My 'new' Berlingo - Follow and (preferably) help me with my list of problems!

[reddragon105]

I've just become a Berlingo owner after purchasing a 2005 2.0 HDI Multispace Desire from a local individual. It's actually the first car I've owned as I've had the use of my parents' cars since I started driving so I've never had much incentive to buy one for myself, although I've been set on getting a Berlingo for a while as I wanted something that was pretty basic, van-like, hard wearing and spacious to transport stuff like DIY tools and materials, bikes, camping equipment and a couple of dogs, so I was happy to enough to buy a cheap one when I had the chance.

However, it needs a few things doing to it. I'm going to list them here and post updates as I work my way through the list fixing everything - and hopefully anyone who's fixed these things before or just with more general knowledge about the car can chime in and help me out. I have no experience with car maintenance, simply because I haven't owned a car before, but I'm generally good at fixing things and want to extend that to cars. So, armed with a Haynes manual, a basic socket set and a can of WD40, here we go -

• Clean the interior - seats, carpets, dash, windows, boot, modutop, etc. The car is pretty dirty - and it's always worse when it's not your dirt - so it needs a good going over. I'm going to remove the seats to shampoo them and also be able to vacuum the carpets thoroughly and shampoo them.
  
• Fix driver's seat armrest - it's just hanging there. Should be easier to fix when the seat is removed.
  
• Fix passenger seatbelt - it's missing the button that holds the clasp in place at the top of the seat.
  
• Replace the audio head unit with something that my phone can connect to - either 3.5mm in, USB or Bluetooth - preferably while preserving LCD display and steering wheel control functionality.
  
• Fix brake light - passenger/nearside is not working, probably just needs a new bulb.
  
• Fix rear overhead compartment - it's not closing properly on the right side.
  
• Fix remote locking on key fob - both buttons are missing, both from the fob cover and the PCB inside.
  
• Get a new spare tyre - existing one needs replacing as it's really worn down on the inside. Need to get a new one and put it on the wheel.
  
• Fix or replace the bolt that holds the spare tyre in place - it's pretty badly rusted/seized so won't turn.
  
• Replace front right/driver/offside fog light - it's got a patch riveted over it so that needs removing. Assume the light behind it is either smashed or missing.
  
• Get a dog guard - preferably one that will fit whether the back seats are up or down.
  
• Replace oil and filters - a service is due so engine oil and oil, fuel and air/pollen filters will need replacing. Possibly also brake fluid.
  
• Check the condition of the auxiliary drivebelt.
  
• Replace rear axle trailing arm bearings - car is creaking/groaning at the back left whenever I set off and also has a negative camber on the wheel there. From everything I've read that's the bearing in the trailing arm, so the left one definitely needs replacing and the right one probably should be too.
  
• [Possibly related to above - car is juddering slightly at 60-70mph. It happens in 4th and 5th gear so is speed related, not gear dependent. I suspect it's the negative camber on the back wheel so hopefully this will be fixed with above.]
  
• New timing belt - not sure if this has ever been done on this car, certainly not in the last 5-6 years that I have service history for.
  

The last two items there are my priority. I'm not even going to drive the car again until I've replaced the trailing arm bearings - I've ordered some and I'm going to attempt to do that myself in the next couple of days. I'd like to work my way up to being able to replace a timing belt but it could probably do with being replaced sooner rather than later so it's probably a job for a garage. Hopefully I'll be able to get the bearings done myself though.

Help/advice and general morale support on any or all of these things much appreciated!

[ffrenchie]

It's all pretty routine stuff apart from the axle problem. General consensus is to get a reconditioned axle with the new trailing arm bearings and grease nipples fitted if possible. The torsion bar removal is not a pleasant task from all accounts I've read. Timing belt kit with a water pump and tensioner is not a bad price.

[reddragon105]

Update 1 - So far what I've mostly done is clean the car. On Saturday I removed all the seats and gave them a good clean - basically a good scrub with some laundry detergent and then hosed them down in the back garden as the weather was good and they had mostly dried by the end of the day. In the meantime I thoroughly vacuumed the car and washed the carpets - and also removed the trim from around the handbrake and gearstick because the cup holders were filthy and there was lots of bits of food down by the handbrake. I was thinking 'I'll add a piece of foam or something there to stop that happening' and then got inside to find that there was one, only it had fallen out of place, which explains that. I want to replace the gear knob but I'm having a struggle removing it. Just got the dash, the windows and the modutop to clean and then it can all go back together, minus the driver's seat which is staying out until I've a) fixed the armrest and b) checked to see if I can find where the airbag wire is loose/frayed.

It's all pretty routine stuff apart from the axle problem. General consensus is to get a reconditioned axle with the new trailing arm bearings and grease nipples fitted if possible. The torsion bar removal is not a pleasant task from all accounts I've read. Timing belt kit with a water pump and tensioner is not a bad price.

That's sort of bad news/good news for me - thought the axle just needed a new bearing, which I have in hand, and I've had the wheel off to see what I need to do to get at it and, asides from the fact that I've had to order a 41mm socket specially for the hub nut, and the fact that every other bolt seems rusted beyond belief, it seems relatively straight forward. Grease nipples make perfect sense but my plan was to do the left bearing first, see how it goes, then order another for the right side and just do that one when I have more time (the left side's urgent as I feel I can't drive the car in the condition it's in) and try adding a grease nipple to that one while it's off, then go back and add one to the left side. But I don't think I have what it takes to replace an entire axle - not yet, at least.
As for the timing belt, I've always felt they were difficult to get at and easy to mess up, but after reading what the Haynes manual says for the 2.0 HDI engine and watching a few videos it doesn't seem as bad as I thought - my only question is do I need some sort of tool to measure/set the tension? I thought I read that somewhere but now I'm not sure where - is that what the tensioner does automatically?