seatkid

:42: Here we go again.....I see your engine type and model year etc is....damn....this crystal ball just doesnt seem to be working....

What loose hose? Cant see anything untoward in those tiny photos. Try highlighting the hose in question and a larger photo please.

Not so quick, Calvin! Kwikfit are not a/c specialists.... They also told me my compressor was gone, but I couldn't get it through to them it was because there was no gas in the system and the 3-way pressure switch inhibits compressor operation. Furthermore, the pressure switch has to be in the correct range before the ignition is turned on to recognise that the gas quantity is correct and the compressor allowed to engage. Did they actually attempt to fill the a/c system with gas? How much gas was in there to start with and did they fill with the correct quantity? There are a number of things to check before you can conclude the compressor is duff and most importantly - a duff compressor does not cause the panel to flash.

You shouldn't have a problem as long as you have enough leverage. One of those telescopic wheel braces with the right size socket on should do the job easily. I think I saw them going for about £7 in the local kwikfit.

If its a Mk1, there are 2 ports. The high pressure port is at the top behind the radiator just to the right of the bonnet latch The low pressure port is located behinf the o/s (drivers) front indicator. To gain access, just slacken off the one screw at the top of the indicator bracket. The indicator slides forward and out. THe low pressure port will be clearly visisble there. Correct filling of gas requires both ports to be attached to the machine.

Flashing usually = low or no gas. If you go to kwikfit, they will regas your system for £49. The machine pulls any gas left out first and stops holding a vacuum for about 30 minutes. If a leak is detected, the machine will stop automatically. A printed report will tell you how much gas was in, etc. If the regas is not a success, and the a/c does not work, kwikfit will not charge you anything and you know you have a significant leak, e.g. maybe a hole in the condensor due to stone damage. If it is successful, you may still find you have a small leak that means that the a/c stops working days or weeks later - in that case it would be advisable to check the receiver/dryer (search the forum for pictures and comprehensive instructions) as this is a common corrosion/leakage point on Mk 2 models. By the way its common for automotive a/c systems to lose gas over time. In the case of the Galaxy you're doing well if the gas lasts 4 or 5 years.

There's a tendency for air to blow lukewarm without a/c on due to heat from engine bay/coolant tank heating the air near the air intake (pollen filter area) and due to leakage of air round the temperature flap (buried in the heater module behind the dash). The heater matrix normally runs hot all the time and air temp is controlled by a flap that bypasses the matrix. If the air is hot all the time then the temperature flap could be stuck - this shows up on a diagnostic scan e.g. VAGCOM IIRC. A blocked pollen filter doesn't help either....

If its like the Mk1, then you will have to remove the power steering pump to gain access to the thermostat housing bolts.

I suspect you have a MkIII galaxy. You should repost in the MkIII section with full details about the engine etc. and maybe somewhere there can help.

I found a drop or two of toilet 100% limescale remover applied at the nozzle end, combined with a bit of rodding using a pin, cleared the limescale out my partly blocked washer jet. Obviously great care required not to spill onto bonnet paintwork.

Put an ohmmeter on the sensor plug end - the correct value is somewhere on the forum - from memory its something like 1.5kohms or maybe 15kohms. If they "stretched" the cable (forgot to unplug it) then its probably gone open circuit due to internal wire break.

Doing one side at a time, with the front wheel removed, remove the plastic wheel arch liner, there are only about 6 or 8 torx screws to undo. You will then see that the rear bottom of the wheel arch is blocked up with several inches of mud and crap, so stopping/impeding drainage of water from the scuttle area. Rinse/scrape this crap out and poke out the small drain hole located on the bottom sill lip clear with a screwdriver. Unfortunately, you will probably also discover a large amount of rust in the area - so you may want to clean it up/wire brush ( as best you can considering its location) and hammerite it while you're at it. Its a basic design fault, the bottom most drain hole is way smaller than the hole on top in the corner of the scuttle tray under the window. Any debris/small stone etc that gets washed down there gets stuck at the bottom and blocks the drain. Eventually the water finds somewhere else to go - into the car.

Very very impressive Mirez! However, I'd probably buy a new car rather than tackle a job like that!

Methinks its a high tensile bolt.

Probably the O ring on the T-piece in the fuel filter top is missing/damaged/not seating. Common cause for air getting into supply pipe causing misfire/hesitation under load. Remove the mickey mouse clip to lift the t-piece and check.

If only dealers, independents, tyre fitters etc would do the same!

I thought the remote locking etc control unit was only under the floor on very early Mk1 models. By 1998 (maybe earlier) it got redesigned and relocated to behind the dash because of the water problem.

Well based on your regime, I would say that my theories are probably of no value. Hopefully my old fashioned AHU tractor is not as fussy as these new fangled PD units.

Repost in Mk III section to get a reply

Got a new surround for my fog lamp (Mk1) from local Seat dealer - remarkably they had one in stock at

Wow Mirez! Well done! Must say your enthusiasm for hard work is admirable. I doubt I would want to undertake a job on like that, but I look forward to the write up. A couple of questions: 1. What fuel do you generally use? 2. Do you use any additives? 3. What oil do you use and how often is it changed? The reason I ask is I wonder if using the right fuel/oil/additive combination reduces (or eliminate) this EGR build up. I'm fairly convinced that using Millers power sport 4 additive must have cleaned up my EGR somewhat. At one point the old girl was wheezing and whistling terribly prompting me to start using the Millers additive. After a week of heavy dosing and several italian tuneups and lots of smoke, the whistling (and smoke)disappeared. Another definite benefit was the car now passes the MOT emission test each year on first go (Fast Pass) with extremely low numbers whereas previously it would take the full 3 passes and be pretty near the limit. Over the last 2-3 months I've stopped using the Millers mailny due to laziness and also the stupid design of the container it comes in (always get it all over my hands), and I have noticed a small gradual decline in mpg and increase in idle noise, which by your observations may be the EGR getting clogged again.

Check the wiring in the door gaitors - they often break sometimes its not obvious as the cores break but the insulation can stay intact. see Technical FAQ 31,43,44 for detailed info and pictures

Dealer servicing has always been overpriced. I usually save some money buy supplying my own oil (make sure it is the correct spec and recorded in the service history). Not all dealers are happy to do this.

:44: Posted in the wrong section - repost in Transit section :40:

Common problem. If you do a search I think you'll find its due to a bad crimp on the heavy wire from the alternator. New box (around