tim-spam

It may be worth checking to see if the CCV system is working properly and not clogged.

That makes it

Just a quick comment about what grease to use. Castrol LM is a good multi-purpose grease, but Castrol CL may be better in this application, as it is more water resistant.

Personally, I can't really say whether or not I like a car from pictures. They tell you nothing about the way a car drives or handles, or how comfortable / practical it is. In addition, cars often look significantly different in the metal (I once saw a picture of the old S Class Mercedes that looked quite nice). My guess is that both the new Galaxy and Sharan will be well styled, although there will obviously be some who like the styling, and some who do not. However, style is only one aspect to consider - there are many others - and fashions tend to change more often than I change my car. The new Sharan is very likely to be based upon the latest Passat platform, and if it is anything like as good on the road as the Passat, it will be very hard to beat, whatever it looks like.

It's not a case of ability to park or judging the length, it's more a case of fitting it into normal car parking spaces. For example, where I work, the Alhambra sticks out around 6". Another 7" will make over one foot.

New Galaxy 18cm longer than the current one? That will make it somewhat unwieldy for everyday use - more like a Grand Voyager. I just hope the new Sharan / Alhambra doesn't go that far - the current models are, in my opinion, ideal. They seat 7 in comfort when required, and are hardly any larger than a mid-range saloon such as the Passat. The only reason for needing a larger car would surely be if you require seven seats and luggage for seven at the same time. In terms of engines, the diesel engine designers where I work reckon the PD engines still lead the way. There are some that may be slightly more powerful, and some others which may be more refined, but none that better it overall. The Honda engine comes the closest. For example, Mitsubishi benchmarked all manufacturers' diesel engines for use in one of their vehicles, and chose the VAG PD engine, despite it costing more than some of the competition. The VAG group spends more on R & D than any other European manufacturer, and more than the 2nd and 3rd combined. This is one of the reasons why the current cars (yes, I know they have their faults - all cars do) are so good, and still competitive after all this time.

Ford Duratech diesel - that's it.

Wait for the new Sharan / Alhambra - bound to be better.

Lubrication service every 10000 miles, major service every 20000 miles and cambelt / tensioner change every 40000 miles (although I have been told that there are now uprated belts / tensioners to extend this to 60000 miles). So, at 50000 miles it should be due for a lubrication service only.

As your power loss tends to be sudden and resets itself after switching the engine off, it is unlikely to be the MAF. From what you describe, I would suspect something in the turbo boost control causing an overboost fault - this switches the ECU into limp mode (hence the loss of power) and resets itself after switching the engine off. The cause could be the turbo vane control solenoid or a blockage somewhere in the vacuum system, or the variable vanes in the turbo may be sticking. Does the power loss always happen at higher engine speeds? Normally, if the problem is with the turbo boost control for whatever reason, the switch to limp mode occurs at somewhere over 3000 rpm. If this is the problem, VAGCOM should show an overboost fault code. Hope this helps.

I think most would agree that it is only this sort of ranting that lowers the 'brow' of this (or any other) forum.

Basically, a 5W40 oil has the same viscosity as a straight 5 oil at 0 degC, and a straight 40 oil at 110 degC.

Seriously though, is there a moderator somewhere out there? I think that some of the recent posts are totally unacceptable and in the wrong place, and should be deleted ASAP. If people want to rant and rave at, and insult each other like overgrown kids, they should choose a more appropriate channel. So, basically, if you are prone to resorting to foul language and abuse against any who may take a different viewpoint from yourself, STAY AWAY.

Just a few points to add / clarify: 1) Having ABS does not automatically mean that you have traction control. My Alhambra has ABS (as all do) but no traction control - in fact, this is the most common setup. 2) It is true that traction is the limiting factor for acceleration from a standstill, and that the diesel (having more torque) is at least as prone to this as the VR6. However, for acceleration at higher speeds (for example overtaking another vehicle at doing 50 mph), more power could indeed be very useful. Unless the power and torque were increased to an enormous extent, there should be little problem with traction at higher speeds on a good surface. 3) It is also true that improving the roadholding and handling of a car probably has a greater effect on A to B times than just straight line performance, and gives an extra safety margin. I have to say, however, that for an MPV, the Alhambra handles very well - certainly streets ahead of some of the competition I've driven.

All VAG 6 speed gearboxes tend to clunk slightly when changine gear, especially when cold. Not usually a problem, and they seem to last the course well enough.

Mine's on order from VW Books. On another subject (although related, as he does seem to be a mine of information), where has Seatkid gone - it seems ages since we've heard from him.

It is the breather, and it clips to the washer bottle filler neck - you can actually see the clips on your photo.

Probably clutch.

"realality is for people with no imagination" realality is more likely for those with no spell check.

Disconnecting the MAF will make the car feel as if the turbo is not working - you'll struggle to overtake cyclists and milk floats.

There are 2 rollers. One is part of the tensioner assembly, and the other is basically a guide to stop the belt flapping around - ideally, both should be replaced when replacing the belt.

MOF, I doubt very much that your MAF is disconnected - if it was, the car would have similar performance to a milk float. Then again, maybe it does?

They are separate units, but one does affect the other via the ECU. The MAF basically measures the mass of air being drawn in by the engine (and this will be partially dependent upon the turbo), and is one of the factors that allows the ECU to calculate the appropriate fuelling and turbo vane setting. Other factors are the engine speed, accelerator position, water temperature, air temperature, etc. The turbo is basically two turbines, one in the exhaust manifold that uses the flow of exhaust gases to cause it to spin, and the other (which is on the same shaft and therefore spins at the same speed) in the intake tract that forces air into the engine at well above atmospheric pressure. The turbo is responsible for these engines being able to produce such high power and torque. Disconnecting the MAF will send the ECU into limp mode, drastically reducing the fuelling to the engine and the power output. The turbo will be affected in that the flow of exhaust gases will also be reduced.

Having looked at the animation of the seat folding mechanism, I can't see how there is significantly more luggage space with all 7 seats up than on the current model - it certainly appears to be similar. Not having to remove the seats is good though, although I guess the total luggage space will be less than the current model with all the seats out - probably not a problem for most people.

It most definitely is NOT normal. If the heater is working properly, there should only be a little smoke at start up. On mine, it's barely noticeable, even on a still day.