b318isp

On mine, there was a sticker under the bonnet with a code on it (like 505.01, 506.01, etc.). This is a VW specficiation. Give it to your motor factors (or try GSF) and they should give you the correct oil. I use Castrol SLX on my 1.9 PD as it is a VW 506.01 spec oil.

I use Castrol SLX, a 506.01 oil.

How is the bulb held in the housing? I upgraded a BMW recently but had to get an adaptor to install on the housing as it has a different base shape and lamp length than the stock bulb (H1). Would p&p to Ireland be included? I guess the kit doesn't include self levelling!

Just as a follow on, is there any way of turning off the aux heater? There have been a few days recently where the sun is warm but the temperature outside was cold. No matter what I did with the climate controls, the aux heater ran.

Does anyone know if the receiver dryer ahead of the radiator can be swapped out (2001 1.9 PD TDi)? I believe it is a (long term) service part but someone said to me that it was integral with the radiator and a new rad is required!!! It seems that I have a very small gas leak at this point - anyone else every suffer the same? Actually, in general, how would people rate the aircon? Does it ever get ice-cold?

Thanks. I HAVE been unlucky. I checked last night and the underlay is soaked so bad I had to cut out a section to dry it. I have epoxy'd the joint too. :lol:

My rear window washer is not working so I cleaned the nozzle with a pin. When I retried the the control stalk, the pump ran and I could hear a gurgling down by the passenger side sill - so I thought that the line had gone dry and that water had to be pumped back up to the window. After a moment, the warning for the washer fluid level came on - so I filled up the resevoir. I went back to operating the pump and again got the same gurgle from the sill. After about 90 seconds, I got the low warning again!!! Indeed the resevoir was empty. However, no water had come from the nozzle nor was there any water on the ground!!! The carpets were all dry too... So, about 5 litres of water has disappeared into the car! I was suspecting a broken or disconnected pipeline to the rear, but surely the water should have come out a floor drain? Does anyone now anything to guide me? Does the floorpan have drains? Can the pipeork be accessed via the door footplate? Any tips would be appreciated..... :rolleyes:

It takes 506.01 - there is a sticker under the bonnet! Last Q : How much oil is needed for a change (incl. filter)? It is not mentioned in the owners manual...

Cheers - I have emailed Castrol and await their reply. I don't understand why 506.01 would not be suitable for the older engine - other than overkill? Surely it is a better oil being fully synt, etc...

I have not come across Millers here in Ireland. It looks like I will be forced to used the Quantum stuff. Seat themselves have used Castrol RX - the bottom of the range mineral oil!!!! How early is early? Mine is a a June 2001 model. I have the computer for servicing but I hear that it often reckommends a service close to 10k anyway.

There seems to be a lot of confusion for the correct oil for the VW 115PD engine. I have a Seat and the owners manual (and Seat techcnical dept.) specify 505 01 (10k interval) or 506 01 (computer based interval). Checking with Castrol, the 506 01 is fully synt and really expensive. They do not have 505 01, just 505 00 which is mineral only. The data sheet for the Castrol 506 01 states not it should not be mixed with 505 01! They reckon that their Magnatec for advanced diesels (semi-syth) might do. Anyone have any clarification on this and does anyone know a regular 505 01 oil that can be bought off the shelf?

Service parts, interior door handles, etc.

I was hoping that German, Swedish & French would do parts on line (i.e. for the Sharan) but they have a very small range. Anywhere else that does a good spread of spares?

I was similarily sceptical when I got my first Superchip for my (petrol) BMW and insisted on a before-and-after rolling road printout. The company tried to charge me for this but I refused to pay - saying that it was up to them to justify the value of the upgrade. They eventually agreed. The chip did a few things, it helped low power a bit which reduced the inclination of the car to stall when slow starting from a stop (heavy traffic). Secondly it increased the rev limiter increasing average power. Thirdly it increased power at the top 1000rpm of the rev band. After having it installed for 4 years now, I feel it was very worthwhile but I struggle to see how they justify the costs. If anyone is interested I have some details here: http://www.esatclear.ie/~bpurcell/318isdri...ing_performance A good friend of mine paid top dollars for a Van Aaken chip for his BMW 320d and it really flies afterwards. As SA intruder says, the TDi engines can be tuned to feel livelier by adding a bit more fuel across the board which can fool a person into thinking the car is faster. This better throttle response can be desireable in a flat car - but as he suggests, doesn't ultimately improve performance. I don't know if the TDi's have a WOT sensor, as this could be useful in triggering an increase in fuelling when it is needed most, e.g. when overtaking - but detail knowledge of the operation of a particular box/chip is required. Typically fuel injectors will be rated 20-30% below their peak flow (possibly to account for partial blockage due to gunking up). On that basis, a similar lesser proportional increase in power may be reasonable to expect. Furthermore, turbo behaviour can also be controlled - but I don't think that is so common. If I could get 20% more power (or even broaden the power peak) I would be very happy!

Thanks guys.

Can the interior door pull handles and the passenger electric window switches be removed without removing the door cards?

It would be interesting to see how much Seat and VW owners use this site. Although it is Ford Galaxy orientated, most of the content is valid - and is the only site of high caliber that I have found for this family of cars!

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I looked thru' 25 pages of forum listings and tried a search (which is faulty - webmaster???) so - anyone any experience of the different boxes/chips? There seems to be many out there, from

Anyone know how to reset service indicator on the 2001 Alhambra? I'm a DIYer and service myself!