Breezy_Pete

Pop a photo of your engine up, minus any removable top cover.

Yes, breakers are probably your best bet. Autodoc etc will probably only have LHD versions. Some sellers may not realise there's a difference. Part number for LHD probably starts 6Q1 instead of 6Q2. Possible that you could adapt one of those by lengthening the cable IFF that's the only difference. Might be that the sensor end is handed though.

@stephenmccahil, I enjoyed our chats.

I think there's a little dipstick built into the cap, but it's lots of years since I last looked. I remember ours being very resistant to being unscrewed the first time I tried, probably hadn't moved since it left the factory a decade or more before when I tried. Access was awkward to get a good grip though.

Buy one with the correct connector already on it. Part number to match is probably stamped on the existing one.

Might just be an indication of a weak battery, do you know how old it is? Fluid doesn't degrade in these really.

Very helpful, much appreciated. Will have a go tomorrow.

@Golf-Fiend thanks for this. Would you have any guidance on which measuring block groups need viewing/logging, and under what conditions, please? I have VCDS, but no idea what to look for. Is it just a case of finding one where individual injectors are shown with some number and see how similar those numbers are?

I think a recon turbo is probably on the cards for mine, even though it has only done 110k.

Depends what they do. Engine bay clean sounds like a nicety that wouldn't affect running at all, if it means just cosmetic cleaning of the outside of things? Carbon clean can mean lots of things. Only one that actually does anything to the best of my knowledge is the rather time-consuming one of removing and manually cleaning the intake manifold (I've done that much, and that takes plenty of time and is an incredibly mucky job!), and while it's off, media blasting the intake ports and valves clean with walnut shell bits. That takes care, time and making sure each valve is fully shut before blasting. Anything involving chemicals or gases wafted in the general direction of the intake are absolutely futile and ineffective in my opinion. Good money for the vendors though, cos it's not easily proved that it has done nothing, and the placebo effect will make purchasers tend to think it has helped, briefly. I thought I might be able to manually clean up the ports and valves a bit while the mani was off, but forgot that it was an 8-valve engine so the valves are on the centreline of the head, so deep you can barely see them through the ports. Gave up that idea straight away even though they looked like they could use it.

I need to get mine running cleaner, but I'm a bit of a novice when it comes to PD diesels. MOTd til September luckily, so I've got time to learn.

Spoke to a helpful fella at my local TPS about the servo hose. Not able to order it any more and none showing at any TPS or dealership in the whole UK. ☹️ Just messaged an ebay seller with a suitable vehicle listed as breaking. Reluctant to do battle with it until I've got something that could fit in there if I destroy it trying to extract it, cos that would render the vehicle undrivable.

No progress on the servo NRV; access is horrible in the scuttle, wiring conduit and A/C pipes in the way. Vaguely wondering about plumbing in a new, additional NRV somewhere more accessible. Genuine replacement pipe is NLA, doubt there's anything aftermarket. 8E2 611 931M, dropped from supply by Audi a few months back. I replaced the foglight damaged by the deer crash today, as well as the ARB bushes and links. The latter was suggested by a near neighbour as a possible solution to the clatter/knock I get at low speed on rough road surfaces. I will be pleasantly surprised if it's made any difference. Couldn't see much wrong with what came off. Oh, and of course, of the 8 ARB fasteners I had to undo, one seized and had to be sawn off. The joy of old cars.

Smoke is what it was failing on.

Well done. But don't stop looking to see why it was a bit smoky, improvement in that is likely to improve economy and power.

Good luck with that! Lots of folks only seem to come on here for an argument. 2 is correct though.

Guessing generally leads to very expensive errors. Have a look at* the throttle valve as suggested, or get a VCDS scan to see if any faults show up. * Edit - as in examine visually by disconnecting pipework from it, not as in 'buy a new one'

There would be a hell of a lot more threads on here with people trying to fix it if it were. AA man is probably harbouring the mistaken idea that any fault light is a fail. Never been true AFAIK, though often claimed.

Battery light wouldn't come on at all if that wire was broken.

I realise he hasn't yet done it, it's just my suggestion of the best plan of action. 👍

Putting it on charge with the battery charger he says he has, for an hour or two once a week, between now and when he can use it again would do the battery least harm.

That's why I was asking the year. I had a quick glance at circuits, and I think I concluded that Chris's car predates such BCM involvement. Not fully sure on that though.

What year is the car?

Check the engine-running voltage across the battery. Brightness of incandescent bulbs goes up with the square of applied voltage, so you would prefer not to have a lossy charging system.

Is the engine speed sensor (crank angle sensor) something that has been checked or replaced?