DougJones

I have a 53 plate Alhambra & have removed the centre row of seats to give a load space which suits my needs. (rear seat have been left in place). I am looking at upgrading to the new Alhambra but I am uncertain if the centre row of seats can be removed from the new model as opposed to folding flat, (which effectively raises the floor height). If anyone who owns one of the new models who has removed these seats successfully, confirmation would be appreciated.

I've used it for the past two services now, seems to be no problems at all. Besides being the right 505.01 spec. it states on the plastic container PD oil. Because I tend to do low mileage & shortish journeys I change the oil every 6 to 9 months, usually by then the service indicator is saying 2000 miles before the next service. With the price of Planet oil being so reasonable compared to others it's worth doing it more frequently.

Many thanks for that, is now on order.

I am going to replace my injector loom, (the reasons for that are another story) but see that when replacing the camshaft cover you should place a drop of sealant on each of the bearing caps where they meet the cylinder head. The correct sealant is AMV 174 004 01 @ £25-00. Does anyone know of an equivalent at a cheaper price and where it can be sourced from? Only 4 drops approx 5mm dia are required! Many thanks for any help.

90 degrees is about spot on & 5 mins warm up period is reasonable, will take longer in cooler weather (if the booster heater doesn't kick in) but depends on how hard you drive. When the booster heater kicks in (5 to 10 degrees outside temp)the warm up time will really be reduced.

Just had a reply from Seat technical dept. it's as stated above, the 130 tdi with the ASZ engine - the electric coolant pump does NOT run on but the 115 does. Hope this helps anyone else who like me, thought there was a problem. As long as the pump runs OK with the ignition on, then it's OK, but if it runs intermittently then brushes could be a problem (assuming there is no loose wiring) Many thanks to all who have contributed information.

Is yours a 115 or 130? It does seem to be the case that the 130 ASZ engine doesn't have the run on that the 115 AUY engine has Just to confirm from the original query on this thread, that my Alhambra has the 130 ASZ engine, which would seem to confirm that this is the reason for my electric pump not running on. I have contacted Seat technical section in the past about cambelt change times, and they were very helpful. I will see if I can find there number again (filed away somewhere!) and see if they can clarify the situation re: which models have the run on facility, or if all of them should have this feature.

Thanks SilverBeast, I am now working on the assumption that if the pump works with the ignition on then the brushes are still OK and that having no run on may well be normal. It may well be that when we get warmer weather & the whole system gets warm (including the oil temp getting up to normal) then the pump may well run on. Will monitor this as and when. I will post on this thread if anything changes or fails relating to this situation. Many thanks to all that have replied & offered their advice.

Many thanks gregers, will keep an eye on the situation.

Thanks gregers, I had work done on the booster heater by Seat dealer some 5 years ago when I purchased the Alhambra, & it has worked OK since (had the occasional flame out, but cleared any fault codes straight away with VagCom lite and carries on working as it should). Get constant build up heat when the booster is on & reduces output just before 90 degrees, so all seems fine, have a feeling though that it won't be long before I have to renew the glow plug etc. Get constant heat front & rear and I can feel that the rear heater matrix is hot to touch (rear panel nearside rear seat) so coolant is circulating OK. Will keep monitoring the situation & post if anything else happens. Many thanks.

MadBaz & gregers many thanks for the replies, but which one of you is right? I can feel the pump running when the ignition is on with engine either running or stopped, it's just as soon as I turn off the ignition the pump stops. Will try feeling the pump after a run to see if it is running, but to my knowledge I can never remember the cooling fan running, temp always peaks at 90 degrees and stays there, even when the booster heater has been running or towing a caravan in summer.

Many thanks for the reply but turning the ignition on starts the pump straight away, but as soon as I turn off the ignition the pump stops! Any ideas?

I've been browsing the forum and seen reference to the electric pump running on for some 3 minutes after the ignition is turned off. I thought as a matter of course that I would check that mine is still working OK, which it appears to, can feel the vibration of the pump running when the ignition is on. I started the car up and then switched off to see that it was performing the "run on" as it should, but it stopped running immediately after switching off. Is there a timer somewhere or is it linked to the run on of the fan in the Aux. heater and only performs the run on when the booster heater has kicked in? Any thoughts or explanation would be welcome as I don't want to overheat the head etc. through lack of coolant dispersal because the pump is not clearing heated water after switch off Seat Alhambra 2003 130tdi 46000 miles

Many thanks, by reading the radio handbook more carefully :) I realized that it states you have to leave the key in the ignition, with the set turned on for an hour (has the same effect as driving around) problem now resolved :D Many thanks for the reply.

I disconnected my battery to check the terminals were clean and have locked myself out of radio. Has gone into safe mode. I have waited for the one hour period to pass, but every time I turn it on (with the key in the ignition) it come up "2 SAFE". How do I get back to the mode to input the correct code? I got into this situation as last time I disconnected the battery the radio came up with the word SAFE & then LEARN, without me doing anything, and I was waiting for it to do the same thing again but to no avail! :) Any suggestions very welcome, many thanks.