JulianS

I just thought I'd run this one past you, for comments, knowledge etc. Yesterday, and part of the previous day I changed the cambelt, 2016 car but only around 80,000 miles but I decided that calender time alone warrants a new belt. The guy down at the motor factors was very helpful and said you need this Gates kit that comes with a new water pump without the sleeve that sticks. The sleeve is an utter waste of time he says, and I guess that's correct as Gates make the bespoke kit, all in one. It was a pain of a job and trying to get the top belt cover off was a real challenge due to the ruddy cat/dpf. (whatever the hell it actually is!) I removed what looked like a thermocouple which helped a bit. Anyway, all done, but I decided not to replace a daft looking blanket thing that covers the sump - what's that all about? I test drove it with the oil temp displayed and it rose up just as it normally does. Anyway, touch wood that job won't need doing again. And the old belt, guide rollers etc all looked good for another 10 years.

Just to finish this one off, I decided that it could only be the coupling (harmonic damper part) and bit the bullet and got a new one. Be careful, lots of different part numbers available so have your registration handy. Anyway, by lowering the rear of the exhaust and with some careful thought and a tyre lever I was just able to slip it in - was tight. If that didn't work then I think the next option is to lower the centre prop bearing but that involves loads of heat shields and a probable complete exhaust removal. (much bigger job) Anyhow, test drive and the noise is gone.

That's a fair comment, I shall examine tomorrow. Thanks.

Has anyone got ideas or solved this problem? The wife has a 2016 Octy Scout (Mk3) manual transmission and there a noise developing in the rear drive train when accelerating through maybe 1500rpm or so. It's like a rasping/rattling sort of noise, like you would get if you were in too high a gear. I've got it in the air and I can find nothing at all, the prop and rear driveshafts look perfect (the balance weight it still on the prop, even though this is not a vibration issue) and also over the years, I've changed the Haldex oil twice together with the filter. I have wondered if it was the rear prop coupling as lots of posts report cracking of the rubber. But look closely and you see it's not cracking, just rubber flashings during moulding with little rips. (most folk who replace this coupling find that it isn't cracked when the look closely after removal). I see nothing, no smoking gun as such. It's developed over the last 2 years maybe, never did it when we first got the car. It's annoying and I'd love to find a cure. I'm still thinking the coupling may be deteriorating though and it has a metal flywheel type ring moulded on the periphery. Any ideas, must be common amongst the Golf/TT/Seat/A3 stuff with the Haldex 4WD....?

Seen this twice before. Once on my vauxhall common rail. Don't jump to conclusions. I sucked the debris out with a syringe, changed the filter and carried on driving. 100,000 miles later and no more metal has been seen - it's just sh y te from the forecourt pump I think. The high pressure pump is after the filter.

''Saw tooth'' rear tyre wear due to rear negative camber is a ''feature'' of these cars I think. Causes a noise that resembles that of a shot wheel bearing. Best bet is to rotate the tyres regularly and live with it, ThickFit are about the last place I'd take a vehicle to for alignment.

I've got one of the last 1.9 diesel (2010) Octavias with the BXE engine. With 175,000 on the clock I can just detect the first signs of what I think is a dmf failure. Just on tickover, when it's hot there's some random metallic very light banging sounds coming from it. Obviously it will get worse so it needs doing. I plan to fit a solid flywheel as all the evidence suggests that this is a good move on the 1.9 with 5 speed manual. It has had a small oil leak for about 5 years at the rear of the engine, very little but it just manages to wet the undertray, It is from the head/inlet manifold joint. Years ago I got a new gasket and started the job but the EGR pipe to the manifold has a frozen stud and I dared not risk shearing it as that would not really be repairable with he engine in-situe. Anyway, I think you can guess where I'm coming from, Should I just pull the box and engine out as one unit and do both job? How much of a task is it over and beyond what pulling just the box is? I have a 4 post ramp and engine crane. Can I take the front crossmember off as a full unit with all the various radiators as that would make access much easier? And comments, thoughts or suggestions please. Many thanks.

Well I changed the 'stat yesterday and now VCDS confirms that the coolant temperate is correctly regulated at around 89 degrees. A good lesson for all here, the deliberately inaccurate ECU driven temp gauge is no indicator of actual temperature and I bet countless cars are running too cool with the owner blissfully unaware. You should all check as it will hurt economy, heater output and probably cause more deposits from EGR. A bit of a pig of a job, You don't have to remove the alternator although it may not be a bad idea. I removed the bottom rad hose in its entirety and then unbolted the plastic snake like intake manifold (which wouldn't come right out) and managed to pull it up out of the way enough to get access. You then need a 1/4" drive socket, extension and UJ. Prepare for a flood of coolant as draining the system from the bottom hose leaves the engine still full up.

Just out for a run today and thought it would be an idea to have my VCDS plugged in to monitor a few things. Anyway, I noticed that the engine appeared to be running a little on the cool side. Mostly it hovered around 78-84 degrees depending on the engine load. As suspected the temp gauge tells lies as it sits solidly at 90 degrees, it's fed from the ECU of course and never really registers true temperature, unless by coincidence, which is the modern way but mustn't grumble. So, in search of efficiency, a slightly better heater and a cleaner running engine I think I should replace it. Can anyone say where it is and how hard of a job to change. It's an old 2010 TDI with the BXE engine. Thanks.

Remembering that the 1.9pd has a fairly elaborate system back there in the tank that looks like it can start throwing problems especially when the fuel gets below a certain level and the eductor system has to work. One design ''feature'' of the pd engine is all that fuel that travels through the cylinder head, it heats it up like hell, hence the fuel cooler and the funny plumbing in the tank.

You could do worse than have a look here. It spells out pretty well how the lift pump, eductor and other parts of the system work. The problem you have could relate to an issue here: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/2005-bew-pd-lift-pump-operation-and-internals.225672/

Is it possible that the boot light is remaining on? Had it once on a Morris Marina. Get your smallest child in the boot and shut him in. (for a while!) It looks like you've hooked it up correctly. 820mA is certainly too much although I understand that some modules take a while to go to sleep so maybe you need to monitor for a while.

Isn't that just because you ran it with the MAF disconnected?

I think I read some time ago, maybe on Honest John, an engineer stating that a common theme discovered with all the failed con-rods was a bluing of the associated crank journal. That makes me think that it's prone to nipping up and also explains why the rods get twisted and the little end busted open too. I wonder if there's a production run of cranks or rods that are a little out of spec? My 2010 BXE Octy now has 170K on it and my thought is that as it hasn't grenaded now then it won't. (fingers crossed) It should be nicely loosened up by now and I change the oil and filter every 8K or therabouts. Also I treat it carefully when it's not up to temperature, but when it's warm I use full throttle all the time pulling away but never rev it up so much as it doesn't seem to make it go any better.

Could it be fuel starvation? Change the fuel filter and note if the electric in tank booster pump is working.....