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After my recent contemplation about whether I should stick with the car beyond the upcoming 2yr mark and continue bringing it more to my like, or sell up and try something different, the conclusion was to go with the former option at least till it's 3-4 years old before reconsidering again. One area I always felt it's hard to make a real difference is the inherent behaviour/dynamics of the car during cornering. Which is why when I heard about Haldex controllers being used from some MQB owners (mostly Audi TT-RS) with promising results I decided I had to find out for myself, also as I haven't heard of anyone having explored the impact of such a solution on a Superb yet. After some search I decided to go with DSA mostly due to the background of the developer (previously related with a certain AWD technology of a certain very relevant German manufacturer...), the controller development and tuning done in collaboration with a known German rally racer and the experiences of owners using it that I could read about. Installation: The controller itself is like a small external 2.5" HD, roughly around 15mm x 100mm x 70mm. It connects to the Haldex below the rear left seat and on it is connected a touch screen from which the parameters and different modes are accessed. Installation is very simple as soon as you can figure out how to take off the rear seat bench. After you've unclipped it from the two main clips (they didn't need replacing afterwards as suggested in the service manual) are off there's two brackets (one at each side) that keep the bench down which need a particular way of pushing to go out. Push towards the back of the car and downwards, that way they'll be able to release and the bench can come off. There is the option to fix the controller on the carpet via 3M tape (supplied) that bites into the carpet (kind of opposite to Velcro), but as it is so small I figured I could queeze it in below the seat foam for a cleaner installation. It seems like there's enough compliance in there to leave it in even if a passenger sits above. Regarding the control screen, it is not needed to be always connected after you've set it up to your like but untill setting up or for permanent use you can route it somewhere close to the driver's seat. In the photo below I lift the seat slightly to show the controller below it (not really visible), and the cable going out to the left side of the car, tucked away in that plastic panel which has just enough play to host it nicely until the front dash It then goes up and via the small cubby, over the steering column and in the little centre bottom cubby: Not invisible for sure but I can live with it being something temporary as I said, once I have experimented with all options I guess I will settle with a setup and probably just disconnect the screen all-together, or I can try to leave permanenently inside the left cubby which does not allow the cable to be visible at all, just that for now I needed it to be somewhere within direct reach. Settings: The controller comes with preset values which you can modify to your preference. For starters, the controller is only activated when switching to ESP SPORT or ESP OFF. I have coded my ESP to immediately switch to ESP Sport with one push of the button, and full ESP OFF when holding the button pressed for 2-3 seconds. Regardless of coding, you don't have to worry about forgetting in an aggressive setup during daily driving as the ESP defaults to ON (and thus the controller being OFF) every time the car starts up. The main parameters are the Minimum and Maximum locking values of the clutch (set between 0-100%) that override the stock values. The minimum locking value set is disregarded (locking is reduced 0-10%) when coming to a stop and when creeping forward. Another feature is the steering angle reduce factor (menus are all in German for now). By activating this, instead of having a fixed minimum locking of say 60% at all times, the locking percentage is allowed to drop below the minimum locking value as soon as the steering wheel stops being straight, and the ratio at which this happens can be set from 1 (very slow and little reduction) to 20 (immediate reduction of a larger extent). There's also an option to run the car in FWD mode. I tried that just to remind myself of the misery of my 370bhp GTI in the wet or in general on any road/condition below 60km/h, foot down and... yes, wheelspin bonanza... I also remembered why I had said I won't ever own another FWD car above 250bhp, let alone closer to 400... You can also choose to keep the rear axle engaged during braking (as stock, Haldex disengages the rear axle when brakes are applied), this would work well on track I imagine. Finally there's real-time monitoring of the percentage of locking, to understand exactly what's going on and how the parameters affect operation, as well as of engine rpm, torque, oil and coolant temps. *** A note about locking values: The min/max locking values can be set up to 100%. Setting both at 100% means obviously the clutch is fully engaged at all times. This should NOT be confused with the actual torque split taking place though. Due to the design of the Haldex, there is no way to ever have more than 50% torque at the rear axle because if rear is fully engaged (100%), then both axles share torque equally (50-50). I am thus concluding that any locking value seen at any point, should translate, at best, to half of it in terms of Torque % arriving to the rear axle (minus drivetrain losses where they occur). Still, a greater rear drive bias than the stock management for sure than only momentarily increases clutch locking to anything over 20-30% as I could see from my testing with the controller in stock mode. Driving: As expected, there is no difference under normal driving. This is not a suspension modification that you'll feel as soon as you drove a few meters. However, start using the throttle around a corner and you realize immediately there is unusual agility and willingness from the car to rotate, much more than you ever thought the car had to offer. Before, using more throttle than seemed appropriate for sticking to your track, resulted in fighting with the steering wheel to turn the front end of the car towards the inside of the corner. This is now gone. Up to a point it almost feels as if you've activated some "turning assist" that rotates the rear and keeps you on track but allowing you to accelerate even more at the same time. You simply corner faster. Over-do it, and the tail now easily steps out. Very manageable with a bit of opposite lock and throttle modulation but it will shock you the first few times simply because the car could never do something like that before. It put some big smiles up on my face for sure. I also believe a thicker rear arb as the one I run accentuates the effect, so be prepared, especially when you've set up a large minimum locking value and no/very little steering angle reduction... Impressions: This is an improvement making itself noticeable and appreciated during fast driving (and I don't mean in a straight line). A track is where it would really shine or the right type of b-roads. Used wisely it makes the car faster and more involving, more playful. Used not so wisely it makes it just fun or silly, or potentially dangerous if you don't know what you're doing. So far for me, the Haldex cars I'd driven (all 5th gen) were great point to point cars. Traction under all conditions but not able to carry much speed around the corner neither being particularly involving. The approach to drive them fast was moderate corner entry, steady throttle till the apex or even till a little after it, and then flooring it just as you touch the corner exit. Very one-dimensional and "automated" so to speak. With the controller, they are still no RWD beasts but they can become something better, more satisfying. The way the car responds now you can start applying throttle much earlier without the car washing wide but actually rotating where you're pointing and going even faster without scrubbing speed off. Or you can over-do it ever so slightly (when conditions allow) in order to have some fun around corners. It allows you to take an approach that was previously not accesible with any other modification and even if can only get use of it rarely, it feels very good to have it at my disposal. PS. I do need to do a proactive Haldex oil change now just to be on the safe side. PS.2 My rear tires are not going to be very happy with this mod...

Head bolts are various different lengths and some have washers and some don't. They have to be positioned into the right holes. Here's the info you need.... Tightening/position order.... Tappet settings (they are hydraulic but have an initial setting procedure)....

Clearly a bad day! the car would need a set of Eibachs to sit that low Here's a more accurate image of the end product:

According to data logs there’s no benefit over rear drums and 256mm rear vented brakes.

Let me introduce to you my latest project. It's Amundsen MIB2 made from SEAT NAVI SYSTEM unit. Thanks to it: - it has CD drive so you can play music from CDs - it supports 6 channels (4 doors, subwoofer, central speaker) driven directly from the unit (without any external amplifier), in SEAT it's called SEAT SOUND SYSTEM - it supports 5 points equalizer (125 Hz, 250 Hz, 1 kHz, 5 kHz, 10 kHz), although it doesn't look perfect as it is a mix of SEAT and SKODA skins but it works perfectly Original unit model number is 5F0035858C so it has DAB but does not have MOST => no support for Active Info Display (Virtual Cockpit), however it can also be made based on units equipped with MOST (e.g. 5F0035877). It has been flashed with Skoda SW 0478. So if anyone's interested in relatively cheap unit that supports AID (VC), has built-in CD drive and can drive subwoofer and central speaker please contact me on PM Some pictures:

I had exactly the same issue when starting my car on cold mornings. It turned out that the battery had gone faulty and wasn't providing enough voltage. The battery was replaced under warranty and I haven't had the issue since.

all done... doors close, ignition turned on, re-programmed seats with the bong, remove key and pressed the unlock button. I even tried it several times and holding the unlock button till the windows went down. still no bong with the unlock button. Thanks for your advice, I need to get the button out of the seat and I'll buy a new button cluster.

Hello and many Thanks Wino- at last someone who knows what they are talking about! That part number you sent put me on the right track so I’ve ordered a Gates PK113 auxiliary belt for my 2010 CCZA model with AC. Tis a minefield!! Yes I’ve been going boss eyed using the phone, it does indeed clip info until you press info.I imagine a desktop would be better laid out. Thank you very much,You are a Legend.

It's running great thanks mate

No probs. Think I bought a pack of 25 because I wanted spares for other stuff.

The guys that fitted my 'cooler said it was the largest one they seen for this platform. I wouldn't know, as I've never had the nerve to try and fit it myself. The shop owner knocked me 50 quid off it for cash. Bargain.

You just need to keep your eye open for a cheap kit on E-bay, buy one with several rawlplugs & you could sell it on afterwards!

Not the ideal occasion for more throttle then! One good thing about south Sweden being so flat though is you can at least ensure visibility for miles Hoping we'll get a bit of snow this year, last year there was none where I live, now I can only guess that would make for an interesting occasion with a Haldex controller on

Think you might be right, hence the "lately" thing I mentioned. We're having 4 degrees here early in the morning or late in the evening the last couple of weeks. Thing is, during the beginning of drive there's a few messages overlapping (user welcome message, Kessy not found etc) that could prevent the big message of "Temperature warning" showing up in the center, but the snow-flake should be up there somewhere, will confirm it later today

I miss my VRS dearly. Sold it last year for the pricely sum of £1200. Considering the age (2003 53 Reg) & mileage (18500) is was in very very good condition. Photos taken one week before I sold it........

The winter tyres help a lot because the walls are softer. I'm going to fit all weather tyres to mine when I need to change.

Amundsen MIB2, MY 18 (some people call it MIB2.5), without DAB. Check PM

A new gold and diamond trim option?

L.S. Finally got rid of my previous lease car (Citroen C4 Cactus, don't ask ) and I'm now finally the happy driver of a Skoda Octavia Combi 1.6 TDi DSG-7 5E (2017). Although I've always driven cars with manual transmission I like the DSG-7. I love to tinker around with the electronics so you'll probably find me around in the forum parts where that's discussed. Greetings!

I find recording rides and runs (on Strava for example) has it's upsides and downsides. It's great to keep track of your overall distance, and get an idea of speeds. I like to grab photos to look back on, and also look back for inspiration on routes I've not done for a while. Bit of fun competition with friends on certain segments. Gives me lots of geeky stats to pore over too. However I find the downside is that you can become too obsessed by times, and it can take away the enjoyment of actually just being out. Until earlier this year I'd always had a Garmin (Edge 520) mounted on the bars of my bike - so it was directly in field of view all of the time (with all the live stats - speed, distance, elevation etc). I then got myself a watch (Forerunner 945) which I can record all my riding, running, walking activities with, complete with heartrate etc (and it tells the time, bonus!). So I stopped using the bar-mounted Edge. Straight away, with the watch face being a little more out of view on a bike (requiring a conscious arm movement to see it), I found myself thinking less about whether I was going "fast enough" or beating times, and taking in more of the surroundings - and essentially enjoying the ride more. Everyone has good days and bad days. Some days you just feel like your legs are made of wood and you've just got no energy. Other days you feel on fire! Enjoy the good days, but don't beat yourself up "for going slow" on the other days - remember you've still been out, and lapping those sitting on the sofa I notice a couple of posts up, on your Friday run which you didn't think was quick, you were still doing low-8min miles (sorry I have to convert units!!) which is pretty speedy for majority of people!

It's hard to tell but I think they might have distorted bass or vibration? At a guess, you're pushing the stock speakers too hard or something in the drivers door panel is vibrating. Consider upgrading your speakers or adding sound deadening to the doors to reduce vibrations.

Some variants of the silica bag (silikat) tend to split which can cause various blockages within the coolant system. I've never seen anything about G13 and silica causing corrosion on metal parts. A common mod is to either remove the silica bag or replace the expansion bottle for one that is not 'mit silikat'

I did spend quite a long time researching your two tyre types. The EU labels give the Contis a fuel efficiency rating of 'E' but the Yokohamas are worse at 'F'. In theory,they would decrease your mpg by about 1.5%. Yokohama V905 rolling resistance is 9.43 kg/tonne (not quite the same as your V902A) I'm still looking for the Conti figure. Both tyres have a noise rating of 72dB.

Worth keeping an eye on the Briskoda forum's Part for sale, and also placing a Wanted ad.

Check faults with diagnostic tool/laptop - you may get a clue.

Buy a 12mm glow plug removal tool and carefully undo. When tightening use a torque wrench and tighten to 15nm. Any more and you risk damaging the sensor. Also only replace with genuine plugs as I had mine go and fitted ngk plugs plus a genuine sensor plug. All went again so I fitted genuine Skoda pligs and not had an issue since.

In fact, I had your thought too. But with the front all blacked out that shiny and chrome logo doesn't match in my opinion...

Change engine oil and filter very regularly. Make sure the cooling system (thermostat and engine temp sensor) and radiator fan (both speeds) are in full working order. Fix any coolant leaks (radiator thermoswitch likely). Buy a handheld scan tool that can read Skoda/VW fault codes. Buy a spare coilpack and practice changing them so you can do it easily at roadside. Carry scan tool and spare coilpack in the glovebox. Check spark plugs condition and gaps, and replace air filter with a new genuine one unless it looks new already (from both sides). Check brake servo vacuum hose for crack damage at the one-way valve over to the right of the firewall (as seen looking into engine bay from front bumper). Check PCV valve output hose connection at each end of the 'loop' for looseness/leaks/perishing. Repair as required. For daily driver reliability, that would be my plan. For performance increase, probably best to spend your money on good tyres and fixing any braking or suspension faults rather than trying to get more out of the engine; that's just likely to kill it faster. No more power is available above about 4400rpm on the 6-valve 1.2, so looking for it beyond there is futile.

This is how it looks with the new wheels and tyres. You can see the gap between the tyres and guards is smaller. There is about 2cm when the wheels are fully turned

This is exactly what I did myself! I bought a new tank and topped up with G12.

I did the exact same myself. I did not however look at my mpg...just my oil temp 😉 I'm quite enjoying the even plusher ride on the 17 inch Dunlops. It's like driving a sofa around town!

Hi bspman, It’s a TDI, so luckily I was able to change the timing belt kit(with waterpump) myself, Thankyou for the heads up about the petrol version it’s most appreciated.

Funnily enough the light shadow and seat belt just to the left of the Kiwi sticker looks a bit like.........a KIWI! At least to my eyes

Forgot to say the DSA unit ships with a full replacement plastic cover (the one for sealing the cabin from the outside) with an integrated cable for the controller. It is the OEM part (same part number) but pre-modified to host the extra cable needed. Like this you only remove the stock grommet with the stock wiring loom and re-fit it into the replacement cover without the need to modify anything or leave holes to the outside of the car. A detail that showed attention to the installation.

Welcome to the forums. Side light (parking light) bulb replacement looks to be covered in the owners manual on page 228.

It's exactly as I said previously, a 5E0919605M is originally fitted to a facelift MK3 Octavia with a MIB2.5 Amundsen. I believe it will also work with the MIB2 Amundsen and MIB2 Columbus but not the MIB2.5 Columbus. It will only fit in a MK3 Octavia Unless you got it super cheap, why not return it? There might be a small 'restocking fee' but it may still be the quickest/easiest way to get your money back.

It says something for the oiltightness of VAG engines that there could be concerns of rust on a sump pan. Who would have believed that in the 60's, 70's or 80's!!

G13 is a glycerin based coolant and has the silicat bag in the expansion bottle. G12++ is a glycol coolant. you should be able to mix them if you want, or if you replace your expansion bottle to remove the silicat bag, you can replace with G12 quite happily.

This is nonsense by the way, the stronger the front brakes, the greater the weight shift and the less work the back brakes can do before locking, bigger back brakes are only needed when breaking from very high speeds or if the vehicle is particularly heavy like big fat German supersaloons with big engines or track cars. A Skoda Fabia is neither of these things.

N91201001

Here you go

This for me ....

300km round trip up to Manfeild yesterday with my daughter. The car ran really well, even when stuck in 40 minutes of stop-start traffic on the way back. I definitely have an exhaust leak which might be what's causing the overboosting/4k rev cut. Which meant we had to have the windows and sunroof shut and rely on the fan. It got a bit hot. But a great day, and we got to do a couple of lunchtime cruise laps around the circuit which was awesome.

Snap.

I wonder when they start to offer as an option buit in dashcams. Audi already does.

Heres some fun fails https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9O-aejD0vI

Guff indeed, its been at least 15 years since VAG vehicles had an old school E/M clutch operated system but it will likely be another 15 years before the guff ceases. I find that leaving the A/C on results in steaming up when restarting the next morning because of the condensation present on the condensor when shut down remaining in the vehicle, it does not take long for the system to clear it but if its not used in the first place it does not happen, any misting will be due to the weather conditions, wet clothing etc. I had a vivid example of it once when returning on the Eurotunnel, I had driven 75 minutes to Folkestone, then maybe another 20 minutes around the terminal before embarquation, A/C was on & all windows clear as they were initially when I restarted after the 35 minute journey, the weather conditions at Calais were the same as at Folkestone but within 2 minutes on the rocade everything was so steamed up that even with vigourous wiping with the chamois the fan would immediately steam them up again, it was so bad that I had to stop.

Just recently bought this SE-L Executive Tdi. Petrol blue with beige interior. Not quite got all of the extras I'd have chosen new, but I knew I wanted that colour combo and this one happened to be for sale less than 10 miles from home. This is my first Skoda and I'm a big fan of it. I think they look great, in a really understated way and are lovely place to be. Also as someone who is a bit overgrown, this is the first time that I've ever been able to. Comfortably carry passengers behind the drivers seat. Ave thing, I suspect it'll be a car I'll run for year, until we know what the future is for fossil fuels.

Actually E-root, this 2019 Autobild review of summer tyres (seems to be performance car orientated), might just illustrate your point. The Bridgestone Turanza T005 (these aren't the earlier Turanzas as on my 2019 Karoq) had the lowest rolling resistance and was rather poor in the dry, but mixed in the wet. It was also the noisiest tyre, yet surprisingly ride comfort was pretty good. I think this has been described as an ECO tyre & maybe shows that concentration on any one performance aspect, doesn't lead to a balanced overall product. The Michelin Pilot Sport was the winner and good at most things with a particularly good ride for a performance tyre, but actually not that good for rolling resistance.