Ivor

I'll save the bags for you :D I thought should I/shouldn't I, but now I know what the noise is like I'm sure I can sometimes detect a very slight rattle :P and they have done 53,000 miles.

Well that wasn't too difficult. I've swapped the passenger side drop link. The top ball joint was shot. The suspension rattle/knock is cured. :D I'll swap the offside tomorrow if I get chance. (I just love this forum :P )

I've got my drop links from GSF at ~

I wouldn't mind one of these.. I especially like the prices! Toyota Sienna

Thanks for that, I'll check tonight. It's so annoying once you hear it you start listening for it and it only happens every 1/2 mile or so when the road surface isn't flat. I found a piccy here.

My Alhambra is 5 years old now (53,000mls) and I've not had to replace the drop links (yet). Over the last two weeks or so, I've started to get and annoying rattle that could be the links. Anyone any piccies so I know were to look to check them? (or describe where they are).

Mine is on all the time (for last 4 years). My aircon started loosing gas after 18 months (turned out to be a leak in the evapourator) but has been fine since.

I have a Garmin Streetpilot and have no problem with the heated screen.

I think mine was a touch under

I have just had mine fixed with these symptoms - 1 litre coolant loss per day. It was a leaking vacuum relief valve, located somewhere behind the engine I believe.

I had mine changed at 50,000 when it should have been done at 40,000 coz the poxy dealer I used to go to never told me. It was only by reading this forum I thought oh s*it and rang a dealer also recommended by a forum member to get it sorted. They said off my VIN it should have been done at 40,000. Anyway, it did 10,000 over so don't worry too much, get it done asap after 80,000.

I just drove from Manchester to Preston this morning at 50MPH and got 64MPG. Over 50 and it starts to drop to around 45 at 70MPH. Why drive so slow? Taking it in to dealer to sort coolant leak, didn't want to stress it.

Still loosing coolant, so took it to dealer for investigation. It's is the vacuum valve,

I have owned Shalaxys for the last 6 years. First a Galaxy 2.8 GLX auto. No air-con, no cruise and petrol cost made me swap it for a 1.9 TDi Alhambra with all the toys. (Climate Control, Cruise, 6CD changer, parking sensors, programmable heater (wake up to fully defrosted warmed up car on winter mornings), 6 gears, all leccy windows, autodimming rear view mirror, etc. etc.). I've had trouble with the aircon but that was fixed under warranty. I've never had trouble with drop links. I cannot seriously see me buying anything other than another one as my next car. It's wonderful. I get around 40MPG pottering about, 27MPG towing the caravan @ 60MPH, and at the weekend I drove from Halifax to Manchester and got 54MPG including climbing a long steep hill out of Halifax to get to the M62. I'm one happy chappie with my Alhambra, it's mine, you can't have it, it's NOT for sale, find your own. :)

The billowing grey smoke was fixed in my case by replacing the glowpug. Got to be worth a try at

Tdi : a touch over 2000RPM in 6th at 70MPH.

You can check if you got caught here Just in case the camera misinterpreted your plate you can click on "view image" of the photo too - cool.

I agree. I had a Ford Escort, bought it new and kept it 14 years. After 12 years old, the gears became very hard to change after driving for more than 5 or 6 miles. After a few weeks they jammed until the engine cooled for an hour or so. I managed to syphon out about a litre of gearbox oil and added new. It was fine after that. The car was in mint condition at 14 years old - why did I get rid? Fraud dealers totally messed it up at the MOT. It needed the battery tray replacing, which is a dashboard out job. When I collected it, my wife drove it home. She complained to me that it wouldn't go over 50MPH and wouldn't turn corners properly. In disbelief, I went for a drive. It wouldn't go over 50, and when I turned corners, if I were to "let go" of the steering it would carry on turning and not straigten up. Then I noticed the weld burns in the passenger footwell carpeting. I took it back, gave them a roasting, they fixed it up but by then they had ruined my "baby" and it wasn't my "new" pristine car anymore so I sold it for

Hobin, Preston ~

Mk2 Alhambra, no bar, 1 min to change bulb. After 4 years, my passenger side seat adjuster handle broke off, (I think the kids must have kicked it off from behind). They are

The last set I got were Bosch from Halfords at

I've just bought a pair of headlamp protectors for my Mk2 Alhambra. They come with stickers for deflecting the beam. If you place stickers on your original headlamps which are plastic, you may not get them off again without scratching them. Solvents could make things worse?

I tightened the filler cap extra 1/4 turn and I've just done another 100 miles with no coolant loss. I'll have to keep an eye on it.

I just checked the cap (can't see a seal in it) now the engine has cooled (1 hour)sufficiently and it gave a psst as I unscrewed it, so there is pressure there. I'll go have another look but I thought the water pump was on the side where the expansion tank/battery is located......