ThomasP

Woody I cannot answer your question but I should point out that I have just purchased these on EBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fit-Skoda-Octavia-Estate-2004-2013-Rear-Boot-Tailgate-Gas-Spring-Struts-Pair/153291031289?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 At the price I would think you cannot go wrong........I would just remind everyone looking at the link that my car is a 1Z5 Estate just in case the saloon struts need to be different. I hope this helps Tom

Wino/Langers Many thanks for the quick replies Wino....I have tested the alternator as much as poss but I haven't actually done as you suggest.... I will do that and report back Langers ...thanks for info Tom

Hi all Car 55reg 1.9tdi iz5 241,000 miles still going strong. The purpose of the post is to try and get some good advice regarding a substantial battery drain on the above car. There is no doubt that this car is the best I've ever owned but for about two years + now it has suffered from a SUBSTANTIAL battery drain ie. between 1.9amps and about 0.8 amps. There are two things at the moment that don't work that is the driver's door lock which I am just about to repair and the boot switch which gave up the ghost a long time ago. I have taken the car to all sorts of recommended people but no one can actually tell me what is wrong. I have tested the battery and alternator as much as I can and they both seem good. I have been told a couple of times now that because the boot switch and door lock are not working then this could be the source of the drain because the car never actually 'sleeps' as it is waiting for the status signals from both the boot lock and door lock and because it is not getting any response then this is causing the battery to go flat........... If I use the car every day I can just about start it in the morning with the battery nearly flat. If I leave it a day the the following day forget it, the battery is as flat as a pancake. Whereas the explanations I have been given are very plausible it does occur to me that for a battery to discharge almost fully overnight (battery is a 72aH battery) is much more of a drain than might be expected from the car as it looks to sleep. Surely, that kind of draw would be fairly minimal. If I disconnect the battery the battery is as fresh as a daisy when I connect back up in the morning. I have no warning lights but on examination two of the glowplugs are not working but as you will know engine management light doesn't come on until all four are dead - It still starts then I would really appreciate any advice or help to resolve this problem as it is spoiling what is, otherwise a great car still. I hope someone can help Thanks etc Tom

Woo7dy I can tell you my experience....I, too read this thread with great interest. I did purchase a set of red springs to fit onto each tailgate strut. Fitting was dead easy - I just removed the top anchor of the strut by holding the end just below the fixing with a pair of decent mole grips and the unscrewing the fixing and popping the new spring on the shaft and then replacing back the end fitment. Some two years later I still have the springs fitted but their action did change (quite quickly) from healthily springing the boot lid open by about 12" to just opening the boot lid by a couple of inches which crucially is all one needs - so that it doesn't drop back onto the catch and lock itself up again. I would point out that the tailgate was never dropping down onto my head once it was open. Although, I suppose it would have been better to replace both struts for new ones for just a couple of bob I have had an opening bootlid that never fails to open. I hope my post helps Tom

Wino Thanks so very much for posting the link.......I have now read it and the job doesn't seem too bad to me (Famous last words!!) Thanks all Tom

Yeah, but can't find one for a BKC....

Lol....these 1.9tdi pd engines are just so reliable, I saw someone on ebay the other week selling one with........wait for it!! 427,000 and people were bidding to buy the car.... Unbelievable. However, can someone advise on the difficulty of an alternator change, Thx etc Tom

can anyone advise on this job, please Thanks Tom

Stuart thanks for reply etc............yes, the voltage is a bit low (only just, though) and drops without recovery on load (again, only just) butthe charge light hasn't switched on. I know for certain that the alternator is the original and at the mileage covered (225,000) it wouldn't hurt to change it..... I am a pretty good diy mechanic but the reason I ask this question is that modern cars are so compactly built these days that most jobs I find can be awkward I will watch out for your comments

Hello all I did scout around for this on the forum - I can't beleieve that nobody has asked this previously... How difficult is it to change the alternator on an Octavia estate 1.9 tdi (2005) BKC engine? Is it a DIY job or take it to my friendly mechanic...... After225,000 miles I think the alternator might not be working aswell as it should

Well, I hope that I am not posting this too quickly but I think it is resolved. On doing more research on the internet it seems that a common cause of the air bag light is due to a bad connection underneath the passenger seat.... I checked mine out and it was all still apparently connected but a waggle of the connections plus a bit of positive force between the connectors and it seems to have cured the problem (famous last words etc) So thanks to all the people who read the post and thanks radders for your reply Thanks all Tom

Hi all Airbag light is now on (2005 1.9tdi estate pd 8 valve engine code bkc) The error shown on my very cheap obd code reader is 04731 Can anyone help? Please....... Does anyone know a good auto elec or trustworthy person to go to in the Hertfordshire area

Hi all I don't post that much - mainly because I don't have many problems with my particular car (Octavia Estate 1.9TDI PD 8 valve 2005 vintage). However, this post is just for the benefit and information of other readers. The topic of whether or not to have this clutch conversion is discussed a lot on the forum. I have posted myself asking advice etc. Well, I finally took the decision to have mine done I did decide to go for the Valeo conversion kit which I understand they designed specifically for the group of cars that mine comes under . I can report total satisfaction with the car now that it has been done. My old set up has been slowly but surely dying over the last few thousand miles (I have had the car since 15,000 miles and it completed 192,000 miles on the original dual mass set up). Annoyingly, the original clutch was still as smooth as ever and working fantastically well, in fact the driven plate clearly had thousands of miles left on it but the flywheel really was falling to bits. When my trusted independent garage did the job it waas discovered that the inner mass had jammed up against the outer mass thus covering the bolts necessary to remove to get the flywheel off so they had to grind it off until they had access. The new clutch is very, very slightly heavier to operate than the old one but still nice and light it is much smoother and the vehicle is much more pleasant to drive. I notice this particularly when cruising on the motorway as the car is quieter and smoother. Gear changes do seem to be subtly smoother and I think the car is doing a smidge more mpg. So, if anyone is out there with the same problem and is undecided perhaps this post will help you decide. For everyone's info Thanks Tom

Can no one help?..............

Hi all Further to my last post re this subject............... My trusty Skoda has now completed 187,000 miles and is STILL on the first clutch set up but I must admit the flywheelit is now getting a bit more rattly, although the clutch action is still great. The details have already been discussed on this thread (and many others) I am going to plump for a single mass conversion kit either by Valeo or LUK Today's question is, can anyone recommend a decent supplier at a decent price? I know we get a discount code for Euro car parts but I have forgotten it so if someone could remind me it would help a lot, particularly with this high cost item Many thanks Tom