seatkid

It appears in this case, someone had a cheap shoddy job done on the cambelt change, and it was the cambelt/tensioner failing that was the cause of the no start. Much barking up the wrong tree....... Nothing at all to do with the fuel.........

No need for special oil on 2.3 engine. If youve just bought the car, it sounds as if they might have known it had a problem. If it was a car dealer then you should take the matter up with them. If it was a private sale, then see what they say.

Sounds like a sticky idle control valve or an air leak on the inlet manifold piping. Try a search of the forum for more detail.

Yes you have to wind the rear piston clockwise (IIRC) while applying pressure. Virtually impossible without a wind back tool. Available from GSF, Halfords, fleabay etc etc. I got the Laser Wind back Tool from GSF for under £20 a few years back. It only takes seconds with the tool and avoids damaging the rubber boots. You should open the bleed nipple when pushing pistons back, all the crap will come out instead of going back up the line into pressure limiters/ABS blocks. Also you can damage/flip seals in the master cylinder/ABS block by pushing back fluid. Finally you always should bleed the brakes as the last op to remove air locks and flush any crap out.

Sparky is right, the warning light provides initial excitation current to start the alternator charging and a reference. However you clearly have the wrong alternator, there is no guarantee you can get it to work, there is a good chance you will blow something with a wrong connection and the alternator you got may be for a ford mk2 model with a smart charge capability - totally incompatible with your VW engines Mk 1. It may also not be lined up accurately with the belt despite your shims.

You should take the alternator back and get the correct part.

Don't forget that a significant proportion of failed heads are cracked (around the exhaust valves, I think), I don't think these can be repaired so you need find a new head (

Yup, head cracked/warped or head gasket failure.

None of the above apply! (Looks like a list of faults on old Audi petrol models) On Shalaxy Tdis the brake servo is in the engine compartment. No pipes go through the bulkhead. Vacuum is supplied by a mechanical vacuum pump mounted on the engine at the front near the gearbox end. Most likely failures are 1. Perished internal seal(s) in the servo (requiring replacement of entire servo unit) - unlikely to be intermittent however, rather a constantly leaking servo that gives little or no reserve of vacuum. 2. Check the stiff plastic vacuum pipe that is attached to the servo. Check both ends for splits - when they split they are a loose fit. Note there is also another similar stiff pipe going to the vacuum pump. 3. There is a whole load of minor vacuum pipes also that feed the turbo control system - but I find it hard to imagine a fault that gives intermittent brake effort. 4. They are reports posted of failed vacuum pumps (rare) Are you sure this is not a case of little or no vacuum reserve? (i.e. a vacuum leak somewhere or poorly vacuum pump). With the engine running and stationary, press the brake moderately firmly a number of times in quickish succession (say once a second) - if the brake pedal goes hard on the 2nd or 3rd push - you have a leak. When the brake pedal goes hard, it should recover within a 2-3 seconds.

Make sure they are reinforced and carry a load rating at least 95. Anything less is dangerous, illegal and invalidates your insurance. Personally I would avoid any chinese tyre unless it was on a wheelbarrow.

Try disconnecting the MAF sensor (thats the sensor in the air pipe immediately after the air filter box). Then see if it starts.

70 mpg is possible.....use the force gregers...use the force.......

Is it true that the engine has to be removed totally in order to change the cambelt?

Directive 2010/48/eu discussion (one of many)

No, its the new MOT requirement as required by the EU. Also aftermarket HIDs will be failed automatically.

After carefully eliminating the plugs/leads/coilpaks then move on to lambda sensor. An MOT testing station can measure the exhaust and tell if the Lambda sensor is working (slip them a fiver). Its located in the exhaust somewhere near just ahead or on the cat. Can be a pig to remove. Take care to get a compatible replacement, apparently many of the cheap universal sensors don't work in the Galaxy.

Why will it fail ? they are not illegal, as long as you inform your insurance there is no law broken Radiotwo Changes to the MOT as mandated by the EU law. It will be illegal to modify a manufacturers control unit and engine as this contravenes the certification of the vehicle.

From this November, if its noticed at the MOT test, then your car will automatically fail.

They are light bulb warnings. If one stays on then it means you have a blown lamp bulb, in your case its the offside rear cluster - one of the parking or brake bulbs. (n.b the bottom ones stay on when you first start the car until you press the brake pedal when they should go out)

It happens. I think probably air sucked in the T-piece thermo valve on the top of the fuel filter. I believe this should have a couple of O rings (not sure on the MK 1) - sometimes lost when replacing the filter. Alternatively when the filter itself is pretty blocked I expect some air is drawn in (again via t- piece) Once there is some air in there, it probably just circulates around (fuel filter -> pump -> return line-> fuel filter via that T-piece)

If it definitely wasn't there before this work then something hasn't been done right. Did you check the dmf was OK? (Don't ask me how though) Is the grinding from the gears when you change - in that case the clutch isnt fully disengaging. The fact that its ok when you do it slowly suggest you need to bleed air from the slave cylinder hydraulics.

Ist thing to check....If its seized, then its knacked....

This whole story is starting to get a bit........ Oil/diesel coming out of dipstick?? Starting with brake cleaner???? If they used something like Eazistart, its possible they damaged the engine.

Sticking vane actuator or leaking vacuum pipes most likely suspects I think. Under boost means that the turbo boost pressure (measured by the TMAP sensor) didnt get up to the required value within the time allocated. In other words, the turbo vanes didn't get to the right position either because they got stuck or the vacuum moving them in the vane actuator was lacking. There is an illustrated guide somewhere on the forum that shows how to check the vane actuator movement and how to lubricate/free it up.