StevesTruck

Hard to say, wheel bearings are funny old things that can make all manner of noises. A drumming noise that changes with road speed is a fair indication, jack the front end up and give the front wheels a spin, see if one feels rougher than the other. Go in prepared for a fight with tight fastenings. It's going to happen. If you haven't got an impact wrench and can't borrow one, it's well worth looking at hiring one for the weekend, or the less scrupulous amongst us might be tempted to buy one, use it and take it back.

They're not bad to do if you replace the unit with the hub. You can buy the bearing by itself, but it's not worth the trouble. As above, make sure you've got the right sockets and spline bit before you start. If you can get your hands on a decent impact gun, it makes it an easy job.

Sounds a bit unusual, they don't normally beep either. I wonder if it's got an aftermarket immobiliser on?

If they're 185/60/14's, the price difference between a budget and a brand name tyre is that little that there's no point putting cheap ones on. We put a set of Toyos on dad's because they were that cheap, there was no reason not to.

We've all done it or got close to doing it. Check your breakdown cover, because they might cover for misfuelling. The misfuelling specialists tend to be pretty expensive for what they do. I'd be amazed if it needs any more that the tank draining, new filter and the system flushing through. Not a drama and you might be better with a trusted independant garage, or having a go at DIY'ing it.

There's nothing particularly specialist about adding a key on those. Whereabouts in the country are you? Someone might be able to recommend a better locksmith.

Depends if you're trying to catch Roadrunner

You can probably get it started in the right direction with a bit of rough improvisation. Use a pair of water pump pliers to wiggle the pot round a bit, give it a tap inwards with a little hammer and a bit of wood, or a squeeze with the windback with the adaptor taken off. Take baby steps, and repeat at length. If that doesn't work, try applying slight pressure with the windback took as you wiggle the pot round. The alternative is a wind back tool that's meant for these calipers only, so you should get a bit more clearance to get the tool in with not having to use an adaptor.

Sadly not, the outer seal isn't a perfect one, so there will still be a bit of water coming in if it rains. Can't see it really being an issue unless it really buckets down though.

Try, really carefully, threading a long bit of straightened, stiff wire down each of the drain holes. That will show you if they've come off, if they're blocked, and where they appear under the car. Personal opinion, this is worth doing once a year on any car with a sunroof to clear blocks before they appear.

If you can't feel the hard stop at the end of the racks travel, I'd say it's not a software issue but something physically affecting the movement.

Or one of the many dubious previous owners. I only use the finest Lidl Spring to dilute coolant.

I had what looked like an original belt replaced on a 15 year old, 160k, Ibiza TDI replaced a few years ago, 2 days after I'd done a track day in the car. The mechanic was a VW specialist and was pretty sure the whole kit was factory. When the belt came off, it hadn't actually broken, but it had cracks behind every tooth and holes in it. The tensioners were all grating when you spun them. The water pump was full of limescale. So yeah, it is possible to get away with it. I really, really wouldn't recommend trying it though 🤣

I think Pete's on the right trail with this. If not: Does it feel the same with the car jacked up so there's no weight on the front wheels or suspension? Ideally, followed by the same check with the car supported on axle stands under the lower arms, close to the ball joints? Other suspicion, but not as likely as Pete's is the topmounts have been undone, refitted and the bearings haven't survived it.

They go through a lot of heat cycles, so they're always tight. Best bet is to get the blowtorch on it before you even start trying to remove it. It's not best practice, but - If I'm not planning on using the sensor again, I've been known to stick the Stilson's on the body of the sensor. Worst case you snap it off and leave the nut at a convenient length to put an impact socket on.

As I understand it, it's a pretty negligible difference to be fair. There's plenty of cars on the road where a wheel's been fitted either with a brace or by a monkey with a buzzgun.

If you're using the supplied wheelbrace, the correct torque is you back 4 rows of teeth squashed together. 👍

The app I use says 120Nm.

Expect this thread to blow up with angry people really soon 🤣 The copy ones only work up to a certain version of the software, which is now really old. https://www.ross-tech.com/vcds-lite/download/index.php or by way of installing loads of suspicious software on your computer that's probably not going to do nice things to it. If you're mainly planning on using it on your own stuff it's worth having a look at the 3-VIN licences. They're not as cheap as the copy ones, but still good value, and you can do a lot without using up one of the VIN's. https://www.gendan.co.uk/product_VCV23.html?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAq-u9BhCjARIsANLj-s2He4a1sLYcSoE4W7pEov7iQLjFIs2n6q9jwhBtvao30Fg-DbyaiacaAj-iEALw_wcB

They do break sometimes, all you can do is be as careful as possible. "Give it a spray and walk away" is the key rule for anything that's a bit seized. I'm a big believer in letting stuff soak overnight where possible. Don't get too hung up playing Top Trumps with what the best spray is, if one's going to work, they're all going to work sooner or later - it's just a question of how much you have to use and how long you let it soak for. Be patient and wiggle the sensor loose rather than going in with bit actions. Once you get a bit of movement on it and there's a gap between the metal and the plastic, get some more spray in and drink some more tea. Try to lift it out with a tool under the sensor against the metal rather that pulling it. @J.R. 's suggestion of giving the surrounding metal a buzz with the air hammer is a great one 👍

That does sound like pretty standard "running out of electricity" symptoms. The way it started for the recovery man makes me thing the battery is OK at least. Good news is, there's quite a bit you can check yourself with a torch and a screwdriver. Have a good look over all the big cables between the battery, starter and alternator, looking for cables fraying at the plugs, loose connections, corrosion. Check the maxi fuses on top of the battery. They can develop cracks which look ok until you give them a prod. Check the small wire that runs to the alternator. I'm fairly sure it's a similar setup on a roomster to a mk1 fabia, where it runs along the bar under the radiator into a multiplug, where it can often break down.

If you're using a chisel to spread it, there's a risk of going too far and cracking the hub (I've done that). Use the right tool, they're cheap.

It's on ManualsLib (great site and app for all sorts of stuff).

On the windows - Tesco glass cleaner (the one in the green spray bottle) and blue roll. Same thing I use when I'm preparing shop windows for vinyls, it's the best stuff going.

On most VAG cars that age, the end of the pipe is a bit convex and the heater matrix inlets are a bit concave. The clamps are a v-band that pushes them together when fitted properly . It can be an utter **** of a job but needs to be done right. if you think the matrix is gunked up, have you tried disconnecting the pipes in the engine bay side and flushing it out with a hose pipe (or airline if you're a fatalist)?