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Remarkable storms and rain throughout the day on Sunday, but things brightened up considerably by the evening VID_20210704_175256.mp4

As it says there, the PTFE is a coating for friction/wear reduction, not reinforcement. PTFE is very soft, you couldn't reinforce anything with it. The 'tension cables' are the reinforcement. Sorry if this seems pedantic, but it just sounds so wrong to my ears to hear 'PTFE reinforcement'.

Just be careful in regards to ground loops etc if you're using chargers/invertors on either the car or laptop with OBD devices connected. From Rosstech: And just as an example: https://www.ross-tech.com/vag-com/interfaces/warn-12v.html

I think with the Octavia it's not a car that you fall head over heels with immediately. It's not a car that you swoon over but one which makes a lot of sense on paper and one which slots effortlessly into life. I think it's these qualities that you only begin to appreciate over time rather than in the beginning. Mine has gotten under my skin far more than any other car I've ever owned has. I've owned it longer than any other car and I've come close to changing it a couple of times now and bottled it. It's still more than enough for what I need, perfect for tip runs, family holidays, day to day driving and the occasional fun spirited drive. Add in reliability and cheap to run and what more could you want. Even the tech is still decent given its nearly 8.

Forgot we had a Strava group. See I do silly things, like buy a bike, go for a ride. Then a few weeks later go for another one. Then a few more weeks, another one. thing is each one I think, last one was grand, I can go further, faster, higher. so it was I headed to the woodhead Is the trans pennine trail. It passes a few minutes north of me, rude not to. Mostly flat had a nice avg of 20kph as it was very devoid of people. Unlike previous weeks where it’s been busy, so you keep stopping for errant dogs, children, horses. but 5kms from the woodhead, my left knee began to hurt, really hurt quite quickly… and I climbed on it, figuring it might pass if I slow down… #manscience. However it hurt some more, but I was near enough at the top and I could chill for 30mins with a cliff bar. So I carried on. Got to the high point, wolfed my cliff bar, turned back. Oh crap it hurts pedalling downhill... only 30km to go. need to go and see a physio for it, probably the itb. Too much desk jockeying. However, got to climbing for a week first, you know wrack up the aches and pains a bit more

The premium will go up by £25 for each cup of coffee, no good deed goes unpunished

I bought Sally a new rose for her Birthday in March. It came in a jiffy bag from an online supplier. No rootball or soil, just a rather sad looking 10" long twig. It started to sprout within days of planting, and has produced two amazing flowers. It's still so young it's too slight to hold up the blooms, but gets full marks for its efforts so far: Gaz

Spoiler alert - it's a pretty basic tool! I will try to upload a pic of what I made, hopefully my computer skills are better than my metal-working ones Will include approx. sizes.

I have never had aircon serviced (or regassed) on our 9 year old Skoda, still produces cold air. But we very rarely turn it off (and tend to turn it back on following day) it also helps demisting in winter If you turn it off for extended intervals, then starts to smell as bacteria can build up, seems to dry out and fail. I guess we might use a few pennies of extra fuel, but that is nothing compared to cost of repairs which can be few hundred pounds if you turn it off. Personally I think the aircon service is a money making scam on a par with offering to change the air in your tyres so they have fresh air. Completely pointless

Had it lowered last Wednesday. It now looks better, drives better. Should have it done earilier.

The Debut run.. same location as Emmie's Retirement photos on Saturday morning. need to get used to the new feel of... everything but its lovely, brakes that stop, traction in the wet grass, so much smoother downhill with the bigger tyres and a shock absorber! not as fast on the flat without the 3x on the crank end though, but ill get over that

Back in a skoda after 10 years very impressed so far 👍

I had exactly the same issue with leds in the boot. Worked absolutely fine for 6 months then it all went pear shaped, and these were Superskoda ones. Took them out and all back to normal.

Well I must say, thank you briskoda people. That was exactly what I needed to read. A balanced view and not blind love of our cars. I can relate to so many comments. It is a cracking motor and Ive had many people tell me Im mad for wanting to get rid of so soon. Some of the comments made me chuckle, especially the one about Skodas being let pull out, class. I will look to keep it fo a while longer and just appreciate it for what it is (NOT an A3). Thanks everyone for spending your time on replying to my post. P.S. Felt tape in the gap of the seatbelt height adjuster on the b pillar got rid of the buzzing for me.

Sounds like you got a bad one. But you as you know you can get that with any manufacturer. I could tell you plenty of horror stories from BMW owners. Sadly it is down to cars being too sophisticated and software driven. Hopefully your next car will be hassle free and an enjoyment for you 👍

I made up a tool for this, using a narrow strip of alloy about 200mm long, with about 12mm right-angle bend at one end - you can use it to unhook or press down the clip at the end of the damper-rail.

I've tried to describe this just in words far too often so it's about time I added some piccies and video. To measure the overall parasitic current correctly on modern cars, you need to use a bit of stealth. There are various reasons for this which I won't go into, but it entails setting things up so that you can have the car fully locked up, whilst still accessing the battery, and the car not getting awoken by any interruptions to the current supply. Start by opening the bonnet. Then push the bonnet latch down (like it would be if you let the bonnet drop again). Use a screwdriver or similar: Now the car won't think the bonnet is open even though it is. Loosen the battery negative terminal so that it can be pulled off vertically very easily, but then leave it fully down/connected: Now ensure all doors are closed, all keys are outside the cabin then lock the car, and leave it alone for at least 30 minutes. Set your meter up ready to make a measurement. Dial set to a range like 200mA DC and the probes in the appropriate holes: Now the bit that requires a little dexterity and care. Remember the important thing here is not to interrupt the current flow, or the many control units will all wake up from their sleep state, and the reading will be useless. Put the red meter probe onto the battery clamp and hold it firmly on there, with a grip that means you can also lift the clamp up with that hand; practice this if it isn't something you can easily do, or employ an assistant to add an extra hand. Put the black meter probe vertically downwards onto the battery negative post, through the battery clamp, so that the clamp can be lifted up around the probe, without touching it, or losing contact between probe and battery post. Lift the battery clamp clear and read the meter. Don't be surprised if the reading jumps about by a few milliamps (mA) this is likely to be the LED on the drivers door blinking to show the alarm is set. Video showing this process below : 20210704_161540.mp4 Note down the numbers, then do up the battery clamp again. Unlock and open the car, pull the bonnet release to re-open the latch, close the bonnet and you're all done. if the reading is significantly higher than a few (2 or 3) tens of mA, try again but leave a longer time between locking the car and taking the reading.

Hello PC Not many days to go then. Gaz

Just got back from viewing this car in Wolverhampton VW centre. Drives nice. Looks nice. But look closely. The drivers side has been SMART repaired to a pretty poor standard. Drivers door rough on edge, Rear door rough on edge, overspray on roof bars, rough roof line, boot shut has visible tape marks. Dealers wouldn’t move on price. Might not put you off… but worth knowing. Also needs a tyre!

Make sure you bleed the reservoir too as there are two nipples. On VCDS it tells you in sequence on what you need to do. As you've found out, it will probably need to be done a few times.

This thread was started by someone in the UK that wants to use his car AC when the outside temperature is 20°c and is unhappy that it will not bring it down to 4°C. Their house must be like a deep freeze!

In the 5 ½ years I owned my MK3 not once did I think ‘I wish it had a rear wiper’ but mine was ceramic coated (windows also treated).

I'm sure I can see the sausage sizzle tents outside the entrance .

Our aircon units are weedy compared with American units. European compressors are smaller and what with the obsessions with emissions we get barely adequate.

Yes, with the key rested on the passenger side door mirror I can open the front and rear door on that side of the car. Not the boot and not the doors on the drivers side of the car.

I bought this from Amazon Sakura Black Rubber Boot Mat SS5125 - Protects Your Vehicle Carpet - 120 x 80 cm - Fits All Cars - Trim-To-Fit : Amazon.co.uk: Automotive and cut it down to size for my Sportline. My car doesn't have the VarioFlex seats, but you can measure your boot to make sure it fits. It's easy to cut down to size, and lies flat once it's warmed up after transit (it comes rolled up). Chris

Without all of the facts to hand, I'm going to speculate here. A new key fob has a motion sensor that takes 5/10/15 to immobilise the fob ? You arrive home at night, park on the drive, go into your house and lay your fob down and in the minutes that the fob takes to immobilise, the two thieves that were parked across the street run up your drive with their remote signal reader and have it away with your car. Don't think a scenario such as this can't happen, thieves are brazen and are willing to take chances. Secondly, you park in a busy car park. lock the car and walk away. I assume that because the fob is in your pocket and is constantly in motion it won't be disabled. Now I don't know if this is possible, but a couple of bays down from where you parked, there's the same two thieves who nicked your last car from your driveway. They get out of their car, one points his signal reader at you and your fob and the other one goes to your car and opens the door and starts the car. Maybe this can't be done or is very unlikely, but having been the victim of car theft, I know how fast a professional thief can take your car. With these possible scenarios in mind, our keys go into a Faraday bay in the house and I always disable Kessy both at home and when in public places. As rightly stated in the OP, if a thief wants what you've got badly enough, they'll have it, but I see it as my job to make it as difficult as possible for them.

Depends - if you still need a car are you going to be paying over the odds for one for the same reasons used car prices are high... personally it's hype and I only buy cars when I need to (I don't buy into the 'need a new car every three years on PCP' state of mind) so it doesn't really figure in my thoughts...

Hi Noms, I'll check to see if I have some spare alloy strip - will you be able to collect?

Hello Keith. No, not yet. But I’m working on it. Will…update soon! Thanks MM

Have a look at the Skoda Servicing information. Scroll down - and look at Oil/Inspection and Extended Scope for more information. Your car will probably need an extended scope service.

I have felt the same in my 2021 VRS wagon. It has 1100kms. The pedal seems heavy, especially compared with our 2015 VW Golf Alltrack which is a very similar car from VAG. The Golf's brakes bite immediately. I have to ease up the pressure as it comes to a halt to avoid it being jerky - sorry if I haven't expressed that well. However, although the Skoda feels heavy (and it is almost 200kg heavier) it seems the stopping power is there. I have tried a few emergency stops and they work well. I guess it is a decision by Skoda to provide a different feel to their car. And perhaps I will end up preferring the Skoda's brakes to those of the VW.

https://www.stanceduk.com/collections/stance-drop-links

It’s been a year since I bought some LEDs to go in the boot. I think I bought them via link someone else posted here. Fast-forward to a few weeks ago. Came out to my car to see the indicators all on and flashing (normal looking frequency). First thought was break-in and alarm was dead or had stopped. Car was locked but glovebox was open but I remembered that I likely left it open by accident. Anyway, relocking the car and all looked well. I guessed maybe it was a warning indicator that the glovebox was open (and I didn’t see it when I previously locked the car) Last week same thing happened, but this time I noticed it when locking up. The indicators did their 2 blips, but then carried on flashing. Repeated the unlock/lock and the same thing happened again, and again... Had car booked into dealer (still had 2 weeks left on my warranty!), but when they said it was a week to the next slot, and I said I could leave it unlocked, or lock it and have the battery drain that they told me to call Skoda assist at least to get a diagnosis or even fix it. AA guy spent 2 hours on my car. We played around with fuses, interior sensors, battery (all things I had seen mentioned with this kind of fault, though not so much with VAG cars). Managed all kinds of different things. The mirrors didn’t always close, the alarm went off after a few seconds of being locked, saw the maxidot show the boot was open when it wasn’t, saw the boot indicator flashing between open and closed at high frequency. Really weird stuff. Last thing we did after checking boot latches was to swap the LEDs in the boot back to the originals. After this, it seems that all is OK again (and nothing odd in the week since) I’m really hoping this is the cause of the issue (and I can see how it could be related seeing as the locking system is tied into so many other functions). Just wanted to post something here just in case anyone else has a similar problem and this may or may not help. I'll be signing up to another year warranty just in case...

FYI, headunit supports FLAC, in case better quality is desired.

The other thing is that there isnt much else like it on the market except for the Fabia Combi. Most other things are either smaller, more expensive, or both. Having said that, I don’t know if I'm just being paranoid, but I’m sure I just heard it make the dreading timing chain rattle…hopefully it’s just my imagination.

Very little if replacement cams dont turn out to be needed, my concern would be valve, guide & seat damage as there may well have been piston/valve contact. I would want to remove the cams & do a cylinder leakdown test before continuing.

Following with interest

Should be picking it up on Thursday. Very excited

Just to give a final update to the Thread, Firstly the Baby arrived on the 13/6/21 and all is OK. I am still looking for a replacement Car but the good news is that the Golf is going to the same Friend who bought my Skoda Fabia VRS which has taken all the hassle out of advertising it or haggling over P/X Prices. I am currently off Work so have been doing some Car hunting when time allows, Viewed a couple of 2016 Skoda Octavia VRS's one with 18000 Miles and another with 30000 Miles but both Cars where not as described and cosmetically not up to my standards. One had been painted on the Sill and there was overspray everywhere (I made a thread on here about that one) and the second was just neglected. I also viewed a 2016 Ford Focus ST-3 TDCI Estate in Stealth Grey Yesterday, It was an 18000 Mile Car and looked stunning in the images but while I was actually there viewing the Car one of the Valeters pulled it off a Display Ramp on the forecourt for me to view the Car properly and ground the front bumper on the floor. I expressed my frustration and wasted journey to the sales manager who offered a Smart Repair but the Bumper looked mis-aligned to me as and was bowing out on one side and the panel gap between the Bumper and Wing was well out...Basically a Bumper off Job and possibly a New Bumper to make it 100%. Anyway I won't be buying that one.

You can buy a noise deadening mat that clips to the underside of the bonnet. About £35 plus clips @ approx £5.

A quick update on this: SGS did come through with replacements in the end. I won't know if the rust plague was a one-off until next Spring.

collecting mine tomorrow, it's getting sorted out at West End Garage in Dunfermline as we speak

Well its showing as Sold on the Dealership Website, I hope whoever has bought it has seen the poor repair because if not they have been well and truly ripped off.

A wonderful calm morning for nice early ride. 15*oC and not a breath of wind. Pedalled the e-Bike with it switched off for twice round the loch (5 miles) just for a bit more exercise.

@whitevxA lot of the brands discussed are not available in bricks and mortar stores in the UK either, we have to order online or from specialist detailing suppliers. I use stuff from all over the world: Chemical Guys, Poor Boys and Collinite are American, Koch Chemie and Scholl are German, from Britain I have Meguiars, Autoglym, Dodo Juice, GTechniq, Autofinesse and CarPro. In terms of products it all depends how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go! Polish, protect and shine really needs two products for best results. I assume you are applying by hand, so my recommendation would be an All in One (AIO): Autoglym's Super Resin Polish. This isn't an abrasive polish, more of a "glaze" meaning it fills fine marks to achieve a smooth finish and shine enhancement, rather than removing a thin layer of top coat paint. It easily achieves nice results by hand although after a few months the fillers will wash out and it will need treating again, if you want it to last longer top with a durable sealant or wax and you'll probably see 6 months longevity from it. Shake well before use, apply 3 skittle sized blobs on a firm foam pad and then work in small circles over an area about the size of half a door. Wait until dry to a haze, buff off the residue with a quality microfibre (not the crap they sell in supermarkets on the cheap, something like 350+ gsm Korean edgeless plush microfibre). If it gets a bit dusty coming off then dampen with a fine water mist. And don't get it on plastic trim or rubber as it's a pig to get out! Autofinesse Tripple is worth looking into too, it's a similar product AG SRP and some prefer it but could be harder to obtain down under. Autobrite Cherry Glaze is magic stuff, smells lovely(!), fills excellently and gives everything a warm glow but the longevity is rubbish, it lasts about a month outdoors if you don't top it with something. Probably an online order job in Aus too. If you prefer permanent correction of minor defects and are willing to put in the elbow grease, Gtechniq Nano P1 is one of the most effective by hand but it's long, slow and hard work. There's no protection layer at all with this as it's purely fine abrasives, so you must top it with something. When cutting to correct you'll want a good firm foam pad, otherwise all the rubbing is for naught. If you're happy to do a two stage process there's loads of easy "spray on, wipe off" waxes and sealants that can give a few months protection and a bit of shine but they're not going to hide any scratches so you would need one of the above polishes first. Think of this as an optional second step to make your work last longer: TAC Moonlight, Gtechniq C2v3, Gyeon Wet Coat or Kamikaze Overcoat are all hardy examples of the spray ceramic breed Very easy to apply, generally misiting a couple of sprays onto a panel, spread around with one microfibre and remove excess with a second microfibre almost immediately; some are recommended to go onto a car that is damp after washing or be rinsed off immediately so do check the instructions. Waxes, sealants etc generally don't bond well to SiO2 coatings, so don't waste your time topping these with anything other than top-up sprays of the same chemical after a few washes. Collinite 845 is a hybrid liquid wax that I've sworn by for years, it lasts 3-6 months and leaves a lovely waxy glow on darker colours. It's more work to apply then the spray stuff as it has to be wiped on with soft foam then buffed off after a quick cure and I do two coats. If using ensure you warm the bottle first and shake very well, then 4 penny size blobs is enough to do a whole door, you want it on really thin otherwise it's awkward to remove later. Whatever you polish with, ensure the car is as clean as possible first because you're going to be rubbing all it all over and don't want to be dragging dirt across and creating scratches. One of the biggest things you can do to protect your car's finish is wash it carefully: that means spraying an All Purpose Cleaner (APC) on the lower areas to loosen as much dirt as possible, pressure washing thoroughly, then using a well lubricated shampoo with a deep pile or chenille noodle washmitt. Under no circumstances should a sponge go near your paint! And for drying afterwards, you will want a big plush microfibre, no old bath towels or chamois leathers! Poor wash technique imparts many fine scratches (swirls) that really dull the finish shine over time.

Supposedly better for the environment but only time will tell because as always it is just another thing that might cause issues in cars. They can require a regen to clean them, but in a different way from a DPF. Since we are only getting to 3 years since VW Group have been fitting them we will see how long before any need replacing and just what VW Group Main Dealers will be charging to replace them if that is something needed eventually. Doing high mileage and longer trips might be all good with them, maybe short cold start trips will be the issue and the sort of usage cars have been getting from those that have been in lockdown.

It is _just_ possible that SGS did not receive your initial email (emails do get sidetracked at times) so I suggest the following: 1) Write to them (recorded delivery) and politely explain your problem and what you expect them to do about it. Include the piccies. 2) Point out you have previously attempted to bring this to their attention (refer to the email and include a copy) but have so far received no response. 3) Give them 14 days to provide an acceptable response to your complaint and advise that should they fail to so do you will proceed to claim against them for your losses via the Small Claims procedure. 4) After 21 days (just in case) and no acceptable response raise a claim online and incluide your initial purchase costs (receipt), piccies of the problem and any other costs you have incurred in pursuing the matter. You can include preparation costs for a letter and mailing costs but be sensible. 5) Unless they can show evidence they have addressed your issues the claim will be established and you can apply for default judgement, which will include your claim and any related (including court) costs.

Just had mine done at 8 years & 60,0000 miles. Old belt in very good condition.