Beyond Help?

How did you get on with this? The size of the bolt head does not mean the threads are not the same size and pitch by the way. But from the picture it looks like the bolt you used are the wrong shape for the steel inserts on the alloys. Have you compared the seats on both Audi and Galaxy bolts?

So it is not even turning over, but not firing on the starter? Like the engine is seized?

Try turning the air-con on/off and see if it changes. Other than that your going to need a mechanics stethoscope to listen to things like the alternator, water-pump and the tensioners to try to find the cause.

Back to the OP's question. It does sound like the thermostat. The thermostat is located in a plastic housing on the end of the cylender head if I recall correctly. But I only work on diesels so could be wrong. I do know that on a V6 it is a pig to get to and you would do well to buy a new housing too, as they are prone to cracking and replacing it when it is off is a good idea.

That is a common misconception. You can have combustion gasses pressurising the cooing system without oil getting into the water, or water into the oil. The ony sure-fire way to check is a sniff test.

I always have a 10 litre reserve, it is in a black plastic 10litre diesel can in the back....

What engine and with or without air-con?

The vacuum pump for your engine is on the front of the block and has a black plastic pipe that runs up the front and under right hand side the engine cover. The engine cover can wear this pipe through and the initial symptoms can be loss of vacuum at lower revs or after repeated brake use. Remove the engine cover by prising off the two plastic caps and removing the two 10mm nuts. Check the pipe for splits or wearing through. The pipe comes in two parts, if it needs replaced you need to make sure you get both bits as the rest will have become brittle over time.

I hate to be the bringer of doom and gloom but it sounds like your timing belt has either slipped or shed a few teeth. How old is the belt and engine? Will it crank over on the starter? If so does it beep and how many beeps?

I think the system measures the Resistance in the wire and if it is to high (open circuit) or too low (short circuit) it trips the warning. A pin in the plug would give too low a resistance. It displays a different message for too low a resistance as it is not a low brake pad warning.

If she is like my wife it is because she is driving a diesel like it is a petrol. Revving it too high and changing up gears too late and downshifting too soon. Oh and also that girly thing where they fail to read the road ahead and then slam the brakes on at the last minute....

Aye, a solid feed and a flexible hose to the sump. And the brace on the back too. 4 nuts, 1 bolt and two oil pipes. And the connection to the exhaust.

The problem will be the nuts holding the turbo to the minifold, they are akward to get to. I can't remember the size of the nut, but I think it is a 13mm head. Treat yourself to a suitable half-moon spanner and make it easy for yourself! It will be a fiver well spent.

I concur Bigjeeze, they do come on with the aircon. And it is a handy thing to remember if your overheating and the thermostatic fan switch is playing up! So check the correct function of the fans. If they are fine then consider a stuck thermostat or the thermostat failing to fully open. It is easy to remove and test on your engine. Also be aware that sometimes the impeller can fall off the water pump and give the same overheating symptoms. As the water pump is a bit of a pig of a job if you then find that it was not the problem after you have changed it then bear in mind that unfortunately overheating under high load, for example when climbing a hill, can also be a symptom of a head gasket failure. So have a Block Combustion Gas test done. It should only cost about

Maz, when you change the brake fluid consider investing in a Gunson's Eezibleed. They are about

I had no problems fitting a TowSure Towbar & 12N electrics from Towequip to my MK1 Sharan. Took about an hour and a half and everything fitted perfectly.

Do you have air-con? If so it is possibly the bearings in the clutch pully failing.

No that would have been caused by one of several other issues, if it comes back then the ECU can be interrogated to find out why. If not, don't worry, it was most likely just a dodgy reading.

OIL - Engine oil change IN01 - Inspection service IN02 - Inspection service with additional operations

What model/engine?

slightly off topic - I thought the fluid change was to prevent the water picked up by the fluid(hydroscopic) corroding the pipes Yes, that is correct, but also old fluid is more compressable due to the water contamination.

What did he mean, problems getting pressure? Do the brakes work properly? If you put your foot on the pedal whilst stationary does the pedal continue to sink all the way to the floor? Is the pedal hard or soft? When was the fluid last changed?

Not straight veg oil, no. There is a guy that I know of who uses proper bio-diesel though and has done for some time.

VDS Pro does not work over USB, only serial.

I have found universal lamba sensors to be a bit hit-or-miss to the point that I simply will not fit them anymore.