tim-spam

The 12N harness on my Alhambra was listed for the 2000 and later Sharan, Alhambra and Galaxy. It came equipped with a C2 module which is tied to the harness in the nearside rear cubby hole. If it has a C2 module, the extra warning light should not be enabled.

I don't know - it wasn't my decision....

Who's arguing? Certainly not me - I use a synthetic 5W40 oil to VW505.01 in my PD engine, just as VAG recommends.

A Zetec will not have a trip computer. You can however enable it with VAGCOM, and you then get and instantaneous mpg readout - if you want the other functions, you will need to install and connect the appropriate switch.

The latest genuine VAG 12N harness does not require the extra warning light to be activated - in fact, the instructions specifically say not to do this. There is a C2 module in the harness that looks after the indicator function. Basically, when the trailer plug is connected, all indicators are monitored in the same way as for the car alone - ie: should any indicator on car or trailer fail, the flash rate is doubled.

If when you have replaced the condenser, you find that the compressor is OK, may I suggest a quick word with Trading Standards about the garage diagnosing a failed compressor, etc? Whilst I'm obviously not trying to claim that the aircon system is perfect (bcause it obviously isn't), I'm convinced that the system, at least on Mk2's, is not at all bad, with the condenser/receiver the only ongoing weakness. I strongly suspect that the vast majority of the 'sagas' with the aircon system fitted to Mk.2 Sharans/Alhambras/Galaxies are due to dealer incompetance leading to totally unnecessary replacement of expensive parts, then leading to further problems, failures, etc. For example, the dealer who 'finds' three fractured pipes - does anyone really believe this?

A 0W40 oil is not 'super thin' at all - I think that this is a misunderstanding. 0W40 simply means that the oil has the same viscosity as a 'straight' 0 weight oil at 0degC and the same as a 'straight' 40 at 110degC, with a roughly linear relationship between temperature and weight equivalence. This also means that at temperatures above 110degC, a 0W40 will have a higher viscosity than a 15W40.

Allegedly.....

I have to say that I agree with Ivor on this one. I too have never heard of this problem before (except here, of course). It appears to have affected only a few people on this forum out of the many thousands of members. Certainly, there are many cars that have racked up very high mileages with no failures in this area. However, should my car ever develop any significant slack in its drivetrain, I shall obviously check the splines on the intermediate shaft.

The latest Sharans and Alhambras have sill extensions / side skirts as standard. Has anyone priced these up or fitted them to an earlier car (they will probably only fit Mk2's though)?

If the car is a TDI Mk.2, the pulley is available as a separate part. Go to your local VW dealer and get one. With the correct tool, changing the pulley is quick and easy. You may not have to change the alternator - the 'knackered shaft' may just be the remains of the pulley. You should be left with some change from

Just one more thing - when the compressor clutch is energised, if you look down at the front of the pulley, you will be able to see the compressor start to rotate. The fact that the garage concluded that the compressor was not turning because the air wasn't cooling seems a little bizarre when a simple 'look-see' would prove it one way or the other. Another simple test for the compressor is to switch off the engine, reach down to the front of the pulley and turn the centre section clockwise by hand. It should turn reasonably easily, but with some resistance (if there is no resistance at all, the compressor shaft could be sheared). If it passes both of these simple tests, the compressor is probably OK.

When you connect VAGCOM, I bet your fault code will be: 17965 - Charge Pressure Control: Positive Deviation P1557 - 35-10 - - - Intermittent The cause is most likely to be a sticking VNT - plenty of information on here about how to fix the problem. The only thing that puzzles me is the judder you mention - normally the engine runs smoothly in limp mode, but with very little power.

So do I.

Probably because they're part of by far the best forum around for the Galaxy, Sharan and Alhambra.

How has the dealer concluded that the compressor has failed? If the system has lost pressure, there is a pressure switch which prevents the compressor from engaging. If I was you, I would do the following: 1) Prise off the plastic cap covering the receiver / dryer and see if there's any crud underneath - on mine, I could actually see some fluorescence even without the UV lamp. 2) If the system will hold pressure even for a short time, get a mobile aircon. person round to presurise the system with nitrogen and see if the compressor kicks in - only do this very briefly, as it doesn't do it much good to be run with nitrogen (as an alternative, you could use an aerosol of refrigerant from Halfords). Whilst you're at it, you could also do a 'soapy water' test on all of the accessible joints. If the compressor does not work, it may be the clutch - this can be replaced separately for far less than a compressor. If the compressor works reasonably quietly, there should be no need to flush the system. 3) If the receiver / dryer cap is definitely leaking and there is any sign of corrosion under the plastic cap, replace the condenser. This comes complete with the receiver dryer and is around

Only when bought from a Ford dealer - otherwise pretty competitive.

What's actually failed? Until we know, we can't really comment about things such as 10 hours labour, except to say that there isn't much on the aircon system that should take that long, apart from the evaporator. As regards removing the condenser, the best way is drill holes in the brakets to access the fasteners and then use a hacksaw to open these up the the edge of the brackets to allow the condenser to be easily removed - this should only take around half an hour, and if done carefully can look fairly neat. The system will only need flushing if the compressor has failed and distributed contamination around the system.

You could threaten to reject the car if they don't fix it within a defined timescale. That should focus their minds a little. Repairs under warranty are fine if they're done properly. The problem comes when the spanner monkeys are let loose on a new car and not only don't fix the original problem, but create new ones all of their own. With the Mk.2 Galaxy they had some sort of excuse as the car was basically a VW in drag, but they have no such excuse with the Mk.3.

It's only the 'cheap and nasty' Ebay type USB cables that give problems. If you buy from Ross-Tech, there will be no problem whatsoever with a USB lead - in fact, it will be more 'future proof' in light of the reduction in the number of laptops with parallel ports.

The plastic cap is in the top of the vertical cylindrical cannister (which contains the receiver/dryer) which is integral with the drivers side of the condenser. The cap has a sloping top and is black. On the Alhambra, it is possible to just pop the right hand grille section out to access it - I don't know about the Galaxy, but it does look a bit more difficult. As an aside, speaking with the aircon. guy, he reckons that the Mk II's are pretty good - a few leaking 'O' rings and some condenser problems. He's known one or two compressors fail, but that is usually caused by a lack of oil in the system. He's only ever heard of one evaporator leak on a Mk II - just as well, as replacement is a little long-winded. Many of the ongoing problems experienced by some owners are caused by dealers' inept attempts at fixing simple problems, with the most common mistakes being replacing the wrong parts and repeatedly opening up the system during their guessing game, which then leads to other failures - eg: compressors, due to contamination or lack of oil. When the aircon. fails, it is usually due to a single fault - if this is correctly fixed, the system should work afterwards. How many people have had their system 'fixed' only to find it still not working? He also admitted that the Mk I's were terrible, with many parts such as the receiver/ dryer cannister and some of the pipework being very prone to corrosion and fatigue failure.

It is, but it should be done a lot more neatly than most do. What's more, it is a procedure approved by the manufacturer.

Yes. Once the bumper cover and the actual bumper behind this are removed, the condenser and its connections are easily removed. You will need a selection of torx bits and a spline key to remove the bumper, and a 6mm allen key for the condenser connections. You will need to buy the 'O' rings separately - around 45p each from VW. Buy 4 or 5 so you have some spares. You will also need some PAG oil to lubricate the 'O' rings - I bought a small bottle of ISO46 PAG oil from an ebay seller. As regards replacing the receiver/dryer, if the system is only opened for a short time, this shouldn't be necessary - but the system should be subject to a deep vacuum for at least 1 hour to 'boil off' any moisture. However, the receiver/dryer is supplied with the new condenser, so this is not a problem - the system should still be subject to a deep vacuum for at least half an hour. Then , when the system is recharged, the correct charge of oil and dye should be added.

Rules out most new cars then (whatever the make).

VAGCOM from Ross-Tech - their website is www.ross-tech.com. Their lead and software is the real McCoy and works 'straight out of the box' with full functionality (if you have a TDI or VR6) - their back-up is really good too. I don't know how good it is with Ford engines though - I haven't tried it, although others may have done. There is a generic OBDII function within VAGCOM which I suppose may talk to a Ford engine.