J.R.

As it failed again when you changed gear then it will be the clutch pedal switch secondary contacts.

The Climatronic modules do have an internal fan whose function I have forgotten but it isn't for cooling of the components, I think it might be for drawing in cabin air for the sensors. Noise from them is a known issue, sometimes cause by a foreign body (leaf or insulation) blocking the airflow drawn into the fan creating a whistle. I would switch the Climatronic to ECO wait for the noise to stop and then give it a good beating!

Why do you want it adjusting, have they said it is out of spec? Why did you have the alignment check, was the vehicle not driving straight? Had you perhaps had the clutch replaced or the gearbox removed? The only front camber adjustment available would be centralising the front crossmember (if it has been moved) to even up both camber settings, if they are both out of limits by the same amount one positive one negative it indicates a sideways misalignment of the crossmember. Kwikfit can have all the flashy computerised laser alignment gear possible and it will only be as good as the person using it and if it is zero calibrated before use.

I can't hear a thin but it is likely to be the airconditioning refrigerant gas equalising when the pump stops, try putting the system into ECO mode & then shutting down after 30 seconds.

Not needed, the lowest modern car is taller and wider than a caravan from the 70's. I struggled to fit towing mirrors before I moved the doasyoulikey caravan that I bought recently and will soon be living in, I had 2 different pairs in stock and neither would fit the mirrors on the Yeti, I gave up and set off only to find that I did not need them, I could see quite well down both sides. For all the ridiculous width & height of modern cars its not as if there is any more room inside for the driver or passengers.

And that is the crux of the matter, the leasing company have accepted it which removes the concern that the OP said was the reason for his claim, it should have been the end of the matter.

I agree with all that you say, I took issue when the lessee after being rebutted (unreasonably IMO) by Skoda decided that the leasing company were in the wrong for not recognising the fault after stating that his concern was he would be charged for the rust when he handed the vehicle back: Got a call from Skoda Finance (aka VWFS), the owners of the vehicle. The guy politely told me to **** off. Normal wear and tear. Email confirmation of the conversation. I do “have the right to refer your complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service”. Utter, utter nonsense that they won’t accept it’s not right .

Spot on, the absolute obvious first port of call.

I presume that is a low roof poptop type Eriba? When I used to tow my Esterel Caravane Rigipliante the MPG barely dropped at all.

Yes I understand that and embrace that we are all different, I would not let it spoil my enjoyment but I am not a detailer or clay bar user, the leasing company have zero responsability towards the lessee in this instance and really dont want to become embroiled in nonsense about their vehicle from someone who is acting as if he owns it. I realise now that I misinterpreted your posting though, when you said leasee I was thinking of leasor.

I know better but I plumped for the cheapest of the cheap from Ebay, they barely cost more than the delivery would cost alone but were they a bargain? 2 years and 30K miles later when changing the suspension struts I decided to replace them again with another cheap set they cost even less this time) as they would be disconnected anyway, to my surprise they were still in perfect order and the swivel joints were still so stiff that I only needed a spanner to remove the nuts & not the splined bit to stop the threaded shaft rotating. So yes they were a bargain, in this instance the recieved wisdom was wrong and I have a spare set if needed.

It's a good read, they all are, I printed many out and bound them.

Have you read the VAG self study guide on Climatronic Wino? I dont have time to read it again but it will describe the operation of the flap in detail and either confirm or deny your hypothesis. FWIW I agree with you, I think it either needs to be in one extreme or the other but the potentiometer if fitted would serve to indicate any malfunction.

No need to remove the belt to check the sprag clutch, the simplest is to observe if the belt flutters with the tensioner oscillating, you can also rotate the alternator shaft within the stationary pulley with the correct spline tool, it will tell you if the bearing is seized or snatching.

Could the previous customers reciept have been hanging from the mouth of the printer perhaps? Probably 15 years ago I argued with the person in the pay cabin at the filling station that I had been charged for more than 60 litres which was impossible as that was more than my tanks capacity, I was very embarrassed to be told it was 56 litres (for example) and the price was €62 (for example), the cost had just gone over €1 per litre and before I had never paid more than €60 for a fill up. Sounds very cheap now doesn't it!!!!!

Aha!! - I understand your reasoning. But the tank sender unit has a guaze strainer that would stop any particles of that size surely? And then they would have to go through the lift pump but I reckon they would drop to the bottom of the tank beneath the pick up point, perhaps the smaller particles in suspension that get through damage the lift pump creating the shavings which are in turn trapped in the fuel filter. looks like I was wise to chicken out at 5am Sunday morning from driving the last 50 miles of the 500 mile trip on the reserve capacity! I started with 3/4 of a tank.

I thought the high pressure pump was after the fuel filter, it makes very little sense for it to be before. On that basis the debris can only have come from the lift pump, that draws fuel through a guaze filter so it sound like the pump is breaking up.

Understood 👍

No need for insults Sep, I was wrong, misinformed, call it what you will, I assume that you are speaking of the UK? I will double check the rules in my country, I'm pretty sure that if a carburant is used as a road fuel then duty must be paid on it. Why is it legal (you say) to drive on supermarket cooking oil but not red diesel? And what does a "fake helmet" mean please?

Straight diesel - bent owner! Says the man looking up the price of Gasoil Non Routier (Red diesel) last night and finding out it costs more than the diesel he bought on the autoroute which should be significantly more expensive than the supermarke filling stations. I doubt that you will find any 4l jugs of cooking oil on the supermarket shelves and you are going to attract a lot of attention with a trolley loaded with 60 one litre bottles of cooking oil, at least with the red diesel or ClamC oil its on a 24 hour unattended pump.

Their negligence = you pay! Sounds about par for the course.

You have confused the two different terms, you start by talking about a zero voluntary excess and then complain about the compulsory excesses which are not "added on" as you describe but an integral part of the policy and included in the premium quoted, you can voluntarily reduce the premium by opting for a voluntary excess offered.

In 45 years of motoring living on the Surrey Sussex border I have only ever used tap water and (sometimes) anti-freeze as a coolant on all engine types, of all materials on road and race vehicles during that time carrying out countless engine rebuilds and never ever had any problems or found anything negative to report. In fact I don't know of anybody that has used distilled or de-ionised water for coolant but I suppose they must exist with the power of the internet to reinforce percieved wisdom. Here in France coolant is only sold premixed so I suppose people are getting de-ionised water but how would they even know? Ironically today for the first time in my life I needed distilled water to calibrate a refractometer, its been done with tap water for the present.

My memory for detail is equally poor but I do recall that larger engined RWD Vauxhalls, not Vivas etc but Victors & the like, had a bellhousing arrangement where you could remove the gearbox alone leaving the heavy bellhousing in place and then replace the clutch, I recall using the gearbox itself to align the clutch. Endurance racers using the 16V Vauxhall engine in a RWD configuration would use quick release toggle clamps etc for the gearbox to bellhousing joint for rapid clutch or transmission changes in the paddock or pits.

That looks more like to me that some very serious remedial engine work was carried out post manufacture, have you owned the car from new? The pins would have been used in the engine assembly plant & not have been anywhere near a part built shell with scuttle trim panels, seals etc. But they would have been ordered as part of a kit of parts for a bottom end engine repair.