sparky Paul

Never changed any boots on ours, still on the originals... not bad for a 14 year old car. ;) Screwing the bolt back in the end - handy tip, which I will try to remember! You should fit a new driveshaft bolt, by the way - it's a stretch bolt and shouldn't be re-used.

Welcome to the forum, BTW B)

It is on a C-clip, and it should knock off, but it needs a good clout. I usually use a Thor soft hammer, you need something with a bit of weight behind it. It will be much easier with the shaft off, have a bit of rag ready to stuff in the gearbox to minimise oil loss. Alternatively, you can get a neoprene stretchy-boot kit off that well known auction site for about 8 quid - two boots, steel ties, cone, cone lube and CV grease.

95 rated is fine, Dunlop SP2020E rated 95 were factory fitted. 93 rated is definitely a no go. As mentioned in another thread, the early 16" alloys fitted to mk1s and very early mk2s will not fit later mk2s where the 300mm brake discs are fitted. I would look for an alloy that's a match for the ones you have, then there should be no problem.

I'm no expert on these matters, but I think a visit to your local Trading Standards office might be your best bet. Keep everything you have on paper, including all advertisements, this will add weight to your argument. Any verbal claims or promises made by the salesman could be difficult to substantiate, but anything on paperwork is there in black and white. The fact that the car had 6 previous owners is not relevant, unless the dealer lied and told you there were less. "Fully serviced" and "Full Service History" do not mean the same thing, but it sounds like the car was sold with FSH and if this turns out to be fraudulent, then the car is not as described. Unless you can actually prove who faked the FSH, you will probably be relying on the Sale of Goods Act - which says that goods must be as described. If you can make a good enough case proving the discrepancies with the dealer's description, you should be able to reject the car on that basis. What you may have a problem with is that it is now 4 months since you bought the car, although some of the information about the car may have only just come to light. You will have to point this out.

The old style mk.I 16" alloys will definitely not fit later mk.II cars, due to the adoption of the bigger 300mm front discs. There are exceptions. Some very early mk.II cars came fitted with the same alloys, but I believe they were also fitted with the smaller 288mm discs & pads. Also causes confusion when buying front discs & pads, all cars fitted with 16" wheels are usually listed as being fitted with the 300mm discs, which only applies to the later type alloys. The old style alloys were always fitted with brake parts listed for 15" wheels.

You could have a tentative go before applying heat, I've renewed all of the brake pipes on the Gal over the years, and all the joints have come undone surprisingly easily. If you do need a bit of heat, no need to go mad - there's not much metal there. Having a hose ready is a good idea, they are so cheap. The joint onto the copper pipe is a standard M-F brake pipe union, so the pipe can be rotated 360 once the nut is cracked.

You need to crack the joint at the other end of the flexy. Careful with the heat there, or the flexy will pop.

Sounds like clutch cover plate to me, though DMF falling to bits can give similar symptoms if fitted.

The exact fault code might help you determine where the fault lies, so it is very important. You should be able ask your mechanic to double check the sensor gap without offending him, just tell him you have been told it is a common problem when replacing sensors on these cars. Teves is the make of the ABS system, the ECU module is generally reliable but sensor input failure is not unknown. Rather than fitting a secondhand unit, personally I would probably send the unit to somebody like BBA-Reman for repair.

I wouldn't worry about the battery. As for the bleed nipple, you are probably dealing with a corroded 11mm. Play it by ear, if you can tap a 10 mm socket onto the nipple and crack it, do that. You should probably get away with a loose spanner once cracked. Alternatively, try imperial sockets. If it's tight, try tightening a fraction first, you may have to go back and forth a few times. Last resort is a bit of heat, but take care - you will damage the piston seals if you get carried away. You might want to replace the bleed nipples if they are in poor condition, they aren't expensive.

xavier's points are all valid, the most likely suspects must be eliminated first. The mechanic is unlikely to have tried a second replacement sensor, and though unlikely, you do get the odd dud. Was it a genuine or pattern part? I would most definitely check the airgap, the distance is critical. When the sensor is replaced, the rust scale must be removed from the hub or the new sensor will not fully seat. The sensor can look as though it is fitted correctly from above. If that is okay, the wiring needs to be tested for continuity back to the ABS module. A visual check of the wiring is also worthwhile, particularly around the wheelarch connector. The Teves ABS module can develop faulty sensor inputs. To identify this problem, you can connect an oscilloscope to each of the inputs to confirm the presence and quality of the sensor pulses, with the car raised and wheels turning. Alternatively, a more rough and ready approach is to chop the wiring at the ABS module connector and switch the two front sensors. If the fault code transfers to the other side, it's the sensor or associated wiring. If the fault stays on the same side, it's the ABS module. Don't forget to return the wiring to it's original state, or the ABS will not work correctly once the fault is rectified. Trace the wiring back from the wheelarches, or use the wiring diagrams from TIS to identify. What was the exact fault code? This may help identify whether wiring, sensor or module is at fault.

I know the feeling.... for most purposes, a clone key will do the job.

If you don't have an original remote key to work with, I would think that the easiest course would be to fit an aftermarket remote locking kit with separate fobs. There's a few threads on here about fitting if you have a search, try searching for "aftermarket remote locking" or "remote locking". Unless your car is a very late 1998, the locking system will probably be different to a 1999 car anyway - the electrics were revised heavily at the end of 1998.

The manufacturer & frequency details are marked on the small label on the outside of the remote part of the key. I would have thought any working remote would be on the key that starts the car, as you can then use it to unlock the doors too. If both of the remote labels have the same details, you should be able to add both to the system.

They will clone your existing key onto a new chipped key. The only downside is that you end up with two identical keys as far as the PATS system is concerned, and you canot use the procedure to add further transponders which needs two unique keys. However, for most people this won't be a problem, and it's a small price to pay to have a spare key.

I'm sure the door LED does something, but I can't remember what exactly. It sounds like the key that opens thet tailgate/passenger door and starts the car is probably original as you say... the driver's door lock must have been changed, and the key for that lock won't do anything else. The original remote key should code back to the car with the procedure in the FAQ.

Also, if you suspect the key with the remote has been swapped, it must have been replaced with the correct type - there are a few different transmitter/reciever frequencies in use, and the key type must match the original supplied with the car.

There's nothing under the passenger seat on your car, it has the later electrics similar to the mk.2. The windows/central locking/PATS modules are all integrated into the body control module (BeCM) which is part of the fusebox. The remote programming procedure is number 7 in the FAQ list, it says it's for the Mk.2, but applies to your car too.

Might have better luck posting in the mk.3 section. ;)

Boot lid most likely by some margin - then driver's door, then front passenger door.

See this thread for images of the chip, and it's location in the key - kindly posted by seatkid. Sounds like he lost the chip. It's a tiny thing, but if you know where it fell out, it's worth getting on the old hands n' knees.

Most likely culprit is one of the sensors not seeing a small part of the reluctor ring, at higher speeds the gap is short enough to fool the system. Check all of the reluctor rings, particularly on the front driveshafts. If you find a split ring, check the associated sensor for damage too.

My details were on a white card in the ziplock packet with the locking key. Have you emailed the US site or the EU one I linked to above? They have an online ordering system and the keys are posted out from Germany.

I'm still here. Same old bus, sadly getting old and tatty round the edges... just like me. Nice to see you back, might liven the place up a bit ;)