Stevey Y

Hi dont be afraid of giving it some GBH as they are held on with spring clips, personally I would start from the top of the panel as most of that sort of panel have locating prongs in the bottom where it joins the solid plastic, also make sure you remove the parcel shelf first for easier access, Steve.

Hi the best idea is remove the rubber boot and see if there is enough slack to pull the plug out, other than that a suitable range of trim removal tools should supply you with the right tool to persuade the panel to come off, try looking on YouTube for a guide on how to remove the panel. Steve.

Hi the regulator is normally the cheaper option try eBay Europe/uk, yes either could cause a temporary drop in fuel pressure which would manifest itself as a misfire, the regulator is electro mechanical and if the spring is weak it will lose pressure when hot, the only way to know for sure is monitor the live data and check any fluctuation in fuel pressure when starting from hot. Steve

Hi check the wiring for the plug that goes to the motor sometimes the earth wire rots out underneath the insulation, worth introducing a false earth by cutting the insulation back on the earth wire then wrap a new piece of wire around the exposed area and earth it to a bolt on the body, check the plug for corrosion first. Steve.

Hi it could be down to a blocked filter, these need to be changed every 30-40k if its struggling to pull the pressure required it will be sluggish, can't get my head around just changing the oil, its like changing the engine oil and leaving the old filter in there. Steve.

Hi thanks for the info, I think you could have a fuel rail pressure sensor problem or a lazy lift pump in the tank the regulator is not diagnostically monitored but the lift pump is but only when it fails completely. Steve.

Hi yes but there is a lot more to remove to get to it, try flushing it on the inlet then in reverse on the outlet, you have to give it a couple of goes but that method cleared mine. Steve.

Hi yes they are one of the best cars you could own in terms of drivability and comfort but the built in obsolescence is off the Richter scale, I think what happened was they built a reputation for reliability during the nineties and have been trading on that ever since whilst back tracking on parts quality, I think the premium sticker is pretty faded for most German car producers, BMW Mercedes Audi. Steve.

Hi, yes the refinements are great but if its a CNHA engine or any of its derivatives for that year you will inevitably come across EGR cooler problems and MAF/MAP problems I ran mine over 270k as a taxi and believe me I ran in to a multitude of problems during that milage, the worst being the EGR cooler and its valve which are a nightmare to change then you have the clutch, parts are hard to get hold of unless you want to get them from Audi my first one was £1900 for the parts alone and only about £100 cheaper on subsequent changes, around 100,000 miles the game becomes interesting with things like oil leaks around the sump and oil level sensors packing up, you can't beat a dipstick, then there is the silica bag in the expansion tank which ruptures and kills the heater matrix if you dont get at it a bit sharpish, drive shaft outer gaiters tend to be a problem as well, never had a problem with the adblue as I used so much I dont think it had a chance to crystallise, lovely drive but expensive parts/labour even at an independent garage because everything major is so hard to get at, as for the nature of forums thats just the tip of the iceberg, the majority of owners who have the problems with EGR coolers and clutches just sell the car when they find out the cost of the repairs, I am lucky insomuch as I did most of the repairs and have an excellent rapport with my local garage for clutches etc. Steve.

Hi there is only one matrix fortunately, you could try flushing it with a jet wash as the inlet and outlet are reasonably accessible, the blockage is usually caused by the stupid silica bag in the expansion tank rupturing and dumping the crystals in the cooling system which blocks the small channels in the matrix. Steve.

Hi its not a blocked heater matrix as that is only a bypass circuit, to my mind it seems more like a thermostat problem its sticking shut. Steve.

Hi try ebay, about £40 a set.

Hi they wont be that bad to remove if you give them a good wire brushing and soak them in Plus Gas fast release overnight also if you use the right size brake spanner with the cut out that allows you to get past the the solid pipe, like a ring spanner with a bit missing, the whole job is easier. Steve.

Hi just buy yourself a gear oil filler they have a flexible hose on the end and using the plunger on the filler canister you can put as much or as little as you need also they are not expensive to buy. Steve.

Hi have you tried sitting still engine running then turn the steering full lock left then right. Steve.