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skodakid

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  1. I've researched this subject a lot after I changed the bulbs in my other car for OSRAM silverstars and noticed it made no discernable difference. The standard factory fit bulb in this case was an OSRAM +30% type, (silverstars are +50%). I dug out the technical data sheet on these bulbs and found out that the light output of the +50% bulbs was actually only +2% (two percent) more than the +30%.!! Remember when they quote +90% etc etc its referenced against some obscure standard (probably an old Chinese bulb). The only difference is a slightly "whiter" light (slightly different colour temp). I'm convinced that the +xx% marketing term has more to do with the price than the light output. The silverstars cost me £22 at the time - I could have got the standard OSRAM bulbs for about £4 a pair. I don't know what has gone off with the price of bulbs - they are just plain ridiculous. Cheapest bulbs round my way are at Sainsburys garage - about £4 ea - they are as bright as the GE originals fitted in my Fabia,
  2. DSG drops the clutch of the next preselected gear in 8-10 milliseconds. That probably doesnt count the time to release the previous gear clutch or the safety margin between clutch selection. It takes well over 100 ms to change a gear, its just that it preselects, which is OK if it predicted correctly..... Lots of marketing drivel to confuse/inspire the uneducated. But by all accounts a good box, provided they dont break.
  3. Quote Skoda UK website - "Until 31st January 2010 we’ve reduced the price on all Octavia models, so it’ll be like not having to pay the VAT." Skoda UK should pick up the bill.
  4. SUK Website - "Until 31st January 2010 we’ve reduced the price on all Octavia models, so it’ll be like not having to pay the VAT." Again..... at the risk of boring you all to death. "Tax free" or "Vat free" offers are marketing speak for "discounts" - note that SUK have changed there wording a little to clarify this. All talk about manipulating invoices, tax points etc is irrelevant. As I expected, the discounts will continue - in all probability, deeper discounts will become available over the coming months as car sales worldwide are dropping dramatically (except perhaps in China). Lead times will continue to improve until such time as factories start laying people off. This will be the case for all car manufacturers.
  5. No such measurement as "battery efficiency" - just BS - probably meant his short circit tester only went to 60%, in which case your battery is duff. Get a new battery - a major brand (I personally like Exide) - make sure its the largest size available for your model - and if you get a premium model they usually have a 3yr no quibble warranty, and usually last for at least 5 years, often 6+ MAKE SURE that the battery is new (ask for manufacture date) - batteries are stored dry (without acid). Batteries over 3 months old are usually returned to the manufacturer AFAIK.
  6. You've probably got a duff battery or dodgy alternator. The green gunge is indicative of a discharged battery. Just because the battery is 6 month old and "professionals" say it is OKish doesnt mean its not duff. Dimming lights = low system voltage = PAS will cut out when the voltage dips below a certain level. Its almost always because the battery cannot supply the necessary current. (You probably changed the angle sensor for nothing.) Check the alternator charging voltage (14.1 - 14.5 volts, at 1500 rpm, all lights, heated rear window etc on). If thats OK, then its probably the battery (probably old stock or a cheapo brand or undersized battery)
  7. Just a note to all of you naively whipped up into a frenzy - (that's what marketing departments love...) As pointed out by others...... 1. There is really no such thing as a "VAT free" offer. Skoda UK like all other UK companies registered for VAT have - by law - to charge all UK customers VAT and subsequently give it to the taxman. No exceptions. Skoda's VAT free offer is simply a discount equivalent to the VAT amount. 2. The reason that deliveries are improving is nothing to do with extra shifts blah,blah. Its because their main market, Germany has fallen off a cliff due the end of their scrappage scheme. Expect, discounts to continue, and extras to be dangled. Might be called something else, but its still a discount. This marketing trick is so old, they ought to get real and publish the REAL selling price - but somehow I don't think that's going to happen. Free - the most abused word in the english language.
  8. Check the crankcase breather system first as stated above. It could be valve stem wear rather than piston rings, that would be a cylinder head refurb which would cost in the low hundreds. You need to ask for a compression test to be conducted to establish whether it is piston ring wear. Also look under the engine and check for silly things like a leaking sump gasket (underside of engine/floorpan will be covered liberally in oil, drops of oil left on road/drive) - note this leakage can be caused by blocked breather system which causes the crankcase to become pressurised. Temporary solution for worn rings/valves: use the thickest oil you can find, if you use 20/60 you will probably find oil consumption halved or more and the rate of deteriation will be reduced - however this spec oil is usually expensive and your fuel economy will suffer slightly. 20/50 will do, avoid 15/40 or thinner.
  9. Stratified mode is only allowed by the ECU when it detects high octane fuel (presumably by using a knock sensor or by measuring combustion temperature). It used to be a big selling feature of the FSI engines until they started failing in droves. I think the stratified mode has now quietly disappeared and been conveniently forgotten - pity , beacuse it had the potential for fantastically low fuel consumption. Incidently FSI stood for fuel stratified injection........
  10. Complex subject, at 1900 rpm the engine is the most efficient at full engine torque (floored throttle, turbo fully wound up). But that has nothing to do with economy. I wont bore you with graphs, lectures about mapping and the theory about gearing, but as a rule of thumb, the slower the engine speed and the higher the gearing, the more economical you are driving. There is a point at which you can drive too slowly and as you point out the engine labours, but this varies with load and is pretty near the 1000 rpm level for the 1.9 tdi.
  11. AFAIK the 1.6 petrol engine is cambelt. The engine you refer to may the the new 1.6 CR diesel engine which I think is camchain.
  12. I had "no oil" when my Fabia 1.2 was delivered. It wasnt checked at the pre delivery inspection:rotz: After a lot of deliberations, I acertained the following:- The 1.2 engine is often installed on the slant, with the dipstick end considerably higher than the gearbox end. Why? No one seems to know and its a variable thing from what I gather. So, even though the engine is filled during the engine production process, the oil level is all to **** once its in the car. Because of the position of the dipstick at the end of the engine instead of somewhere midway, it is very sensitive to the cars tilt, both endways and fore-aft. To check the engine oil correctly, you must ensure the car is stood on a perfectly horizontal surface. According to the manual (daft as it seems), you should check the 60bhp version cold, and the 70bhp version warm. In any case the engine should have stood for a few minutes before checking the level. Always wipe and dip, dont rely on the the just pulled out dipstick level. If you wipe the stick, you will see the stick is matt finished, this makes it easy to see even the clearest of oil. Only topup with a small amount at a time, say 0.25 litre, wait a couple of minutes and recheck the level. It is very easy to overfill the engine. Because of this mysterious tilted engine installation problem, I recommend you maintain the oil at the half way point in the hatched area. My 1.2 engine has so far used less than 0.25litre in 2000 miles (probably less than 0.1 litre) Its been the most troublesome engine I've had when it comes to check oil level. The Corsa I had previously had a similar problem - that engine also had an end mounted dipstick. You'd have to wipe the dipstick thousands of times to even remove 0.1 litre!!!
  13. AFAIK CO2 testing is done on a single car usually in-house. The tests dont mean every car would acheive the same result as there are considerable manufacturing tolerances. The difference between DSG and manual are negligible and you shouldnt read too much into the figures. I have a suspicion some manufacturers even cherry pick vehicles. Manufacturers do tweak ECUs and gearbox controllers to give them good test results. Witness the number of cars that just sneak into a band at the top end. The current fad for stop-start technology takes great advantage of the idling portion of the test to give manufacturers an exaggerated low CO2. Great for marketing and tax, but in reality not likely to lead to significant savings.
  14. Check the O rings on the fuel filter. They dont come with new filters and often they get lost/slung with the old filter.
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