seatkid

My Mk1 has the curved blades - the wipers sweep about one inch less towards the A pillar on UK drivers side than the passanger side. A legacy of German design, the designer favoured the driver on the left - same is true on the Golf. I remember I had to reset the wiper position after a dealer service when they had mysteriously started parking right down on the scuttle and not wiping anywhere near the A pillars - now I realise they must have removed them to change the pollen filter. ;) Incidently I reckon theyre still too short - 30 inches still wouldnt do the whole screen. Im still on the original blades at 50,000 miles/5 years - but I take great care to clean them regularly and not to get wax/polish on them (or the glass) etc. Rear wiper and washer is bloody useless and blade refuses to follow the curved screen and no amount of adjusting helps :o - this is a genuine replacement wiper and arm which was broken off by a vandal.. :huh: Mk1 heated washer jets are useless - full stop :o they could do with a heater in the washer bottle! The headlamp washers are worse than useless - utter waste of money - only ever really needed them once and the buggers froze up even with strong winter mix. Have pulled fuse on these to stop pumping out gallons of water for nothing.

Go back to where you bought it and get them to cover it (or part) - they sold you an unroadworthy vehicle - a leaking flexi pipe fails the MOT. Its worthwhile phoning around exhaust specialists and other dealers (inc VW/Seat) - I doubt it is a dealer only part. My golf flexi was done at around half the cost of main dealer.

Thats the second time I heard that..... :huh:

Not when you find out how much its going to cost! :D :D

Looks like the 1.9 has reached the end of the line - notice all new Audis and VW are now getting the 2.0 litre diesel which is supposed to be streets ahead in refinement etc. and also meets the latest Euro IV standards Wonder when the Shalalaxy is getting it?

I believe by euro law, the manufacturer has to ensure certified emission limits are maintained for the lifetime of the vehicle. And where can we see the evidence the 1.9 tdi crankshaft is certified for approx 200 bhp? When VW fetch out a higher rated variant, many components are changed and uprated for instance the cylinder heads and valve gear use more exotic material e.g. sodium filled exhaust valves. You're not telling me I can take a bog standard 90hp vintage 1995 and chip it to 190bhp without trouble. And what about the rest of the car? Gearbox, brakes, etc. If your insurance company accepted it for a small increase in premium, you have been very lucky indeed.

Not been married long? hehe :D :D

I repeat - I don't think the ECU would log anything as there is no communiction link between the alternator and the ECU. It pointless looking there... BTW is the battery the original supplied with the vehicle?

I note that torque from 130bhp and 115bhp models are virtually the same. It might not be too long before insurance accident examiners start checking for these gadgets I reckon... Also lots of people say that the 1.9 is designed for much higher output - urban myth methinks. :D The reason manufacturers dont up the output is because of insurance and eco reasons. Thats why not many people bought Sierra Cosworths...try a get an insurance quote on a 190bhp Sharan...

Buncers, its stiff but it can be done relatively easily. Get the wife to do it for you!

On MK 1 , with the remote fob, press lock - car will lock, deadlock and alarm. Press lock again- deadlock releases and alarms off, though the car will still be locked externally. Similar thing with the keys, lock twice in succession. (The LED only blinks when the deadlocks/alarm are armed)

Almost certainly a faulty alternator. It appears from your tests that the voltage regulator (which is internal to the alternator) is detecting an overvoltage condition and then shutting down or resetting. This could be due to a regulator or diode fault. Don't think the ECU would log anything as there is no communiction link between the alternator and the ECU. Not sure if this is one of Fords "smart" alternators which varies charge voltage depending on battery charge state.... Talk to your dealer about your test result. If your car is in warranty, threaten the three attempts to fix a fault or you want a new car rule? (not sure about that....) In any case document your visits and check they log it in their computer. Then try writing to Ford...

My guess is that its a sensor problem (maybe crankshaft or cam position sensor or even accelerator pedal sensor). If it bothers you then next time you're at your Ford dealer ask him to check the PCM diagnostics to see if a sensor fault has been logged. I recall that similar happened once to me, but it never reoccured.

When you buy a new VW you can opt to have "WIV" service regime (German acronym - Wartungsintervallverl

Oh dear!! Have you hit anything? Sounds like a thorough inspection is needed. Check engine and gearbox mountings, tie rod ends, suspension bushes, driveshafts, could possibly be shock absorber.

As I recall last time I tried mine, you need to have the door open while you swing them as well being stood outside and the position on the guide rails and seat backs in a suitable position. It would be very dangerous, illegal and stupid to attempt to swing them while on the move. Not a feature of any use in my opinion. Theres not enough leg room anyway. Marketing gimmick invented by Renault. They also restrict access to the under seat floor cubby holes and you get your hand covered in grease if you put your hand underneath! The flip up tables are slightly more useful but potentially a killer if in use when an accident occurs. :angry:

506.01 Oil - For Diesels - Drain intervals up to 50000km (31000 miles)and only in conjunction with extended life oil filter and "WIV" VW's (but not Ford) variable interval service regime (not normal in UK) - Service indicator says when oil change is due which could be less than 10,000 miles depending on the way you drive etc. etc.

Yes, you can use it. Its the best spec possible for your engine. The oil will make no difference to the noise.The engine will sound quieter only because of the wife muttering about how expensive it was!

99.9 mpg going downhill :angry: but not so good going uphill :) Have you noticed when you start, even when hot, (and you reset the computer), how the first few fuel figures are very low and they build up the correct figure over 2 - 3 miles. e.g. first figure about 6mpg, then 11,14 etc. suggests that the calculation isn't quite right in that initial period.

The exhaust system comes out the back of the engine block. If you want to check the exhaust system out, you will need to examine it from underneath with the engine tray removed, with the vehicle raised. If you dont have the facilities, then take it to an exhaust specialist such as kwik-fit who Im sure will oblige. But first, If you remove the engine top cover, you could check if its an oil leak/spill round the back that causing smoke (from a hot exhaust). Black smoke from the exhaust is due excessive fuel and too little air, could be caused by a number of things. First thing to check is air filter, remove it and look (under) to see if its clean. When was it last serviced?

Presumably you mean a wobbling steering wheel - at low speed? Sure its just not wheel balance? - a pigeon nesting in your alloys?

Heated windscreen fuse is F27 50 amp located above the relays. Relay is K164

1. Check the pollen filter has been changed in the last 20-30k miles. 2. If it is a musty or smokers smell, it is the aircon evaporator, this can become covered in bacterial growth due to the damp that can linger in there. Needs to be treated or cleaned somehow. Cheapo Remedy? :( If it were mine I would spray some Sainsbury Microban air freshener into the system. Turn to recirc mode, select ECON mode (no a/c), low temp (no heat), lowish fan speed and spray into inlet located in passenger footwell until there is a reasonable amount in , switch off and allow 15-30 mins to "kill those germs", repeat if necessary, then probably finish off with a medium blast of highest heat possible for 20 mins to kill them stubborn critters. (Don't know how effective this would be but its worth a try!) 3. Unlikely to be diesel/exhaust fumes I think. If its smoking a little, check air intake filter - probably not been changed (or serviced) for yonks. :(

(If it was fine for 4 weeks with a new boost pressure solenoid, why don't Ford think its that again?) I disagree that its a sticking wastegate look at the symptoms - its fine to 3000 rpm and then trails off dramatically. If WG was stuck closed you'd have terrific performance followed by a blown turbo/engine, if it stuck open youll have no performance at all (esp. 1700-2400rpm), if it stuck part way you'd have poor performance at low revs and improving performance up the rev band. i.e. WG problems would affect bottom end before top end. The big clue is that it can be fooled into working OK above 3000 rpm by restarting the engine (i.e. rebooting the PCM) and going above 3000 rpm on no load, and by not letting it drop below the 3000 rpm threshold when load is applied. As soon as the speed drops below 3000 rpm the PCM is flagging an error and switching to limp home mode. The error is being cleared when the engine is restarted. If Ford can connect diagnostics after you have induced the limp home mode but not turning off the engine then maybe error codes will turn up (after all - limp home mode is an error). I think the fault must be one of the sensors or the PCM itself, I'm inclined to think its the PCM (because its not storing an error code). Could you persuade Ford to swap out the PCM for a trial period to eliminate it?

Ford service should have the ability to attach a gauge to measure turbo boost pressure and take it for a test drive. If they drive it to the limit at which the problem occurs, a simple reading will confirm if it it turbo related. My dealer did this to confirm boost pressure on my Tdi was correct. As there is a boost pressure sensor, I would have thought a fault code would flag a turbo/boost fault. Did you change the MAF yourself or did the dealer? If you did it yourself, check the connections and did you disconnect battery? - This resets the ECU to recalibrate the new MAF. Easy enough to try. (don't forget radio code will be lost) Did this problem occur suddenly or was the deterioration gradual? Any other symptoms e.g. Did you notice if you had lots of black smoke once you hit the limit and floored the throttle? I assume you have had recent air (and fuel) filter changes (i.e. not blocked) You need to narrow it down to one of three areas:- 1. Insuffient air into the engine due to blocked air intake turbo problem air leaking from boost pipework/intercooler (or blocked) 2. Insufficient fuel delivery due to fuel system blockage fuel pump problem PCM/sensor problems injectors 3. Blocked exhaust system catalytic converter BTW what year is it? (its not a PD engine?)