sepulchrave

Very important to check the cams at TDC because it's the crank sprocket that slips, not the cam sprockets.

If one has failed then the other three are right behind it, replace the lot.

The trouble with ECP unbranded guff is that it's designed to make them money rather than solve your problem. I would order a decent set online and wait a few days for it to turn up, fitting is quick and easy so you don't need the weekend to do it, especially since it doesn't get dark until 2100.

Stick with brands you've heard of, Febi, Valeo, Lucas, Bosch, Delphi etc. that way you can buy whatever is cheapest but you'll still be getting decent quality. I replace all the leads as soon as I start to see intermittent misfires logged, if that doesn't fix it you need to do the coil packs as well. They're all consumables along with the spark plugs of course.

If that's where you bought it...

Ok, the battery light coming on is normal, there should also be a yellow engine light that comes on then goes off. Since you have a 1.6 TDI which is notorious for injector problems I suspect the engine light has been disabled.

No, the limp mode is caused by something else, does your check engine light come on with the ignition and then go out when you start it?

No, only the front.

Mintex and Febi discs and pads are a reasonable compromise in terms of quality and performance.

Ok, it means the pre-cat lambda probe needs replacing, I'm not surprised after more than twenty years service. It's a wideband unit on those engines so it's a little more expensive.

I thought the blue coolant symbol simply means the engine is cold and not to spank it until that light goes out.

FFS! Which engine is it? We don't care if it's an estate, if it's pink with purple spots or has a yellow leather interior but we have to have BASIC information like which engine has the fault!

Your friend is right, buy a secondhand compressor and replace the entire unit.

That poor screwdriver...

That's because he's a moron, the pulleys are sized to allow the different driven units to run at different speeds, simply removing the Aircon doesn't change the speed that the belt is running at since that's dictated by the crank pulley.

It frightens me that you are working on your own brakes, it should frighten you too! Pop the car up on axle stands, whip off the wheel and drum on the other side and copy that layout.

Ok, don't check then. It would be a MAJOR rookie error if you've been plugging and unplugging the ECU without disconnecting the battery, if so, you've probably bricked it!

Check you haven't bent any pins plugging it back in.

If it's a 1.6 TDI then it's likely to be an injector related fault, I'd replace all four if they've never been done but you really do need an independent VW specialist.

Yes, search on eBay and you can buy the correct plug with a tail already fitted.

That's the only one, it also contains a temperature sensor as well which may explain the other codes.

I suspect you have an air leak, possibly in the brake servo vacuum hose, does the brake pedal go hard after the engine has been stopped for a few minutes?

Blimey, the police got here quick! Were you called or just waiting under the bridge?

The 1.6 TDI is notorious for injector problems, however the best advice for ultra low-mileage drivers is DON'T BUY A DIESEL! Don't even buy a turbo petrol, stick with naturally aspirated petrol engines and you'll have next to no reliability problems at all.

Replacing the rear shocks is one of the easier DIY jobs, check you haven't broken a spring as well though.