Stevey Y

Hi pleased you got some silence at last, the noises are caused by extra air being introduced into the system, now its got a smooth flow pattern through the new filter that will all stop, Happy Motoring. Steve.

Hi Mike don't take any of this personally, its not aimed at people like yourself who have observed the proprieties and answered and said thank you, I can see what Gareth is driving at along with the others that try to answer a problem, 90% of the information that is given is at best thin and devoid of any real substance, the information you have given is good and you even reply to the requests for further information, Gareth and co are trying to get around the one post wonders who can't be bothered to reply TO ANY SUGGESTIONS OR REQUESTS, they have no preconceptions of what the ideal member is and I think the previous posts just reflect what has changed in the world and not singling out anyone in particular who is already a proactive member, the bottom line is if you attract answers for your problem at least have the decency to reply, otherwise it becomes an exercise in futility and I can honestly see why a lot of first time problem posts remain unanswered, more often than not we are on a hiding to nothing, I personally get a great deal of satisfaction from trying to help solve problems and especially when it all goes the posters way, it has nothing to do with personalities its just plain old helping each other. Steve.

Hi it normally means the reflector pattern is distorted and the machine used to measure the cut off of the beam height and intermediate lighting does not come up to the required marked scales within the testing unit, this is either caused by clouding of the lenses or deterioration of the reflector at the back of the headlamp unit. Steve.

Hi the main dealers don't want anyone to know these things as it would rob them of future problems/profit, the engineers on the other hand would rather the stuff they developed works its also known as pride in your work and you would be amazed what information is available just from asking when they are full of beer and going home. Steve.

Hi Tony, the mob you used don't write comedy sketches do they. changed my discs and pads on the rear last July, all Bosch parts which came in at just under £100, cam belt kit with pump from TPS just over £200 + £250 to fit, recently done brake fluid change £18.00 for 2ltrs from Halfords and an hour of me, did a service while I was at it, Pollen filter £18, Oil Quantum spec £25, Oil filter Bosch £9, Air filter Bosch £14, Fuel Filter Blue Print £15, ok I do it myself but if you can find a decent independent you will save a fortune, I am well aware that I wouldn't be on the road if I did not do most of it myself but these people only need two more items, a try corn hat and a pair of flintlock pistols. Steve.

Hi well done, do it once, do it right, will be interested in the outcome. Steve.

Hi just completed 70,000 on my Avant 2.0 tdi front discs/pads and before we go off the deep end about its not the same basically it is, your model runs a bigger disc and pads but every other spec centering etc is the same, my car is used as a taxi therefore the brakes are always being used, from what I have learned over the last eighteen years of talking to manufacturer engineers and experience here goes, do not sit at traffic lights etc. with your foot on the brakes as this causes localised hot spots between the brake pad and disc as the brake pads dual function is to act as a heat sink drawing heat from the disc and dissipating it so if its clamped in the pressure position to the disc it transfers heat back to the metal which causes deformation of the disc, regular brake fluid changes are essential as the fluid is Hydroscopic and absorbes moisture which will accumulate in the calliper piston chambers and In sufficient quantity will cause pad drag as water can't be compressed, this brings me to the next point braking systems are like owning a racing Greyhound if you don't take it for a run every so often it will become fat and slow, its the same with brakes the occasional hammering forces any moisture around the system and dissipates it from localised areas. Steve.

HI if you can get the part number off your old unit that would put you in the right ball park if not the VIN/REG NO provided at your local parts supplier should produce the right specimen, try Carparts in motion on eBay I buy loads from them and if you are not sure ring them and they will give you the correct listing number for the part you need, generally speaking you can get away with cleaning only if you get at it early but if the light keeps coming back on it normally means the gearbox on the unit has had it, the gears are made of plastic and it won't take a lot of resistance caused by the crud on the butterfly valve to kill them completely, my daughters Q3 had the same problem and it was cheaper and easier to fit a new unit which by the way was fitted to just about every model that was in the VAG range the only difference was in the part numbers I.E. Skoda/Seat/Volkswagen but it was the same unit her new valve was designated for a Skoda as that was cheaper but has worked like a charm for nearly a year now. Febi are a good brand. Steve.

Hi who changed the screen and what are the fault codes, my guess is its the cabin humidity sensor on the screen some of the screen companies use the old unit which is basically a one hit device that needs replacing with the screen. Steve.

Hi why would they be friendly as in their honest no shiiite opinion they have got you by the short and curlys, you need the part and they have it so why waste precious time and oxygen on customer service most of my local dealers are the same including TPS until they found out the garage I use for the complex stuff, clutches, timing belts, was ringing up and quoting the same registration I had enquired with, the change in attitude was amazing as my guy spends about 15 grand a year with TPS, don't suppose that would have anything to do with it. Steve.

Hi, that is an old mistake and should never happen these days and is shocking really when you consider the implicit trust most people have in these places, mind you I am neurotic about wheels tyres and brakes which is why I check the three cars in our family every month and always re tighten the wheel nuts a day or so after having the tyres changed, mind you the guys I have been using for the last twenty five years torque check the wheels twice before the car leaves the workshop, I have only known them to fail in the practice once a few years ago when a new guy who was fond of a carnival atmosphere at work forgot to tighten the rear wheels on one of the late 5.0 Mustangs they had in, when it belly flopped on the tarmac 900yds from the workshop the owner of the workshop went berserk and you can still see the offending fitters remains hanging from a scaffold pole out back, I don't blame him as that little mistake cost him six grand to put straight. Steve.

Hi Pros, smoother clutch and never having to buy a flywheel again, Cons it will shred the rubber mounted crank damper in record time, possible crank whip which causes big end failure, worse case scenario the crankshaft shatters due to harmonic resonance because at about 2800 rpm the resonance will be at maximum with no DMF to smooth the torque curve it could be terminal. I have witnessed this first hand over the last eighteen years when my fellow cabbies have thought it was a good idea, anyone that tells you this is rubbish is uninformed, think about it, why would the manufacturer spend extra money on a hardened steel flywheel with an intricate float mechanism when they could cut their costs dramatically by fitting a machined one piece unit. Steve.

Hi might be something rattling around in the handbag. Steve.

Hi unless changed recently it is probably the battery on its way out, other than that the easiest thing is to get it plugged in for faults and if they are low voltage faults thats your answer. Steve.

Hi they don't care just like all the other manufacturers they think if they hold out for long enough you will be forced to buy a Hybrid or all electric car and believe me the problems with these in future have yet to be fully exposed, I cite the case of GM during the sixties in the U.S. where they sold a range of station wagons that combusted when struck in the back right tail light, they knew of the problem but it was cheaper to pay compensation to the barbecued owners than recall thousands of units and fix the problem, when they were getting hung in court fifteen years later they claimed to have used the law of diversity as not everyone would have a rear collision. Steve.

Hi automatic DSG type boxes have a DMF, they have to or the torque would tear the gearbox to pieces as well as that a lot of them have two clutches a conventional dry unit plus a wet unit in oil. Steve.

Hi if its working but not accurate it is probably the float on the lift pump getting stuck, removal is fairly easy you can try cleaning the float slide but in all fairness its easier to just replace it once its out and if its the original unit you have probably had all the fun out of it. Steve.

Hi I am truly sorry to hear about the work situation, from your description I can only assume one of two things, its either the thermostat is on its way out or its the head gasket, my money is on the thermostat as you say its been pressure tested that should show up any gasket leaks but the thermostat would not, my neighbour was told her head gasket was blown but I took a an educated flyer at it and changed the thermostat and all coolant loss ceased, I only mention this as its very much cheaper than a head gasket leak which would blow the the water out in about five mins rather than twenty. Steve.

Hi either LUK or Sachs, LUK own Sachs but for some reason known only to them Sachs are a a bit cheaper its the same stuff in the kit but with a different name stamped on it, maybe its like a loss leader in Tesco, with regard to the hours any savvy garage should do it in about five hours, my guy was having kittens because Autodata had given an estimated eight hours because they said you have to drop the subframe and engine in the event we both watched the youtube video which did not involve removing the front subframe and we had it in and out in four with the aid of two gearbox cradles, have a look on youtube and it will give you an idea of whats involved. Steve.

Hi yes sorry it was miles the genuine motor comes in at about £170.00 thats why I ran round for a few days with no trim until the genuine motor arrived with the clips from eBay getting the wiper off aint much fun either unless you have a wiper puller which I borrowed from Mr Shiny kit a couple of doors up from me, he has just about everything tool wise but never uses any of it so I kept his and bought him a new one as far as he is concerned it won't work properly if the original packaging is grubby. Steve.

Hi try changing the cap on the header tank as when they get old they leak air which centralises the pressure in the tank with the outside barometric pressure, the system is designed inside to work with a different barometric pressure to stop it boiling. Steve.

Hi Tony you have to give the trim some GBH all the way along the ABS plastic trim will take a hell of a lot of action before it breaks you just have to get a couple going and chase to the next clip from memory there are about eight. My guess is the seal on the motor is shot, I know mine was and that was about 50k. Steve.

Hi sorry mate its a full clutch four piece DMF, Driven plate, and slave cylinder best given attention soon as when the DMF starts really juddering eventually it locks over and you can't get at the bolts to release the DMF from the crank so you have to go at it with a diamond disc cutter to get it off, good news is your clutch kit will be a hell of a lot cheaper than the later models and don't be tempted by the solid flywheel conversion as that puts excess strain on the crank damper at the front end and ruins them in record time, worse case scenario the new solid flywheel is capable of breaking your crank through Harmonic Resonance at about 2800rpm thats why old diesels were limited to 2500rpm to stop this happening, with the advent of DMF and a rubber mounted crank pulley they are able to rev higher giving the manufacturers a wider rev range to tune the torque curve. Steve.

Hi yours will be fine as long as it was recoded to the car otherwise its a waste of money as the new battery will wear out in record time. Steve.

Hi eBay or Amazon, once purchased you will wonder how you ever got on without it, I went stupid when I first got my car and bought VCDS about four times the price it has a lot more functions than OBD but the system generally has the same functions including reading codes and the all important put out the light, just make sure the version you purchase will be compatible with your year and model. Steve.