seatkid

After giving this some more thought, I should also stress Do not attempt to jack up the car or try to remove the undershield without somehow securing or supporting the rh end of the engine/gearbox. Don't move the car or start the engine either! At the moment the engine/gearbox is hanging on on one mount and probably being supported by a combination of exhaust, intercooler pipes,driveshaft and possibly the undertray itself. Jacking up the car could be an expensive disaster. :rolleyes: It is very dangerous to work under the car in its present condition. It could be some damage has already been done. When you retrieve the situation it would be wise to carry out a thorough examination underneath and around the engine/gearbox.

Get 2 fully threaded bolts 2 or more inches longer than the originals, screw a nut down to the head end and put a large washer on. Put the two bolts in 2 diagonally opposite holes and screw into the mount. Then use the nuts to pull the mount up, refit the original bolts in the other two holes........

It sounds like the rear engine mount which also carries the gearbox (is it as below?). Think you'll have to fix it on the spot as towing it might damage gearbox/driveshafts etc etc. You could try using longer bolt(s) to catch the mount and pull it up.

Oh dear. :o ..I know how you feel.... :rolleyes:

Be aware that these cubbyholes may possibly get filled up with water if the windsceen feed pipe seperates (very common fault).

Couldn't be a dealer that did that surely?? [sarcastic remark] Reminds me of when a Ford dealer left out top 4 bolts on bell housing on my mums Sierra after a clutch change because they were difficult to reach... :rolleyes: BTW Hugh, I see you must have the (very) limited edition 1.8Tdi ! :o

The belt has an automatic tensioner which is just to the rear of the alternator and on top of the belt. If the belt is slack then either the belt has stretched too much or the tensioner is kaput. To detension and remove the belt there is a bolt under the bottom run of the belt, see below (N.B. You will have to detension and remove PAS belt first in order to remove alternator belt)

Over boost on engine is wastgate not opening. Did they measure over boost from the cars sensor or using an independant gauge? Possibilty that boost sensor is faulty. Could still be a wiring fault or PCM fault (giving permanent voltage to WCS and so permanent vacuum to wastegate actuator) If the dealer has diagnosed it as a sticking wastgate then get them to agree that if changing the turbo doesn't clear the fault then they foot the bill. If you go elsewhere they will just say tough luck.

Dont know, possibly. Did they say they what they have eliminated before concluding its a turbo fault? On the previous 4 attempts what was their conclusion? Was something else changed? Was the fault intermittent or solid i.e. does it always go into limp home mode after 3000 rpm? The wastegate is closed by vacuum via the WCS (Wastegate Control Solenoid) which is activated by the PCM (Engine ECU). It could be that vacuum isn't getting to close the wastegate because:- 1) Leaks in the vacuum pipes pre or post WCS solenoid. Pre-solenoid are a host of possibilies as the vacuum is also used by brake servo. Leaks from cracked vacuum pipes are fairly common. Check these pipes. 2) Faulty WCS solenoid - this can be changed as a separate item. You could check with a meter if the coil was open circuit which is one possible failure on this bit. Using a meter see if the WCS solenoid is getting voltage at idle to low revs (i.e. the solenoid should open and allow vacuum to close the wastegate). 3) Wiring fault e.g. no voltage to the WCS from the PCM 4) PCM fault 5) Vacuum pump faulty - (but the brakes would suffer badly) 6) Boost pressure sensor or other sensor fault.

1. Normal content people don't bother with surveys. 2. Top Gear and other car mags are effectively controlled by the manufacturers who give the most freebies (exotic trips, chance to lark about in exotic cars etc) 3. JD Power survey? :( :D Great Joke! think chrysler alpine..... :( 4. Who cares if they knock down our favourite car? It means the manufacturer tries harder, more discounts for us etc. etc. :D

Not sure if Mk1 2.3L has a manually adjusted tensioner or a spring loaded one like the MkII. To quote Ford TIS (for MkII - no such advice for Mk I)..

According to Ford TIS - 235Nm Once tightened, the hub retaining nut must not be disturbed. If the torque setting requires to be checked the nut must be loosened two full turns and re-tightened. Note: Rotate the hub while tightening the hub retaining nut.

Its not a tired battery? Does it run ok once started? Does it start straight away when warm? Give us some more clues....

New belts bedding in? :( Do new cars squeal when you drive them from the showroom? - "Don't worry sir, its just your car bedding in..." :( Loose belts usually screach after you start and battery is low and demanding large charging current. Sounds a little to me like they overtightened the belt and its your water pump or one of the other rotating pulleys squealing - in which case irreversible damage may already be done. Check belt tension.

Did she divorce you for being too pedantic? Tell her it's always been like that.... (I'll resist asking why you're giving it back, and whether she's also taking your house, pension, money, etc. etc.)

Yeah, I used to get this, my dealer told me it was a blower error code, but didnt know how to fix it, instead he just "recoded" it whatever that means! <_< Didn't fix it, but it occurred so infrequently that I just ignore. As the a/c is shagged now (evaporator is the latest theory after 18 month dealer procrastination and much deliberation and wads of cash :angry: ), it pails into insignificance. Got the bits, I'm waiting till the summer when hopefully I'll be having a go - armed with camera for the benefit of the forum!!

Very glad to see you escaped relativley unhurt, Nik. Reminds me a lot of when my 96 Alhambra was written off by a drug crazed underage driver in a Vauxhall Nova who lost it on a blind bend probably in excess of 80 mph. He slammed 3/4 on into me - closing speeds must have been aound 100 mph. The Nova ended up looking like it had been in a crusher, (the driver survived though he had injuries). The Alhambra had extensive front end damage and its o/s wheel/driveshaft taken off. The drivers footwell was reduced to around half its normal size, but no legs trapped. We walked away with just minor bruises from the seat belts which tightened automatically when the pretensioners fired. Airbags also deployed. Only nasty moment was the airbag smoke and orange flash from them caused panic with my daughter and wife who thought the car had caught fire and the n/s doors were up against a wall... As Renault advert says - Size matters....

?? Those bits in the middle are not clips, they are just guides. The filter sits in the frame, the housing on the car that the filter/frame fits into has a channel on the top and bottom edge into which the frame guides slide. The bulk of the frame sits completely inside the housing, the guides in the channels. You haven't located the frame into the housing correctly. It sounds as if you located the guides completely outside the housing (which is flexible). Get a good light into there and examine the housing before you refit the filter. The trick is once you get the filter/frame about halfway, push the (passenger end) of the assembly as far into the housing as it will go. The frame/filter then slides all the way to the right, engaging into a couple of locating holes at the right hand end of the housing and then push the left end in and click! If its fitted correctly, very little force is required. I can see me having to take more photos... :o Gazza007, I don't have any problem understanding the airflow markings, only the dealers :o

For diesel models produced up to 03/2000 (i.e. 90/110 Tdi engine) its 40k for Automatics and 60k/5yrs for Manual. After 03/2000 (i.e. 115/130 PD engine) its 40k/5yrs for every variant. OK? :o

Turbo, some turbos hiss and/or whistle more noticeably than others (less well balanced). Hiss can also be associated with leaks on the boost side. Check the main air pipe connections turbo onwards and also the intercooler at the front which may have a small hole or be damaged. Small leaks don't affect performace as the turbo just works a little harder. Finally there is a small possibility that the intercooler is becoming blocked (with gunge) but I would have thought this would noticeably affect performance. Mussey1 you have to disconnect the MAF from the filter housing, on mine its two allen key bolts. Air filter change is specified at 30k, also clean out the filter housing. Missing clip at back shouldn't affect the performance but increases possibility of dust and dirt getting into MAF/ engine which will do it no good at all. If your filter hasnt been changed for 60k could be the reason for poor performance.

Can anyone spot the deliberate mistake? :blink: 2 Clues.... The dirty side is uppermost It was fitted by an ex Ford now Seat dealer

read this thread about how brake switches cause this problem.

No, he checked that (first post). But what did they put in his box? - I recall many years ago sawdust was very popular! :( :( Sorry - that was uncalled for.... :blink: but I couldn't resist... B)

I'm a little surprised that SA intruder doesn't do his own oil change but I guess it the warranty thing. Just a minor point - Shell Helix Diesel plus 5W-40 seems to be a VW505.00 oil see here :( Ivor, I thought Black MPV's were reserved for undertakers and the FBI. :blink:

SA intruder - OK perhaps I should have posted a disclaimer and explained it was a Mk 1, what's different about the mk II?