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Ok, my problem obviously was slight ingress of water into the box, just driven 15 miles with lots of gear changes, no problems, I'll reopen the box and run a smear of silicone grease around the joints - that should hopefully waterproof the box contents!! Should have adhered to my longtime mantra, 'Keep it simple stupid' otherwise known as the KISS principle!!

Now looking all clean and shiny! my initial thoughts after a weeks ownership have always had red cars in recent years. Must say business grey does seems to clean up/dry nicely with a little sparkle/fleck to it so I think it will reasonably easy to keep it looking good? Black plastic rear bumper looks like it may scuff up with time (I suspect plastic side lower door panels won’t be so bad). - what are people using to clean/protect the plastic panels? Can’t remember the last time if at all I had a car with plastic bumpers? Is the front face of the 18” bragas diamond cut? If not, it is very similarly to that finish and seems a slightly different finish to the rest of the alloy? I think they look great but are quite fiddly to clean so have protected them with Collinite 845 wax nice to see when opening the doors that the sills are more or less spotless - I have still ordered door sill scuff plates from Ali express though 😀 I can just about reach the middle of the roof panel to clean it without a step ladder! Have also got to grips with the varioflex seats - have also done the s hooks and magnet mod to help tether the rears seats to the front headrest tubes when when folded forward

Correct. And as above. The Mechatronics (including the ECU part) is just one part according to VW/Skoda. So if one part fails then the whole unit is replaced (officially). So it should be covered. Since regardless of what has failed inside it, it's still a complete unit classed as an ECU.

Relevant wording highlighted.

I'd put the question to them of what and wasn't included under "Automatic Gearboxes". The mechatronics is just a combined computer controller and solenoid/actuator unit. A standard automatic gearbox usually has the same thing too. I'd say unless the wording explicitly excludes gearbox control units etc then they should cover it. Do you not have a copy of the full terms of the warranty?

Not the ball hitch; muck in the electrics plug senting a false signal that there's a trailer in tow.

Six years on!!! I use Mannol 504/507 at 8-10k intervals. It costs £50 for 20 litres and it brilliant oil - no issues at all over 60k miles. I have never changed the sump plug or used a torque wrench on it. In fact, when I got a slight weep, I just put a couple of winds of ptfe tape around the threads nearest the hex on the plug and it cured it. Changed oil in cars this way for 40 years and never lost a sump plug or had any engine problems. Filters have ranged from Crosland to Mann to Bosch and many more - never been an issue. Oh, and I never use a pump - doesn't remove any crap/sludge from the sump. I get it nice and warm and drop the whole lot out from the bottom! So, I do my changes on my 2008 1.9 PD for about £17 and an hour of my time (leisurely pace). Don't give the money to the stealers.

'Not heard of any issues with the new Octavia'! That is a blatant and very obvious lie. They should be ashamed of themselves!

MY18 1.4tsi SEL I definitely have a 75 litre tank, it is an option in some markets over the standard 66 litres but not in the UK where its available for the Audi A6. For some reason I got it for free, maybe due to production shortages, I can't check the PR codes as there is no sticker in the spare wheel well. The PR code being 1Z2 iirc I know it is 75 litres (nominal) as I have filled it to first click with 76 litres and 30 miles remaining. Also the range calculation ties in with fuel left divided by average mpg since refuelling closely. Ave mpg also ties in with my refill quantity closely each time. I often get 900+ mile range reported when driving is mostly motorway. I filled up with above, 57.79 litres to first click which for 719 miles is 56.6 mpg a 3 percent difference.

Did a basic reset. These ones are easier to do as the ecu does the reset within defined parameters already stored in the programme. The older engines you had to input the min/max voltage to adapt and make them work.

Sorry if this is too late, but here is my recently debadged mk III.

What really annoys me is that the dealerships, in general are in denial whilst Skoda UK are sat on the wall waiting for the software update but reading all the various issues on here I'm not convinced it's going to be a one stop shop to fix them all.

I remember another thread that had the same problems with the updates not working; its in essence one of two possible problems. 1) The firmware of the MIB system is stopping you from updating the maps 2) VW stopped supporting the MIB1 last year, so the 2020 maps were the same as the 2019 maps. As to fixing this; you could try to see if you can get hold of a firmware update - @pab567 is your man who can hopefully advise here. Failing that, you are into a new MIB2 system (or a rebuilt unit that is made into a MIB2.5 unit) with a new head unit and touch screen. What you will need is an admap scan of your car of the appropriate 5F module, send it to @pab567 who can hopefully build you a new system. The touch screens will need to be ordered directly from Skoda UK. Please see the following thread for information:

Wee pic from tonight’s walk

Jesus, that really is a Friday car. Sorry to hear that. Nobody needs grief like that. As the owner of one of the first Spacebacks in the UK, I’ve experienced a couple of issues with mine: Doors filling up with water - I had this and eventually had it fixed under warranty, but only after taking initial legal action against Skoda UK which tried to get out of covering it. The terrible seats - a part of the car (and addressed in the facelift). I also had to have the seat covering on the lower drivers seat replaced after the retaining metal failed and it came loose. The car does have a lot of natural rattles and clunks, especially from the front axle. There is nothing mechanically wrong, just a quirk of the car. I had to spend over £500 last year having the wiring to the boot replaced after it snapped in half, rendering the boot lock inoperable. My extended warranty would not cover it because it was a wiring fault. I’ve not had any of the other issues you report. I really hope you can get them sorted. Personally, even if they do get fixed I would flip that car as soon as possible, it sounds like a lemon.

personally that's a cracking bike for the price

No idea what they are doing stuff was sent off back in August time last year 🤷🏻‍♂️ all declared with insurance the guy from the insurance company even knew the car from the videos.

Came up on my facebook memories today that it's now been a year since the engine change was done and had a look and it's done 18,700 miles in the last 12 months and that included being off the road for nearly a month while doing the gearbox swap and still constantly hurts the feelings of the mk2 Fabia vRS owners page.

@Skodawheels http://skoda-auto.com/services/recall-actions There has never been 'Recalls' on Mk3 Fabia. There has been Service Campaigns which Skoda Call 'Recall Actions' only they do not Recall Cars from Keepers, the car has to be into a dealership. Then there are TPI's that might or might not get acted on if a car is in at the Dealers, like the Service Campaign on 1.4 TDI's and coolant changes, and waterpump failures, and then poor sods landed with a car out of warranty and then the failure. A friends DIL not only had the WaterPump failure but the MCU Failure on her Mk3 and the car had to go without being fixed due to the expense.

They've closed the high street shops, but still exist as an e-tailer.

I’m impressed that Skoda have been able to suggest that for 2.5k they can get you a towbar. As far as I was aware you can’t change the VIN plate so would technically remain unapproved for towing!

No way! Could have sworn it was metal, that’s good to know. A diy attempt is looking more and more likely.

Just got a 2018 2.0 tsi 220 sportline in black what a car came from a octavia mk3 vrs diesel

Although rim size is 15 inch your tyre that you have fitted on the spare is ok because the profile (55) makes the tyre when fitted to the 15 inch rim makes it the same car height with the lower profile of the other rims/tyres, this is common with the MK III cars with a spare, the standard spare size is 185/55/15 and carries a yellow sticker for 50mph this is for the handling of the car not the tyre as it's a normal size tyre unlike other thin get you home wheels so you can leave the rim on to suit yourself just doesn't look very good, i did try one of the 17 rims in the spare wheel in the rear but would not fit in properly and not secure down so can see why they use the smaller sized tyre and rim

Oh, are the 18" wheels standard on the UK spec?? I remember them costing almost £900 as an option but didn't feel like it was worth it since we are required to have winter wheels by law, they cost over £1000(nordic non-studded tires & 16" skoda alloys). Navigation I was not so bothered about since it came with CarPlay as standard and the navigation pack with the bigger 9" display was well over £1500 to option it. The fact that it was missing the Virtual Cockpit was a big miss for me, wasn't going to consider the car but they had this deal on for it for less than half the price which I was more than happy to pay.

The noise of the tyres will depend on temperature. Basic physics will explain that rubber goes hard when cold, soft when warm. Tyres are actually made up of various compounds which allow it to cover a range of temperatures. What works well on a summer day will not be good on a cold winter morning. Tyre technology has moved on in last few years, and by far the most suitable are all-season tyres (best from about -5c to + 25c, and will be reasonable outside this range). Some of the latest summer tyres have been optimised for WLTP tests (which is +23c) so not good in wet below about +9c (which is common from Nov-March in UK) My recommendation is get all-season tyres (and order them before early September as prices then jump seasonally). I would suggest any of : Continental all season contact, Goodyear vector 4season generation3, Vredestein Quatrac Pro. Bridgestone weather control A005 evo always does well in cold rain (so good choice if you live in rainy part of country) and Michelin Cross climate 2 is starting to become available (although some sizes are still older cross climate plus) but it is so new not seen any reviews.

Interesting. A colleague recently had a new screen fitted to his car and he said the optics are awful...OK for his wife who is a foot shorter, but when he drives it gives him vision problems. Do you have to pay extra for OEM screens? I guess insurance wont cover it?

The temperature radiator fan switches have scales at 5 °C Which thermo switch says on that is for 88C only? Take a look some Mahle: https://www.euspares.co.uk/manufacturer/mahle-original/temperature-switch-radiator-fan-10434 all of them have Switch-on point and Shut-off Point [°C]

It doea feel like a rally each day dodging idiots that cut in front My bad, i meant aftermarket, the filter is oem I plan on buying a new car but right now a house is in the plan, i can't stand living in an apartment anymore, and i'll be just as far from work, houses in the city aren't for medium wage people like me. The car might be an electric if in a few years they'll get cheaper and have more range which seems like it. Those will check a lot of marks feom my list. Until then I'll either buy a smaller car like a Swift 1.4 turbo, hyundai i20, something with low fuel consumption, i've read about a few models that also aren't slow and petrol thirsty like my fabia or just endure using it 2-3 years longer Can't I make a jdm car out of it's engine? xD

@Agalalh You mentioned you don't want the radiator fun to run almost all the time. A lower temperature thermo-switch will keep the fan working often. It is not economical to use the radiator fan for lowering the coolant temperature. A lower temperature thermostat (that Skoda fitted to all cars exported to tropical countries from factory) will do a much better job. For tropical countries that can be a last solution. The drawbacks are the radiator fan will have to serve as the regulating factor for cooling and in case the engine will not reach a stable 90° C the consumption will be slightly higher..

Try here - page 74

It took me a while to do the mods as my back can only take an hour or so before it gives out on me. I find being under the car is a lot better than leaning over into the engine bay as I tend to get stuck! I found using the guides on here, choosing the right day for the weather and loading up on ibuprofen allowed me to get things done. Don't do what I did and try to delete the SAI in February in the sleet and rain. Not a good move on my part.

Not sure if you're interested but I recently bought the front grille badge for my car. It took a bit of tracking down as some sellers wanted £25! In the end it was about £14 but is a genuine badge, not a cheapo reproduction. Here's the link : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/192197008784

I get it, As said it is just an item of Stock to a Dealership/Salesman and to the majority of People that own Cars they are just a tool to get them from A to B. I buy my Cars outright from money I have saved over many Years, I try and get the best examples I can and while I own them they get pampered and want for nothing. They are my mode of Transport but also my Hobby and an investment. My issue is like Yesterday I was dealing with an alleged VW Specialist, They are Authorised REVO Tuning Dealers and should know the VAG range very well. So I was disappointed when the Car was not as described upon inspection and I had already told the Salesman on the Phone what my expectations where and that I have high standards but was assured it was a superb example. I had presumed that they would be a bit more particular about the Used Stock they Sell and would have better standards than the average Dealership and also understand the expectations of Enthusiasts when they are dealing with them. I always do an MOT History check on anything I buy or enquire about as you rightly said when a Car/Motorcycle fails on basic items which should be checked regularly by the Owner Alarm Bells begin to ring, I was in the Motor Industry as a Manager for 8 Years upto 2014 and saw vehicles that came in for MOT's and/or Servicing that had no Oil on the Dispstick and when the Customer was asked when they last checked the Oil they said they hadn't done it since it was in with us 12 Months ago for its last MOT & Service Rightly or wrongly my expectations when I am buying a Used vehicle are very high, I have sold many Performance Cars to fellow enthusiasts over the Years and to some multiple Cars and I have been nothing but 100% honest about everything good and bad regarding the Car because that is how I would want to be treat if I was looking. The last Motorcycle I sold was purely off the my Owners Thread on Detailingworld, I didn't even advertise it. Like you I also enjoy the hunt, Even though I get a bit disgruntled when I have a wasted journey something else always comes up and when it does it is really satisfying and makes the effort worthwhile. I am never going to lower my standards even if it does make things difficult for me P.S My main reason for making this Thread was to alert any other potential Brisky Members that might also be looking for a MK3 Octy VRS that if they are considering viewing this Car then they know what to expect and won't have the wool pulled over their eyes.

Not the best scenery but this one’s mine.

My Candy White SE L Karoq basking in the early morning sunshine.

I did a good long ride this morning near home (before it got really hot or rainy) and the temp up in the 20's is much more noticeable than when riding near the coast where it might be hotter but with a sea breeze. Pretty empty roads with no tractors or any other cyclists about and only the very odd car or van. Plenty dry tracks about for now.

Took collection of my silver SE Technology iv estate with a few extras today ( 18" alloys, Virtual cockpit, rear blinds, elec boot, rear camera, heated steering, heated windscreen, heated washers,usb c in mirror, lane change assist, sign camera recognition) What a great car!! I've switched from a 200d 2017 Mercedes E-class estate and so far i am enjoying driving the Skoda more. It is very quick and i like how quickly it self charges in Sport B-mode - did 70 miles and this charged the battery to 36%. Still getting my head aound all the settings. Basic sound system is more than ample. Only negative is the centre console where it meets the arm rest squeeks!! hopefully this goes as it wears in and moves about a bit. I will be doing about 25k miles a year so will see how it goes. i cant complain when it is only costing me £73 a month in company car tax

It sounds like a faulty sensor in the engine, making it think engine is running differently to how it expects (fuel / air gas mix or at an odd temperature). If the throttle is only doing things in first gear, might be a sticky brake, or the hill hold related problem. From your description it could even be something physical with the pedal not moving freely Hope dealer finds the fault (get them to scan for all fault codes), and fixes it.

A VW Up GTI maybe. Or maybe something that has not much power, but rear wheel drive and OEM ditch finder tyres and you can get loads of fun within the UK NSL. Or get a BMW i3 / VW ID.3 and have fun & range anxiety.

That’s not correct, I’ve got no rear wiper and can wash the camera via the infotainment screen.

I finally got around to using the autoglym ceramic HD I've had in the garage for a year! I'm fairly impressed as applied, let's see how long it lasts.

Mileage is poor indication of brake pad usage. Someone who lives in a City might be encountering traffic lights every quarter mile, but someone else in quiet part of country might drive 30 miles on easy roads / motorway and only use brakes couple of times. You will get better idea accurately measuring tyre tread depth (and check the 4 digit date code, if not all same, then some tyres have been changed to mask wear). A sensible user will not have needed to buy new tyres if offloading car at 15k miles unless they got a puncture or damaged one.

What do you guys think?

I think the alternator and battery are both in good working order, but the effect of the battery booster suggests that one of the cables between the alternator and battery may be higher resistance than it should be. This is quite likely to be due to corrosion at one or both terminal connections. Both of the earth cable ends are quite open to splashed water. I would start with the main earth cable that links starter motor and chassis. Take off the battery negative clamp first, then disconnect both ends of this cable, and clean the connecting crimp terminals, as well as the surfaces they touch when installed. The engine end connects to the upper mounting bolt of the starter motor, the chassis end connects to the left chassis leg, just above the fan control module, arrowed in this photo:

I use this, it’s great stuff!

I did Glasgow to North Wales and back in a day on one tankfull in ny 2028 1.4tsi. 720 miles. 70mph on the motorway going down and 75ish coming home. Brim to brim was 47mpg. Included an hour of slow stop start passing Liverpool on the return. From memory the fill up was just over 70l.

I'm totally confused with my car, 2018 1.4tsi SEL executive. I've filled up in the past just after the low fuel light came on, needle sitting at top of red section, 70 miles left and got over 76 litres to 1st click. Now I'm looking at my car having done 502 miles since last refill, needle sat at halfway, and range left claimed 377 miles. Do I believe this? I think I must have at least an 80 litre tank. All driving has been at Motorway limit, computer usually saying 50-54 mpg average on long runs, though last time I topped up I calculated only 42mpg based on top up quantity over trip miles. (That was the one time I had used regular rather than usual super-unleaded) Tomorrow got a 200 mile round trip, dare I trust the 377 miles left indication? An hour later and.....I decided to top up the tank, just over 44 litres so 51mpg actual.... (Super unleaded). Still non the wiser re my tank capacity.

Mine was build as well in November 2020. And to be honest, besides a plastic trim that was not fitted properly and was doing a crackling noise in the soundaktuator area, nothing to be remarked. For me, what's is quite annoying, and hoping that VCDS development arrives soon, is the check list I have to do before starting to roll ... lane assist off ... check! ... start/stop off ... check! ... driving profile auto ... check!