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SEAT Alhambra 1.8i 20V Gran Via common faults.

1996–2000, MPV, petrol, 150 HP.

The fault list covers: AJH, AWC engine.

What you save stays on this device only. My saves

4 fault write-ups. 2 important. No recall on the list.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

2 important faults

expensive2

Corrosion: tailgate, wheel arches, damper mounts

expensive

On older cars rust appears on the tailgate, around the wheel arches and on the underbody, more strongly where the roads are salted in winter.

Show the rest

At the upper mounts of the dampers the seal lets go, and the mounting plate can corrode around it too. In that case replacing the damper is not enough: the surrounding metal has to be treated too, otherwise the repair comes back within a few years.

What to check

  • Open the tailgate and go along its lower edge from inside too, under the seal
  • Crouch down at all four wheel arches and feel along the inner lip
  • Open the bonnet and look at the upper mounting plate of the dampers all around
2 more steps in the write-up

Sliding door: guide rail, roller and the powered motor

expensive

The guide rail and the rollers get dirty, dry out and wear, and then the door runs stiffly, squeaks, sticks halfway, or does not close properly. On powered versions the motor and its control join in, along with the wiring running into the door, which breaks.

Show the rest

There are two doors, and replacing the powered operation needs a lot of parts. The rails have to be cleaned and greased. If that was skipped, the rollers wear.

What to check

  • Open and close both sliding doors fully, by hand and (if fitted) from the button too
  • Watch whether it stops halfway, reverses, or has to be pushed at the end
  • Go along the guide rails: dirt, dry or contaminated grease, a worn roller
2 more steps in the write-up

comfort2

Coolant temperature sensor (G62) failure

comfort

The G62 sensor tells the engine control unit how hot the coolant is. If it is faulty, the control unit thinks a warm engine is cold, and runs it rich: hard warm or cold starting, a rough idle, markedly increased fuel consumption, and a dash temperature gauge that jumps around or never reaches its usual reading. The part is cheap and can be replaced in half an hour: the trouble is that many people do not recognise it and replace an injector or a lambda sensor instead. If the fault persists, the rich mixture can destroy the catalytic converter too.

What to check

  • Warm it up and watch the dash temperature gauge: the needle should sit steadily at the middle reading, not jump around
  • Watch a cold start, then a warm start after twenty minutes standing
  • With a code reader look for the 17664 / P1256 code in the engine control unit
2 more steps in the write-up

Secondary air system: pump and combination valve (P0411)

comfort

From the late nineties to around 2006, petrol engines used a secondary air pump to blow fresh air into the exhaust on a cold start, so the catalytic converter reaches operating temperature faster. The impeller of the pump rusts or its bearing seizes, soot clogs the combination valve (N112), and the rubber hoses crack. The control unit then stores the `P0411` code. It barely affects driving, but the engine warning light is on, and the emissions test can fail because of it, and the roadworthiness test with it.

What to check

  • After a cold start watch for 30 to 60 seconds: can you hear the pump droning from the engine bay
  • Check whether the engine warning light is on, and have it read out: P0411 (VAG code 16795) points to this system
  • Ask when the last emissions test was, and whether it passed first time
2 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

SEAT Alhambra 1.8i 20V Gran Via

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

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Engine and transmission

2 engines · 0 transmissions

AJH · 1.8 T

110 kW (150 HP) · petrol

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it. More than one engine code is possible. The fault list shows the faults of each.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
1.8i 20V Gran Via
Body
MPV
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
manual
Engine size
1781 cc
Power
110 kW (150 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
1996–2000

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Engine oil and oil filter

    • LongLife30,000 km or 2 years(valid only with LongLife-approved oil)
    • 15,000 km or 1 year

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Coolant (antifreeze) change

    • first: 193,000 km or 10 years, then 97,000 km or 5 years(G13 / G12++: first change at 120,000 miles or 10 years, then every 60,000 miles or 5 years)

  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years
All I versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms