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Have you tried percussion on the back end of the tool? That can help sometimes. Also worth trying the counterintuitive technique of initially attempting to tighten the screws ( prior to applying torque in the undo direction). Can break corrosion bonds more easily that way.

Shocks are changed in pairs, so I have all 4 new.

@wyx087Please accept that you live in one of the best connected cities in the world for public transport, have a nice house, a large expensive car plus a runabout that others can only dream about. For many people, owning a car means a banger costing a few hundred £ or less, have jobs with only 2 half days a week because it financially benefits bosses to employ people like that. You really need to have more empathy and understanding of the plight of others.

The best option to reduce traffic in congested cities is to make public transport more suitable, ie, more routes, regular frequent services, more affordable and comfortable. 1 doubledeck bus can take upto 80 cars off the cities roads on each trip. All too often the buses go with about 10 passengers on them.

Next tips for you. If they're anything like the last ones I did, when you come to reassemble it, you'll think "how the 'heck' do I get those two screws back in there and started without cross-threading them.?" (tool access being blind and indirect/angled on mine). The answer I found was to leave the old sump sealant in two rings round where those two screws came through, cleaning off all the rest to apply fresh stuff. The old sealant then holds the screws in position, inserted enough to stay put, ready to carefully insert the tool into and delicately start to engage once the sump is in place. Other good one came from Haynes manual. Cut two long screws off headless, or a length of M6 studding maybe 20mm long. then hacksaw a screwdriver slot in one end of each (for removal). Use these as location pins in two opposite corners of the block to make it easy to put the sump in perfect alignment on the first attempt, with sealant already applied. Fit a few of the other screws and then replace these two with real screws.

Are you losing any coolant? In round numbers, for every litre of fuel your engine burns, a litre of water is created as a product of the chemical reactions. Most people don't believe this. Petrol and diesel are hydrocarbons; compounds primarily made of hydrogen (H) and carbon (C). When burnt in air they combine with oxygen (O2) to make carbon dioxide (CO2), and water (H2O). The only place they emerge is from the tailpipe. It's usually hot enough that the water part is steam, which you can't see. While the whole exhaust system is warming up, you may see it in the rear view mirror as condensed water vapour. If you do enough short journeys it may build up in the exhaust system as liquid water, which following drivers may see dripping out of your tailpipe as you accelerate away. People who say " Oh yeah, that's just condensation that builds up overnight" have not understood what's really going on.

Update, car has been back with the dealership, email tonight after investigating there's no fault found so they've offered that I can return the car and they will give me my px back, I've pointed out there's a sum of money involved too. Watch this space. Paul.

Yeah those brushes, especially one them, are way too short.

Please read the previous post as he told you how to do it, and when you take a photo make sure you take the whole dash, not half covered with the wheel

We've recently been involved in a project where we have proposed a Mobility Hub that aims to combine Car / Bus / Bike / Walking and Micro-Mobility services, options and information in one central location. It'll be interesting to monitor and see how it works in reality.

Depends on how you define 'suitable' really - suitable to their personal needs, desires or financial situation, or suitable to contribute to lower emissions etc. As to the best way to allow more people to get to where they want to go with minimum change to current road infrastructure that again depends on where the start and end points are. Ideally some form of mass transit if it is within or between large population centres, but this tends to be expensive and limited in terms of start and end points - which puts people off as it's not true end-to-end transport. Tram systems are 'in' at the moment but are very expensive in terms of infrastructure and are usually quite restrictive in terms of flexibility of routing and therefore not demand responsive. Buses are better in terms of routings and demand but are painfully slow unless they are Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), which then has the same issues as Trams as the routes tend to be restrictive and stops limited. Outside of large population centres it needs to be flexible, quick and responsive - so could again be bus-based Demand Responsive Transport using small minibuses - but most schemes of that type have so far proven unviable in economic terms. Cars therefore remain the default choice, sometimes with Park & Ride thrown in for the last section into larger population centres. So - as I noted, very subjective. Personally, for me and where I live there is a limited PT option that is painfully slow to use and has a service frequency that reduces significantly before I finish work. As an example the last time I did use it, from getting on the bus to getting off it it took nearly an hour for a journey that I can make in the car at the same time of day in about 15 to 20 minutes. That excludes the walk at each end to get to and from the stop. If it were quicker and more reliable - it often doesn't turn up or sails past the stop as it's running late (not sure why as I'm pretty near the start of the route at both ends) - then I might use it but even then the financial cost isn't that far off the cost to drive. Add in the other issues I mentioned earlier regarding my daughter and it becomes a no-brainer to use the car - to be frank you'd be mad not to! London is a different kettle of fish altogether and PT is more the usual choice but still used to drive me mad with how long it took to get anywhere by PT when I was down there on a regular basis.

Just checked that: G13. That all makes sense. Thank you. Can't wait to get the leak sorted and the tank filled with only proper coolant. Let's pray that I get the car back to England without an unscheduled stop along a French motorway.

Fine as far as it goes, but I've never known a taxi (or private hire) driver with a vRS.

@TRWood Skoda will not be inspecting your car if you take it to a Skoda Dealership in the UK. It will be one of their Techs or Fitters. You might as well go to a good VW Group Independent and have them check the car.

The correct DSG servicing is still a few thousand miles away from being due. DQ250 6 speed wet clutch. @ 40,000 miles. Oil & Filter.

So from Sales Executives a Cunning Stunt from the Stunning c***s. Really so old skool.

Hi, Do you have digital instrument cluster? If yes, you need to disable ACC by pushing ACC stalk away from you. By doing this, instead of ACC icon total milage will be displayed. ACC enabled ACC disabled

I can assure you that you can get air locks and issues from not using pressure filling (but you can get round it). That won't be the cause of your leak. I'd ask them to sort the leak and completely drain and refill with the correct coolant fresh coolant. G12++, G13 or G12evo whichever is easiest to get, yes it's a ratio thing, more of one means less of the other. Same when the coolant (or engine, gear, axle oils) are drained and changed the more residue of existing fluid left in the less fresh fluid can get in so the fresh fluid effect is diluted by the residue. some people and methods get more residue out that others. So ask them to fully (as much as that is possible) the existing coolant (mix). I hope that all makes sense. 😄 Good luck.

Very helpful chart. Thank you. And yes, the stuff I used is premixed. Still debating whether it's best to continue with G11 to avoid more mixing or start topping up with G13. Leaning towards topping up with G13 since the leak will be "helping" me drain the G11 stuff.

ETA: I'm beat to it, but as reassurance see below, also if the coolant can be seen in the expansion bottle (or it's not too far below that) then just normal top ups will be fine. Personally I'd get a load of either VW G12++ or G13 or G12evo and not use the G11 unless I really had to to keep the existing coolant less mixed. G12++ is for vehicles 2005-2008 on the chart I have and G13 2008 on, but the latest stuff is G12evo (don't ya just luv the number systems VW have). I'm assuming the coolant you have is premixed ready to use rathe than concentrated (water needs adding). Best not to mix different brands and types of coolant just in case but see chart below, the number you would have used when the car is new could be printed on your plastic expansion bottle.

You're ok - G11 is compatible with G13 and G12++. Get engine refilled with G13 or G12++ / G12evo once the leak is fixed. Be aware that the system should really be vacuum-filled with the new coolant to avoid issues with airlocks.

OK that works in towns where there is credible public transport, but in rural areas it's a mindset that strengthens the view of country folk that 'townies' don't understand the realities of rural life. But people are not 'dragging their feet' because of inertia, it's because even the cost to change with PCP/PCH is unaffordable for people having to use food banks or having their rent or mortgage massively increased. I'm trying to get you to understand that many (most?) peoples finances are under such pressure that their desire to do the right thing for the climate is not something their finances allow - unless and until grants are introduced at a much greater level. Wouldn't that be the right thing for Government to do if they are serious about climate change? Don't just use the 'stick' approach of a ban, but the 'carrot' approach of grants?

You've completely missed the point I made... And by the way Transport Planning and Highways is my day job and has been for over 34 years so no need to tell me about the maths... PS... No I don't get tired of sitting in traffic as I enjoy the act of driving. PPS... I haven't come across a single C-charge that has any exemptions for the disabled or those that need to drive... As I said earlier it's a case of those pushing them having zero personal experience.

@wurlipoly Have you tried using an actual dismantling lubricant such as PlusGas (other brands are available) rather than Water Dispersant 40?

Some of the smaller models (Fabia, Scala) are available with non-opening glass roofs.

Nice to know ... I've had this problem many years ago, in my heavy bling years, and I thought it was something I was doing wrong, either tightening too much or cross-threading the stems. And I remember the caps came with a little "wrench" ... 🤪 With hindsight, I was lucky as few weeks after I got all four caps stolen in a public parking lot. I was going to buy them again, but I remember a friend told me "you know what? since they shine, they get attracted to them like the poor indians were attracted to barter mirrors and glitter for valuable and useful items" Right he was, I got the plastic ugly ones since, I got maybe 2-3 stolen in 25 years ... Now I got the same friend in Whatsapp will remind him of that time 😝

Thank you all for the help. got it now.

You can get them for a bit less at other reputable places. I found I'd copied & pasted this from rum4mo ready for when I was going to do it until I added up the costs (had it done as part of a Dealership service instead £99 IRC). - "NGK spark plug for the 1,2TSI 16V engine:- at the age of your car the factory fit would have been VW AG part number 04E 905 601 with no NGK reference number on them, just VW AG NGK on the insulator. the replacements I bought from a UK based sparkplug supplier as NGK were in fact NGK plugs packed in VW Group boxes with VW Group part number 04E 905 601 B on the box and on the plug body, the box also had the corresponding NGK part number/model printed below the VW Group part number and that is NGK PZKER7B8EGS. 22NM torque 16mm spark plug socket. Laser Tools sell a conveniently sized one, 245mm long 3/8" sqr drive with a magnet in it to hold the plug secure Laser Tools 3682. Edit:- one thing about that Laser Tools spark plug long socket is, many places list it as being 14mm, but the Laser Tools item with the part number 3682 is 16mm, I can't explain why still after many years, some places including Halfords which seem to be the cheapest, are describing it as being a 14mm socket! Get them to open the packaging up and check it with their dial callipers before paying for it!"

On the bright side they can't steal the air from your tyres if they can't get the tyre caps off 😉

@nta16 It is a DSG / Semi -Auto. It is not advising you when to change gear.

well it lasted a long time but then tripped out the once , got me to work and back fine a and b roads ,then suddenly it went into limp and wouldn't even tick over without the flashing glowplug light'' so my hand was forced and I've had a performance economy remap with egr delete and physical blanking, i phoned up every tuner in Cornwall but wasn't getting the answers i needed , used these guys in Devon who came down to me i will maybe edit their name in at some point, The guy explained how the links to the dpf regen are dealt with and that they have done the same to the 1.6tdi before. Anyway i will keep the thread updated on how my dpf copes, it drives amazingly and averaged 57mpg on the last mixed urban/a30 run

You need to code a new battery if it is a different type. For me it's like this: What type - EFB+ (StrongPRO EFB+) Capacity 70Ah

Finally got round to taking some pictures

This will reset service on Maxidot.

Thankyou both for your replies. Stoker - the link you put to Caffyns looks ideal - not cheap, but just what I need, so I've ordered one. Might get the tyre changed at some point to the 205/60R16 instead of the 195 width it comes with, but not urgent, its close enough in the case of emergency. Cheers.

I think I found a probable cause. The brackets that hold the pickup coil are made of a ferromagnetic material (most probably steel), where they should be brass or aluminum (i.e. something paramagnetic). What I'm talking about is shown on the attached photo. Left is a bracket from the original distributor, and on the right is from the new one. These steel brackets are disturbing the rotating reluctor magnetic field and wreaking havoc with my ignition timing. Now I'm trying to find the rest of original brackets in my parts stash hoping that would solve this issue, but I'm not going to assume everything else will be fine with this ****ty distributor in the future. So I'm still open for suggestions about a good and reliable replacement distributor. 123ignition maybe?

Nah, car is fine 😀 We literally do short trips 1 or 2 times a week, and maybe a 60 miles round trip one a month We are treating it same as the old 20 yr old Golf - no issues with that car either for 20 years!

I have no doubt that the DSG will probably last to the end of the warranty period and do the 40,000 miles without servicing. But after 8 years the oil in that mechatronic unit could be sludge compared to fresh oil There will be a few losses and upset customers complaining due to failure. But loads saved on the service plan inclusive prices. But once the £4,000 gamble is mine i would be making sure it had been serviced and pay the £200/300 every 4 years instead. But i have never been lucky in the Casino either.

@PetrolDaveThe problem is that some can only speak from their own viewpoint. In an ideal world we would all have access to things that others take forgranted.

Steering wheel’s on the wrong side 😏 Wonder if after using the coffee machine the car started or the battery was flat 😄 Apart from that, a cheap and cheerful looking motor

One thing to check - is it possible that the LH transit block is still in place? Bump-steer in RH direction only could suggest more suspension movement on the affected side.

Yeah will check it, but don't think it's that. If it was the tyres I'm sure it would do it both ways no ? It's consistent with diving one direction.

Nice little car, cheaper than a Ford Fiasta or VW Polo. Although shame they didn't make it Sandero sized and offer 3 in the back?

^^^ There might be the issue, 'Landsails', the car behaving like a Land Yacht.

@TRWood What load is that recommended pressure for? Have you tried a bit lower pressures? What tyres are on the car?

What brand of tyres are on your car, decent tyres make a nice difference. I want some Goodyears on mine, I'll have to buy them one at a time and then have them fitted later on, as I can't afford to buy them as 4s as I'm retired.

Have you considered that there are many people, especially in rural areas, where powered personal transport (i.e. not pedal cycles) is the only option as either they have health issues (injury, old age, etc.) or public transport is either very limited or non-existent? So it then comes down to affordability - not just the cost of running (which if using home charging can be beneficial) but the cost to change from ICE to EV being beyond their financial means especially in the current economic situation with rents and mortgages being much more expensive and for MOST people their incomes not increasing at the same rate. Just because YOU have the financial means to make the changes to be more environmentally friendly does not mean that applies to everyone, if the changes are essential NOW then more and targeted support needs to be offered.

It doesn't matter now as the guy didn't know anything of nothing and he said he doesn't accept offers even thought I didn't made an offer. Just called him for a viewing.

Many private owners / drivers do keep cars longer, run used cars. Buy used cars. It is the businesses and fleets being more than 1/2 of those running cars in the UK that feed the used market. The government can easily stop the short term ownership and leasing if vehicles. But then UK dealership work shops are so ****. It is time for Local Authority run Testing of cars. It is time for some control over the motor trade cartel of franchised dealerships. The pre registration of vehicles was supposed to have been put stop to. It has definitely not been. Ex management cars is a con on the UK tax payers.