Alasdair1

It could also be front spring or perhaps top mount. Had a small section broken/missing of front spring at top so it caught and clonked when turning wheel to full lock. Difficult to see on car and didnt seem to cause any other problems. Alasdair

Local garage stopped fitting certain brands of clutch due to them being cheap and not lasting. I have been fitting LUK or Sachs for years on there reccomendation and have had no problems so far. There not that much more cost wise but seem to last. I would check what brand of clutch they are actually fitting in case its a cheap one Alasdair

Yes a faulty plug should ping up a code. Years ago had a diesel van that gloplugs were ok but timer/sensor failed so they werent on long enough? Cant see a rocker cover seal causing oil in piston but if your crank case/engine breather is blocked/failed then maybe to much pressure thats forcing oil in somehow and causing smoke. Cant remember how to check it sorry. Hope you get to the bottom of it Happy Xmas

It may be the glowplugs or glowplug circuit/wiring/timer?. My old octy had two bad plugs and would start no problem when weather was mild but when cold would still start but would take more cranking and then sound rough until warmed up after 20secs If your compression test is good then the oil may be coming from valve stem seals but you mention febi cylinder head cover. if you mean head gasket it may be that the febi one is wrong or the head is warped aand your getting oil in that way. Alasdair

Probably the drop links or maybe the ARB bushes. The drop links on both my fabia and my octavia seem to be prone to wear and knocking. I have done quite a few in the past and in all cases so far there seems to be no movement when on car but when replacing they were a lot looser with a small amount of play than the new ones. Twice the MOT guy either didnt notice or they were only slightly worn. I reckon the tension of the ARB makes it difficult to check. It doesnt take much wear to cause a clonk as I reckon its amplified by the ARB. Alasdair

Out of interest for future problems on mine I checked and read a few posts which seems that to adjust camber on mk2 front involves adjusting subframe. The bolts are singe use but 10mm in larger holes. Dont think its possible as a DIY as you are adjusting camber as well as caster plus you will need new bolts as they are stretch/single use and an accurate way of measuring. Probably why garages/alignment specialists say its not possible. Alasdair

Has it been like this since the top mounts/front suspension was changed. The top mounts have a specific direction they have to be fitted. Its not unnown for one to be fitted the wrong way which I assume would affect camber? If you are going to adjust camber then I would make sure all suspension bushes/ball joints are spot on first. If the car steering isnt central it may be the rack or steering sensor that has a problem?

Could be a worn top mount or other suspension issues. My old Octy front tyres were wearing badly although alignment was spot on. When I replaced the front shocks and top mounts it improved it. Dont think there is adjustment but I may be wrong.

Had the same problem with my sons rear wiper. Absoloutely solid. I just kept spraying with wd40 for a few days and finally managed to carefully remove it. Tricky to use puller as nothing to grab I normally put a small smear of copper grease when replacing them. Alasdair

They seem to be sensitive to bad connections. Probably a poor earth at cluster on mine. Seems to confuse the hell out of the car. Alasdair

Might be the cluster connection is loose or got some corrosion. My Octy had weird warning symbols illuminated that made no sense like dpf when it didnt have one plus a few dim ones and fog light symbol on all the time even when lights were off. I removed cluster, cleaned and replaced and it was fine. Remember to disconnect battery before removing cluster. Alasdair

I used to go out with mechanic at garage to show them the problem. Once a decent mechanic with loads of experience gets the problem its a lot easier to explain to them whats happening plus easier for them to diagnose. Hopefully they will get to the bottom of it for you. Alasdair

A lot of garages do rely on diagnostics. My old one (sadly retired) took cars out for a spin as well as scanning. He always said theres still a lot of mechanical bits on a car that scanners cant check plus you get a better idea of what might be wrong especially if its a sporadic fault with no codes. Hope they send a decent mechanic out with it. Alasdair

Glad you solved problem. I have seen a few diesel cars with rad cover. Used to have one on my old landrover as it took about 45mins plus to reach temp when cold in winter. Main reason was non electric fan Alasdair

Its a bigger job but it may be worth removing turbo and cleaning/inspecting on bench or source a decent second hand one. I would try some turbo fin cleaner plus super diesel first and see if it improves.

If it doesnt improve with the radio disconnected .you said its also poor in starting it might be worth trying a new or known good battery. If theres low voltage then it can cause all manner of problems especially random dash warning lights plus if the starter motor is running slower its a lot more difficult to start a diesel as they need a high crank speed. Maybe the battery you have was on its last legs and by going flat it finished it?? Alasdair

I used to get a knock from I think was front brake pads. They were fairly worn and I think were binding/moving slightly. Fine when going forward but in reverse seemed to catch then clunk and move slightly. Seems to have gone now that I replaced them including new discs

I agree with checking the filter. I think its a cartridge one on yours. There not expensive and I reckon can be changed without draining oil. It could be that its failed or clogged. Wonder if it was actually changed at last oil change or the garage used a cheap one? Alasdair

I would remove piggy back and see if it makes any difference then you will know if its affecting car. The fact it wont rev past 3000 but no fault codes is odd unless it has a stationary limiter like my Octavia. If it were gloplugs then I would assume it would have a code Are both your brake lights working as blown bulbs or bad switch I think can cause this. Not sure if the brake switch is a single switch or has two switches. One for lights and the other to tell ECU brakes are on? I have read that certain aftermarket radios can cause problems scanning car. Alasdair

I know what you mean re that grommet. Glad you found the cause though. I took the stay that stops the door from opening too far off to get door opened a little more to give me a bit more space. Still tricky but managed it. Alasdair

If the drivers side front is dry I would look at the seals of the rear door or perhaps seals around window. Mine used to leak due to the window seals leaking and also the protective plastic inner door liner becoming unattached. Check theres no rubber grommets in floor etc that are missing under carpet etc as well. Alasdair

Not sure but did read that its important not to use on alluminium compressor side as it tends to eat it. Think you can access via EGR pipe/down pipe but mine had an EGR cooler in the way and everything else!! so didnt want to risk it. If its a turbo problem I thought mine had stuck fins as it would go into limp mode but it was a sticking actuator that was causing over boost. Mine was a 1.9tdi bxe. If its stuck fins you could try some forte turbo cleaner additive and run it on a few tanks of supreme diesel to see if it makes a difference. Alasdair

My 1.6tdi 12 plate usd to drain battery when sitting for about a week. No kessy but reckon the alarm was gradually draining it. I fitted a new battery and havent had the problem so far. (will find out over xmas as car wont be getting used). Reckon my battery was on its last legs due to colder weather. Not sure what the drain is with kessy on your car although have been reading recently articles advising keyless owners to keep as you do in a faraday box for security reasons especially fords for some reason if the cars parked in range of keys. Alasdair

I would as said get in touch with the garage and get them to check it out. It may be that its a heavier duty clutch and its stiffer but they may be able to advise/help Alasdair

That looks like my soninlaw vw caddy. As said I put it into neutral at gearstick end and then reset the cables etc. Found this on a VW UP forum. Gbox without locking pin. Should be the same or similar procedure. Make sure the cast weigted lever is secure. My soninlaws caddy was worn and loose so 1st and second gear were awkward to change