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Lots of discussion about gearbox oil, all the views have their merits but good, bad, low or even a complete absence of gearbox oil will not make any difference to reverse gear selection at standstill with or without synchromesh or to clutch drag. Still he should be thankfull not to have been advised to charge or replace the battery 😆 Linkage adjustment first priority 👍

Worth keeping in mind AnnoyingPentiums car is 15-16 years old and only has 50-60k miles on it. It wouldnt be too hard of a stretch to guess its got the original oil in it. Plenty of time for that oil to degrade, or maybe get low what have you. If you're going to the hassle of topping it off its not much more to just empty the thing and refill from scratch.

It's sometimes a sign that the clutch isn't disengaging fully. Can you select reverse easily when the engine isn't running?

It was fantastic just to be out at 4:40 and it not be completely pitch black👍 Remarkably colourful sunset.........

I always change gearbox oil never had a gear box go in 15 years. The times before that 3 or 4 gear boxes gone problems changing gears all weathers, cold weather, reverse and certain gears. The linkage does need checking and looking at. But when I keep my cars long term gearbox oil always changed and I know it will last.

The gearbox oil if that hasn't been changed in a long time well worth doing as well.

Whilst unplugging and inspecting connectors, also look at the loom sections that go to each, hunting for possible wire abrasions on metalwork that they pass.

AnnoyingPentium's reverse gear selection issue isn't related to the gearbox oil anyway. If it crunches it's probably the clutch sometimes not fully clearing. Changing the fluid and bleeding may help.

Yeah, 80's mineral gearbox oil no bueno. There are hundreds of millions of cars on the road which have never had the gearbox oil touched. Modern engineering tolerances combined with superior lubricants mean it isn't necessary. Never confuse facts with belief, faith, unqualified opinion or whatever else is traded on the internet in place of facts.

Okay so ive done some research for you and this is what were working with Fuse SB4 is a 7.5A fuse which is a black with red trace wire it then goes through the multiplugs to the engine in either 3 or 4 places depending if you have adblue. It supplies 12V to 4/5 components and those are Adblue relay J963 - Only applicable if you have adblue Coolant control valve N489 Oil Control valve N428 Boost Control valve N75 Oil level sensor G266 So out of possible causes there are 2 faults you could be looking at: - A failed one of these components causing a dead short and blowing the fuse - A failed wire/insulation shorting out causing a dead short and blowing the fuse To find the fault first were gonna need to know, how often is it blowing the fuse, is it instantly or not? A few more details for you of locations N489 - on top of the water pump and controls the shroud- red plug N428 - oil control valve is behind the AC compressor on the front of the block N75 - on the bulkhead behind the turbo intake pipe with a few rubber hoses going into it G266 - in the bottom of the sump You have 3 components there in some kind of fluid and 1 with a large coil that was known to fail. I would first be disconnecting the N489, N428 and G266 and checking for oil/coolant in the plug causing a short. If you have a multimeter you can check the resistance of the N75, N428 and N489 valves to see if they are short circuit, connect your multimeter and tap the components to see if the resistance changes much If you want to find the fault yourself you will need a multimeter or if you make a test lamp at home with a 382/501 bulb I could also teach you this method.

The lifetime gearbox fill is not even oil, it is a fully synthetic splash lubrication fluid with a comprehensive additive pack containing detergents, anti-oxidation, anti-foam, anti-shear agents among numerous other components, it is carefully formulated and comprehensively engineered and tested to provide reliable lubrication for the lifetime of the gearbox. What I'm telling you is professional scientific fact, not amateur guesswork or opinion. It turns black because there are sulphur compounds in the additive pack which become sulphides and it is these that smell and make it look dirty. It's still clean of course because it's sealed and dirt cannot get in. These are facts, like I said it doesn't hurt to change the oil but it's totally unnecessary.

Great explanation @TigerTony. I have only used OBDeleven tool so far and it’s perfect for home diagnostics, it also has a backup function so if you do mess something up you can revert it back to its original state. With the OBDEeleven tool you buy the dongle and a license, then use credits for the apps (the simple on/off, as described in my previous post) you can pay for the credits in app or watch adds to earn one credit (5 ads max per day).

My MK1 Octavia went to the scrayard at 325000 miles and 18 years with the original gearbox oil, it gave a little bearing noise when being abused towing stupidly overloaded trailers up zig-zaggy alpine passes but was silent again the next day. I will probably change my transmission oil when I finally install a 4 poster ramp at my new place, it can only be beneficial and we are all enthusiasts but should not for get that the vast majority of manual gearbox vehicles will never have their transmission oils replaced in their lifetimes especaiily those serviced by the dealers or independants.

Of course. Waiting until the warmer weather, however.

Car turned 15 in November, sitting at 58k miles (almost). It was on original discs on the front when I got it so I wouldn't be surprised if it was the original oil.

Yes it does I've seen 3 or 4 gearboxes wrecked because the idea gearbox oil stays clean. It degrades over time and the company wont replace your gearbox with lifetime gearbox oil.

The 3 or 4 gearboxes that went on me over 15 years ago the oil was thick black stinking. I still change gearbox oil never had a problem after. Oil no matter how clean something is inside it degrades over time hot and cold weather. The warm and cold engine makes a difference. The sake of spending £15 to £20 on gear box oil saves having to buy anther gearbox or have it fixed which costs far more. I always change fluids, oils no matter what when keeping the car long term nothing lasts a life time.

All oil breaks down over time.

It all depends on what you want to do when you get your new car. For simple battery monitoring whilst charging you can use the free 'EV Notify' app on your phone or tablet together with a suitable bluetooth adaptor - I use the Veepeak BLE+ ( It works fine with all my Android devices), others have used similar OBD2 bluetooth adaptors. I'm afraid I cant comment on using ABRP yet. For more access to the data within the vehicle there are numerous basic systems about. Free ones like the Car Scanner app that has been mentioned earlier will connect to the Enyaq ok and allow you to monitor most aspects of vehicle and do simple diagnostics too. Also it will allow resetting of simple faults and resetting service intervals etc. Again you will need a bluetooth OBD adaptor ( again I can confirm the Veepeak BLE+ does work with my Android devices) For more in depth viewing and modifications to your vehicle you will have to pay to get better software and OBD adaptors. The OBDeleven is the popular one for VAG vehicles. You basically buy their dedicated OBD adaptor and again you use your phone or tablet to do the viewing, all by bluetooth connection. They offer an excellent diagnostics facility together with fault resetting and some simple improvements. But you will need to buy a licence from them to unlock the higher level of services required for serious modifications to your vehicle - if you're brave enough !! Excellent for home modders. Quite a few members on here seem to own one. Will work with both Android and IOS. For professional use the VCDS system from Ross-Tech is the one to go for. It uses their own OBD adaptor with their usb cable and you need a suitable laptop to download their software onto. Its basically the same as the dealers use so will have everything available on it to do virtually anything you need, and have excellent technical backup. Very pricey, but if you're a VAG mechanic or serious modder you need it. I just use the OBD eleven system which I've found easy to use. I've used it many times in the past for diagnostics and a few modifications to previous vehicles. The app is regularly updated and also the firmware on the adaptor too. Hope that helps a bit.

They are lifetime fill because gearbox oil does not suffer from thermal cycling, condensation and contamination like engine oil does. Changing it of course does no harm but is really a waste of time and money, just topping up is all that's needed.

If by across the board you mean the forward gears and reverse gear then it could be the linkage adjustment, clutch, low oil level, old worn oil or any contributing combination or permutation. So it'd make sense to start with the easiest and least expensive fix first, I don't know how easy those fantastic plastic (German engineering quality?) cable adjusters are to get at and it depends if you have or can get for free spare gearbox oil for topping up as to which is most convenient as the first step. I've changed "filled for life" oil before and it was worth the effort. There is of course driver error to take into consideration, perhaps rushing, impatient especially on reverse and 1st perhaps when it's cold, or different footwear perhaps, one day carpet slippers and the next deep tread work boots. ETA: Having the driver's seat one notch back from usual can also make a difference.

Mine does the same still I wouldnt worry too much about it. I've since changed the gear oil on mine and I reckon it was low, I got more in it than came out of it anyway. If you're changing the gear oil don't expect to get absolutely every drop out though there will always be some of the old oil in it somewhere. Linkages made the biggest difference on my car, gear oil made some difference on its own too. Pretty sure VW gearboxes are a "lifetime fill" so they dont have a specified interval. Won't do any harm changing it though and its peace of mind. Just my 2cents.

... and have been having this discussion/debate for many years as there are many different views. Personally as an engineer I cannot believe that what is basically a rubber belt in an environment subject to vast temperature changes (under the bonnet attached to a lump of metal) cannot survive for the same length of time as the metal parts ('lifetime') and given that expensive damage will happen to the engine if the belt does fail I regard the concept of 'lifetime' as flawed. Whether the change interval should be 5 years, 7 years or other interval is more complex and I certainly cannot see the logic behind Skoda UK suggesting a 5 year interval (shorter than most other Skoda importers) but I went along with the 5 year interval just in case I might need to hope for any 'goodwill' in the vent of a failure - but then I am averse to avoidable risks. Others will have different opinions/views which I 100% respect and hope for the same understanding...

Do both, linkage first, that will probably help this issue most, and of course it is real and not placebo. If the gearbox oil is low topping it up will also help. - ETA: see also PipH's advice. Then after you have confirmed how much the linkage adjustment has helped if your car is 15 years old and still with the original gear oil change it and get further improvements and better present and future protection. Buy very good quality oil as the extra cost isn't much, and it's normally a very easy job to do yourself, even I can do it, the better oil will make a difference and offer greater margins of protection which can be very useful on older vehicles. You will get a real improvement, it was the first job I done on my wife's 6 year-old Mk3 at 38k-miles, she said she noticed the difference on gearchanges and we've been together far too long not to be honest about such things. I've been told for years by mechanic-types that it makes no difference, and better oils are a waste of money, yet I have found both do. Just because oil been in the ground for millions of years some think that's how long it lasts in the gearbox when actually it starts to deteriorate quite quickly, yes it can last many, many years but it's not doing its job as well as it should (but perhaps good enough for some). I always drain the existing oil as hot as possible and leave to drain for as long as possible to get as much of the existing oil and crud out as possible and so that the new fresh oil is less diluted by the existing oil and crud residue left in the box. Dropping the gearbox oil also gives the chance to see if there are any metals bits in it, and to compare with the fresh new oil. Of course changing to fresh better quality gearbox oil won't repair worn parts but can help and protect more and better than very old very worn oil.

Yep, they told me it was all fine. It clearly wasn't. Not ideal buying a car to drive your family around in and it randomly breaks for no good reason! I got rid of it and got a mk 3.5 and it is fabulous. Can't speak more highly of the car. But, the mark IV was so frustrating. There is a good car in there if they bothered to test everything properly first.

Unless the oil level is low then we're dealing with the placebo effect here, just top it up, the linkage reset is most likely to cure the issue.

& that begs the question:- "how many years is "the entire life of the vehicle""??? I think you'll end up finding that the nearest answer you'll get from the manufacture is 7yrs max....as that's the designed lifespan on average & has been for a number of years...

The red battery light comes on when starting the car then goes of. It's working great now the battery charging good 14.5v no need for tiny rev when first started to make it charge properly. The car starts up much better when colder weather. Thanks for the help everybody.

You may need to check that the second reversing light is actually present. On my kodiaq it appears to be there but a closer inspection shows it to be a dummy with no LEDs or bulb fitting etc.

Cam belts are maintenance free in the same way as auxiliary drive belts, they are self tensioning, you dont need to oil them, when they break you replace them............................ together with the valves, pistons........................... 🤣 If they said it was maintenance free and does not need replacing for the life of the engine that would be another thing although probably again true as they will both expire together!!

I'm looking for information about fitting an EGR cooler delete pipe on my sons 1.6 TDI ? any information or pictures of where the pipe goes or what pipework I can remove would be great , all the best , John

Was like that without the floor mat during the brief time period that that my old drivers one warped itself.

Right. Here's what I'm going to do, in their respective order: 1. Wait until I won't catch hypothermia doing any job to the car. 2. I shall adjust the linkages. 3. If that doesn't work, I'll leave it because it does go into reverse if put into first or revved in neutral. 4. That is all. So, I'll report back with my results once it's less chilly baltic outside.

Hasn't

H7 on the dip. Osram night breakers are decent and last pretty well. the philips extreme vision or whatever are "brighter" but anecdotally on here they dont last as long as the NBs. i use the Osrams on my cars and they are good. usually find someone on t'interweb with a discount going too, ive never paid full price. LED upgrades are a legal quagmire (many discussions about them here if you search any model subforum) so not worth the risk imo..

It certainly does. Thank you, that's a really clear explanation!

My Fabia doesn't even have a drain plug on the gearbox. I had to suck the oil out of the fill plug with a pump when I changed it. I didn't fancy pulling a driveshaft out just to get the oil out.

Hi there the engine code is cayc 105 2013 monte Carlo I will get the ecu remapped to eliminate it . I just need to know how much pipework I can remove & how easy it is to do . Thanks , John

Reverse usually isnt synchronised anyways so if it crunches sometimes going into reverse, but still goes in I wouldnt be too concerned either.

My opinion: If it was genuinely a "life of engine" part, you wouldn't be able to get the parts to replace them. It's not like a body panel where a dented one can be repaired or replaced. A damaged cambelt is usually fatal (mechanically). So, it makes sense that as the parts are available you can treat it as a preventative maintenance item. The tricky part is the interval which is why we are here. The issue with car maintenance is the two variables of time and mileage which is an age old discussion. I'm sorry, I don't seem to have added anything useful. Just rambling on.

Which is exactly what I did when trying to reverse a Au'tin "maestro" into a space in the Thistle Centre in Stirling. I wouldn't have needed the rear fogs in either the previous Cortina V or the subsequent BX.

main stealers.. or a fellow brisky who has one already who might help @Rustynuts is quite good with the headunits, may have better help available 👍

It's every 3 years indeed. I know may look odd considering every owner can have very different mileage in 3 years. I've made my own philosophy and change Haldex oil every 45000 km (~30000 miles). Note: Superb Mk3 is fitted with Haldex Gen V, which doesn't have any filter as Gen IV used to have. Thus all dealers just make a simple oil change according to Skoda maintenance manual. But if you go a bit further, the Haldex oil pump has a strainer which is not cleaned during the normal Haldex oil change (not even mentioned in Skoda maintenance manual) ! If you want to make things nice job, just have a look here: Enjoy ! Mk3 is a good car. However, some face coolant pump issue on TDI and front shock absorber leaks on DCC versions.

i was out tuesday too, it was grand just a handy jog out. today..... i fell asleep at 2345. i woke at 0250 needing a piddle. then Sr arrived at my bed side at 340an- could i bring him for a wee? ( he never asks for company during thenigjt??) and then, 455am Jr wakes up and starts calling me.. off i go, but.. no, im not allowed on the too snall mattress, thats where he decided to go asleep. so i was on the foam tiles.. sothat was me done sleeping! managed to sneak out at 630am and headed away to the west. rverything felt a smidge "handy so i powered on, and cleared ny first 10k run since the knee pains of last January! and it was sub 1hr! legs were sore in the shower though!

None of the above. That said, the click off of the pump is controlled by back pressure from the fuel tank, and gives a pretty consistent content level across a range of pump sites. Yes, I have tested that, across a number of cars, locations, weather conditions, and even on both petrol and diesel.

Incoming, hopefully. Replacing my Octavia vRS 245.

Made a start on front suspension, got both sides stripped an n/s refitted just run out of daylight again as weathers not been great, hopefully finish it at weekend

Hi Dman, 30Dec2021 These mudflaps are easy to fit, 5mins each corner, no need to remove the wheel. 1 x Torx 25 bit , (and i THINK it's a .. ) 1x 5mm drill bit. The instructions, metal clips, screws + Plastic clips come with the kit. Basically remove screws fit mud flap refit screws The front does require 1 hole ( each side ) drilled in the plastic inner wheel sleeve, just turn the steering wheel to make room for drill. At the Front, there is also underside CLIP to be fitted, remove screw ( BLUE ARROW ) pull the plastic to one side, slide in clip & screw in ( RED ARROW ) and , refit original screw ( BLUE ARROW ) . See photo DON'T tighten any screw until you have positioned the mudflap hard against the car, then tighten. [ Sorry to duplicate this post, as I CANNOT find how to delete/amend ) ] [ and amended photos to JPEG ] rgds D

Unfortunately the additives in our antifreeze breakdown over time and while it may still prevent freezing it will fail to protect the hoses and engine components from deteriorating. https://www.waynesgarage.com/tips/more-tip/antifreeze You know very well what they meant by saying "lubrication". ________________ We don't have "bull faesces" on the roads here, in the country you may find goat virvilies.

My new to me, Jungle Green L&K 280. Had it 4 days..