seatkid

Quite frankly, If I had a major expensive failure on a 98 car, I would be straight off down to a dealer negotiating a scrappage deal. Pot luck if this company is any good or claims are valid. Their bits look shiny...... Personally I would always aim to repair things back to original state using OEM parts if I can afford it.

Exactly what I would do.

Take it back and demand money back.

I think that the early VW 2litre unit fitted in the Sharan/Alhambra had a distributor.

Blue smoke means burning engine oil usually worn piston rings or valve gear - not good - often terminal!

On searching the forum, it appears that the throttle position sensor only comes complete with pedal for models after 1998. around

By accelerator switch, he means throttle position sensor (the thing on your accelerator pedal) - a double track device - if one track gives a dodgy reading the symptoms you describe occur. IIRC about

Its a process of inspection and elimination, if you employ a garage it depends on how long it takes them to locate the leak (labour charges). If you're lucky you hear it hissing at the leak (with the engine running) Start by checking the the main vacuum feed to the servo - this is a rigid plastic pipe going to the servo (big black circular thing located in the engine bay, directly behind the brake pedal area. i.e. about 18" under the brake fluid reservoir. This pipe is known to split. The other item to check is the servo unit itself, and leaking servos are quite common. With the engine running stick your head in the drivers footwell and see if you hear hissing from the area above the brake pedal (IIRC there is a small rubber flap/valve there that leaks)

Air in a brake system would give a soft pedal. OP confirms pedal goes hard, therefore vacuum leak.

i have same problem ,i change water pump ,thermostat and radiator still same See FAQ Nr 67

15mpg? Must be a fuel leak - or someone is siphoning it off. One thing for certain, engine is not using it up, you would have tons of black smoke.

Try Yellow Pages, look under Car dealer Ford/VW/Seat and ask for the parts dept. ^_^ Why? Could be different part for different year/engine etc.

^_^ The TIS has full schematics (if somewhat cryptically presented). There are many variations, model/engine/year/options. I would look for you but I dont have the time to dedicate the next 3 days on a step by step handholding exercise.

Check the brakes arent binding and so getting stinking hot. This can lead to brake fade. I say this as you say there is an abnormal amount of brake dust (soot). This could be due to the brake pedal not releasing fully. The most likely reason though is loss of servo assistance due to a vacuum leak. Galaxys are notorious for vacuum hose leaks, the servo seals are also prone to leak (in which case you can sometimes hear a hiss). Any compentent mechanic can check this. A quick check is with engine idling - "pump" your brake pedal resonably hard several times for about 1 second each time, releasing for about a second between each pump. If the pedal goes hard / difficult to apply after less than 4 attempts, then there is insufficient vacuum in the servo reservoir and you likely have a leak. Tell your mechanic that despite being a diesel, it is a conventional vacuum operated servo, with a vacuum pump mechanically operated off the engine. The vacuum also supplies the turbo control circuit and on some models, some actuators in the a/c, so there are lots of pipes/joints where the vacuum could leak.

Valves hitting piston crowns. Sounds as if you are way out. Check the crankshaft TDC at the flywheel or use a welding rod or similar through glowplug on no. 1 (furthest from bell housing). Remember the timing belt pulley on the crank may be loose - you need to check this.

SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH ! Its all on the forum complete with pictures......

Try a search for ISV Idle stabilisation valve. It may even be in the FAQ. This needs to be cleaned.

If this "respray" work was done under an insurance claim, then contact the insurer and complain about the work. Tell them that the repairer has damaged the electrical system leaving you with a car that is not road worthy. All insurance work carries a guarantee. Threaten to sue them if they dont cooperate.

Well done Andy, top marks! :angry: Did you inspect the head gasket to see where the leak was? Why do you think it happenned? Abuse or tuning/remap? How many miles has it done? Thanks for taking the time to post your result with useful tips for others may go down the same road!

Oil from the intercooler. Remove intercooler, inspect for hole possibly due to stone damage. Probably P1556 (low boost pressure) due to said hole..... The oil originated from crankcase breather, and possibly turbo - (unless the intercooler is swimming in oil, its nothing to get too worried about.)

All I remember is there were mods to the cylinder head to handle the extra power (110 vs 90 bhp) - valves or valve seats were sodium filled or something like that.

Please what ???? :wacko: Whoosing/hissing noise and associated loss of power is usually a leak in the boost pipework. Check the big pipe joints and the intercooler for hole damage or pipes disconnected. Steering noise is probably down to the ebay special you bought. BTW when I had my cambelt changed 2 years ago at the VW dealer, they offered to change the PAS pump for

Search the forum - quite a few posts from people who gone through similar experience

I am not aware of any engine that has an "overflow" and certainly no Galaxy engine has one. Oil level is critical in all engines , too little and the engine may be terminally damaged due to sudden loss of oil pressure. Too full and it may damage the catalytic convertor and the engine due to over pressure in the crankcase - it may be the reason behind your leak. ( by too full, I mean more than about 6 mm above the Max mark on your dipstick) On the other hand the previous owner may have overfilled it knowing that it leaks. Either way, do something to get the oil level between the min and max mark on your dipstick or suffer the consequences. Remember to check the oil level with the vehicle stood on level ground, the engine should be warm and have been turned off for at least 3 minutes before you check.

P1121 - Throttle Position Sensor inconsistent with MAF sensor possible causes are: * Air leak between MAF sensor and throttle body - check the intake tube for leaks and proper fit. * TP sensor not seated properly * Faulty TP sensor or wiring * Faulty MAF sensor or wiring