Warrior193

^^^^^ agree with above. It sounds as if the starter pre-engage pinion is not being pulled away from the flywheel ring gear fast enough. Cure could be as simple as clean and lubricate pinion gear and shaft, but starter motor will need to be removed to do it.

And I don't think the Mk3.5 facelift had one either.

A compression check would help identify the cylinder at fault, but fixing the problem is likely to be uneconomic 😢

Good morning, no, it definitely shouldn't be spitting oil from the breather hose! I fear that damaged piston or worn/broken rings are the cause - at your mileage, depending on time scale this issue appeared, I suspect damage or failure rather than wear 😭 Unfortunately, the only way of verifying this would be an engine strip down.

Hello, S, not sure why the smoke stops when the MAF is unplugged - but from your description, it seems that your engine is burning lubricating oil. This could be due to worn piston rings or valve guides, but I would not expect that much wear at your mileage - are you sure of mileage history? Another thing could be PCV valve - which could fit with the symptoms - but high oil use from excessive crankcase pressure would still indicate worn or broken piston rings. How much oil is it using per 1000 miles?

I'm confused @toot, response was to OP with Mk3 Scout.

Air filter is pretty simple DIY job on Mk3, I don't know if it is the same for MkIV - for the Mk3, the trick is to completely remove the filter air box - there are screws in the base securing the lid - simply not clever!

Hi Will, I suspect that if you were stopped for a weight check (probably unlikely - but possible) the number on the trailer plate will be the one used. Regarding the 85% recommendation, I think this is a suggested towing weight de-rating of the maximum to give better balance and stability.

Give the old battery an occasional charge with the smart charger. All lead acid battery will self-discharge, and the rate varies according to ambient storage temperature - S-D rate is smaller at lower temperatures, but can be as high as 1% of SOC per day at 30deg.C - even on a new battery!

I'm hoping that my recollection isn't faulty - I think the SOS issue only applies to the MkIV.

The 'smart charging' system will usually only allow the alternator to keep the battery charged to approx. 70% max - so as to allow available capacity in the battery under energy recuperation conditions.

Hi Duncan, just be aware that the message 'High Power Consumption' can mean a number of things - often it simply means that battery SOC is too low at the time. One reason can be due to short runtime since start.

You will need a reasonably accurate DMM and will have to fool the vehicles various systems into going to sleep - this may require overriding the bonnet open switch, then, with one battery lead disconnected, measure the current draw between lead and battery terminal. IIRC, quiescent current draw should be only 10-15 milliamps. A search on the forum will probably explain test procedure better.

For micro-hybrids like these, it is normal for the alternator to ramp-up charge voltage during overrun or braking (energy recuperation). Considering it appears that you are not doing particularly short trips, it is odd that your battery is not staying at least 60-70% charged. Have you checked for parasitic battery drain while car is shut down?

Hi, good quality Duct Tape should be ok - especially if it's not left in place for months. There are some tapes available that are relatively 'low-tack'. Gorilla tape might be a little too aggressive. Bad luck with the damage 😭 - did something hit the door while it was open?

@rmills Have you tested the terminal voltage of the hotel battery while the HV battery is being charged since the update?

Request a written statement that the hotel battery was fully tested and is undamaged. I'm really interested if they will do that.

For brake fluid tester calibration purposes, a small bottle of fluid is inexpensive - discard after expiry period if not used for occasional top ups.

I think that is called the 'Ski hatch' - for fitting long items into trunk without folding rear seats. I will check latch mechanism on mine if it stops raining 🤞.

In the case of electronic brake fluid tester, it is fairly easy to check calibration - take several small samples of new, freshly-opened fluid in separate, clean pots and add a small percentage (by volume) of water to one sample - then see if tester agrees with samples. One possible limitation of brake fluid testing is you would normally only test the contents of the master cylinder - although a sample could be drawn from a bleed nipple. I tend to believe that, as brake fluid is so hygroscopic, moisture in the system is likely to migrate through the whole system.

Very simple job to replace expansion header tank for one without Silikat - provided the original 'teabag' has not already split. As @Stook says, check the colour of the present coolant for discolouration. There was an issue with DSG and the early 1.5 ACT combination (Kangaroo) but that should have been resolved with a software update. I am very happy with my EA211 1.4 TSI.

Hello Gratax, welcome to the forum. That looks as if you had a very lucky escape! Looking at the images you posted, that timing belt was due for replacement anyway. I assume that your original belt was also soaked with engine oil?

Just me it seems 😆 - I would have preferred it to have been configured like a sequential box - pulling stick back under acceleration and pushing forward under braking.

Hi Simon, probably just the weather 😒 especially if the vehicle has relatively light usage.

Not the way I work - 1 to 2, 3 to 4 and 5 to 6 are all pull stick back. If the configuration could have been changed, I would have reconsidered. I had intended to mostly use DSG in manual mode, and only use auto in traffic.