turnip

Thanks - will get out the soapy water tomorrow. Luckily it is my car or I would be in BIG trouble!!

Mrs turnip here!! Mr turnip away and the car starts to play up - typical. Hence I need some advice. When I go into reverse I get the 2 beeps to tell me that the sensors are on but they almost immediately start to beep continously (as if I have something immediately behind me) - which I don't. I noticed that when I parked on the drive the beeps became intermittent and then continous again when I got close to the garage - however they are obviously faulty and I don't want to rely on them. Being a bit short I really need the sensors for reversing and am a bit stuck with out them. Any ideas or should I just book it into the garage. Thanks

Thanks everyone. I think I am a bit impatient and forgetful in the mornings and just forget to wait for the light to go out before I start the car. I don't think it is a mileage thing as i have only done 17k. Thanks again for your help Mrs turnip!! :(

Sorry about this very basic question ;) - but have never had a diesel before. Is is normal for black smoke to come out of the exhaust when starting the car from cold. When I drive off the car is running fine and the smoke doesn't continue. However it stinks on start up. Thanks

Thanks Ivor. I know it's a VW engine, but as it is in the Galaxy and Alhambra, do you know of other oil makes which meet the VW 506.01 spec? Anyone out there tried others? Cheers

I have to top up the oil on my 1.9TDI (130) Sharan. The VW gives the usual coercive stuff about VW 506 01 oil ONLY. As the gold and platinum additives they put in it bump up the price is there a more common alternative by the main oil makers, to the 506 01 spec? Also is this spec just for the variable ~30k service interval, and can I try the 505 01 for more regular services And finally, in the last 3 months (4k) it has gone from top mark on dipstick to the bottom - is this normal? Cheers - thanks in anticipations.

Thanks for your replies. I already copied my letter to the garage to the MD of Hartwell in Oxford. No response from them excpet from their customer services manager there, who is very pleasant but seems to make no progress. As for them re-servicing the vehicle - they have lost the franchise, so are no longer allowed to service the vehicle. It is only 1yo so them touching it would invalidate the warrranty. I think my only resources is to what car - trading standards. cheers

In a previous post I asked about how to know if an oil change has been done, and thanks to all your replies about how quickly TDi oil goes black! Simultaneously my wife visited the former VW dealership from which we bought the car as an ex demo - Hartwell in Cardiff (see my post about collection in dealer service forum!!) She spoke with dealer principal, who said that he would give us the job sheet for the work, which according to the service history (fully stamped from Hartwell VW) was done 3 days before we collected! Two weeks later and said job sheet has not been forthcoming. I phoned today and spoke to a salesman who told me that a 'pre-delivery inspection' had been carried out. In absolute horror, I pointed out that they were not the same thing and that a stamped service (at 10k) was very different. I again asked for proof and he replied, 'Sorry, but if the service hasn't been done, we can't provide evidence.' It looks like - THEY STAMPED THE SERVICE BOOK WITHOUT ACTUALLY DOING THE BL***Y WORK!. I am in total shock that a MAIN DEALER could do this. No wonder VW (coinceidentally) pulled the dealership 2 weeks after we bought the car Anyway - can anyone tell me whether they think that Hartwell have done anything fraduulent / illegal by stamping the service book, but not doing the work according to the full VW schedule?? And they still owe us carpet mats and a 2nd key 2 months after we bought the vehicle. A bunch of chimps could run a dealership better than this lot :(

We have an additional CD player above the stereo in our car. I am not sure that it is functioning properly in that: 1. If you go over an uneven road surface, such as the concrete type motorways the CD will jump all over the place. The yellow rumble strips approaching roundabouts have the same effect. 2. It will play very few CD's copied on my home computer (I have the originals, but don't like leaving them in the car, before you ask! :)) Anyone experience similar problems, or do you think I have a faulty unit. The built in slot on our "cheap as chips" Citroen Picasso was gold plated compared with the VW supplied trash. :rolleyes:

:D Thanks for all your input. All very valuable and we investigated all options. We went for the Atera Linea in the end, mainly because it looks so stable and will hold 4 bikes at the back. As someone under 6' I felt the roof mount was a little over ambituous. Thanks to Richmond for the advice! We will be fitting hopefully tomorrow, so will post some pictures when the job is complete, and any scratches are touched up ... lol (hopefully)

:lol: The 1.9TDI 130 I bought about a little less than a month ago, was supposed to have been serviced (10k) (including oil change) 3 days before we picked it up. About 1 week after we picked it up I checked the oil and noticed it looked fairly black. Service book was fully completed however Since this time we have been negotiating with the selling and servicing dealer who swear blind the oil was changed. Anyone got any views - could they be telling the truth? HOw can I prove it. Can I take it to a specialist to verify oil age? Anyone know of the cost? Thanks in advance! :o

Richmond :( Many thanks - that looks just what we are after. Just two questions though. Have you tried it with a ladies bike (ie one with a diagonal cross member) or a smaller child's bike. It doesn;t look like the top grip would cope with either of these and it would be out with the bungee cord again .. lol Many thanks :(

Having just made a scary journey with 3 bikes attached to a rear fitting bike carrier B) - I realise I must now find a better solution for transporting our pedals. Does anyone have a safe solution for carrying 2 adult and 1 child bike. I quite like the look of the roof carriers but how on earth do you get them up there when you are 5 ft 4!! :) B) Thanks :D

Returned for the work to be done today, an guess what : They had forgotten to tell the service department to book it in and reserve me a courtesy car. :D :D :D I did manage to kick up such a fuss that I am now driving the sales manager's Ford Mondeo ST220 around as a courtesy car though. :D

We finally signed for our 1.9 TDI Sharan last weekend. They wanted us to take it on Wednesday, but we said we could not collect until the Sunday (today). When we had picked it up there were the following petty but needless and bloody annoying issues: 1. No parking sensors fitted (specially ordered upon their recommendation) 2. Two scratches not seen to 3. Only 1 key (other on order!) 4. Floor inserts for seat housings nowhere to be seen 5. Floor mats not arrived (agreed as part of sale) 6. Alloy locking wheel nut key not available 7. Only half a tank of diesel instead of the full one promised. 8. All the seats in the wrong place. He couldn't figure out how to move them he says. I figured that this was just because he was a lazy sod ... but oh no ... he actually couldn't figure it out, so I had to help him. Bear in mile this is an ex-demo, registered in their name. A bunch of chimps running a dealership couldn't lose this much stuff from their own car!! We sorted the Diesel though. He offered to put another

It is not on the 53 plate Tdi sharan but is on the 04.

Ivor ... how much did you pay for the personalised number plate :unsure: Not sure it meets DVLA regs ... lol

I am no expert, but after quite a bit of research we have plumped for the 1.9 TDI (130) engine. In a Sharan though. I personally think the tons of torque at lower revs is better suited to the 6 speed box and Urban driving. We test drove ours last week and it goes superbly .... last Diesel I drive was a 1.8D Fiesta and it was a dog. Swore I would never drive a diesel again let alone buy one again ... but this engine is superb. So in summary the 1.9TDI (130) is: 1. Cheaper to buy 2. Cheaper to insure 3. Has longer service intervals 4. Depreciates less 5. Better suits urban driving of a people carrier (IMHO) :unsure: :o Cheers Ed

me too .. this ones for the wife :(

Thanks Ivor I contacted VW in MK this morning and their database shows it as an 130 SL. They will send a letter confirming this. Also phoned the DVLA in Swansea and they will amend the details when we send in our part of the V5. Needless to say we have gone ahead and put a deposit down. Picking it up on Sunday Why do you envisage a problem with the Aircon? Just the usual reliability problems that all Shalaxy's have or soemthing specific to the TDi 130 B) Cheers

I am about to buy a VW Sharan from a VW dealer. It is an ex demonstrator and registered to them. It is an 2003 'SL' TDI 130 acocrding to the dealership however: On their computer system it is described as an SL TDI 115, which they say is because they don't have the real code on their system. More strangely on the V5 it is described as a TDI 115 CARAT. It also came up as this when we came to get an insurance quote, obviously taken from DVLA database. I have driven it and it is definitely a 130 PS and it is also to the short lived SL spec. It is an absolute bargain and about 2k less than you would expect. Does anyone see problems? The dealer have agreed to put the full description 130 TDI SL on the bill of sale. Any views appreciated.

thanks I have decided not to buy. It is a nice car but I am just not sure and could live to regret the purchase.

Unfortunately it was serviced in Surrey and we live in Wales. Even if the Surrey garage says it's ok does that mean all other garages will do the same?

Hi Thinking of buying a galaxy 2.3 ghia 52 plate with 19000 miles on the clock. Have spoken to the one previous owner and all seems fine with the car HOWEVER the first service wasn't done on time - it was done at 16,500 miles not the recommended 12,500 (I believe). The reason for this all seems fine (just didn't get round to it etc.... and they had a new car on order so probably were hoping not to have to bother at all). Does anyone know does this invalidate the warranty? I think the answer is yes. :( But I hope not as I really like the car but won't buy it without a warranty. Thanks