tim-spam

I know you shouldn't really do this, but what happens if you rev the engine fairly hard when cold - say in second or third gear to around 3000 - 3500 rpm. If the engine feels very rough and / or trips into limp mode, this would confirm a sticky VNT mechanism. You may find that the engine becomes rough and then suddenly smoother if the VNT frees up. By the way, if the engine does trip into limp mode, lift your foot off the accelerator (whilst still in gear), key off and then on again (without operating the starter!). This will reset the ECU and normal operation will be resumed. VAGCOM will then show a 'boost pressure positive deviation - intermittent' DTC.

Try contacting Ross-Tech - they should be able to help.

Another possibility is the VNT mechanism on the turbo being a little sticky. Basically, as the revs increase, the turbo boost increases, and as the engine speed approaches around 2000rpm, the VNT mechanism starts to back off to keep the boost at the correct level, determined by the ECU. There is a T-MAP sensor, which measures boost pressure and temperature and sends this information to the ECU. This then controls the level of vacuum in the VNT control diaphragm via the boost control solenoid. Now, in first and second gears, the rate of rise of the engine speed is comparatively high, and a sticky VNT mechanism may tend to stick in the 'high boost' position a little too long, causing the ECU to keep calling for reduced vacuum, until a point at which the VNT mechanism suddenly moves to a 'low boost' position. This will cause a temporary reduction in engine power. The ECU then calls for an increase in boost pressure until normal service is resumed.

You're right - whilst it was advertised as a Sealey tool, it is in fact made by Laser. I would guess that they will be more widely stocked now that these pulleys are becoming more widespread in their use. Who knows - the dealers may even learn how to properly diagnose the symptoms. No, sorry - they obviously make much more money replacing steering racks, etc.

Could be something as simple as a knackered battery. Your alternator is clearly charging - if it wasn't, the car would stop after disconnecting the jump leads after jump starting. The squeak may not be connected with the flat battery. As regards, the free-wheel alternator pulley, I doubt whether a pre-2000 car has one, although it may be worth checking. These are becoming much more popular on most makes of car in recent years - both diesel and petrol. There are 2 main modes of failure - siezing, which causes the accessory drive to vibrate and become noisy, and slipping, which can cause a screeching or squealing noise.

Look on mytyres.co.uk. I would recommend the Nokian H at

When I bought my car, it already had Dunlops fitted - nearly new as well. They were noisy, had very poor traction and grip in the wet, and the wear rate was high - apart from that, they were fine. The Nokian NRHi's are quieter, have much more grip and traction in the wet, and are wearing more slowly, particularly at the rear. Although not particularly well known over here, they are an OEM supplier to Saab. They cost around the same as Dunlops - I paid

Sound like inside the car to me - maybe Tazbandit could clarify.

The most important bit of this whole thing appears to have been missed: How on earth is the smoke getting into the car?? It shouldn't, under any circumstances, be doing this!! This could mean that, even when the heater is working without smoking, exhaust fumes could be entering the car. The fortunate thing is that even without smoke, the exhaust fumes smell, so should you get a strong exhaust smell inside the car when you get it back, you should insist that this problem is sorted out.

Which is totally ridiculous. That is certainly a rule that I would ignore... However, with no spare wheel, this would mean waiting for recovery. If your particular size and type of tyre was not immediately available locally, you would either be forced to accept a different type of tyre or wait until one was available. With a spare wheel, you would have the time to get what you wanted, and probably at a much better price.

By the way, on a more positive note, most, if not all, of the internet tyre suppliers have a list of approved fitting stations, to which they will deliver should you choose. So, even if home delivery is not an option for you, you can still buy your tyres from one of the internet tyre suppliers. You then have a wide choice of tyres and are not constrained to what is available locally (usually Dunlops). The most highly rated tyre at the moment is the Vredestein Sportrak 3.

Oh dear.... reputable name, but very poor tyres indeed. Widely available though.

1) Anywhere between

You could always try driving (even) more slowly..... They don't. It's the sills when stupid people don't use the jacking points.

Many older cars (including VAG Group diesels) used to have a spring tensioner for the accessory belt and a telescopic damper to damp out the vibrations. On the old Mercedes 190D, the damper lasts anywhere between one and four years, and when it fails, there is one heck of a rattle / knock at idling speed, together with the telltale oil leak from the damper. My guess is that that the rotating mass of the alternator rotor is now used as the damper, which seems a pretty neat idea (until it fails, that is), as it is a much simpler installation than using a telescopic damper. I do not think that this system is unique to VAG, as the Sealey tool specification lists several different makes using Bosch alternators. This tool also includes the small spline key to counterhold the rotor shaft.

Sealey part number TC3307 - alternator pulley tool -

The Extended Servicing is an option, and not a universal fitting on VAG Group cars. My Alhambra is specified as having fixed service intervals and the service indicator comes on every 9321 miles (15000 km). My guess is that the service indicator was not reset the last time the car was serviced.

There is an OBD-II Functions module in VAG-COM which may be able to read the engine codes for the Ford engined cars. It would be worth a try if you know someone with VAG-COM.

AUY

One thing to bear in mind with the shareware version of VAGCOM is that, once you have paid your $99 to activate it, you are stuck with using it on one computer, unless you pay a further $99 to activate it on another computer. If you buy the proper lead, not only do you get the full functionality (and a far better quality lead), but the activation of the software is built into the lead and you can load VAGCOM onto more than one computer without having to pay the $99 each time.

Go to VW or Eurocarparts for the genuine VW pads - they cost around

VAGCOM will also tell you if the car has been clocked on some TDI's - there is an independent 'odometer' reading stored in the ECU, and this should normally be within around 5% of the reading on the instrument cluster.

Ideally, you should take the feed to actuate the relay that is only live when the engine is running - the feed to the altenator warning light is often used for this. The reason is to ensure that the caravan battery is not connected when operating the starter - this can cause excessive current to be drawn through the caravan battery charging wiring and the fuse to blow. A good alternative is to use a 'smart' voltage sensing relay.

Clutch failure is not common on these cars, so I guess you were just unlucky. Most will do well over 100,000 miles with no problems, but this will depend to some extent on how the car has been driven. For example, regularly 'holding the car on the clutch' on a hill can dramatically shorten the life of any clutch. I knew someone who trashed a clutch in less than 10,000 miles, and when I dismantled it, the centre plate was worn down to the rivets and was black. I had to replace the pressure plate, centre plate, release bearing and flywheel - expensive for just 10,000 miles.