J.R.

I was thinking the same, this thread and another one currently, many before that. Common themes are asking for a diagnosis without giving relevant details having already given a garage the go ahead to do the work, I believe to see whether they are being taken and then defending the person they suspect of it.

I have also considered this for when/if my differential whine becomes catastrophic, I ran a Suzuki SJ410 for a week in FWD only for the same reason. I theorised that it was a no go, assuming the driveshaft removal did not affect the rear wheel bearing pre-load (which I think it would) the rear wheel speed sensors would no longer work which would disable loads of systems like ABS etc and light up the dashboard like a christmas tree. Propshaft removal is preferable but you probably already know that cant be achieved without moving the engine forwards. Vibration likely to be the propshaft guibo coupling, centre bearing or balance. Noisy diff is likely to be the LH (smaller) output shaft bearing.

You have not said if your starter motor has failed and in which manner I will assume that it has or is it that your mechanic is recommending its replacement because "at 150k the starter motor are known to get ‘tired" could you please confirm. If the starter is no longer turning the engine over the most obvious cause is its removal and refitting during the clutch replacement, probably a loose connection to the main starter feed or the engine earth. What you have read is implausible, a DMF during its life does not produce "swarf", a catastrophically failed Sachs clutch pressure plate can chew up the aluminium bellhousing and gearbox casing but you would have lost all clutch action and the graunching sounds are unmistakeable. When a clutch plate wears it produces frictino material dust, not swarf, this could hypothetically cause the starter pinion to stick on the shaft, not really heard of on VAG engines which have pretty much bullet proof starter motors. Once again it would help if you were to confirm what problems if any you had with the starter motor and when.

I have had opinionated mechanics telling me that they would never fit another Luk clutch again because they have had nothing but trouble with them and others parroting the same words about Sachs 😄 I know there was a problem with Sachs pressure plates installed in the factory during certain years of certain models but after that was resolved there is nothing to suggest that one manufacturer is better than the other for aftermarket clutch kits for the 2.0 TDi

A VCDS scan will also reveal if there is a Can fault. I doubt that the vehicle systems would continue to run with a dead short between CanH and CanL, I believe it can run in a restricted single wire mode if one conductor is open circuit but a dead short? Looking at the diagram for the Octavia the Can gateway module has 5 different CAN network ports, one being for infotainment, if you are sure that you probed the correct terminals when you got the 0.1 ohm reading then you should remove the connector from the Gateway controller, find the wires to the radio (they will have a distinct colour code) and see if you get the same reading there, if you do then you have to identify and remove any other modules on that network and if the short remains the start inspecting the cabling throughout its length. VCDS would make all of this so much easier or maybe instantly disabuse you of your notion saving a lot of time and headache. Does the radio work? Does it react to info from the infotainment Can network? I dont know what your radio does but at the minimum it would be illuminating the display when lights are on, other features (according to radio level) would be displaying doors open, volume increasing with speed etc.

Your statement followed by a question mark, is that a question to me? If so then please rephrase it so I can understand what you are asking me.

I think you have convinced yourself that there is a short to ground on the can line and are chasing a phantom, the voltages at the OBDII port look correct to me for when no data transmission is taking place. You should disconnect the alarm horn, it isn't doing anything by the sounds of things, and see if the parasitic discharge is removed. I thought the alarm module was a Can node, it certainly brings up a no comms fault code when it is removed. I'm pretty sure that it is on the installation list.

I paid €320 'less than £300 at the time) for a Luk 3 piece clutch kit and dual mass flywheel including delivery from Spain.

No doubt that info came from the people who did the clutch and are justifying you now needing a new starter motor. It is wrong on so many levels.

Welcome. Airbag warning light likely to be one (easily found) or another (buried in seat squab) connectors for the drivers or passenger seat side airbag. Window problems likely to be fractured wires in the drivers door bellows.

The starter motor is not inhibited during the glowplug warm up time.

I agree regarding air tools, always much lighter as they dont have the motor windings, even more significant on 18v battery tools plus the battery weight, maximum torque at zero RPM and a personal preference, I dont like to soil my Bosch cordless tools with oily hands, air tools are usually wipe clean alu. I must buy an air ratchet like yours and also invest in those long and extra long hex, Torx and XZN bits. I would also add the engine support beam and subframe location eccentric bolt kit to your list as essentials rather than to make the job easier. Also one of those conical clutch centralising tools that clamp the driven plate to the clutch cover, much more accurate than the mandrel set I made as an apprentice.

Did they replace the catastrophic convertor? Aftermarket ones can be very restrictive and also have barely enough precious metals to pass an initial MOT. Can you explain exactly what section(s) was/were replaced, "from the cat joint to system" is confusing to me. I would also check that the Lambda sensor is swinging hi and lo around the 1.0v reference voltage at idle and higher revs, you will need a moving scale meter to do this.

Clutch can not prevent gears being selected if the engine is not running, I assume the OP has tried this.

Who is VAG, a service receptionist on the end of the phone who has not even seen your vehicle? Neither, I would need to be sure that it had actually failed, first step is a VCDS scan. If it has failed closed I would fit an EGR emulator/simulator. If failed open I would do the same but also fit the blanking plate that comes with the kit. In both cases I would declag the throttle valve and intake tract from all the EGR schmoo, your initial symptoms sounded exactly like the throttle valve sticking during EGR. If I were a betting man I would say that VCDS would reveal that to be the problem rather than the EGR.

From memory it unclips like on my current Yeti which is the same platform, getting it apart is easy, the challenge is getting it back together.

That was complete Bravo Sugar from them, the AA man will have given a generic OBDII code or a VAG specific one, standardisation is the very reason that SAE J2012 and ISO 15031-6 standards were created and contain about 11 000 definitions which any auto professional will have access to and know how to interpret.

12v electrical systems work when submerged, at least initially so headlights (important for rescuers) and electric window motors all will work. HOWEVER! that was the case with traditional circuitry with switches and relays, now everything goes through the Body Control Module or whatever its called on the vehicle concerned, they seem to fry with a few drips of water or condensation so I doubt the electric windows or even the door locks (if in auto-lock mode) would work. Yes the door locks could "fail safe" ie unlock when power removed but to fulfill their primary purpose - security, door locks are always fail secure.

Doesn't OBDII only have a fraction of the capabilities of VCDS?

Clockspring module. = steering wheel slip ring. A VCDS scan will confirm.

I noticed that as well, brakes bleed quite clear, the clutch (same fluid reservoir) fluid really blackened and full of particulates. I cut open the original master cylinder (easy as its plastic) and the toroidal magnet that actuates the pedal position sensor was covered in black schmoo, it was magnetic but not seemingly metallic. You dont need to pressure bleed the clutch, you can just open the knurled plastic bleed nipple and gravity does the rest although for the initial filling of a new slave cylinder it was probably wise to do so, subsequent bleeds take 5 seconds by hand, any air rises to a cavity directly underneath the bleed nipple. While you are replacing the slave cylinder its worthwhile either replacing the bleed block AKA peak torque limiter or drilling out its internals, the latter preventing uncommanded clutch slip when pulling away from a junction in first gear or rapid upshifts followed by full throttle.

Thanks, my workshop being a sous sol (like a basement but not underground has a 2.17 floor to ceiling height so not enough for your type of ramp. I will be extending it out the rear of the houe to get another 40m2 but I need to keep the same ceiling height to make a terrace above for the upper flor, I could lower the ground floor of the extension, now I know the target figure I can look at that.

Do you no longer have your copy of what you signed? It seems very odd to be soliciting the opinions of strangers on the internet and other garages when its you who should have the definitive answer in black and white.

Dishonest, like most of the garages in the area I last lived, he would have done it in an afternoon but wants 2 days labour, he looked a bit shocked when I went back to give him the spare slave cylinder I had (I fitted a new old stock one piece alloy cylinder and not the plastic one in the kit which would eventually have failed like the one on the car) and told him that I did the job myself without a ramp in far less time. Good photographs of those problematic fixings! A question now that you are such a connaisseur of this job, where the slave cylinder connection stub goes through the hole in the bellhousing shown well on the photos, is it sleeved or if not did yours have a lot of clearance? The failure of the slave cylinders is the O ring connecting that stub pipe to the other half moulded onto the cylinder, I'm convinced mine failed due to the large mass on the end the bleed block vibrating the joint because it was free to move, someone had worked on mine before and I pondered had they removed an insulating sleeve? That cant be the height from the floor to the ceiling joists, did you mean 2.05m or perhaps 1.05m from car roof to joists?

I'm guessing that the mobile stool makes working at a lower height achievable, I have one also that I use for brakes and suspension. I am pondering this exact subject at present for the design of my workshop extension, whether I need to excavate down and have a lower floor level, I currently have 2.17m headroom.