isk

no, it's not that :o - the sound is definitely turbo related

hmm, gregers could you possibly elaborate on the subject a little bit? thanks

Hi Manxman, just wondering if you have managed to sort it out - I've got similar noise coming from the turbo area and would love to know what's causing it.

thanx for this but I've checked the bolt and it's OK - there's excessive play between te pin and top part of the hinge :o

hi all, my galaxy must have suffered from every single typical fault (seized wipers last week!) but here's another one: dropping driver's door - it's the pin in the hinge which seems worn but ETKA only shows the whole hinge as an replacement, not the pin alone! obviously that would require welding etc so again expensive bills - has anyone out there ever replaced the pin? regards

thanks seatkid, I think you're right - the guys at the garage said that the actuator arm moved in somehow erratic way - what would it point to in your opinion? does it explain that strange sound? is a new turbo required? how would I check the N75 solenoid ?

had the car at a local garage, they looked into it and assumed faulty turbo, which is weird coz' it's actually working fine with plenty of pull, also after 5 sessions with 'paint and gasket stripper' sprayed into the exhaust side of the turbo the actuator finally moves freely. Today I took the flexible pipe off and drove to check if the cat was to blame, but no difference, apart from the scratching noise becoming more a hissing noise. Even with the turbo seemingly cleaned it still tripped on me once - the VAG com readout as usual...positive deviation or something. I definitely notice a hesitation in power 2-3 times a second (it accompanies the noise) at low speeds which is quite surprising given the weight of the car. And I'm still baffled why the frequency of the noise stays almost the same through the gears and revs. Surely it must have happened to someone else...help!!!

well, it isn't really a whistle...its only about twice a second (is that 2Hz?) .Again, the EGR valve could well be blocked (145k miles after all!). Seatkid, how did you find out it was wat it was? Also, when I open the bonnet the sound comes from the airfilter box area or below it...and it happens when engine's cold as well

Thanks for your suggestions guys - I don't think it's the turbo bearings as I've driven this car for two years now (done 8k miles) and the noise has always been there - never got any better or worse. As for the blocked cat - that's an interesting suggestion but why would it lead to this noise which has constant frequency regardless of the revs...

I just thought that I should try and describe the sound a bit better... it's like grating between a rotating element and sometning... sometimes it causes the car to vibrate slightly

Hi all, My galaxy is a high mileage automatic so there's no surprise that it loses power on 4/5 gear when going uphill or simply while accelerating ...the exhaust manifold and the turbo must be heavily blocked by soot , but there's also a funny noise coming from the turbo area...what's surprising about it is seems to have a constant frequency (about twice a second) regardles of the revs - also the noise disappears completely when the power drops and goes into limp mode. Now, I've tried to clean the turbo by applying the 10k booster - the first application did wonders, but only for a couple of days, then the dreaded limp mode returned - I since tried the ecoboost and 2 more cans of 10k boost but no improvement at all - I suspect they only work on the combustion chamber and first bit of exhaust manifold with dissolved soot beind dragged further down the manifold and effectivelly clogging the turbo even more. Then I resolved to tackle the soot from the exhaust side - the flexible pipe is easily removed (3 nuts 13mm socket) - I sprayed half a can of a paint stripper mousse into the turbo and then inserted a the nozzle of my steam cleaner into it for a couple of hours to soften the soot- after this the actuator rod on the turbo worked freely as never before! Again, this worked fine for a couple of days until the limp mode came back again - I think the dissolved soot still keeps coming from the exhaust manifold as I have some quantity of injector cleaner still in the tank. I know the paint stripper option might seem foolhardy as this stuff dissolves rubber seals etc but I just hoped there was no exposed seals in the turbo as the exhaust gasses would have burnt them in no time.. Back to the noise, it sounds a bit like a worn bearing (which it is not) but it's the steady frequency of it that totally baffles me - it seems to sligtly affect power when it occurs - a fraction of a second slight hesitation twice a second or so - I hear and feel it at the same time I have asked a few mechanics about the problem...no one had a slightest idea! Obviously, I would be grateful if someone could point me in the right direction.

Thanks for that guys! If you've ever heard of anyone repairing these for reasonable money - a replacement costs 3k+ (and that's remanufactured, whatever this means)...

Hi everyone It looks like my gearbox is on it's way out :( (2nd and 3rd are slipping and I get this awful shudder), so I was wondering if anyone knows if this kind can be repaired at all or what other options I've got (if any). The engine is VWs 1.9 TDi 115bhp AUY , Ford could only tell me that the gearbox type is AG-5, but people from VW don't know what it means - obviously the box is VW but what do they call it ? Any help greatly appreciated!

seatkid, where can I get a seat TIS? I've got a ford TIS bought on ebay, but I don't find it too useful.

I agree Jim, it's also a necessity while driving on continent (huuuuge blindspot otherwise). Changing a glass though could be very tricky - I did it once and ended up damaging plastic parts inside rendering the mechanism useless (I refer to a heated electric mirror) and from what I could see inside the only way is to break up the existing glass and un-clip it from inside.

Thanks Seatkid ! I wonder what the Ford equivalent would be (there's plenty of their shops/garages around).

I just have... would that be LB7Z ?

Hi everyone, As I've got to respray a patch on my Seat's bumper, I wonder if someone out there knows where to find the paint code, or possibly just tell me what the code and name of the colour is. It's most common silver metallic, with a tiny hint of blue that only shows at certain light/angle. Lots of Galaxys and Sharans share the same colour, so Ford and VW paint codes welcome too... Thanks

Hi, I've tried this one before, but the thread has been hijacked by SA Intruder's picture of his lovely black baby, so I'm having to try again... A friend came around with the latest wersion of software from rosstech on his laptop to try and close the EGR valve, but it wouldn't communicate with my motor. There was a message that it did not work with older Sharans tdi due to bugs in VW software, so that might explain it. The question is, has any of mk1 Alhambra owners amongst you ever managed to change any setting on their car using vag-com? If so, why can't I?! There was no problem scanning for faults by Seat garage..

Thank you all guys for your input - however relevant... Unfortunately for me the kind soul with a vag-com thingy could not do a thing on my motor! The manual from Ross-tech said it would not work with 1995-2000 Sharans due to some bugs in manufacturers' software, so this probably explains it not working with my 1997 Alhambra 1.9 90bhp AHU tdi. I felt relief that I hadn't splashed out on OBD II cable + software etc, but still very disappointed with inability to do anything - so the inlet manifold will just keep gumming up... I wander if any of you folks have had any success with early models tdi Shalaxys regarding vag-com ?

thanks Charles, do you know if the same would apply to a tdi engine?

I would like to hear from someone who has succesfully shut the infamous EGR valve using Vag-com, just to describe the procedure in detail (on non-PD 1.9tdi). I only want to do it because apparently it stops gunk clogging up the inlet manifold, but are there any drawbacks? If not what does that valve do in the first place? Igor

the car is actually Alhambra, but the stereo is is Ford 2007 (although it says SEAT on the front)

Hi everyone, I'd like to replace my radio/cassette (2007) with a cd (mp3 etc) player. My concern is, will the new stereo be compatible with the steering wheel controls? Unlike other stereos I know, this 2007 has an extra multi-pin socket at the back, in addition to the ISO one, with a bunch of cables plugged into it, so I suppose this is for those controls and the new stereo would need to have this socket as well. Any suggestions welcomed!

I was just wondering if there is someone within 30-odd miles from Windsor who would let me use their kit. I need to change the alarm settings in my Alhambra, because at the moment when I try to lock it using remote it doesn't blink nor gives any audible signal, so I don't really know if it's locked or not. Also, to close EGR down. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Regards, Igor