KenONeill

Agreed. It's not chavvy, but do your really want to look like your big saloon thinks it's an endurance racer?

Also @Wino The reason I mentioned the alternator clutch is that it is a known source of failure when fitted, and easily checked either way. Similarly, it is not unusual for a control cable to pull off the alternator connector, and that's also easy to check. That said, since said cables are maybe 2cm shorter than would be ideal, if the easy visual checks (done) don't show a failure, you need to move on to continuity checking wiring, but again starting with the control cables.

You missed my point entirely; the reason for water pump changes on some engines is common sense, not service recommendation. Accordingly, the omission of such a recommendation on other engines is a reason to check other sources, not a reason to not do the work.

😞 Dead turbo.

Well, I've always liked Race Blue, and Black Magic is an ideal substrate for a metallic blue.

Ok, but I have a question first. Do you have white smoke and/or increased oil consumption since this noise started?

According to VAG the water pump doesn't need changing on the 1.9D or 1.8T either. OTOH it's 15 minutes work when the cambelt is off anyway, and has a life of about 1.5x the cambelt.

Well, if the cambelt breaks, a new engine is more like £5_500! An Indy specialist will be cheaper than a main stealer though.

I think it was a capacitor. It is now toast!

OTOH our wallets are not attached to "how big a bill you get".

I don't know, but why do you want to even suggest to anyone vaguely competent that your engine is over-fuelling? (the usual cause of overrun pops and bangs)

Quite aside from the considerable cost, some of us (me for one) would rather have mechanical controls that stay put than a touch screen that can move controls.

So maybe the thermostat intermittently sticking closed? That does seem to fit with all your reported symptoms.

Not sure that matters. Mk1 and 2 will reset to/on fixed servicing if reset using the button technique and only need computer intervention if (re)setting to variable.

No you don't! You may be enough of a fashion victim to think you need them, but no-one else should ever see that they don't match the dip.

Ah, should add that one or both of them do sometimes pull off the alternator terminals without the cable being broken.

Most likely, since ABS, traction control and TPMS all rely on the wheel sensors. Actually, more likely the wiring to the wheel, but the fault code will tell you which wheel.

AwesomeGTi

So you're running them under-inflated.

Yes: They're even relevant so, in ascending order of cost:- solenoid or HVLT cable issue weak/old starter motor, or worn starter cog worn ring gear. Replacing this is a gearbox out job, so you might want to get the flywheel and clutch replaced at the same time.

OK, not what I was thinking of then.

@Gerrycan That really does make sense; for that matter, other people run on their insteps and wear the inside edges of their shoes.

What sort of usage pattern do you have?

f you're not happy change them rather than waiting.

Maybe they could even make you install metered chargers, and charge a fair (to everyone else) rate of fuel duty on charging electric cars?