SEAT Ibiza service

[Toledo Man]

I've been asked to service a SEAT Ibiza in preparation for its upcoming MoT. The car is a 1.9 diesel on a 56 plate and it is owned by Emma (one of Anita's daughters and the previous owner of my Border Collie) and her hubby. They also have a Daewoo Matiz which they've spent money on getting through the MoT (it needed a replacement gearbox mounting and a drive shaft when they bought the car. Guess who had to fit those parts?) so they need to save a few quid on getting the Ibiza through. It is a bit sluggish so I reckon a good service (engine oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter and pollen filter) should make it run better and will help with the emissions come MoT time.

Has anyone worked on one of these before? Any pointers would be appreciated to make the job a bit quicker and easier when I come to do it.

[Carledo]

Its a VW diesel engine, so everything is pretty straightforward. I can only think of a couple of points to mention, 1) The oil filter is IIRC, a plastic screw on cover over a paper element, some of these dont have any obvious nut on them and can be ludicrously overtightened. there is a special tool but I find a fabric strap wrench works (mostly)
2) When changing the fuel filter, fill the new one to the brim with fresh diesel before reconnecting the pipes and stuff or it won't run for long and will be a right pig to get restarted!

Steve

[Jon Tilson]

On Steve's point 2 you can save having to fill manually by just turning the "ignition" on and off a few times without starting it. This causes the lift pump to run
for a few seconds each time and refill the filter so it will start.

Is it a turrbo diesel? If its sluggish there is something seriously wrong as it should be in 100 bhp tune and go like a scalded cat. If its non turbo it should still be
quick enough.

Jonners

[Toledo Man]

I've only driven the car once so I'm only going by what I've been told (not the best way, I know). I'll know better when I get hold of the car. I'd like to get some Cataclean in the fuel to help with the emissions. I don't know if a DPF is fitted and they're tightening up the MoT regulations on DPFs so anything which will help reduce the emissions can only be a good thing. They've had the car for a few years and it has served them well so it is probably just in need of a good service. I did a similar type of oil filter on a Corsa D and I just used a 24mm socket to undo it.

Thanks for the pointers.

[Jod Clark]

Make sure you use the correct spec VAG engine oil, it makes a world of difference on the PD engines. I'd leave the pollen filter if you need to keep costs down, changing it won't make the car run any better. Cataclean won't do anything that a bit of BP derv and an enthusiastic ten mile motorway drive won't do.

[Toledo Man]

Yes, I'm aware of the special VW/Audi engine oil that's needed. I know the pollen filter doesn't make any difference to the running of the engine but Emma and Calum have 3 daughters all under the age of 10 and if it still had the same pollen filter it left the factory with (very likely!) then it isn't doing it's job and will cause the very problem it is supposed to prevent. I think it is worth changing and they're getting my labour for free so they're still saving £££

[Carledo]

Yes, I'm aware of the special VW/Audi engine oil that's needed. I know the pollen filter doesn't make any difference to the running of the engine but Emma and Calum have 3 daughters all under the age of 10 and if it still had the same pollen filter it left the factory with (very likely!) then it isn't doing it's job and will cause the very problem it is supposed to prevent. I think it is worth changing and they're getting my labour for free so they're still saving £££

And a dirty, blocked pollen filter can reduce heat output to a trickle, even on full fan, not a good idea in cold damp weather like this!

Steve

[Toledo Man]

It can also strain the blower motor if it is struggling to pull air through a blocked pollen filter.

[Toledo Man]

I got all the bits for just over £55 (engine oil, oil filter, air filter, fuel filter and pollen filter) and it is definitely the correct oil for the PD engine so no problems there. It is a motor factor that I've used for years and I've never had any issues with quality. I was hoping to get it done tonight but it will be tomorrow night.

[Toledo Man]

Here is the car in question. I found out that it has just passed the MoT having failed on ONE worn tyre.


Here is the business end of the Ibiza, that 1.9 Turbodiesel as found in other VW, Audi, SEAT and Skoda products.


Changing the oil was the easy bit. I found that I had the wrong oil filter, air filter and fuel filter. Getting the parts exchanged won't be a problem but it means another trip to the motor factor and a delay in getting this service finished. Fortunately, Emma doesn't need the car back in a hurry so I can finish the service once I've got the correct parts. The pollen filter was the only filter that would fit and the old one was overdue to be replaced. Lots of leaves came out when I removed it. Already, I've noticed that the blowers are much improved and Emma's 3 daughters will have better quality air coming into the interior of this car. Here is the old oil and pollen filter.

[Toledo Man]

I got all the parts exchanged and the job has been done. I fired up the engine and thought all was well until it cut out. I realized that the filter was empty and there was no fuel in the system. Eventually I got the car running again and I took it for some road testing and all is well. Phew!

[Toledo Man]

The car went back to Emma who told me that the oil hadn't been changed in 15 months! I told her the engine oil needs changing every 6 months. The good news is that she says that the car feels much better to drive. I'm not surprised with engine oil that's not been changed for that long.

[Toledo Man]

This car has come back to me. One of the advisories on the MoT was the CV joints so a pair of new ones have been bought and Your's Truly has been roped into fitting them (I don't mind - honestly!). I got one of the front wheels off and it was immediately obvious that it was on the way out because the CV boot had split at the drivesahaft end (the narrow end). I came to the hub nut and it is a strange shape. Exactly the same profile as a 12 point socket. I tried a 36mm socket and it was too big. A 34mm 6 sided socket wouldn't fit.

Does anyboy know what size this hub nut is? I don't want to be spending £££ on a socket that won't fit. I reckon it will be a 34mm 12 point socket but I need to be 100% certain.

[Jod Clark]

Hammer & chisel size that is, the new joint willl be supplied with a more sensible nut. Seriously.

[Toledo Man]

I've since found out that there's a special socket for these. I've spoken to a mechanic I know who might be able to borrow is spcket. Why do manufacturers make it difficult for owners to repair their own cars? I've opened one of the boxes and there isn't a nut with the CV joint (well, I couldn't find one). There's only just enough room to get a socket in so it would be a struggle with a hammer and chisel. This one might have to be taken to a garage if I can't get hold of this special socket.