malcolm.dobell

if you don't put low profile tyres on wheels then "yes" the settings will be wrong. for 17", wheels, if you use the tyres I've quoted above, then the speedo will be OK. if you go for 18" you need even lower profile 225/35x18. As others have said they must be reinforced. The speedo will still be OK 17" wheels with 225/45x17 wheels are quite mainstream and therefore not outrageously expensive. Also they might sharpen up the handling a bit but not completely destroy the ride. 18" tyres are a lot more costly, there's much less choice and I suspect your backside will regret the decision the firt time you hit a pothole!! if you do change, don't forget to tell your insurer!!!

Assume you're talking about a Mk1 or Mk2 galaxy. if you buy 17" wheels you can use 225/45x17 94W tyres. This combination is used on some of the Sharan/Galaxy/Alhambra as atandard. My Alhambra has these wheels as standard. the diameter of this combination is roughly the same as the other tyres I've had on Alhambra/Galaxy; 215/60x15, 195/65x15. Other models use 205/60x16. all of them use the same speedo setting.

I have hired a liber-t box so as to be able to go through the "t" lanes on French autoroutes. The instructions suggest that "coated windscreens" should have a place marked out for such devices. The ideal position is adjacent to the interior mirror. I can see no sign of such a place on the windscreen. Bottom left or right hand corners look best. Does anyone have one of these that they have successfully used? Where did you put it? Thanks in advance.

You need something like this.......... http://www.justkenwood.co.uk/car-audio.aspx/pc5-91-adaptor

I think the short answer is "no". the only model of this three branded model that has firmer suspension (and from about 2003 usually 17" wheels) is the SEAT Alhambra SE/Stylance Mk11

Haven't had one with swivelling seats for a while, but as far as I recall adjust the steering as though you've got gorilla arms, and I thought I had to adjust the seat forward and upright.

I have a 130bhp tdi. I have always run in 3rd when at 30mph. The engine feels far too laboured at 30 in 4th. It's also very responsive and not noisy. Still only doing about 1800rpm.

Assuming you need chains for Alpine roads, you could explore Spikes-Spiders or Autosock from the Roofbox company. My 04 Alhambra cant't take normal chains but Spikes Spiders have been fine. Used them at least twice in 12 years!!!!

Air conditioning is more than just heating or cooling. One of the benefits of cooling the air and then heating it up again (which is what happens with the climate control), is that humidity is removed, and this prevents the windows steaming up, and helps clear them if they are steamed up! Also, not running the air con over the winter is quite a good way to encourage leaks as the lubricant included with the regrigerant doesn't get circulated! Hope that answers the question.

Thanks very much for the pics. I've found it now and all looks intact! Service agent inspected the car and re-attached "the Turbo Pipe" which had somehow come adrift thanks again for the help

Thanks very much for the pics. I've found it now and all looks intact!

well............... I have looked under the bonnet - I don't have the means to access or remove the under engine tray - and can't even find the oil filter let alone the vacuum pipe. However, thanks for the information. It will help my discussions with the service people who are always willing to fix anything they have got wrong - which is not often!

jkspoff - thanks very much for the advice; I'll check.

130BHP Alhambra '04 reg. Typically, turbo boost comes on stream at about 1800rpm. Following a service, it now comes on stream at about 2300 rpm. Effect is so pronouced that even my wife noticed (not very PC, but she's not normally very sensitive to the mechanical gubbins!)

I have no personal experience of using them, but these people replied promptly when I enquired about upholtery repairs for my Alhambra. You problem sounds like it needs more extensive work than I asked for. I was quoted

Seat Alhambra SE and Stylance versions have them on both sides

My 130HP 1.9tdi - 04 reg has done 71000miles and feels like new. they go on and on. with that reg and that mileage try and get the dealer to change the cam belt and antyhing else that's easy to change whilst it's being done (water pump?)

I know it's bl**din' obvious but have you checked tyre pressures? All tyre places put 30psi in the front tyres on my Alhambra because that's what's on all the standard charts. But the 225/45x17 tyres actually need 42psi!!!

My suspicion is that you'd barely notice the difference between 13" and 14"! the tyre size seems more a matter of "no choice" than any other consideration. the wheels +tyres would be about 10mm bigger in overall diameter and like in my previous reply you'll go slightly faster for a given speedometer indicated speed. good luck

the rule of thumb you quote should lead you to 185x45/15 which don't apparently exist there are two things you need to ensure: 1) the overall diameter of the tyre on the bigger rim is the same as that on the smaller one. - you can be bigger or smaller, but it might not fit and it will mess up the speedo calibration 2) if you use a wider tyre, then there's a risk of contact with the wheel arch on full lock. the tyre size has three components: width, in mm aspect ratio in % and rim diameter in inches. they couldn't really design it to be more compicated if they tried! so your 165/65/13 tyres have a wall height of 65% of 165 which is 107mm. double this for the overall height - 214mm and convert to inches: - 8.5inches - total with the rims of 21.5inches. your new tyres/wheels have to be the same diameter, so if you want 15 inch wheels you have 6.5 inches for the tyre thickness. Halve it an convert back to mm - comes to 82.5mm; you'd probably want 45% section tyres - you could use 195x45/15 which are a bit over-sized (87.5mm - 10mm over on diameter, and your speedo would read under your actual speed by 4% compared with where you are now. if you buy tyres 30mm wider than you currently have you really must check there's clearance to the wheel arch on full lock and with the wheels/offset you use there's clearance between tyre and the suspension strut. BUT - government health warning coming - - I have never done any of this!!! also you must tell your insurer!!!

you really do need to check out the issue of the cambelt if yours is a PD diesel. Up to a point in 2003, following a spate of premature failures, the recommended mileage for changing the belts was reduced from 60000 miles to 40000 miles. Later ones reverted to 60000 miles. I'm pretty sure you will find references to this by searching the technical help forum. I don't often succeed with searches, but many other kind folk know the ins and outs of searches and can probably turn up references. many folk have the water pump and an idler changed at the same time as the cambelt. It's several

I have an Alhambra SE 2004 and the seats are upholtered in a dark grey cloth with rubbery threads as well as red and blue threads woven into the cloth. the edges of the seats are in a plain cloth. The seams between the two cloths are splitting. Does anyone know of a good auto upholsterer in the Milton Keynes area who might be able to do a repair?

Adrian is the kind soul!

there are two 12V power supplies to the radio. One is to power it when it's switched on and the other supplies a tiny amount of electricity to keep the memories alive. The first is fded via the ignition switch and the other one is direct from the battery. I have read threads saying these two supplies can be connected incorrectly in some of the cars and need a couple of wires switched round in the connector. However I don't seem to be able to make the search engine work to find you the detail 9or I'm using the wrong terms!) I'm sure some other kind soul will help