seatkid

Fredt, check that you haven't got a leak on that van of yours as you appears to be having classic gas sniffers symptoms.... :unsure:

Fredt, Forget Tdi's, PD's, V6's, in fact forget Shalaxies all together (they will be a distant memory in 2 or 3 years time) Now, if you want a great engine, then the VAG 1.2 litre 3 cyl 64bhp petrol is a peach. The one in my Fabia :unsure: makes the Alhambra sound and feel like an old asthmatic clattery tractor with reumatoid arthritis....

:D Its probably Dave's orginal!

And don't forget to check the all important under engine tray is still there......

Well done Steve - you're a brave man. :D What model/year is your car? Do you think that A/C evaporator (which sits in the section to the left of the heater matrix i.e. between the fan and heater) could come out in a similar fashion? Or do you think the heater matrix would have to come out as well?

1st Check the usual things.. a) V5 - does the owner own it and does he owe money on it? How many previous owners? If he only had it a couple of months it could indicate it has a problem. :D Service history/bills - check it out with the dealer or garage that stamped it, is it genuine? c) Look for accident damage thats been covered up. d) Rust - Check those sills for damage from sloppy garages and wheel arches. e) Test drive it, check performance, look for signs of oil consumption (smoke), unusual sounds from engine or suspension. Check clutch/gearbox works smoothly. Check ABS (if fitted) works. f)Check every electrical item works. Check a/c is working. Check tyres for uneven or unusual wear. Check exhaust is not about to drop to bits. Check Central locking/keys/locks Make sure that you haggle a significant reduction if 1) the A/c is knackered - (if its been recently regassed suspect a leak.) 2) the performance is naf - could be one of several things, MAF, turbo, sensors, piping, some expensive. 3) ABS not working 4) Knocking sounds from suspension 5) Tyres (inc spare) worn, or cheapo tyres fitted. 6) Brakes/Discs worn 7) Clutch worn or done more than 80,000 miles since last change. 8) Cambelt overdue for change (expensive) or if tensioning roller wasnt changed. 9) Be aware PD engines serviced with the wrong oil could suffer camshaft problems - very expensive. Models prior to 2000 are not PD so this doesnt apply. 10) no/short MOT/Tax 11) something else e.g. electrical item doesn't work 12) if major work done that you're not entirely happy with. If its burning oil or theres a gearbox problem - just walk away.

Isnt the no on it the VW part no? 701819876 Try SEAT as well as VW

You won't have for very much longer. Shalaxy production is to stop at the end of this year if all the rumours are correct.

Merci beaucoup mes amis. Au Revoir! [Warning! Limit of french vocabulary reached]

Don't worry, its normal for oil in Tdi's to turn black within milliseconds of starting the engine.

I'm off to France tomorrow for a well earned break :lol: Many years ago I recalled my French teacher talking about the stupidity of the give way to right rule on the roads. Is that still the case? Do I need to watch all those small junctions on the right for mad tractor drivers? Merci. Sorry that this post is in wrong section. :blink:

Squeeze the little retaining clip on the top of the plug before pulling.

Sound of banjo playing theme tune from "Deliverence" :blink:

Previously reported on Galaxy ten most wanted fixes..... Next.... I disconnected the MAF and got 0- 60 in just over 28 seconds I bought and fitted a new air filter - result - no difference I removed the maf again and using specially formed extension tube on my can, gave the bottom entrance of the sensor (furthest away from the plug) a good blasting with Isopropanol. Result - no difference. The fine wire screen the front of the housing prevents easy access to the sensor. Short of removing the sensor from the housing (2 security torx screws) and prodding around with a cotton bud I conclude that cleaning a MAF will probably at best give a minimal improvement. :lol: :( :lol: :( :lol: :lol: :lol: :( :lol: :lol: :blink: Who do we blame? - Bosch? for making sensors that drift/wear out or VW? for not designing software to compensate for drift (or was this Bosch?) and/or accepting this unacceptable failure rate.

You can lead a horse to water....

The self cleaning function only applies to old wire type sensors, the Tdi is fitted with a Bosch film sensor with integrated electronics, there is no cleaing function on this as it would fry the electronics...Bosch evidently think the much larger area of the film sensor coupled with the lower running temperature should lead to longer life :blink: :lol: :lol: Watch this space [ :blink: ]

I've noticed that the oil on my new Skoda Fabia :D has turned somewhat orangey after 2500 miles (from new) and was thinking the same - what the....??

Doesn't it say something when new models are just as unreliable as old ones? Evidently the joint Ford/VW venture restricts development to bits of chrome wrok only.... I for one won't buy another one, (this one of mine will have to last the distance)

:D Woah!!

Silver Calcium technology aka Calcium-Calcium technology - the grids use calcium instead of antimony. Main benefits are true lifetime maintainance-free operation (much reduced water usage) higher starting currents and increased mechanical shock resistance. Main drawbacks are poor deep discharge and prolonged discharge performance which can easily kill the battery. Requires a higher charging voltage (over 15 volts) to acheive a full charge, Ford alternators (smart charge technology) are adapted for this - in this case, old technology batteries must not be used (due to explosion hazard). AFAIK VAG engined Galaxies use conventional alternators which mean that with stop-start or short run motoring, calcium-calcium batteries never get fully charged and a short life is to be expected. <_< No harm in fitting a larger battery particularly if you do a lot of stop-start or cold climate work. - a smaller battery will not last as long but is a lot lighter. My Alhambras all came with a 92Ah battery which is physically up to the max in the tray. Possibly your battery failed at one year due to it being in a showroom and draining down for too long. Have you tried asking for a warranty replacement?

On a short trip to Tesco (1.5miles) when I stopped at a zebra crossing, I noticed that when I nudged forward, the car pulled up as if the rear brakes were slightly on. I checked the handbrake but it was fully off. When I got home, I checked it rolled down the slight incline of my drive, which it did, albeit slowly. When I checked the rear discs - they were stinking hot! :) The front discs were even hotter!! :D As I hardly used the brakes on this very slow trip I immediately sussed something was wrong. I got back in the car, released the handbrake - the car stood still, then I hooked my foot under the brake pedal and pulled gently - the pedal moved ever so sightly and the car immediatey started to roll forward. The brake pedal was not releasing fully!There was a recall on early (-97) models to address this very same problem - a stronger spring was fitted. Seems that later models suffer too and maybe this helps explain the high wear rate of those rear pads (along with the over eager auto adjuster). Needless to say I am miffed and concerned. I wonder if I should contact the manufacturer?

You shouldnt have changed the Lambda probe in the first instance...... Unless I'm mistaken:- Lambda reading of around 1 +- a little is normal and shows that closed loop control is working i.e. Lambda probe is working and correct mixture is being acheived. High CO is then down to faulty CAT. Now you have a new CAT but your Lambda is wrong (and CO is out) - either the new "universal???" Lambda sensor has been damaged fitting the new CAT, or the wiring is damaged or is it simply disconnected? Is everything else connected - EGR etc...? Could also be that the ECU has given up trying and is running in limp home mode. Could you refit the old Lambda? How much do these retests costs? Dont worry about 1litre in 2000 miles - it should improve. Rings etc. shouldnt effect CO.

Hey! If that's really you Fredt, welcome back :D

I believe in a diesel the MAF is used to determine the upper limit of fuelling (before smoking/pollution occurs) for the amount of air being drawn at the current engine revs. When the air filter becomes blocked or air pressure falls or air temperature rises, the mass of air measured reduces and so the ecu reduces max power at that engine revs to stop emission infringement. Unfortunately the shit etc that builds up in MAF (including hot film types) has the same effect - it thinks the air flow has dropped - hence the "no power" syndrome. Likewise erosion of the hot element. IIRC the ecu has the ability to recalibrate the MAF at intervals so it compensates automatically until a certain level of deterioration. After that, it's time to post the same old question "no power - please help!" In a petrol engine the MAF is used to control the fuelling almost directly and gives a much more accurate metering than throttle plate position (plus several other inputs) - I believe many upmarket petrol must have MAFs - my 1978 Saab 99GLE had one - in those days the Bosch fuel injection system used a sprung flap to measure airflow. Until they get some shit in them....but Bosch ain't complaining, its nice bread and butter work, especially if you're the only supplier. What I want to know is why VAG wont use Pierburg MAFs anymore - the general consesus is they last forever.. :unsure:

Dicky keys, the transponder in the key must work for the car to start (it will just turn over without). Could also be the reason for gearbox problems. Tell seller to get some real keys .....where did this car come from? :unsure: