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Trying my hand at waterfall photography with long exposure. Didn't have a tripod, so had to lean against a tree. Fairly pleased with it, but will use a tripod next time for a "smoother" look in the water.

In common with a few others on this thread, I’m taking my car in tomorrow. Will be there for a while whilst Skoda UK do some investigations. Here’s hoping for a positive outcome as I really like the car overall - just want rid of the annoying software niggles!

Some photos I took of 2 tulips last week. For each flower, the pictures are just 1 day apart

Back to summer tires!

so swmbo went back to classroom yesterday, and i took the day off as a "transition day" to the new routine. so i went a short loop - 16k - to be back for prepping spud sr for school too. same today, though i slept a bit ****e last night, woke up for no reason around 4, for a good half hr. definitely felt the reduced sleep in my legs. yesterday today, i also got stuck behind a bin lorry that couldnt overtake a street sweeper coming through town, which then cost me a clean slot tgrough a roundabout and then stuck at traffic lights. i think its just bèing one of those annoying days!!

Just buy an RS3 if you want lower

I don’t think they all come with them as standard.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I thought the Fox exhaust was significantly different to the stock sound, unless my hearing has gone to pot.

Just a quick (interim) update on this: a couple of days ago I went ahead and taped over the rubber plugs in the boot using Gorilla tape. There is also a folded or welded metal seam in the same area and I thought a small portion of that looked like it was seperating slightly (although there was no light leakage and I could feel any air movement when I pushed down on it, so it may just have been a visual quirk), so I taped over that as well. Since then, no condensation! We had a pretty good ground frost last night and it was cold the night before, so I would have expected to see some condensation over the course of the last two mornings, but the wheel well has been bone dry. So I'm hoping my low-tech solution has solved the problem for now. I'll keep an eye on things and update if anything changes, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it really was that simple! Thanks for the responses and suggestions to date.

A few photos from last night.......

Your car your choice! My 150 Sportline is mapped to 193 and is still a snail in comparison to the 280 Superb 😂 I had a 110 Superb and the turbo lag was terrible, so much so I found it dangerous taking off in suburban traffic. what is reassuring to me is that I have that extra bit of pep if/when it’s needed. enjoy your car 👍

Making a car work as a car is hard and expensive. Adding electronic features via a touch screen is cheap and easy since after all it's just software and you can outsource that to India. Even better just put ina cheap screen, make it compatible with Google and Apple and then your customers bring the features for you via their phones.

Work is progressing, fear not weary reader. I have had to enlist the help of a professional for the next bit of wizardry for the car, this will be unveiled when they have done the work for me, but in the meantime i have been making and adapting some things inside the car which will kind of give away what is happening. A sneak peek just to keep interest bubbling at fever pitch...

Wellington European sent me the first pic this afternoon. At 5pm after work I was there to collect Rusty! Before immediately parking it in town and going for dinner with my wife. The drive home was great! Smooth, good noises, happy driver. No obvious drips when home after a spirited drive up the hill road.

can you not just run this car to a garage....................before you injure yourself !!!

Took a first trip to the track with updated ECU and updated swaybars, the way the car now moves after stage 1 and sway bars is amazing. With better brake fluid (the OEM Dot 4 fluid is garbage) and upgraded rear brakes it will manage consistent quick driving alot better. Already felt a big difference in front brakes going from OEM to proper Brembo discs and pads. Might even get the brake lines upgraded. If my shocks ever start failing will definetly also switch to Bilstein DCC ones. Only did one 20 minute session today because I had my puppy with me (kept the Variocage in the car when I went for a session and it stayed in its spot perfectly!) so did not time it but on the straights Porsche 718's werent really able to keep up with me. Had a good friend drive on the passenger seat and said that the car now definetly is in the same league as a Leon Cupra in terms of handling and most likely quicker on straights. The specific Leon Cupra has RS3 and Golf GTI brakes, armored brake hoses etc so braking is still a weak spot compared to the Leon. Super satisfied with the 280, I can fit my fat-ass frame at 6'6, put in my big landseer puppy in the back, have her be comfortably in the safety cage while driving spiritedly on the A & B roads too. No pics of the car from yesterday but here's a puppy to cheer up the day

Hello guys.. Hello from România. After some searching cars, I bring this beautiful lady home.. In next day, the car will pass through some changes like, crom off, new badges, 19" wheels.. Keep you posted 😊..

A few from this evening's walk. Super impressed with my old Huawei p20 pro - still manages to take a decent photo after almost 3 years.

Hi all, I would recommend that those of us who have emailed HJ do so again to update on where we are. I have just done so. I am frustrated by the indefinite time frame being given to sort this problem. Whilst I like the hire car, I have kids and I am terrified about them breaking something or scratching something! I want to know soon if and when my car can be sorted.

Hello everyone Having neglected the Rapid a bit during lockdown (and almost traded it in for a Seat Leon estate a month ago), I’ve instead been showing the car a bit of love, including cleaning it for the first time in ages and investing in a few new bits: Up first is this handy boot divider. Now, this only works if you have the false boot floor. The item in question is actually a genuine VW part for a Golf Estate (with false boot floor), but also fits the Rapid (as long as you have the false boot floor). It will not clip on to the regular boot floor (the one directly above the spare wheel), it’s too thin. Next up, I replaced the silver trim piece I had on the boot lid. This is an aftermarket part that has been cut specifically for the Rapid Spaceback boot lid: My previous one, after five years, lost its adhesion and was starting to look dull, so time for a fresh one. Finally, I fitted a new set of Heko wind deflectors (again, replacing a set that had started to break after five+ years of use and abuse). Next job is to remove the number plates (which are stuck on with many sticky pads) and replace them with a set of pressed metal plates. Also looking at adding a rear-facing dash cam, but need to do more research to find a suitable power cable to tap into. If anyone has any advice on that, I would appreciate it. As always, happy to answer any questions. Thanks Chris

I looked that up on Wiki and it's the way a heron shows its admiration for another being (I might put it on flickr, probably easier and I wouldn't have had to compress it so much-which in turn has probably converted it into a format that most peoples' browser don't support ) https://www.flickr.com/gp/66765220@N07/8TtW7F

@estragosStarting with the resonator delete is the good option if you're not sure about adding an aftermarket system and is typically reversible (which is very handy if it's a 'work car'!). A friend had it done on his Golf 7R and sounded significantly better afterwards; although the R has a bigger turbo and downpipe than the VRS, so sound would be different to VRS with the IS20 turbo and OEM downpipe. One thing I'd be wary of is exhaust 'drone', which can be a side effect of exhaust modifications vs. the Octavia's significant lack of soundproofing. As the OEM resonator does a good job of reducing this drone, just be aware that you may get a lot more which can be bloody annoying at motorway speeds if you're not expecting it. I should know - I went non-resonated on my Scorpion system when it was first fitted, and spent 3 months with dodgy hearing until I got the Scorpion resonator put in 😅

I had to download it and also install VLC to see just how impressed the heron was with the 'pillock with a phone'.

I wish they had an option to exclude the rear screen shades. I can't fit them as my rear dashcam gets in the way. Presumably would be a bit cheaper with just the 6 pieces, but they were a great investment nonetheless.

Here is a video from Youtube but don't know if it's the same as your engine. VOLKSWAGEN TDI INTAKE MANIFOLD REMOVAL AND CLEANING| HOW TO ?? - YouTube If you can see/ hear escaping gas at tick over, it will be seriously leaking when on boost. Regarding the throttle valve, larger crud can be removed with screwdrivers. Then remaining crud removed with an old toothbrush, rag & brake/ carb cleaner. Also check inside the valve plastic cover, they sometimes start to fill with oil that has run down from the EGR, this will cause it to eventually fail.

Sorry ended up that the new plug was wired up in a different order to the old one. Switched some of the wires around and it works fine now. Must have been from a later model car.

I had 3 Mk2 Octy hatchbacks before getting the Superb and the rear washer failed on all of them - it's a poor design and eventually the water ceases to be sprayed on the screen - instead, in my experience at least - it end up running down inside the rear tailgate and dripping out the bottom. This might well be the cause of the water accumulation you are experiencing. An obvious check would be to see if the water is foamy or smells (or tastes if you're brave/daft) of washer fluid. Good luck. D

That's a positive review, cheers for the update fella.

Correct - it's standard on L&K I believe, but optional on other specs. I don't have them on my 2018 Sportline, but I bought Carshades and they're fantastic - fit and forget. I know people who have got Carshades despite also having the built-in shades, as I don't believe the built-in ones cover the full window - there are small gaps at either side that can still allow the sun to get in the eyes of the rear passengers. Car Shades don't have this issue as they fit snugly in the window frame with no gaps. I bought mine direct from Carshades.

I think I'm coming to the end of the road with my Yeti. It's been a fantastic car, owned since 2012 (it's a 59-plate). None of the current crop of similar SUV-type cars really match what I'm looking for. I find the Karoq a bit dull, and the Volvo (which I would love) is, as stated above, just too damn expensive. My latest consideration is to head into the estate-market, and top of the list is a Mercedes C200 AMG. They have a 1.5l v.mild hybrid motor, and tons of space as you'd expect. Some 2018 plates kicking about for ~£20k

main issue with it... most people in the "target Customer group" cant connect their smartphones to the straight forward, as standard, bluetooth in oh so many soft roaders and mpvs as it is*. so the odds of them managing to do it in complicated infotainment systems and actually use the wonderful features is... well, not great. *purely anecdotal, based on my many yrs experience of watching the target customers on the school runs with phones in hand.... who tf are all talking to all the time anyway???

Hello everyone, I’ve recently acquired a Octavia vrs tdi 2007. I’m a self employed mechanic and mot tester with 25 years experience. I’m always looking to learn more about the vehicles I own and work on so look forward to reading posts.

Fixed the RS wheels:

Yes, the OP did say he was looking at 15" x 6J and not 16", which I missed. But he is after alloys, so I'm not sure showing two sets of steel rims (and all being 14") is going to excite him.... Still, the 15" wheels he is looking at are probably going to fit with 185 tyres, even with the +2mm of offset. Either way, when you fit a wheel that is not standard or manufacturer's option of a car, the insurer needs to be informed.

car in the shop, new rarb arrived

As above, my vRS came with factory fitted 19" wheels so they definitely fit There are called the xtreme and have the following spec: - 7,5J x 19" - ET51 - 5x112 PCD - 57.1 centre bore Which are normally fitted with a 225/35 R19 tyre if I remember correctly

6Jx15 ET45 is not the standard Skoda Citigo specification. Skoda Citigo 2014 1.0MPi – Generation: J2 [2011 .. 2022] [EUDM] – Power: 74 hp | 55 kW | 75 PS – Engine: CHYB, I3, Petrol – Options: SE L, Active, Ambition, Style, Twin Color, Monte Carlo, Fresh – Center Bore: 57.1 mm – PCD: 4x100 – Wheel Fasteners: Lug bolts – Thread Size: M12 x 1.5 – Trim Production: [2011 .. 2019] Tire Rim 175/65R14 82T 5Jx14 ET35 2 / 1.8 185/55R15 81T 5.5Jx15 ET41 2 / 1.8 https://www.wheel-size.com/size/skoda/citigo/2014/ APUS 14 "light alloy wheel for CITIGO Rim size: 5.0J x 14 “ET 35 2 058,00 CZK (2058CZK is about £68.54) https://eshop.skoda-auto.cz/cs_CZ/kolo-z-lehke-slitiny-apus-14-pro-citigo/p/1ST071494D Sheet metal disc 14 " Designed for cars: Citigo 1 192,00 CZK (1192CZK is about £39.70) https://eshop.skoda-auto.cz/cs_CZ/plechovy-disk-14-/p/1S0601027J+091 Steel Rims for Skoda CITIGO 1.0 Your car Car manufacturer: Skoda Car model: CITIGO ALCAR Rim type 4-hole steel wheel Size 5 x 14 Bolt pattern 4 x 100.00 x 57.00 Offset 35.00 Our price £ 35.50 https://www.mytyres.co.uk/cgi-bin/skw.pl?dsco=110&cart_id=Uvc3OkTsQYHw5RXZ.110.889359942&s_p=Steel-Rims&sowigan=felgen&Hersteller=Skoda&PKWtyp=CITIGO+1.0&PKWtypgenau=%3A545550%3A%3A999%3A44%3A201203%3A++++++%3A57.00%3A100.00%3A4%3AAAN+++++++++++++++++%3A%3AP%3AE13*2007%2F46*1184*.++ With the 5Jx14 ET35 rim size, you have a wide range of possible tyre sizes from the standard 165/70R14 and 175/65R14 sizes, to 185/60R14 and 185/65R14 sizes.

Only his car is a 1.4 mpi so none of that is relevant. You don't need to replace the head bolts on this engine but if you really want to you can get them on ebay.

Thanks @JR RS Much appreciated! I have 2 days off, I'll try to have a look at it.

Thanks for the reply. I think I have tracked the problem down. The handbrake cables were sticking, so the rear brakes were dragging a bit. Now I have fitted the new cables and the fuel economy is down to around 5.6l at 100kph, not bad. The wind makes a big difference like you said - against the wind it can be 7l, then with the wind behind it can be more like 4.5l.

So, after 300 miles I can report that: I love the engine and the gearbox - quiet and smooth. On a trip from Dorset to London, Kensington and back, it averaged 58 mpg - not bad at all for a brand new engine. It had enough power to easily maintain 70 mph in 2-cyl mode. The ride is soft and decently stable. The car as a whole seems well designed and not so well made. There's some wind whistling at speed and certain crosswinds, which wasn't there on the test drive car. There's a panel under the dashboard fitted improperly and something loose in the boot rattling, which I couldn't find and will be taking the car back to the dealers to figure. Nothing like this on the test drive either. The infotainment and the driving assistance features feel like "work in progress" - some features of the Bolero are just not there and the button for changing the "speed limit/cruise control" mode brings the driving assistance menu instead. The default is with lane assist and cruise control on, which I find useless and even dangerous in town driving. At least the Android Auto works as expected. The music sound is good. No SD slot and USB-A but two USB-C ports so I had to buy new memory stick and phone cable. The car is SE trim, made in Oct 2020. I'm comparing it to the Fobia SE 75 MPI, which I had before, and my wife's Peugeot 308 Active 1.6 HDi.

A few pictures from this evening's walk

Yes - found a tacho with maxidot and replaced the original one. Yes - and still got plans in mind.

I hope when you get your alignment sorted you buy a set of decent tyres. As said above tyres are the only things that touch the road! Never skimp on tyres or brakes. Only use premium or at least decent mid-range tyres. However, I can now see why you've done it, don't want to waste money scrubbing good ones, just remember to switch when sorted. Performance is desirable, stopping (especially in wet) is essential!

My wife is in her second Ford. Had an S Max for just over 8 years from new, and never had a single issue with it. She is now in a Focus St 250 estate, and apart from a faulty steering rack (faulty from factory when new) it has been utterly reliable as well. Drives well, handles well, has a great usable boot and is way more adapt at controlling road surface imperfections than most people would expect.

Finally both are under the roof.

19" summer wheels back in place. I'm finally enjoying my detailing work this winter (deep cleaning, waxing and tyres dressing) Clean wheels but dirty car... 2 new Michelin PS4 on the rear axle. Finally got rid of the original Pirelli P7. I'm eager to go for a drive, to feel the différence

Just to agree with everything @KeithCheethamput - if a 6 sided socket isn't working, I do all the above, then carefully apply the molegrips.

....if you'll stay with me 'til dawn.

Bright moon tonight.....