J.R.

To test differential engage a gear, rotate one pinion flange, the other should rotate backwards, there should be no noise, catching and a constant low to moderate resistance. Edited, you may need to prevent the gearbox input shaft from moving. Then engage direct top gear (this might be 5th and not 6th) rotate the gearbox input shaft, both diff pinions should rotate together in the same direction, normally at the same speed but due to the resistance of the bevel drive the LH one may rotate faster, if it is the only one rotating then stop it by hand and the other should rotate. Again there should be constant resistance, its difficult to describe how much, it depends on the gear selected, how old the diff is etc. You will feel if something is wrong, I'm sure there won't be. I would like to know what led up to the (I believe) wrong decision to remove the gearbox, if it was the mechanic then what was he asked to investigate? So many of these threads start out with a statement of fact that eventually is revealed to be the speculation of a mechanic who is beyond their understanding and want rid of the vehicle.

Its getting a bit confusing with the various threads but can you confirm who decided that there was no drive to the front wheels and for what reason please? If it was the mechanic why did your son take the vehicle to him?

Up to a constant 125°c is fine with occasional higher demand peaks. Oil has to reach the temperature where it can boil off condensation.

Its an optimal oil temperature.

You are right, the manufacturing is much better.

Now I know why I thought it was a Yeti, this thread is in the Yeti section. If your son made the mistake that many garages have and also myself the Haldex level will be correct, for peace of mind check the differential oil level.

I bought 20 litres of Mannol that was supposed to be low Saps but was a con job, I did my usual "whats the worst that could happen?" one oil change left before I will have used it all and the DPF differential pressure has risen significantly which it hadn't before ☹️

Which is why he was asking for people who actually have experience which I am one of. As the OP said the vehicle did not have Adblue I had assumed it was an EU5 like mine but mine was one of the last EU5's in 2015 and his is a year later.

I second that. I sincerely hope he used the alignment pins when dropping the cross member, if not the drive problems (which are likely anything but) will be the least of your sons problems. Thats probably not relevant, I don't know why but I was sure the vehicle was a Yeti.

I fitted a Chinese head unit, only £80 on Ebay.UK because it was a returned unit, the satnav is ok but has its foibles, after a couple of years they crash at the worst moments and display a Windows error message box containing a Chinese sick note! A new data card with the latest Satnav pre-loaded is only 2 or 3 Euros delivered, cheaper than the cost of the data card. I've fitted a reversing camera which works really well, the drawbacks with the cheaper Win operating system is that its out of date and no new development is being done, also you cannot mirror your phone to it or at least I have not found out how to. I would like an Android Auto one but they cost a lot more, I think Waze on the phone is far better than Google Maps, the awfull mispronunciation of French words by the American voice (which cant be changed) triggers me like crazy, Waze seems really really well thought out and I would love to be able to use it on the bigger screen of the head unit, that said the screen is unreadable when the sun hits it at the right angle whereas the phone wedged just underneath with its brighter screen I can still see.

You are not alone!!!! Having fitted some 50 or more new tyres what has been a real eye opener is that not a single one has needed balancing when fitted or later in service. I remove all the old balance weights and carefully align each tyre using the coloured dots, something I hav never seen a tyre fitter do.

I guess if the splines were stripped on one front driveshaft the diff housing would drive just that one shaft in free air and also the quill shaft to the bevel drive gearbox and rear axle. Its beyond the realms of imagination that such an unknown event on this platform should happen immediately after the Haldex was serviced. You reveal something else that is implausible, when you experience jerking from the Haldex it is undesired engagement of the clutch pack usually a commanded pre-emptive strategy, this requires the Haldex clutch pack to be loaded by the hydraulic actuator from pressurised oil from the pump, when the filter is blocked the fluid does not circulate and the clutch remains disengaged, its default state. Failure of the pump or a blocked filter screen result in no drive at the rear axle not grabbing which in most cases is a feature of the system under certain conditions, I usually experience it when reversing on lock out of a supermarket parking space. I look forward to hearing more information which hopefully will reveal something or bring some clarity. As an aside can your son confirm that the volume of (hopefully Haldex) fluid that he drained was in the same ballpark as the volume that was used to refill it to the correct level and that the volume used to refill was close to the specified quantity, I cant recall if it is just over or just under 1 litre, 700ml rings a bell.

I look forward to it! I had read that you took an alternator with you but did not know if you ended up needing it and fitted it. As an aside I keep a spare fan belt that is shorter for a non AC version of my vehicle, it will do the necessary of pumping water and charging if the original breaks but also means if my AC pulley bearing seizes or the shear plate detaches but is clattering with the straps flailing around (already happened to me) I can use the other belt bypassing the pulley.

I don't know why I am so pleased that you have bought it but I am! I know I can't save every deserving car from the scrapheap and heaven knows I dont need another vehicle but the story of this one was really pulling at me. I only bought the Yeti because I was bored and wanted a project, learning via Mike The Thinker that it was going to go on a transporter with all the other vehicles to Eastern Europe to be broken for spares made my mind up, it turns out to be my all time favorite vehicle and really suits my needs, I have a feeling that the Roomster will do the same for you. Please start a thread on its resurrection starting with whatever you did to resolve the charging problem for the journey home.

Most of my journeys are that short these days, I have had no problems at all but I have had the "emissions fix" rolled back and fitted an EGR emulator/simulator. As you are a mechanic and will know promptly if anything is not well and will not be paying a garage to make any repairs I say go for it! I would consider the above EGR mod though as thats an accident waiting to happen even when driving longer journeys. The diesel will give you massive savings regarding fuel consumption on short journeys as there is no mixture enrichment as soon as the compression ignition cycle is self sustaining, OTOH frequent regens will consume fuel so a rollback like I had done is again an advantage if you can get it done cheaply, it also takes the extra load off of the EGR allowing it to work under the conditions and last as long as it was designed for.

Having seen the diagram that @langers2k posted on the other thread I now realise the above is incorrect, I concur with his verdict that if the problem really is drive to the rear wheels only then the only plausible explanation will be the diff planetary gears having stripped. I don't for one second believe this is the case as the graunching and screaming would be unmistakeable. You should start by asking the mechanic or explaining to us if you already have how he (thinks he) knows that only the rear wheels are being driven.

I incorrectly thought that the bevel drive was driven from the RH driveshaft, your diagram has enlightened me so thanks 👍 It means that the 4x4 system is better than I thought it was, previously I believed that drive to the rear axle would be lost if the left hand front wheel was in the air spinning freely. The differing diameters of the bevel gears also tell me that the rear propshaft is rotating 1.5 times faster than the front driveshafts, that 7kg chunk of steel and rubber at the end of the propshaft has some serious inertia!

@Alisdair1 What you have described (no drive to front wheels) is a physical impossibility, the info is second or maybe 3rd hand so perhaps an error in communication, do you mean drive to the front wheels only which is feasible after someone has tried to resolve the rear wheel skipping problem which will have been precisely what Scott says. The angle drive gearbox is driven from the RH front driveshaft, the front differential is a standard non LSD type, my Yeti would be a hoot in RWD only but the only way that could happen would be to cut through both front driveshafts (which would then flail around!), weld up the front differential and hotwire the Haldex pump. I am dismayed that this mechanic who seemingly knows very little about the 4x4 transmission has removed the gearbox if it was indeed the gearbox and not the angle drive unit. Was it the same mechanic who "fully serviced" the Haldex unit? I sincerely hope not.

I'm working from memory having not done the job for at least 4 years, bits may not be correct, as soon as I have the job in front of me it jogs my memory and the correct method becomes apparent, all my learning has been through struggling the wrong way!

It's definitely gone to a good and worthy home. Did he resolve the charging issue or bring a spare battery with him? Bonne Route Pete!

Your imagination is running riot again, the only interaction I have with you is occasionally correcting the worst and often repeated examples of nonsense. If you think you have some embarrassing information on me that I have shared with you then I encourage you to please go ahead and post it.

0.1 volt not 1.0 volt. I believe what you write: "I'm just charging my neighbour's car 12v as I borrowed the car and the car gets very little use and then on short journeys only. The 4-amp "smart" charger maintainer showed 12.7v just after a short journey" 12.8v minus 12.7v = 0.1 volt increase.

That is devastating news, I was counting on you to explain where I went wrong, I feel really let down and don't know who I can turn to now. 😜

I like the system here although the dealers probably hate it because it puts people off changing their vehicles every few years. We pay the cost of the carte grise when we register the vehicle in our name, nothing to pay thereafter all the time that you own the vehicle, there are also malus taxes on first registration which are really prohibitive for sports and luxury vehicles especially SUV's because now they are adding another first registration tax on weight. It starts at 113g/km CO2 with a malus of €50 rising to €70000 for a CO2 rating of 192 and above, no that isn't a typo!!!! Add to that the malus masse which charges you €10 for every kg above 1500kg to 1699kg then increases by €5 for each extra 100kg finishing at €30/kg above 2000kg. Whilst this screws buyers of new Range Rovers etc most of whom wear it as a badge of pride and within 30 seconds of meeting them they will tell you how much their car cost to register it also screws buyers of EV's and Hybrids. Back in the real world I have only ever paid between €150 and €300 for first registration of an imported RHD vehicle (it halves when they are 4 years old and as I keep them for a decade or longer it worked out at €12 per year for my Octavia, the Yeti will be €15 - €20 per year dependant on how long I live and if I can keep it on the road. Taking insurance, registration taxes and Contrôle Technique testing (every 2 years not 1 year) together my fixed motoring costs before I drive anywhere are about €240 per year, adding depreciation assuming I live another 20 years it rises to €400. I am all for taxing the hell out of people buying new expensive/powerful/heavy vehicles but dont like the way the UK penalises those who drive older vehicles with the frequent changes in the road fund license system not to mention those who have to buy newer vehicles because where they live becomes a low emissions zone. The basic registration cost system in my country has not changed for second hand vehicles, yes the rates go up a little each year, yes the higher CO2 rating taxes go up a lot more (a good thing I believe) but the cost for Monsieur Tout le Monde with a modest second hand vehicle has always remained moderate.

Human hairs are around 100 microns thick, its impossible to seal a dry unpressurised seal assembly like that totally but the early variants left a lot to be desired