gerryfr

John How can the aircon do the final heating? If I undersatnd you the idea you had was underfloor doing the basic heaing and top up if required with something responsive. I presume it the heat exchange function of the air con split unit that would do the heating by bringing indoors the part that would usually be outide the building? How cold can the outside ambient temperature be and still contribute useful (and effecient) heat inside the building? I suspect the future lies somewhere along this way Best wishes

Changed my plug today and aux heater started up spining slowly af first and gaining speed over about a minute. Mind you it only statred up when I put on the rear booster heater by pressing the button on the dash. The aux heater exhaust gave a little clean odourless steam much like you would get from a domestic kettle nearing the boil. This makes me wonder if the cause of your soot is a reduced or blocked air intake. On my 97 TDI the air is drawn in through a flexible silver coloured hose which pushed into a grommet in a hole in the lower longitudinal box section. This inlet hose is made of a laminated constructin with a corrugated aluminium excterior and a soft fabric type interior. It could easily get blocked which I recon would lead to incomplete combustion and possibly tar and soot. I'll try to post a photo of this inlet hose tomorrow. gerryfr

MM I ve just changed my glowplug and the unit worked. The old plug passes a continuity test and its resistance is 0.75ohms both like the new plug. If you think its working you are welcome to have it for free. PM me if reqd. Gerryfr

Mr VR6. Good tip. But I et it before I tgought of it. You are a pertolhead I persume.. My old diesel has 39K on it so I hope to get afew yr off it yet. The newer diesels are stunningly better than any petrol motor I everdrove. Mind you I never drove a VR^. Another unexpected benefit of changing a good old glow plug for a good new glowplug is that the interlock on the back door is working again. Now that has me well beaten but I aint complaining. Seasons gritting to all. Gerryfr

Eureka! Stone the crows! Its worked for a minute till the ice cream melted. Brilliant.

I'm changing the glowplug as I type with the help of these pictures and advice on the laptop in my garage. I ve just got out the old glow plug. It looks the same as the new one. It passes a continuity test same as thye new one and the meter makes the resistance in the old and the new identical at 0.75 ohms. Could it be that my glow plug is not broken and is not the cause of my aux heater not being heard for many years? Help! Well I'll change the plug for the new one and scratch my head about what to do next. Any advice on where to start? Anuone near Co Durham (N.E England) with a diagnostic kit to hire, lend or sell me? As ever grateful for al the advice received Gerryfr

Many thanks MM. Part ordered today from main dealer who will have it from central stock in 48 hours. Looking forward to fitting it same day and hopefully hearing that cool turbine noise again. I'm in your debt. What part of the country do you live in? Gerryfr

Thanks MM. I like the price of your suggestion best of all. Grateful to eachand every one of you on the site as its saved me a fartune over recent months. I'm off to VW main dealer in Durham in the morning to get aforementioned glow plug. Im hoping he (a) has heard of it and (:o knows which plug is needed for a 90bhp 97 TDI. I'm quite unclear on the correct part number after the posts became complicted. Can anyone advise? Best wishes, Gerryfr

Chaps I'd like to get the diagnostic cable and software to connect to my 97 Alhambra tdi. I plan to re-launch the auxillary heater after I source a glow plug. I've read the extensive posts on this matter and I realise I need to clear the fault to restart the aux heater But I dont kow which type of cable or software or where to get it. Any advice apreciated, or better still, I'll buy the kit from a site member cos then I'd know it works. Site help much appreciated, thanks Gerryfr

I recently found the plug for a tow bar socket deep in the offside boot recess, directly underneath the rear lamp cluster, ie drivers side back corner. It took a bit of westling to pull it out but towbar socket fitted without splicing and all lights worked at once. (One relay needed changing in front fusebox to make trailer indicators flach on dashboard ). Original VW towbar instructions incorrectly stated plug was in nearside rear recess. Gerryfr

The shalaxy is wonderful but if you cant cope with the occasional problem, how's about a rope and a low branch? All your problems at once sorted/transferred. ie. Sorted. Alternatively keep an eye on this site and struggle on like the rest of us. I'm living beyond my means, insuring 5 motors and 2 bikes (SV650S and GSX1400) and supporting 3 hungry chizzlers (Joyce) as well. So the ageing offspring have confined the almighty alhambra, holiday vehicle supreme in 1996, to be on its own in my garage, unused, not unloved, but using space. And having attained the great five - oh, I have discovered that I prefer lawnmowers to all other applications of the internal combustion engine. Slow, primitive, and cool beyond belief. Sooo cool thump thump. JAP engine circa 1939, 200 rpm or so. Sorry there, got carried away for a moment, but I found a lawnmower, (Ransomes matador 24") in Berks (where the f***s that) on ebay and guess what? The only motor I have that will make the pilgrimage to Berks (wtf) is my trusty old shalaxy. So I've dusted her down (mainly pussy hairs from the cat), checked the oil level (last changed in 2002 for 500.50) filled her up with 60 litres of agricultural cherry, and fired her up. And guess what? Started first time. And the 8 year old A/C gas still did its bit and cooled the air and made the cabin really comfy (hot today in the NE). So far good, so I put a bit of wind in the wheels and away I went for a test ride. At first slow as a wet Tuesday in Feburary, and as stiff as my back after a late morning in the cot, but gradually the old bird got coaxed into life and began to perform as nature intended (just like the missus). Eventually she got up to 70mph and the brakes came back to life and alll the lights worked and the power steering worked and the wireless worked and the Cd changer in the boot found my missing 6 CD's from way back and I decided this vehicle was the bees knees. So dont worry about a bit of stick from an elderly form of motorised transportation like the shalaxy. The auld biddy is still fairly capable. And we're going to Berks tomorrow (wtfitt) for a beautiful lawnmower. Episode two tomorrow if we get back. And if I remember. Best wishes from the A19 at Castle Eden.

Thats 2 pints I owe you. Muchos gracias.

Ivor What a marvellous piece of work taking all those pictures and the vid. Well done. If ever you are in my neckof the woods I'll buy you a pint I'll attempt to change the glow plug on m 97 Alhambra still freh with 35Kmiles. I remember the excepetionally cool turbine sound that I heard ,once only, when the car was new. The aux heater is not mentioned in the original handbook handbook. Would you ever be able to post the part number for the glow plug you used. Many thanks Gerry Frost Co Durham. My car has a sticker under the bonnet advising of the air conditioner and reads as follows:- REFRIGERANT R134a CHARGE EVAPORATOR 1 95 +or- 50gm 2 1350? +or- 50mg Are there two circuits or am I way off beam?

Thanks Seakid. I do owe you a pint. I had a bit of difficulty replacing the frame as I failed to realise the dowels on the Right side (nearside) top and botttom were to slide along guides which are grooves in the frame. Once I got this it was easy.

I got a spare cover light grey from a new model. I've no use for it as I found my missing old one. Yours for what it cost me