tim-spam

Sounds fine to me.

I've just sent this email to Seat Customer Services - it's fairly self-explanatory, and I'll let you know their response: Dear Sir / Madam, The rear brake pads have recently been changed on the above vehicle, and the following problems were encountered: 1) The local Seat dealership supplied the rear brake pads according to the chassis number, but these were not compatible with the vehicle. 2)The Parts Department closed early on the day that the pads were being fitted, and so were not able to help. The local VW agent was consulted, and they were able to confirm that the correct parts had been supplied according to the chassis number. However, by comparing their stock with the old parts, they were able to supply brake pads to fit the vehicle, and the brake pad change was completed. The chassis number of the vehicle shows (correctly) that 16" wheels are fitted, and the first set of brake pads supplied were for a vehicle with 16" wheels + wear indicators. However, it appears that the vehicle is fitted with calipers and discs for a vehicle equipped with 15" wheels, which is why the above problems were experienced. The implications of all of the above are very serious, and I would raise the following issues: 1) As things stand at present, Seat is unable to supply the correct parts for the braking system from the chassis number of the vehicle. 2) The car has been built to a lower specification than it should have been. Think about the insurance implications - I now know that my vehicle is not to the manufacturer's standard specification on safety critical components!! 3) The specification of the front brakes is as yet unclear - if these are correct to chassis number, there will be a serious imbalance between the front and rear braking. I am sure that you will agree that the above situation is totally unacceptable, and it is encumbent upon yourselves to take sufficient, timely and appropriate action to fully resolve all of the above concerns. It will NOT be sufficient to simply refer me to the local dealership. I look forward to your response later today.

If it's the booster heater at fault, the heating system will still work, but not as well as it should. If you are getting no heat at all, there is a problem with the heater matrices or the operating controls.

TDI with unit injector is the PD engine. The TDI 110 is not a PD engine.

Just one small point - you have an X-reg diesel, which is the year that the PD engine was introduced. If yours is pre-PD, the belt change is due at 60,000 miles and not 40,000.

I also think that there is absolutely no way that the traction of a FWD car could possibly react significantly more than 310Nm - full acceleration from a rolling start in first gear on a dry road with a manual gearbox produces significant wheelspin. In addition, SK is probably right when he states that the engine ECU will limit the torque under certain circumstances - after all, there is a switch activated by depressing the clutch on a manual gearbox, which reduces the fuelling to assist in changing gear smoothly.

I did say, 'in general'. The actual torque multiplication ratio is application dependent and is chosen by the design engineer according to, amongst many other factors, engine torque characteristics, transmission torque / power capacity, desired engine stall speed, etc.. If the design engineer chooses to use a higher torque multiplication factor (due, for example, to an unfavourable engine torque curve), there will tend to be an overall reduction in the efficiency of the application. Another, more general example of considering the application rather than just the individual components, is the torque capacity of the Jatco auto box. If we assume a torque capacity of 400Nm, this would indeed be very marginal for an engine capable of delivering 310Nm torque if the torque multiplcation factor was anything more than around 1.3. However, there are several factors to consider. For example, the torque delivery of the engine may be less than 310Nm at the chosen stall speed. My guess is that the maximum torque delivery will be limited to well within the capacity of the gearbox by traction. Once under way, the torque multiplication factor will quickly fall towards 1, well within the capacity of the gearbox.

A torque converter can indeed multiply torque due to its internal fluid dynamics, and there is a torque multiplication ratio quoted for most. However, in general, the higher the torque multiplication ratio, the higher the losses and the lower the power transmission efficiency. The power transmission efficiency is improved on many modern torque converters by the 'lock-up' facility above certain input speeds. A clutch, however, can not multiply the torque at all, but has the advantage that when engaged the power transmission efficiency is as near as makes no difference to 100%.

I think I've read somewhere (possibly on this forum) that the Jatco auto is a little marginal with 310 Nm of torque. If this is the case, increasing the torque may lead to some problems, so it may be worth doing a little more research into what the torque capacity of the auto box is.

Was the original alternator actually faulty - this could be yet another case of a minor problem becoming major (and expensive) due to crap dealer servicing.

.......but not for petrol.

Hydraulic valve lifters can get tired at high mileages. On my wife's old Jetta, we had similar symptoms, until it rattled most of the time. I changed all 8 valve lifters (camshaft needs to be removed, but this was a very simple job on the Jetta), and the car carried on for another 50,000 miles with no rattling at all, until we sold the car. As regards 505.01 oil, this is only required on later PD engines.

It's interesting that the majority of replies have come from owners of petrol versions. I guess us diesel guys are just too inexperienced at the fuel pumps.

Sounds like a hydraulic valve lifter taking time to fill with oil - what grade of oil are you using, and when was it last changed? If the noise does not return at idle with a hot engine, the problem should not be too serious.

That's interesting. I would guess that bio-diesel will be getting more popular over the next few years, and my car's handbook states that bio-diesel is a suitable fuel for the TDI engine. If bio-diesel does indeed cause problems in open flame burners, this may require the heater units to be regularly cleaned. After all, it appears that a 'viscious circle' is a distinct possibility. In other words, the deposits in the heater reduce the airflow, which in turn richens the mixture and increases the rate of deposition, smoke, etc, until the unit fails to light. If and when my car's heater starts to smoke, I think it will probably be a good idea to replace the glow plug and clean the combustion chamber as a matter of course.

The excessive amount of black gunge may be due to an over-rich fuel to air ratio. I wonder if the metering pump is adjustable in any way?

Billowing white smoke is due either to too much fuel or insufficient air. Mine has only ever emitted a small amount of visible smoke when the atmosphere is very cold and damp.

The oil filter is at the front of the engine bay under the removeable cover. You will need a tool to remove the cap - Halford also sell this tool for about

Yes, I think so, but........ Anyway, I think I've changed my mind - booster heater's a crap idea. Much better to spend an extra

I'm not expounding myths - just passing on a little bit of info. from our company's lubrication expert - we produce diesel engines amongst other things, and I have access to quite a few genuine expert opinions. There is also a problem that when one sets out to 'correct incorrect misconceptions', one has to be sure that one is correct oneself, otherwise there is the very real danger of 'incorrecting' the correct.

My booster heater has always worked perfectly, produces plenty of heat and rarely produces any visible smoke. Sounds good too. As for the comments about performance, I think they belong in the annals of ancient automotive history.

It's called polarisation, and is an established property of ester based synthetic base stocks.

On the 115, it should be 850rpm.

And presumably, if this winter is very cold, it will have been due to global warming, just like the comparatively warm winters we have had in the last few years.

Castrol Edge 5W40 for diesels is approved to VW505.01, and has replaced Castrol 505.01 (probably just a name change).