for 5 litres of Quantum PD at just over a fiver per litre and put the container in the car with nearly 1 litre left. Skoda charged me nearly

Are Ford having a laugh - factory fitted option on a top of the range car ???? Surprisingly they do often appear on eBay - people forget to put them back in when they sell the car - or companydrivers who forget when they return the car - they even forget to return the seats! You'd still have to get the fittings from Fraud though! Ask yourself if you need it - Mine has sat indoors since I've had it - the problem is it doesnt fit behind the rear most seats, therefore theres nowhere to store it when you've got 3 rows of seats - hence why they're always left indoors.

They checked it this morning and could find nothing wrong. The said that they put dye into it, but no leaks were apparent - now comes the best bit - they said it was performing satisfactory and they got it down to 5 degrees. I picked it up at luchtime and indeed it was working perfectly - I even brought my meter with me and it read about 5 degrees, but at one point I got it down to 3 degrees. The dealer is adamant that they did nothing except put dye into the system, but I assume even doing this would involve re-pressurising it. Anyway at the moment I'm happy and more importantly I'm happy with the dealer. They didn't charge for the work and even washed the car for me. All the people there are very customer focused and friendly. The have asked me to monitor it and take it straight back as soon as I have any concerns. Watch this space.

Apparently the newer 2003 + models need a belt change at 60,000 / 6years - if the car lasts that long!

I brought it into the dealer and apparently if they can't find a leak, it's down to me and I'll have to pay

Thanks - your a star!!!! I assume to test it, you run the car with the MAF "unscrewed" - it's not just a case of disconnecting the multiplug?

Sorry to sound dim, but how can I identify the MAF and where to unplug it?

Thanks for the advice! With regard to the cambelt, I remember reading this and my boss is also adamant that he knows someone who experienced a performance drop prior to one going. Personally I tend to agree with you (and value your knowledge), I'm not going to risk wrecking the engine, whilst I wait for a performance drop - as you said, there could be other issues causing this like the dreaded MAF - something else I can look forward to........

These people are jokers!! The SEAT dealer who serviced the Alhambra charged me

Not content with posting my problems on this forum, I'm posting my neighbours - he's got a MK1 4year old TDi Alhambra. I've pursuaded him to use my "new" dealer rather than the one who tried to *hag me. The problem is he has one tyre with slight sidewall damage - a triangle of rubber taken out of the sidwall just under 1cm along each edge and say 2 mm deep - does anyone know whether this wll fail the MOT - it midway between the sidewall. If so I've suggested he gets a tyre elsewhere rather than the dealer. The next issue is performance - the car is an automatic (110 BHP - I think) and he said that performance has dropped dramatically recently. Could this be the cambelt on the way out? - the car has done about 40K and is 4 years old, so is due a new cambelt. I ask, because I've read about people noticing a drop in performance for weeks, sometimes a few months, before the cambelt finally snaps - I woundered if this might also be the case with a diesel. Unlike me (and many of us), he's never had an Air con issue, but as he bought the car at 1 year, perhaps the previous owner did.

- what was the problem with yours? I'm still waiting for them to sort out corrosion on one of my alloys. In addition, when I removed the headlamp cover to check what headlamp was fitted, the clip broke with minimal pressure - Had a ruck with the dealer about this and they eventually changed it. However they admitted it was a *ugger to fit - when I checked it, it fell off theres only one locating lug at the bottom - I think they broke the other one. It's worth checking these as one of the clips on my other one is also cracked - time for another ruck. I have a very good relationship with the service manager he annoys me as much as I annoy him, so whenever we speak it ends up in an argument.

Will do - many thanks!

Not quite - at least on my Alhambra the new oil is clean - the oil in my wife's Fabia after it's service was not as clean, despite it having half the mileage - it also took half a litre more and the oil cost twice the price. I agree with you, if they spent less time checking things I can check myself, filling up screen wash, putting additives (diesel additive) I didn't ask for and bending sills and spent it instead on what they are supposed to do, we'd all be much better off.

We've got a Zafira at work - it make the ShaGalbra (or whatever you call it) seem reliable!) It's three years old - was off the road with a faulty sensor after 2 days, Aircon re-filled twice and still not working and it drives like a dog! New ones are much better though.

I booked it in for Friday - the dealer suspects a leak and said they will drain it and refill it with coloured fluid, then pump it to high pressure - they added that it would be covered by the warranty. They also confirmed that aircon should get down to 6 / 7 degree's when running properly. I also checked with the supplying dealer as I reported the issue to them last year (although then it wasn't so bad) and they checked their records and confirmed that it was reading 5 degrees when they tested it - I must of been stupid to think they'd tell me otherwise and then ruck with them for ignoring the problem - I hate car dealers! Watch this space!

You confirmed my thoughts that it was colder - does it sound like a simple re-gassing - will the warranty cover that? Just tested it further and compaired it with my wife's Fabia. The lowest reading I got off the Fabia was 7 degrees, however the lowest on the Alhambra was 10 degrees - I even took it on a long run (20 mins at 70mph), but it didn't make any diffrence. That was this evening, I guess during a hot day, with the outside temperature being higher, the readings will be higher.

May be it's me - I just ran it on it's lowest setting LO for 5 minutes with a digital thermometer directly in fron t of the dashboard vent - it got down to 13 degrees - that wasn't the car temperature - just the reading of the air coming into the car - how does that sound? I just don't feel that it's as cold as it was when new - it used to freeze you watsits off - or have I just got used to it?

Despite my car being serviced yesterday, the air con does not seem too effective today. I had it set at 19 degees on AUTO and was was blowing full blast for about 20 minutes - I seem to recall that it used to only blow full for about 10 minutes and then the car was cold so it would drop the air flow. As the car is 2 years old, will this be covered by warranty or should I take it to an independant for a top-up of coolant?

Nice one, thanks. 2032 batteries for the Flip key and 2016 for the non-flipper - I'll order some from 7 dayshop.

No sacasm, they use a device to suck it out of the dipstick tube - it takes a few minutes, doesn't remove all the oil or sediment and they charge you 45 minutes labour!

Checked my 2003 Alhambra - will take about 20 secs to change bulbs, no tools or need to remove jack etc - what have Fraud done to the Galaxy ????

Mmmmm - Just opened the hatch to check how easy it is to change the rear bulbs after reading another post on this forum, and found a 5ltr container of Quantum PD oil with 1 litre left in it........................................

Does anyone know how to change the battery on one of these keys? I don't need to yet, but it would be usfull to know before a dealer trys to charge me .45 hrs labour and

Got my car serviced today - they ripped me off, but were very nice about it. I arrived at 08:35 and they gave me back the car at 09:30. The bill said 1.30 hours labour, when I queried this, he said it was 1.3 hours and not one and a half hours. I then pointed out that they'd only had the car for 55 minutes - assuming they started working on it straight away - his immediate reply was that they had two "technicians" working on it for some of the time. They also charged me for a sump plug washer, even though they went no where near it - I put some mud on one of the undertray bolts and unless they put some back for me, it was still there after the service. They charged me for 5 litres of oil, even though the engine capacity is 4.5 litres. At least they admitted using Quantum and only charged