Ivor

That's handy to know :huh: This forum is so good :o

You did - grey smoke = metering pump fault or replace unit :o I am hoping it's something else though. I'm going to take it off and check it's not blocked, and check the glowplug. Gotta get one of these VAG-COMs, I'm sick of being ripped off by the dealers. My worst was with my V6 Galaxy.

What were the symptoms that lead you to the conclusion it was the glowplug? Mine are:- 1. Sometimes starts for 30 seconds then stops. 2. Sometimes starts and runs, but lots of grey smoke continuously. 3. Fluid is covering the small exhaust (Diesel?), seems to be coming out at the exhaust joint. 4. It's cold to the touch (the exhaust) (after 30 mins) I hope it's not the metering pump, can the glowplug not working give these symptoms? Hope so, unburnt fuel? It only started doing this last week after I picked it up from the dealer, they've been messing with my wiring to fix my brake lights/switch.

Still not working. It attempts to start and usually stop after 30 seconds. Sometimes it runs but emits lots of grey smoke. I've had a look under the car, the outside of the small exhaust is covered in fluid (Diesel?), and it appears to be coming out of the joint where the small exhaust connects to the unit. It was also cold to the touch after car running for 30 mins. It's 2 deg C and the engine never got above 70 deg C. :(

Just looked it up... Price includes VAG-COM software license with License Certificate Number. Now looking for software....

Does the full software come with the official OEM version at

Paul No, but it's not going back to the rip off dealer, so I may get one if the fault doesn't clear. Looks like software is free, lead is

For more, see my posts here

I had a V6 Galaxy auto. I traded it in for an Alhambra diesel because of the fuel economy (or lack of it!). I kept close records:- Average between 18-22MPG solo. I drove to Barcelona (from Manchester) and back, cost me

The saga continues here

And also... Monday and today (wed), the "Check brake pads" warning is coming on. I had the rear brake pads replaced (same dealer

Freezing this morning! The heater worked last night but plumetting grey smoke came out for the 20 mins it was on. This morning nothing. It really is needed! The car was really cold inside and the engine temp never went above 70. This only started last week after I got it back from the dealer who was messing with my electrics for the brake light (see here) I wonder if they distrubed the wiring near the fuse panel, or pulled a fuse for it? The billowing grey smoke could be due to unburned diesel left in the heater from the previous failed start-up. That would point to the glowplug - either failing or the fuse/wiring is loose. Any thoughts?

Oh no :blink: . My heater has started billowing out grey smoke. It's not heating properly and cuts out after a while. Looks like the metering pump??? I've had no problems at all since the aircon was fixed under warrany.... until this last couple of weeks!!! 1. Bulb failure indicator came on, checked bulbs ok, replaced switch still no brake lights....see other post....cost me

Lookers Stockport

To be fair, it went in with a brake light fault that I couldn't fix even after I replaced the switch. It took them ages tracing the wiring to determine the new switch was faulty. But... I checked the contacts with my multi-meter on both the old switch and the new one. They both seemed OK to me, with the normally open and a normally closed contacts working ok. That's why I took it in, didn't look like the switch to me. But... They said pushing the plunger in breaks the switch, something they have discovered to their own cost many times. Thinking about this later, why then didn't they spot this straight away, instead of taking 6 days tracing the fault (I think 2 days were waiting for the auto electrician because he was on holiday, and 2 were over the weeked, even so I had no car for 6 days).

See this post The dealer said you break the switch if you push the plunger in. Is this true? I assume you disassembled it to clean it? If not, they ripped me off for

I had this problem last week. My bulb failure indicator came on, I changed the bulb then my brake lights stopped working. The Deisel pre-heater lamp started to flash and I had no brake lights. I searched the internet and found that this combination meant "No plausible signal from brake switch". I bought a new one from the main dealer, fitted it and it still didn't work. The plunger on the brake switch is on a self adjusting ratchet. I booked it into the dealer, who took 6 days to fix it. They disconnected my towbar electrics (wasn't that - they fitted it previously anyway). Eventually they determined it was a faulty new brake switch. I said hey - I just bought that from your parts department. They asked if I pushed the plunger in on the switch - I said most likely I did. They said that that breaks them! They charged me

Although I have had the unit fail, it has always coped, no problem. If you think it's not working, try turning it off, you will soon put it back on. I had a V6 Galaxy prior to my Alhambra, and it didn't have air con, so I got rid of it, it was unbearable, like sitting in a green house. I discovered that the Alhambra is the same car and it looks better. The resale value is also higher than the Galaxy because there is not the numerous add on options available, you either get air con, or climate control, that's it, just two models, everyone knows what they are getting. Mine, the SX, has got Climate Control, cruise, parking assist and best of all a separate programmable heater so I can get into a nice warm defrosted car in the winter. It sounds like a jet plane when it's warming the car up. It also assists the heater when driving, so I never get cold. It comes on automatically below 8 degrees. It looks weird when I walk away from it after parking, because the fans keep running for a couple of minutes to cool the system down - in winter!

I wish I had found this forum earlier. I've had nothing but trouble, luckily all under warranty. My Alhambra (Climate control) has had two new compressors, a new condenser and finally, they found a leak on the evapourator and replaced that. That was during year 2 and 3. It was off the road for around 6 weeks in total, waiting for parts. It's been fine for a whole year now, with no problems. But... I was cleaning the car the other day, and the sun was shining through the front grille. I noticed what a botch up job they have done replacing the condenser (bolted to the front of the radiator). There are two composite fibre looking brackets down either side of the radiator, they have hacked into these so that they could pass the lugs of the condenser through without removing the brackets. What a mess, not even neatly cut, they look like they have been chiselled through, exposing raw fibres where moisture can now penetrate and freeze I suppose. The right hand side of the condenser isn't even bolted back on. It's a year ago since they last touched it (main dealer), but it's due it's 2nd MOT at the end of this month and I am going to show the service manager what a botch up they have done and I want it fixed. They had better agree or I will have it RAC inspected then get their legal dept. onto them.