tim-spam

Another issue that's pushed up house prices has been the comparatively low interest rates over the last few years, allowing people to afford larger mortgages. Then the rates go up.....

You may be able to reject the Laguna, but getting the Galaxy back will almost certainly involve buying it back at the forecourt price. Do you have a warranty on the Laguna? As regards the problems with your Galaxy, my understanding is that your problem is almost certainly the head gasket, and from the symptoms you described, this would have been the first thing I would have changed. This would have avoided all of the other 'problems' and the unnecessary expenditure replacing perfectly good parts.

Hydraulic tappet collapsing? If so, replace all 8 - fairly cheap to buy from Eurocarparts or GSF, and reasonably easy to replace, although the cam has to be removed to do it.

Drag coefficient of Sharan = 0.28, which is very good. The frontal area is however obviously larger than the average saloon car, but the actual aerodynamics are pretty good.

The fact that you have to 'alter your driving style' to keep the DPF clean, or that "you have to 'Recharge' the filter about every 300-400 miles by driving for several miles in a much lower gear than you would normally'" is yet another example of poor and incomplete development before launch.

Do they now? This sort of drivel really annoys me - the problem is poor quality control on the dual mass flywheels, and to blame the owner is just plain wrong (but unfortunately not untypical). We all know that there have been some occasional issues with DMF's in the past, but this is now an established technology. For the dealer to admit that it sometimes takes a few attempts to cure the problem beggars belief - it also means that Ford has not yet fixed the root cause, which is very worrying. I certainly wouldn't want the average dealership to remove and refit the gearbox on a brand new car once, let alone several times!

Thanks for the replies. It's only ever happened twice with a cold engine - it normally happens with a warm or hot engine. If it was glow plug related, it would also tend to 'chug' into life, but after the 2 - 3 seconds of winding the starter, it starts perfectly, all 4 cylinders together. 99% of the time, it starts absolutely instantly, cold, warm or hot. The in-tank lift pump is working, the fuel and air filters are newish, and there are no leaks in the system. PD engines are far less sensitive to air leaks in the fuel system than the earlier engines with a distributor type fuel pump anyway - if there are any leaks, fuel tends to leak out rather than air leaking in. It seems as if there is a relay or switch somewhere, which is occasionally not switching when it should.

Hi there. Normally, my 2002 Alhambra TDI PD starts instantly hot or cold, but once in a while (and more often when the engine's warm), it takes 2 - 3 seconds of cranking before it fires. When this happens, the starter turns over at a good speed (so there is no problem with the battery), and when the engine fires, it runs perfectly normally with no stumbles or misfires. I was wondering if there is a relay somewhere that's sticking occasionally (relay 27?) - has anyone else had this problem? By the way, there are no error codes on VAGCOM. Thanks.

You really should consider uprating the wiring as well. Remember, the higher wattage bulbs will require more current, and they will also generate more heat, which could affect both the headlights themselves and the wiring to them. It used to be possible to buy looms ready made using fused relays supplied directly from the battery +ve terminal and then plugging into the back of the headlights. The old headlight plugs were then plugged into the new loom and used just to actuate the relays.

Because it's better - that's why. If you find you don't like the Mk.3 and would prefer a Mk.2, you could always consider a new Sharan or Alhambra - it may be worth a test drive anyway.

I've just looked at the smax owners' club website - unbelievable. DMF and ECU problems which should have been sorted out well before production, especially now that these two items are established technology. I still say that having to follow a particular starting procedure to avoid potential engine damage is ridiculous, and some customers are being far too 'understanding'. The only problem I have ever experienced when starting a diesel without waiting for the glowplug light to extinguish is delayed starting (especially on older technology IDI engines). On my Alhambra, if I do not wait for the glowplug light to extinguish on a cold day, it still starts fairly well, but there is just a little more 'diesel clatter' than ususal for a second or two - that's all, and that's all there should be.

No they wouldn't - aircon. filling points are right at the front of the engine bay, and there is no need to remove anything to get at them. They were just being totally incompetent as usual.

I do not think that this is the cause of the problem. It is true that common rail systems sometimes take a little time for the fuel pressure to reach its maximum, but this usually just results in a second or two's winding on the starter (unlike the PD engine, which normally starts virtually instantly). Once the engine is running, fuel pressure will rise very quickly indeed if not already at its maximum during the starting process. Low fuel pressure should not cause the racket that has been described here. If this was my brand new car, I would be very concerned indeed - what actually makes this racket, and is the engine being damaged in any way? However quickly the driver turns the key, it simply should not happen.

How long does the white smoke last? You may have one or two duff glowplugs, assuming the white smoke disappears a little while after starting.

No.

VNT, VVT and variable geometry turbochargers are all basically similar. The rotor geometry is obviously fixed - it would be a little difficult to make this variable when spinning at more than 200,000rpm. On the exhaust side, there is a ring of vanes around the rotor, which control the direction and amount of exhaust gas driving the rotor - see www.technologie-entwicklung.de/Gasturbines/VNT15-Turbo/vnt15-turbo.html for a fuller picture.

Variable Nozzle Turbocharger. Basically, this type of turbocharger has variable geometry, which allows the boost pressure to be continuously varied between upper and lower limits determined by the ECU. In practice, this allows the engine to produce high torque right down to around 1300-1400rpm, with the VNT mechanism progressively backing off above this to keep the boost pressure and turbocharger speed within reasonable limits.

DIY or not depends entirely on who's doing the job. If and when mine needs a new clutch, I will definitely do it myself. After all, the bigger the job, the more likely it is that a dealer will screw up - I speak from experience. In addition, when tackling something like a clutch change, the purchase of a few special tools, if necessary, will be paid for several times over when set against paying a dealer. Many people find the amount of dismantling required for some of the larger jobs somewhat daunting, but if you take jobs like this step by step, and consider each step as a small job, then it becomes much less so. In general, I have found the Alhambra a fairly easy car to work on - so far. By the way, the problem with the clutch actuation could also be related to the clutch master cylinder, which is much easier to replace. Try to look for signs of leaking brake fluid from the bellhousing - if there is none, then look at the master cylinder - you may be lucky.

A slight contradiction in terms??

1. Ensure ignition is switched off. 2. Press and hold the trip meter reset button whilst turning on ignition. 3. Release trip meter reset button. 4. Turn the MINUTE hand of the digital clock to the right. 5. Turn off ignition. Indicator has been set to zero.

Yes, it certainly sounds like a cylinder head gasket - get it fixed, and you'll be able to tow again and enjoy the benefits of a larger, more stable towcar. As regards the Scenic, the homologated towing mass is 1300kg as against 2000kg for the Galaxy. There aren't many 5-berth caravans with a maximum permissible mass of less than 1300kg, so your outfit may be a little marginal. The '85% rule' is only a guide (although obviously a good one), and if you tow slightly more than this, and the outfit is properly loaded and stable, there should be no problem. However, if you exceed the homologated towing mass of the car, you are breaking the law and may be subject to prosecution if stopped. Your insurance will also be void.

I thought the overheating was caused by the remap. If it is still overheating with the remap removed, then I would guess that the head gasket is leaking with the engine under load (hence the pressure in the system and the substantial rise in water level when you remove the cap) - probably damage done by the remap. As regards stability, I would be amazed if a Scenic was as stable as a Galaxy when towing. For one thing, the Galaxy is heavier. Another thing to check, by the way, is the permissible towing weight - Renault are notorious for low homologated towing limits. My Alhambra tows up hill and down dale with 1350kg on the back and never budges from 90 degC, even in the South of France climbing long gradients at 65+mph. In short, a superb towcar, and highly recommended by the Caravan Club.

I would think that this is just another of many myths and misinformation pedalled on that particular website. Are there any statistics to back this myth up? The TDI 115, 130 and 150 engines have been around for quite a while now, and all seem to be pretty robust to high mileages. The only 'common' problems seem to be MAF's and VNT's sticking, and these two problems certainly are not unique to these engines.

Except that the 2.0TDI in the Sharan is actually a PD engine and a DPF is available as an option (no spare wheel with a DPF though).

If I were you, I would also give them a deadline by which they should have fixed all of the problems to your total satisfaction. Should they fail to meet the deadline, you should inform them that you will reject the car as not being of merchantable quality - that should focus their minds a little. In the meantime, you should insist on a loan vehicle of the same type and specification, or better. Good letter, by the way. Good luck.