rotodiesel

In my opinion, unless you push the bung which is positioned under the brake servo down (there's a pipe running through it) to make a large drainage channel which will take bio crud and rain water, the Mk1 Superb is not fit for the road. I have seen various B5.5 clones with rusted servo vac chambers, which is caused by constant water immersion when this drain gets blocked. Eventually, the mild steel and poorly painted chamber rusts through, and water is sucked into the servo causing loss of brake servo action. This is effectively brake failure on a car of this weight, especially when used by a driver of small stature - and it also causes engine damage due to ingested water. Despite years of these well publicised problems, VAG obviously don't give a toss about the safety of its customers and that of other road users as they have not recalled these vehicles. Their denial of all design and manufacturing problems (timing chains anyone?) makes the wisdom of further purchase of their goods highly questionable in my view. rotodiesel.

For a given delivery pressure at the nozzle, the PD is no more efficient than the CR system. Both implementations by VAG use the same size of timing belt, implying similar loadings for a similar belt life. The real beauty of the PD system is that the roller cam followers for the high pressure pump system are lubricated in engine oil and not fuel, as they are in a CR engine. This allows higher loadings and a much longer life. Regrettably, VAG made the engine valve actuating cams too narrow on these engines (Bosch got the lion's share of the cam-width space) so camshaft wear has to some extent limited the longevity of these engines - although replacement of the camshaft and 8 followers is economically feasible even on an old engine. The roller followers on a CR pump are marginally lubricated at the best of times - a dose of petrol in the tank usually kills them. The real problem with the PD is its lack of flexibility in terms of fuel delivery timing. When the engine exhaust valves are open and (useless, wasted) fuel needs to be injected to burn out the soot filter, the PD has no pressurised fuel available. This, and the high component cost from Bosch, is the reason the PD system was dropped by VAG in favour of the CR. The PD system is still unbeatable for efficiency and life. Look in the "high mileage" section of this site. Nearly all of the engines are PDs. rotodiesel.

Correct. The reason it's called a tandem pump is that it also incorporates the vacuum pump for the brake servo and various pneumatic actuators. Two pumps driven by a common shaft. rotodiesel.

Heistercamp (Google). Brilliant job, not the cheapest. rotodiesel.

Boost pressure deviation above the upper limit is usually caused by sticking vanes in the VNT (variable geometry) turbocharger. Forum/Google search will reveal much. There is a variety of "cures" ranging from oven cleaner to a proper strip down. The problem can be mitigated once the vanes are free by occasional spirited driving (hot engine only of course). Maybe time for a trip round the TT circuit. The AWX is by far the best engine - look after it. rotodiesel.

Spot on. Make sure both bungs come out as well. There's one under the battery tray and one in the well for the brake servo vac chamber. The latter one has a pipe running through it - just push it down about 1" so the plenum chamber recess drains. rotodiesel.

Find a good VW Independent. The dealers are in denial over this design fault - hardly a basis for a proper fix. If you must use a dealer, the relevant "Information update" (Technical service bulletin) for VW branded product is Info 443/06 dated 10 July 2006. It requires the use of sealer strip AKD 497 010 04R 10 to replace the lousy pollen filter holder seal after removing two plenum chamber bungs. Find this bulletin online and stuff it under their noses. Also google "Wierd little biscuit". If you want to run one of these potentially long-lasting cars for anything like its full capability, don't take it anywhere near a "Skoda" dealer. If you can't do it yourself, a good Independent who knows all of the design shortcomings of this vehicle is the route to take. A 1.9PD can run almost for ever - given the right maintenance (not VAG's "schedule"). rotodiesel.

Bonnet lock switch is a microswitch in the bottom of the latch. There is a 2 pole connector adjacent to the latch which gives electrical access for testing - operate the switch lever with a small screwdriver. If you have not addressed the legendary B5.5 water ingress problem, there will probably be a "green" connector at the bottom of the LH "A" pillar. The bonnet latch switch wiring runs through here on its way to the CCM. If the rainwater leak mods are not done, there will be continuous electrical problems, which are time consuming and expensive to rectify. rotodiesel.

Cranking speed is critical with diesel engines. Below a minimum critical cranking speed, the rate of rise of air temperature in the cylinder as it is compressed is insufficient. This means that heat lost to the cold engine block and head will be faster above a certain equilibrium point than the heat gain from compression. If the equilibrium point is below the ignition temperature - it won't fire. I would recommend anyone with a diesel car to replace the battery if the cranking speed is noticeably below normal. If you don't, you will soon be stuck on a cold morning. I also had 9 years' excellent service from the OE Varta battery. Naturally, I replaced it with another of the same make. The battery size for the 1.9 is entirely adequate (hence the life), so I fitted the same size. Access is a complete pig - Wolfsburg numpty department at its finest. rotodiesel.

If the job was done by a specialist, the timing can be checked without opening the bonnet. Simply get him to measure KW at the diagnostic socket and check that it is within tolerance, If he can't check KW, he's not a specialist. All of your symptoms suggest mis-timing - it can't be coincidence that this problem follows a belt change. rotodiesel.

There is no engine driven fuel pump on the AVF engine - it's a PD. "Mark and pray" cambelt changes will produce this result. The correct crank and cam locking tools must be used in order to preserve camshaft timing. It's also essential to fully understand the principle of tensioning the belt with the 3 camwheel to hub bolts slackened - locked-in torque is prevented by this. With the correct tools and procedure, the timing (KW = kurbel winkel) or crank angle, will be almost spot on, and can be checked with VAGCOM or similar. I have changed many of these belts, and every one has been within the permitted KW tolerance by using the VAG lock tools and observing the correct procedure. These engines are not for monkeys to work on. rotodiesel.

Check the alternator freewheel pulley for freedom of movement when turned counter clockwise with the belt detached. When you stop the engine, the alternator rotor should declutch and freewheel to a standstill. If your pulley is loose or broken it will make a noise when the engine is stopped. These pulleys are very unreliable (there have been modifications) and can come apart when worn - often through the radiator. It's worth making a check, although noises are difficult to diagnose remotely. rotodiesel.

Who is the dealer? We should be warned against trading practices like these. rotodiesel.

According to EKTA, I have: 3B0 201 148 Boot. 1J0 198 247 one set of round seals. rotodiesel. (I see the numbers on your link are lifted from the "official" EKTA diagram - at least they agree).

You need the plastic spacer ring to accurately set the height of the can relative to the clip - or else position it by measurement. I suspect this masterpiece of design arises from the fact that the original PD engines had a different filter - from memory, I think there was a step in the can to define its position. The whole thing is a half-baked design which does not even allow simple access to the water drain tap on the bottom. The triple-square clamp bolt was a step too far - I junked mine and made a wing bolt, so I can easily drain the filter in an emergency without any tools. Any decent design of diesel fuel system will allow for this, as you never know when you may pick up a consignment of contaminated fuel. rotodiesel.

The Mann & Hummel numbers given above agree with the list I have for my Superb. All of the filters have been changed several times and the numbers are correct. The blue "O" ring on the thermostatic tee is fitted nearer the hoses. rotodiesel.

This is of course a rescue job on a very poor VAG design. The idea of using the contact cleaning spray as a part of regular maintenance is that you can wash away the short-circuiting copper frag to relieve the problem, whilst the lubricant in the cleaner lessens the amount of frag produced thereafter. So far, applying Servisol 10 on an annual basis has prevented this fault from occurring on my 10 year old Mk 1. Most car manufacturers complete their development work before product release to the public... rotodiesel.

Use a screwdriver in the slot on the connector body to release the latch - then it will just pull apart. rotodiesel.

Have the front brake pads been fitted the correct way round? There is a rotational arrow stamped in the spring clip which fits inside the piston. The pads will fit either way (brilliant design) but if you get it wrong, the pads are not fully rigid in the calipers. The inner pads are handed, L & R. This would give a knock on rock-back when you stop. rotodiesel.

The dashboard display is pure fiction on these cars - even the coolant thermometer doesn't read true temperature, but is programmed to stay central over a wide range. The mpg display cannot accommodate variations in the calorific value of the fuel (eg. winter vs summer fuel). Brim to brim is the only way - averaged over a number of tankfulls as the venting system makes it difficult to fill the tank completely. rotodiesel.

In Hella lamp units, the side light holder just pulls out from the rear (with Valeo lamps, the side light holders are on a bayonet). All Mk1 Superbs I've seen have Hella lamps - regrettably, as they're rubbish. The holder is very tight and some people just pull on the connecting leads - not a good idea. I use a small right angled screwdriver as a hook to get the bulb holder out. rotodiesel.

Very regrettably, VP44 = negated diesel economy. You could run a petrol engine for the same distance x money. VAG engines are an absolute minefield - in my view they have produced more dud ones than workable units. The petrol engines with involute cam chains are another example of an engine I would not wish to own. Best of luck with your new pump. Use fuel to the approved spec only, and change the fuel filter every 30k miles. Use M & H or Bosch filters only - no Chinese knock-offs. rotodiesel.

Unfortunately a loss of fuel feed pressure will finish off a VP44 fairly promptly. It appears that the timing advance servo within the VP44 is prone to damage which results in loss of timing control. The pump body is usually rendered unserviceable when this happens, but some independent pump rebuilders have a re-work for this problem. Finding a good independent specialist is your best course of action. Never use any starting fluid sprayed into the intake on any diesel engine. Violent combustion will damage big end bearings at a time when they have no oil, and excessive use can hydraulic the engine and bend the rods. If it won't start, has compression, is in-time and has feed pressure, VAGCOM is the next move. rotodiesel.

The above is a very good summary of the usual fate of these transmissions. A proper rebuild at the very onset of problems with reverse gear will minimise the damage caused by pieces of clutch drum ending up in the wrong places. Needless to say, the comments made in post #8 do not fit the facts. rotodiesel.

The water pump drive on the VAG diesels is a bad design because the pump is on the tight side of a very highly stressed belt. The bearing loadings are therefore excessive. PSA drive their pumps from the slack side of the belt. Change the pump at every belt change. rotodiesel.