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Hi all, So I’ve just bought a mk2 Octavia VRs tfsi 2011 in VRs blue with black wheels mileage is 87,000. I picked it up for around £3000. I have always wanted this exact car there’s just something about the mk2 that I love. Anyways my question is what essential jobs do I need to do before starting to look at a stage 1 map? I have a friend of a friend who is a Skoda technician and he is going to do the tensioner,chain and water pump for me next week as there’s no proof in the cars partial service history that this has been done. I’m guessing these are essential but what else should I be looking at please my good people?

ok thank you, will do that

Hi all, I'm a long-time lurker and I'm hoping to find out how often the tensioner pulley for the V Belt should be replaced? I've ordered the parts for the timing chain Kit B replacement (the car has survived to 165 000 kms on its original, but it sounds like a tractor on startup)! Since ordering these, the water pump has developed a leak, and I thought I'd have the timing chain, v belt, and v belt tensioner all done as well. Also, any recommendations for a water pump? Likely I'll order genuine as it looks like the current one fitted is aftermarket and has only just made it to 5 years of service. Regarding the V belt tensioner, am I required to replace the entire assembly (part number 03C145299Q), or just the pulley (part number 03F145276)? If I replace the entire assembly, likely Ill order an SKF one. Thanks.

These are the screen shots on the MySkoda App and I have the Battery Care Mode enabled. I still cannot find the Optimize Battery for the 12v battery on the MySkoda App. Perhaps there are differences between the VW and Skoda Apps.

True. I don’t have infotainment online so I do it manually. And there are a few local DAB stations I listen to that don’t seem to put out their logo so I add my own.

Has this got a DQ200 gearbox?

But I shouldn’t have to. VW/Skoda should be updating that logo database more than once a decade, especially as it's one of the features my Infotainment Online subscription should be maintaining.

Think I am wrong re side of car that hose goes. Just found a post on here and on they say on RHD car its drivers side near/under footrest. https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/524338-ac-drain-hose-location/ Exit seems to be tricky to see/find Alasdair

Not sure but think it comes down from centre of dash under front passenger carpet near tunnel and through firewall. Not sure exactly where it exits. Have read they are prone to gumming up at draining end. Check the underlay of passenger side front carpet for moisture. Alasdair

I can confirm now that leaking wastegate moves boost response up in the RPM range. I had some 4mm of total play in the actuator itself and the connection to wastegate lever and turbo didn't boost properly until 3000RPM. After actuator replacement, everything improved, though I didn't check the exact figures with the diagnostics.

So hopefully the issue have been fixed! The culprit was the wastegate actuator after all. Upon inspection I noticed quite significant play on the actuator rod. This was present even when the ECU tried to close the wastegate. So I ordered new part to try and replace it. MP4_20260914_080003VLOG.mp4 Getting the old part out was fight, too. I couldn't get the actuator off the wastegate lever. And this is why: I tried to move the lever before and there was no sign of play. So it's likely that the connection was sticking, but not enough to throw the P334B error. The bushing in the actuator, where the rod passes, was significantly worn, too, and the entire mechanism didn't move as freely as the new part. Overall, there was 3-4mm of play in the system (for reference, the entire range of the actuator is 10mm - reduced by 2mm insert which was fit during recall), so it's no wonder that the turbo couldn't reach boost in lower RPM. After the replacement, I did 15x ignition on/off procedure, which supposedly resets the endpoints. Drove around 200km afterwards with no issue. The car is much more lively now, although I didn't check with diagnostics, it's apparent that turbo reaches full pressure at ~2000RPM, but the throttle response improved all the way to idle. Fuel consumption at 6th gear/2000RPM and full throttle went from 9-10l/100km to 15+, so there's definitely more air going into the engine and hills, where it struggled before, are no issue now.

Well folks, today's the day! I began this thread back in April or May 2025 by asking forum members for their assistance. Thank you to all who have contributed. At the time I didn't think it would take almost 18 months before we would eventually collect our new car. Partly of my own making and partly due to the decision to reject the car that arrived in February for a March collection. However, here we are. This feels somewhat different from most of the previous cars we have acquired before. This one has been bought first with my head, then my heart. Normally, it's been the other way around. I've turned my back on the aspirational premium brands of Mercedes, BMW and Audi, the big three. And obviously Range Rover. Why? Too many times they have sold me a mirage. The promise of something special in return for what would have been another £20k+, but the reality has been anything but. Not this time. I am not expecting our Superb to be as quiet or refined as those more expensive cars - sound insulation etc. But the law of diminishing returns applies here and another £20k, or settling for a stripped back 5 series, isn't justified to me. And if the follow-through customer service from Skoda is so-so, and I am hoping for more but not expecting such, it will be less painful than the dire service from Audi Edinburgh, Lloyd Land Rover Kelso etc. because the bill doesn't include £170 per hour labour charges and eye-watering cost of parts (although I am under no illusions that the DCC+ suspension is simple although, by comparison to the Velar's air suspension with bags and compressor, there are clearly more complex systems out there). We catch the train from the Central Scottish Borders into Edinburgh this morning and, all going well, collect the car before a day trip to Pitlochry and a visit to Queen's View.....to pop 150 miles on her across an easy selection of roads - motorway, faster A roads etc. I have my PNY USB thumbdrive loaded with a few test, lossless music files. That's it. If you've been following this thread then thanks again. I will post a few pics tomorrow, provide a final report to the community and then I sense we can retire the thread gracefully. Best wishes. David.

I would be extremely surprised if that has any basis in truth.

Thank you, it’s currently on 87,000 I have it booked in with my friend that is a Skoda technician he’s going to do the tensioner,chain and water pump for me then I hope to look at a stage one mapping for performance gains.

Morning Ray, Moderators all get an alert to approve new users first post, so that’s now done. It’s just to help cut down on spammers. They get caught in the approval net 👍🏻 Welcome to the forum, You can post freely now without any more mod approval needed, unless you use a key word that’s on the alerts list from all the previous spam attacks.

Pls post a picture of label from upper housing of Columbus

Thanks again everyone for your comments. I will keep you posted on how I get on. I am just about to start a new job which might mean that I need to get another car....if I do, I will probably get a hack more suited to towing. So give me a month or 2 to see which way I go.

Sorry, I was browsing the forum and got your alert re moderator approval. What do I need to do? Regards Ray

On the VW app it’s just under the battery care mode, I would be surprised if Škoda doesn’t have it as it’s basically the same software / car.

The UK version of military fleet support.

Welcome. In what respects? Performance, handling, or something else? There's been a lot done to the MkIIs. TFSi are pretty tuneable. Golf upgrades etc. Lots of topics and threads so good luck with it 👍

Hi all after 20 years of driving ford cars I’ve just picked up my first Skoda in a mk 2 2011 octavia vrs tfsi. Naturally I am looking for help in upgrades on this beast 😎

I would definitely test your battery, just cos it should be ok doesn't necessarily mean it will be

You can add those manually. If you find an image of what you want and put onto a stick plugged into the usb port or onto an sd card if you have a slot

Yeah, I got the 334 update on Saturday. Seemed to go on OK, then did a large supplementary update that also reinstalled the shop to the main menu (it had disappeared a week ago from mine). Hoping this will see the end of the daily updates and hopefully sort out the issues with CarPlay being super slow to respond to screen presses etc. Just need them now to add icons for all the radio stations that still aren’t in the logo pack and we will be laughing.