Seat Altea 1.6 and its defects

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
Hi I am new to this forum but am a member of 3 other forums so I am pretty well versed on how they work and the help and knowledge they can provide.
This car is my daughters in law and to date it has been a good car for her needs(newish baby(now 20 months)) and although it is a 2004 it is a nice car. But as all cars of this era of the then new electronic cars it has a few messages now and again. The first one we had was to do with the coolant sensors and the top hose one was the culprit. This time it has had the same message and this time it flagged the lower hose sensor. Now that one is awkward to get to if you are using a jack and axle stands. You cannot actually see it from above and once you have the front undershield off you can access it. The next message was the ABS with the reader showing there was trouble with the rear right sensor. The message would not clear and so it was a hard fault. I gained access and removed the bolt and pulled the sensor out. Or at least I tried to but only managed to get half of it out as from the look of it the bit that goes through the hub had sheared off and remained in the hub with signs of green mold indicating signs of a crack and failure of said item. I only hope that tomorrow I can get the rest out without having to strip the disc off which would mean removing the caliper etc etc.
But if that was not enough she reported that the rear sidelights did not work and that the nearside brake is intermittent. Now it seems the system of the back lights in question is that there is a single bulb in each side of 21w which is the brake light indicator and also acts as the side light bulb as well by using a second feed to the bulbs of 5v which is enough to power the side light. Unfortunately being a single bulb this means if it blows then you lose two lights on that side but not only that it means that a bad connection can also result in the same result. By a bad connection I mean corrosion on the tab that the bulb sits on! This means that a new bulb holder will be required as cleaning the connection with a file or the like does not really work or if it does it is very temporary. These holders are just over £16 each plus vat and my local dealer does not keep them in stock and I will have to wait till next week before I get them. She is due back to work on Tuesday so that is a problem! It seems from what I have read on the forum that this is a common problem! Thoughts anybody?
 

robint

Full Member
Apr 12, 2006
168
9
UK, Essex
Rear lights corrosion is a very very common problem, replacement is the only long term solution. Facelift cars and XL's seem to have far less of an issue. The other sensors are not especially common, but as the car is 12-13 years old things will start to go........
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
I am aware of that and just posted this to give the members an idea of what goes wrong and hopefully tips on how to do it. At this moment in time the broken bit of the ABS sensor is a problem in that getting access to get it out looks like a right old palaver. The caliper carrier is held on by two large M14 headed bolts of which I did not have the bit to fit! And it does not just bolt to the stub axle either. Then after the disc is off the back plate looks like it has to come off too! It is the access that is the biggest problem having to work off using a jack and axle stands so that ground clearance is not good even though I have good large professional jacks. It would be a lot easier on a ramp but you have to work with what you have got. luckily this weekend is forecast to be going to get warmer than the severe frost we had last night!
 

sosidge

Newbie
Jun 5, 2004
65
1
From your list I've had ABS warning issues myself. According to the garages I've used, the only solution is full replacement of the rear hub as the sensor is built in. Good luck trying to replace the sensor on its own.
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
So got the new bulb holders on Friday and with new bulbs fitted they work as they should. Just the ABS sensor to sort out. As it has snapped in half flush with the mounting flange and it is impossible to get the bit left in the hub out it means stripping the hub. I am awaiting a short reach M14 spline bit(12 point) as the long one fouls against the hub. I have loads of tools and I thought I had all the specialised bits like allen, torx etc but they still manage to use a one I did not have. They look like torx but have more shanks. As I have to take the wheel bearing off does anybody know if it comes off complete with the hub when the nut is taken off? I have a Peugeot 307 that if you take the hub off the inner race stays on the shaft and you have to replace the bearing!
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
Well they sell replacement sensors so that is a mystery and they are held in with one bolt for removal. Maybe the garages know from experience that they corrode in and it is easier for them to just replace the lump. Only time will tell!
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
What do you mean the bearing is built into the hub? Most bearings are press fitted in and out as it would be impossible to manufacture a hub and bearing as one piece!
 

sosidge

Newbie
Jun 5, 2004
65
1
As far as I know the hub is made in such a way that removal of the bearing from the hub is not intended to be done once it has left the factory - doesn't mean you can't try and get it out of course...
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
I have a memory stick that covers the car through the ELSAWIN programme and when it comes to the rear wheel bearing it shows the parts diagram but does not really cover removal and replacement so maybe you are right. I will find out tomorrow. I dread to think of the cost of the replacement hub assembly. Probably worth more than the car!
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
OK so we have decided to run the car for the moment until I can clarify with Seat the state of play with the rear stub axle/hub and if the ABS sensor is in fact replaceable "on car" and too the wheel bearing.
So having dejacked the car I decided to ensure everything else worked ok as I had the coolant system apart and the back light clusters. Would you believe it but the main wipers don't work! The rear one does but nothing from them the front. I have checked the handbook for fuses and there does not appear to be a fuse listed for the fronts in any of the fuse boxes shown in the book! There is for the rear. Strange! The washers for the front don't work either! Any ideas anybody?
 

robint

Full Member
Apr 12, 2006
168
9
UK, Essex
Is the bonnet closed properly - there is an inhibitor switch to stop wipers working when bonnet not shut to prevent crashing! The switch (as far as I can remember is near the front and slightly on the left if you are looking at the engine from the front.
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
Spot on robint. Who would have thought. Many thanks. Mind I cannot see the link between the bonnet unlocked and stopping the wipers working and crashing!
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
So I contacted the Seat Dealer today and he reported that the sensor is replaceable as a new stub axle(bearing carrier as they call it) does not come with one!
sosidge It appears you are correct in that the bearing is meant to be changed as a unit with the hub. My concern was being able to remove it for access and hopefully find that it is undamaged as regards the pick up part of it.
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
So Saturday I got the car back and managed to replace the sensor. To get the broken bit out turned out not as bad as I thought as you can remove the disc without removing the caliper carrier!
It would be even easier if you then removed the hub but as I did not have the large size spline socket I just worked round it. I had to smash off the bit that was protruding through the hole and then punch the last bit back through to the rear. Then I shortened a round coarse file so that I could clean the hole as the new sensor is a tight fit and can easily be damaged if you force it. Even then you have to be accurate at positioning it to allow the mounting hole to be aligned. Patience and small hands helps. After that it is a matter of rebuild. I turned the handbrake piston in a bit to allow the caliper to slide over easy s it is a tight fit and tends to twist due to the handbrake cable.
Anyway it all went good and all worked as soon as the wheels were up to their signal speed the ABS light went out. All messages were cleared from memory.
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
More woes with the car. It failed the MOT with blue smoke at high acceleration and high emissions at idle. The nearside headlamp is out of alignment too. Not long after the mot the car started running rough and luckily the reader showed No. 1 plug had gone down. Lucky because that one and No 4 are easy to get out but the other two need the intake manifold off to replace. I stuck the cheapest plug I could get (£3) in and the car drove like a good in. There was a load of carbon on it and oily. So I mean to take the head off and replace the valve stem seals and decoke the head along with a full set of new plugs. The recommended ones are those with the four arms to the centre electrode, but the cheap ones I got are the good old fashioned ones so I have 3 more new ones to fit. £12 a set is a winner. They are the correct ones for the car by the way! I am hoping that will sort the MOT failures but if not then it might be a scrapper as to get an engine that is a good one will be nigh on impossible.
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
So I did a compression check on the cylinders to ensure there were no issues with broken rings and all 4 passed with flying colours. So it looks like it is the valve stem seals. I am halfway through removing the head. If you are going to attempt this you will need to give yourself a long weekend as every step is fiddly. I just have to disconnect the exhaust and remove the timing belt and I should be ready for the bolt removal. I have bought the head gasket kit £69 plus the new head bolts, £16.44. The plugs were £12. The timing belt needs to come off and inspected before I decide to replace it.
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
I finished the head job and got it all back together. It is the sort of job that must be done in sequence otherwise you have to remove bits you have just put on to fit something that cannot be fitted otherwise. Anyway it started first time but was still smoky. This is because the exhaust, especially the back box, is full of oil, so I have removed the whole exhaust. Shame as it was in great condition considering the car is 13 years old and 102,000 on the clock. I know it had not been changed as the rear section aft of the front pipe cat is one piece. The replacements come as two separate items as they are so long and heavy. Anyway, I jury rigged a exhaust system using the manifold twin flex connector to two silencers and some straight pipe to ensure that the smoke was not from the engine. Looks good so now I can get the replacement exhaust system ordered along with the post cat sensor having already replaced the pre cat sensor incase the oil had damaged them.
By the way the timing belt is a pain as you have to remove part of the front engine mount to get it off so supporting the engine and lift it just enough to spin the mounting on one bolt to remove. Refit in reverse. I changed the water pump as well. The impellor is plastic by the way. It was a pain to get out. The bolts were easy it is just getting it out of the hole. Another thing is the belt adjuster. I got a kit that had the belt, pump and adjuster and found you need a special tool to actually work the adjuster. I made to with some 90 degree bent circlip pliers but it was a pain getting the legs in the two holes as the access is in the engine mounting. I have since made myself a tool and if anyone wants to see it I can post a picture.
 
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sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
Well all that work on the head and it still smokes. That means the pistons oil control rings are the fault. You cannot buy those separate so it is a complete set of engine piston rings and engine out job. Now the car is not really worth putting that sort of money into it even though I am doing it myself but I am determined to fix it so keep looking for more instalments of this saga!!
 

sickofcars

Active Member
Dec 28, 2016
25
0
Well I am not sick of cars anymore, or not with this one, as we decided to scrap it as the costs outweighed the value of the car!!
 
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