mashbury

I have the same problem as well, exact same symptoms as OP. Assuming we all have a common problem, my experience may help. I have: 1) Checked the wiring out (using information from TIS)to the vehicle speed sensor on the gearbox: all OK 2) Taken the instrument clocks out and examined the circuit board: all OK 3) Checked the intrument panel with VAGCOM..no fault codes 4) Checked all the earths around the 2 connnectors on the instrument panel: all OK 5) Needless to say, disconnecting the battery does not cure the problem. 6) VAGCOM shows the resistance of the fuel sendor, and this resistance changes as the car moves, meaning that the `dancing' fuel guage is reporting what the sender is saying...in other words I do not think there is a fault with the fuel level sender per-se. SO I don't think it an instrument clock problem, nor a fuel sender problem, nor an earth problem. Only thing left is the vehicle speed sensor itself, which is underneath the gear-change linkage on the gearbox. I have unbolted the sensor but can't get it out. Does it unscrew or just pull out? Does anyone know?

Hi, Presume you have the Mk2. Very simple (like many things when you know how). Slide a large screwdriver under the tensioning roller, lever it up until you can slide a small screwdriver / 3mm Hex Allen key or similar through a hole in the tensioner casting (from the airbox side). This screwdriver then prevents the tensioner from acting. Undo the 3 bolts holding the tensioner and remove it: the aux belt can then be removed. A new one can be threaded back from the top without undoing anything else. Hope this helps.

Bump...anyone?

Ok Chaps, now it's my turn. I have exactly the same symptoms as Tona955 and Carlc. Started with dancing speedo and fuel gauge, often fuel light beeps when going round corners/ braking. Now most of the time the fuel gauge reads correctly even though the speedo is dead, so there is not a direct correlation between these 2. Occasionally the speedo will burst into life and read correctly for a few miles. Tacho and everything else is fine. I too have had the head off etc, and generally done a lot of work around the engine bay. The speed sensor (VSS) connects through C111 which is directly below the coolant tank, so I thought that water might have got in there....cleaned it up but no joy. I have buzzed out the Blue Connector on the dash pins 9 and 24 and they both give good connection to chassis. I have checked the earth connections within the Instrument cluster and they look fine also. I can't believe it is a faulty instrument panel, has all the feel of a dodgy earth. Yet from TIS the speedo and fuel gauge do not seem to share much circuitry/ earths. Anyone got any ideas please? Tona955, Carlc did you solve this problem? Also, how exactly does one get to the gearbox speed sensor. I've had a look from on top: removed the diesel filer and coolant tank but still can't even see it..where is it? Thanks

Well, I think I now have the answer. Seems a bit extreme, but may help others. This came from a VW-trained mechanic, who seems to know what he is talking about. Basically I put a tight re-furbished head back onto an 200k mile old block, and this mismatch of `old' and `new' has caused the problem. The increased compression and more power, mainly from the head skimming but also from lapping in the valves, new guides etc has caused the rings to fail, noticeably the oil contol ones. The increased temperature caused by the original overheating problem would also have stressed them (it caused the head to warp after all). He has apparently seen this quite a bit. The rapid failure of the rings over a few thousand miles is typical, and is consistent with my oil consumption having increased steadily since the rebuild. I took the opportunity to really clean out the inlet tracts of all gunge etc. and the performance of the car is noticeably improved (even SWMBO commented on it!). In other words my worn but serviceable rings have gone caused by fitting a well refurbished head. Maybe this is one of the reasons VW say that the diesel head cannot (= should not) be skimmed? I have endured a lot of angst and wasted a lot of time/ money chasing this one: I took the head off again, and replaced the turbo unnecessarily. So lessons are: 1) Don't drive the car any distance once it has overheated, even if it after appears to be (nearly) normal 2) Don't skim the head unless you really have to (I did detect some distortion, but I may have got away with just new gasket). 3) Change the water pump with the cambelt 4) Check the electric overrun pump is working (mine had packed up more or less at the same time as the water pump) 5) Don't refurbish half an engine (old sack/ new wine)if the car is a high miler. I should have replaced the rings while the head was off(or worse had to check the pistons /bores)..which is hardly worth all the effor One-off experience, but may help others. PS Other thing he said was always use the pukka PD oil and change at recommended intervals...which we all do of course.

Petrol or Diesel? If latter could be the turbo. Windows, get a FORD TIS disc off Ebay and go through the electrical logic.

Sounds about right. Don't run it for any length of time with a broken water pump or you may soon end up with blown gasket or, much worse, warped head. Also worth checking that the electric circulation pump is running too.

Thanks for the replies chaps. 1) Howey, I must admit I did not change the injector stretch bolts, but I'm pretty sure the injectors are seated well enough. What makes me think this (apart from getting over 45mpg) is that any oil that started to get down past the injector body would get to the fuel feed and return cross-drillings first..and there is no sign of dirty oil in the fuel return line. I first thought it was the turbo, spent

Hi all, My 2001 115bhp Tdi PD is burning lots of oil..we are talking 450miles/litre. This is after I (otherwise successfully) took the head off and skimmed it to cure the overheating problem. Symptoms are, no blue smoke on start-up or when still cool, but after a few minutes, and increasingly as it gets warmer, get smoke. Much worse if I have been idling for a while, clouds of smoke, then dwindles to hardly noticeable as I drive along. After much headscratching I have concluded that these symptons are consistent with faulty stem seals. I had replaced them all (plus guides) when the head came off, but maybe didn't fit them down on the guides properly. Does anyone know how to, or have experience of, changing the stem seals with the head on? Has anyone experienced them coming away up the stem? Is my diagnosis of valve stem seals correct? Thanks

I presume this a 2.3 Petrol. Mk1 Galaxy? If so, if I recall correctly the CC ECU is down to the left of the centre console, near the passenger footwell. These units are designed fail-safe so any hint of a problem and they will default to off (in my experience). I once had an intermittent problem on a W124Merc, solved by removing all the conformal coating on the ECU circuitboard (with Nitromors!) and re-soldering every joint. To my amazement it worked.

Dear all, Well, got to the bottom of my overheating problem. Water pump had failed, plastic impellor spinning loose on the shaft. Thanks to whoever suggested that one could check out the water pump for this problem by feeling through the thermostat hole...it works.

Hi all, Have had similar problems with my 51 plate AUY galaxy. Have had high pressure/ high coolant level, then, at other times, suddenly low level needing 500ml to top up coupled with overheating and (so wife says) no heater. No obvious sign of leakage. In fact just Like John1Doherty and Hig's problems, very similar indeed. I am baffled at the moment, and haven't had time to have a decent look, but have all the same thoughts as you chaps. Hoses are nice & floppy. I did have the problem (or similar) a few months ago, but found the over-run pump had failed, replaced this and all seemed well for a while....also been faffing with the Aux heater, so assumed it was just an air lock. Could it be that while the over-run pump was failed, the additional heat around the turbo has caused the head to warp?..I hope not. If I find out more I will post. Mashbury