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Just did Edinburgh to Milton Keynes and back. On the return leg I paid attention to the times we speant charging. We set off at mid day, the car wanted us to charge at Manchester but by the time we were nearing Stafford my son said he needed the loo. So we stopped at Starbucks and plugged in while we emptied our tanks. We then bought a couple of drinks and took them with us. Spent a total of 14 minutes charging by which time the car said we could get to Gretna. But by 5pm we were passing Tebay and given a choice between Burger King at Gretna or Tebay we stopped and paid a premium for their chargers (64p versus Ionity's 43p). Going to the loo, ordering and eating food and then going back to the car took 24 minutes. By which time the car was at 92% which was more than enough to get home to just outside Edinburgh. And this is the shorter range Enyaq. I can't actually see that there is a pressing need for longer range cars.

I've often wondered the same and thought a hybrid with a small diesel range extender would be a good combination. It's a shame Mazda don't offer one alongside the rotary REX in the MX30

also made this quick video review of the car

Indeed! Already had a few comments at the small number of meets I've been to with it - not many people heard of them before in the UK! As far as I can work out it's been on the road continuously since it was registered in 1962 - got copies of all the old inspection paperwork and passed every 2 years until it was imported to the UK. I think I basically just want to keep it going, and get some use out of it - my only other car is an SLK so this works great for moving stuff 😛 It's all a bit tatty, outside and in, but functional, so I'll just keep it around as a rolling restoration I reckon

People that have them are keeping them and the 2 that i used to see where going somewhere after they went to the chargers to charge for free. The drivers had bought them from family members and were not selling no matter how often people asked.

Reform UK GE Candidates even in Scotland says they want cheaper energy and that is a Mix of Renewables, wind, solar & hydro which are too expensive, Oil & Gas from around the British Isles to save importing and Small Modular Nuclear generation. Well good luck with North Sea Oil & gas because the right to extract that has been sold, & there is only one power station, the one nuclear power station is closing and there is unlikely to be new nuclear in Scotland and as for the Wind, Solar, Hydro & Battery that is in place and in the further building and development stage. I guess that Reform UK backers have Investments in Small Nuclear Reactors & need that going ahead just as a few Tory Senior Politicians have. @Lady Elanorethere is a video i posted yesterday in the EV Depreciation thread on Taycans.

What I was trying to imply was that 24 miles EV power (and that is a max and only achievable in warmer weather and lower speeds, ie around town and in heavy traffic), was around 10% of my 240 miles journey. The petrol range on the car is significantly better than the 240 miles, obviously. I think the big overall improvement to mpg comes not from straight forward EV mileage addition, but the EV assist to accelerating from a standstill, low speed creeping and a bit of regen in stop start. If the trip was 239 miles of motorway and 1/2 a mile of stop start at the beginning adn the end, then the overall mpg would be much less I assume. Although when you lift off (in regen mode) on the motorway, at say 70mph, the next time you press the throttle at say 60mph, the car accelerates in EV mode initially, even if there is no indicated charge in the battery.

@LuxoviaRS, you have not bought a very economical car in the first place. It has useful performance, and it can be relatively economical in the right circumstances, but obviously not if you use the performance, and not particularly good in heavy traffic, but then again what is? Other than a hybrid or EV You have not said in what part of Australia you live. If the east coast, then you may have experienced a lot of rain and high humidity and, as I mentioned to the OP, running the aircon to control humidity will have a noticeable adverse effect on consumption (it runs the heating and cooling at the same time). None of the official consumption figures include running any other equipment, which I think is wrong. I have never used adaptive cruise control in a city environment. I'm sure it is very convenient, but I cannot think that it would actually be very economical in stop/start traffic, probably using a lot of low gears, a lot of relatively late braking and killing consumption. I think your best bet to test the car is run it on an open flat road in top gear at around 100kph and if the instantaneous consumption is somewhere around 6l/100 then your car is probably fine and your expectations for city driving a bit optimistic.

I have a few friends and acquaintances in the transport community, and this same question I did ask all of them in one moment or another. From a time at work/to work perspective, since their vehicles are limited by speed control, but they also have a driving time limit after which they need to forcefully stop and "rest", each mile journey is precious, counterbalanced by fuel consumption of course. So, begin able to overtake and move ahead a good stretch before time to "rest" comes, is important. Sometimes these people are journeying for several hundred, when not thousand of miles. And rest intervals are dictated by time, not mileage. Let also consider that this can mean to "make it or break it" at fixed points, ferries, borders, and the like. When a few min can make the difference to missing a ferry, or hitting the border control in "break" (why they need to break while at work is a mystery), or even get to a pleasant stop instead of a dreadful parking stop in the middle of nowhere. Moreover, there are differences in the vehicles themselves, while they all look alike, mechanically some can be better than others, and drivers exploit these advantages. A friend was telling me when he replaced the tires on his tractor, he chose a slightly rolling diameters meant he could "trick" the tachograph by doing couple mph more than was the instrument would be recording, and this was an advantage that could enable to overtake more "colleagues". And finally sometimes they get tired, and simply swap leads when in convoy, even if keeping same speed. Now true this "bothers" other drivers, and several of these guys really don't give a d@mn, but on the other hand we "car" users are far worse on our behavior on the road. We often forget these behemoth need large spaces for braking and their handling does not allow for fast reactions like a car would. Is a matter if finesse and respect on the road, which seldom appears. I just came back from 1500km on SE Europe highways, and I saw in proportion much more dis-respect from 4-wheelers than from 18-wheelers. Sometimes is a matter of simple dynamics of travel, let me give you two examples which I went thru, among many: I am on a long stretch of road doing the speed limit, I come upon a convoy of two 18-wheelers, the follower noticeably faster and edging closer to the lead, thus getting ready to overtake. This will not hinder my progression, as I am fairly far and my speed differential allows for this to take place safely, but what to do? This is where the complex combination of skill, experience, know-how of the road and vehicles, and respect come to play. One time the follow truck waited for me, so I raise my speed a few kph to bridge the gap faster, pass, and then he started overtaking. I thanked and he replied in return. On another occasion, I flashed (once!) to warn and dropped a few kph to increase the speed gap, to which he started the overtaking and I barely got closer enough "to be bothered" ... moves to the right and I keep on. He thanks me and I reply in return. Obviously is not always that nice, there are horrible places where traffic is hellish, is a dog eat dog scenario, but then this is not really the fault of the road users, but those who plan, build, and maintain that infrastructure, and get paid for its use as well! I have great respect and admiration for the drivers of LGV/HGV and other heavy haulers. They live an awful life in horrific conditions, bad food, poor rest, miserable work conditions, tight/impossible deadlines, decadent infrastructure, mean border patrols, a lot of very stupid road users, and all this to make sure we get on our tables, wardrobes, and houses and lot of stuff we surely don't really need, but want to have. It is a vicious circle, we need them to have our junk, so we have to deal with them on the road ... It is a fascinating aspect of the "modern" mobility of mankind 🙂

While it is important to correctly code the battery type and size for correct charging and longer battery life there is no reason why it would noticeably affect fuel consumption. The only time I have seen idle consumption at or near 2.2l/hr in my 1.4tsi was related to several factors: Outside temperature of 47 deg Centigrade, 5 occupants, city driving, air conditioner going full blast to cool us and radiator fan going full blast to cool engine and air conditioner. These loads really affected general consumption adversely as well. Controlling high humidity with the aircon also worsens consumption. I see that recent Istanbul temperatures are at a relatively comfortable low 30's so it may not be the reason for your problems. When the engine is warmed up and the aircon turned off what is the idle consumption showing and what are the revs per minute? My car would show 0.5L/100 and 700 rpm.

Incorrect. It is based on the Chinese Export credit and state help.

not today satan

For those that need to use the estate car it is nice to see it has a flat loading area with the seats down, unusual nowadays with Iso fix child seat fixings.

VW are partnered with SAIC to use credits from them. TESLA a gun for hire. GWM,s are building Electric MINIS for BMW /MINI. Renault / DACIA have the New Small EV to get loads of First Registered this year. BMW- MINI will get loads of Electrics registered. Just looked at the Electric Cars Motability have listed now, 235 BEV,s to choose from and many £0-under £1,000 advance payment. Last quarter there will no doubt be many £0 advance payment. Abarth doing them cheap petrols, but also Abarth electric cars. Even the Electric People Carriers are now £1,000 or less Advance Payment. EDIT / PS Enyaq, Born & ID.3 very low Advance payments which is a sign there are enough available and VW Group need them bought and First Registered.

Driving at 'realistic' motorway speeds (I don't hang around), my PHEV does around 38mpg on pure petrol and maybe 45-50mpg with Hybrid Sat Nav mode engaged (it's not an actual mode, but you get my drift). If you consider that the real world range on battery alone in stop start traffic could be as high as 24 miles per full charge, you would think that it would give, roughly, a 10% help to a 240 mile trip. But the reality is, you get more like a 30+% lift. These are rough figures as it depends on the route used and average speed undertaken. The 3008 I have only has a 42 litre tank, so it's worth doing before I set off on a long trip.

I have friends from all walks of life and those that are in a less fortunate financial position drive ICE cars (I have several friends who live in Ancoats and Hulme in Manchester, for instance), those that have taken early retirement or have well paid jobs often have an EV in the household (these people are not car enthusiasts it has to be said). Hence, I see a divide that is partial attributable to personal wealth: also none of these friends are self-employed and are in a position to take advantage of the corporation tax relief). As for mega miles, my best friend has a daughter up in Scotland and travels often with her husband to visit. She has had several Mini convertibles and I've asked if she fancies an electric version. She tells me the range of the small cars she likes (Fiat, Minis etc) do not have range to visit her almost off grid daughter and get her to the Lake District and back in a day. She is not happy to take the chance of struggling to find charge points (some single women I know don't like the idea of having to go and sit in service stations on their own). So for now, petrol it is.

Hello! So I am aware that this is a 12 year old thread that I've stumbled across however, the Skoda in question is now mine! If any of you here are still active, I don't suppose you know anything of the history of the car or who owned it? The fella I bought it off was a bit of a wheeler dealer type and didn't know all that much about it unfortunately... although you'll be glad to hear its still on the road, and just needs a little TLC, as I plan to drive it for a visit back to its home in Czechia some day

Hi All Wanted to start this thread as while there are many many posts on the topic of firmware updates to head units, not too many seem to cover the actual process end to end so thought it may be nice to share the guide i put together from multiple sources and i wanted to make it as detailed as possible to help anyone in the same boat as me.. I will try and answer in this post all the questions i had to save you the bother of looking on loads of different sites and threads Full disclosure:- As an IT professional all my life, I am familiar with the inherent risks and problems which can be associated with Firmware updates, but I don't know cars at all. Before going ahead, I did a lot of reading, research googling and you-tubing so be warned the process may be relatively simple but if an update like this goes wrong, it will cost you to have it fixed and I'm sure running the update will in itself invalidate any warranty. Any updates completed are 100% at owners' own risk. Neither I nor the forum site BRskoda maintain any responsibility for the process or any files downloaded or the source from which they were obtained. I cannot supply a copy of the source code please used don't ask, nor can i tell you whom can or might, but they are out there. You know who you are and you have my deepest and sincerest appreciation At the time of writing my Mib1 unit was running 0435 and 0490 was I believe the latest available. The Update file I used for 0490 was named MSTD_EU_SK_P6230.zip These are only my own findings and results when running a code update on an Ambulsmen MiB1 unit this process could change in future releases. Your outcome could be different. Before posting the below I cleared with moderators. Initial Prep Think do you really need to want do this..? (I had unimpressive DAB reception and very poor response on the touch screen using v0435 I heard it was improved in later releases). I wouldn't do it unless there is a likelihood of it definitely fixing an issue or problem which you are experiencing. Check and Confirm what sort of unit you have. Press and Hold Menu button for 5 seconds. Obtain below data as pictures and refer to another source to obtain the correct and appropriate files for download. [I strongly recommend using multiple virus checkers on the file or performing the initial extract a virtual environment] Personal Recommendations Plan and re-check everything (once started you cant stop it) Be slow and methodical DO NOT rush Print off the instructions and process to work through. Give your car a good 40 minute spin out on a quick road to top up the battery without using any utility which may put extra strain on the battery. (See this link to check your battery Status https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqM79n7MeJw ) Run the update during the day for better light and so you wont need to use the cabin lights to see what you are doing. Disable daytime running lights to prevent additional and unnecessary battery drain. Get out and check your lights are actually off. The upgrade process will take 45-60 Minutes be prepared for that. - Do use a battery charger or jump pack the unit could well brick itself if power continuity is lost midway through the flash. I got one in a well know UK wide Auto-parts store for a shade over 30 notes. [Beware the charger you use will need to be Start Stop compatible if that's a technology in your car]. A big shout out to the below whoever you are you helped me build this guide https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWXJI8V9OEc&t=213s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sj5-KHuhRk https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/378192-amunsen-mib1-firmware/?hl= amundsen https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/480534-experience-of-upgrading-the-firmware-on-amunsden-mib25-system/ Process Format an SD card as FAT32 (mine was 32Gb). (Use a clean one not your SKODA one) Using 7Zip extract the contents on to the SD card. --- This should leave 3 Folders and 1 Text file on the SD Card. With the car ignition off remove any inserted SD cards CDs and USB media. Insert SD Card containing the Firmware Update in to slot 1 Attach battery pack \ charger confirm it is working as expected. ----- TURN ON IGNITION ONLY ----- ----- DO NOT START THE CAR ----- ----- ENSURE LIGHTS ARE OFF ----- ----- ENSURE AC \ FANS \ HEATED SEATS - ETC ETC are all OFF ----- Power on the ICE unit Press and hold Menu button again for 5 seconds Choose Software Download Versions Select Update Select the source (SD Card) [all others will be greyed out] Select the Release version detected First the Metadata will be validated Press Start A note is displayed say how "The update may take longer than 60 Minutes to complete and not to start the engine or interrupt the process once started" is shown Click Next The appropriate code will copy from the SD card to the unit The Unit will now restart and then download and restart multiple additional times (About 15. I lost count). (Up to this point the process will have taken approx. 20 mins) The Software update process will now create a "Mirror Copy" (multiple horizontal lines showing a copy percentage against each of them) When each line has finished its copy and reached 100%; The Unit will reboot, upon resume it will start on the next line The Unit will start another set of multiple Software downloads and restarts. The Unit will restart again When the screen Titled Software Update Result is displayed Click Update Summary Review the updates applied and return to the previous page. Click Close If displayed Cancel the Diagnostic Tester warning to check for error codes. These will however be visible to your Dealership upon service have them cleared for best practice. The Unit will restart again. [For the final time] Once the update has finished wait 5 minutes for any last background processes to complete Press and hold Menu for 5 seconds to confirm the new version is running. (Now expected to be 0490). I Started at 12.05 and following the above my update was complete by 12.48 Issues in 0435 Touch Screen not responsive DAB stations missing from radio + reception often poor (where i know we should have reception Was considering upgrading external Ariel) Playback from SD Card would not move on to next Album (when organised in to folders) SatNav UI well a bit "basic"... Status in 0490 Touch Screen 100x better DAB radio now works like DAB Radio (I live in a not so hot spot for reception.) Playback from SD card fixed Not had opportunity to play with the NAV yet (will try and post tomorrow) Conclusion:- If you have the stones for it; and you do have similar problems the upgrade is well worth the effort. IMO Update 0435 is S*!t and is full of bugs... Keep the wheels turning guys. Have a good one

Here is my family wagon for the last five years, finally up for sale. It's a two-owner car, with the first keeping it until 37000 miles and four years old, and me taking it on from there. It currently sits on 123,400ish mostly motorway miles. I bought it in April 2019 when I needed a fuel-efficient family car for a long commute I was just starting. My Octavia vRS (TSI) would have ruined me! I'm only selling it as a change of job role to a more local post means that the diesel is the wrong car for me and my family, now. Take a look at the pics, though, and I'm sure you'll agree it's in excellent order for its nine years young. It's been maintained extremely well with services every 10,000 miles, a cambelt change on time, gearbox oil changed on time and just general TLC week-to-week. It's never failed an MOT while in my care and been given the little extras like Bosch windscreen wipers and regular interior cleaning. It's had a recent new battery and the common corroding coolant pipe replaced last month. The tyres are Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance 2 (front) with LOADS of life left as per pics, while the rears are older Micheline CrossClimates, which are just cracking a little around the shoulders but will still be good for a year or two. My fuel economy record in this car is over 90mpg on the computer, over a 200-mile motorway journey! Please do come and have a look and a drive if you're interested. It drives beautifully, with excellent comfort, pretty peerless fuel economy and surprising refinement. The only faults are a dodgy sensor/electrical contact in the interior light switch so the lights no longer come on when you open the doors, and, weirdly, the one-touch auto-up/down on the driver's window stopped working when the new battery was installed. It's been polished and waxed ready for sale. Here follows the template for Briskoda sales. Make & Model: Skoda Octavia Estate SE Technology Greenline III Colour: Metallic grey Mileage: 123,400 Price: £4,900 Description: Grey, one previous owner. SE Technology spec brings climate control, Bluetooth, 16" alloy wheels (new centre caps), rear AND front parking sensors (I think this was the only model ever among MkIII cars to get front ones as standard), electric door mirror adjustment, CD player, DAB radio, cruise control, 6-speed manual gearbox, 108bhp/110PS special engine tune for this model, aerodynamic refinements, cloth seats, automatic headlights (upgraded Ring halogen bulbs), automatic windscreen wipers (Bosch blades), 610-litre boot, ISOFIX mounts (rear only), 12v power socket, selectable driving modes, manual handbrake. Condition: Used, with a number of small/tiny scratches, stone chips and two very small dents. There are a couple of larger paint chips on the rear bumper and cracks to the near-side reflector lens and the very bottom of the near-side light cluster. The function of the lights and reflector is not affected. Very clean, almost unmarked condition inside barring very slight wear at the gear knob. Service History/Receipts/Recent Service work: Extensive service history from new - I have everything in order in an A4 wallet, including service invoices, MOT certificates and invoices for almost every part and piece of additional work. Extras: I think the metallic paint was optional, but I'm not sure otherwise. It has everything you need, anyway. Mods: Upgraded (but legal, sensible and simply brighter) headlight bulbs Shipping: £n/a Collection: Yes, from the NP26 area. Can also deliver for the cost of the fuel and the train home! Pictures: More available if you have specific requests!

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I actually haven’t heard of anyone getting the 1969 update OTA whether it’s an older or newer Octavia. I assume Skoda only push the update to a certain number of vehicles at a time so it literally could take many months before it is even made available to a specific vehicle. Not sure what the protocol is if the vehicle / user refuse the update when it is made available for download.

The Conti All Seasons I’ve had on for 18m now are great. They’ve covered about 7.5k and are still as quiet as they were new and there is no perceptible wear, but I do drive “sedately”.

It looks like the rubber is BEGINNING to separate from the metal outer ring. Have they been advised on the last MOT? Wants to be on the shopping list but they don't look like they need doing now. Not as bad as mine when change them last year. See below:- Thanks. AG Falco

My 2016 Owners Manual (pages 162,163), under Diesel Fuel "The vehicle can only be operated with diesel fuel that meets the EN 590 standard" "All diesel engines can be operated using diesel fuel with at most 7% biodiesel (B7)" "The vehicle cannot be operated with biofuel RME, therefore this fuel must not be refuelled and driven"

Take it to the dealers. I've had exactly the same thing happen on my 24 Scala, only 3 weeks old, took it to the dealers yesterday, with the airbag error and also mentioned that the rear seatbelts had to be plugged in all the time, or they ping at you and flash the seatbelt sign on the dash. They put the computer on and came back to say that it is a software error that Skoda are aware of, Skoda say it is not due to any faulty parts and they are aware of more cars with this problem, and are working on a software fix for both these things, as they are interconnected through the software. They cleared the air bag error for now and have told me there are other cars at this dealership waiting for the same update. They have left the fault open so that when the software fix comes through they will call me back in to have the car updated.

Sadly, one of the main reasons the Taycan is deprecating so much is due to Porsche not buying back used cars. The market is flooding with them, thanks to Porsche pushing new EVs over everything else in order to hit emissions targets and carry on selling their true love of ICE cars. Plus there is always things like a near £50K replacement charge if you damage your battery casing etc, which makes people nervous (expensive, even though the Porsche battery is designed to be relatively easily changed ). The model I am familiar with has the big battery which means you get more power available (the two speed gearbox at the back is interesting) and although it is fractionally down on power and ultimate capacity on the latest version, there isn't much in it. The Taycan power output figures are very complicated, although I think they are streamlining the battery /motor options these days since the update, so it is becoming a little clearer. During one of his many recalls, my friend has had a loner of the latest version and he didn't really notice much difference. He has, however, also had a Panamera for a couple of days and found he preferred his Taycan. I should add he is a petrol head and his heart is and always will be, with petrol cars. One interesting thing was, he used to live with a woman who also had an EV and charging, as they are both high mileage drivers, was a bit of a pain for them. It isn't something I considered until recently when I noticed that one of the households in my road now has 2 EVs. Hadn't really thought about the potential issues on that front until then. Luckily they both work relatively locally so they can cope.

I can confirm the wheel bearing has to be removed to allow the guard to be fitted, there are three screws behind the disc that need removed. I replaced mine a month ago, while replacing the discs.

I run mine on Falken's cos I'm tight & I don't do huge mileage any more. It's my car so it's my rules & they've been fine. I'm on my 2nd set in the 40,000 miles & 6 years I've had it.

And so it begins, the long expected trade wars which will not do us any favours at all, with all the retaliation tariffs.

This is interesting-ish I only have experience of travelling and driving one of these cars over a great distance and it makes me think that, whilst not exactly hyper-miling, they were driving frugally. My experience in a Taycan with the big battery is perhaps 220-240 mile in normal conditions and with all the necessary creature comforts turned on. Well it is a Porsche I'd obviously go for the Porsche followed by the Polestar....if I had to.

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Oh, so when you said that you had used #16 - Phonebox #30 - Boot 12v Socket #47 - Rear Window Wiper you didn't mean all three locations had been used for the new dashcam, fuse 30 for the Boot 12v socket you had previously used that for the permanent 12v supply to the TPMS and that you had tidied it all up? Fuse #16 is the 12v permanent supply to the dashcam via a piggyback fuse and the phonebox and fuse #47 feeds the rear window wiper and also via a piggyback fuse, the switched supply to the dashcam 👍

Few years back sometimes i had a delay in cracking, not consistent but from time to time. One night although i had power i was barely manage to start the car, next morning no crank at all, "dead" and luckily i was parked beside the local repair shop. I thought was the starter but was the solenoid, i change it. As for the switch i spray 1-2 times per year contact cleaner with no oil and i clean the key grooves with cloth.

The actual tariffs being imposed appear to depend on how much of a "backhander" the manufacturer has bunged the EU ;o) Three brands in particular were hit with tariff bumps: BYD at 17.4 percent, Geely at 20 percent flat, and SAIC with a hefty 38.1 percent. A general tariff increase against other brands will be levied depending on whether they have cooperated with the EU's investigation: 21 percent for those that did, and 38.1 percent for those that didn't. These numbers are much lower than the 100 percent tariff that the US put into place, with the maximum being 48.1 percent for non-cooperative firms. The numbers for BYD and Geely suggest that they were cooperative with the EU, while SAIC wasn't. https://www.theregister.com/2024/06/12/eu_chinese_ev_tariffs/

My Blackvue Dashcam's Night vision stopped working, after 5 yrs. So I decided to replace it with the 70mai Omni 360 Dashcam, and whilst I was hardwiring it, I tidied up the fuse wiring too. I've used the following fuse locations for the dashcam:- #16 - Phonebox (permanent) #47 - Rear Window Wiper (switched)

Something else happening on the 4th of July. UK expected to follow EU in the law, just as it has with other customs rules since 1st Jan 2021. EU to put tariffs of up to 38% on Chinese electric vehicles as trade war looms https://www.theguardian.com/business/article/2024/jun/12/eu-import-tariffs-chinese-evs-electric-vehicles-trade-war Move, to be applied provisionally from July, would trigger duties of more than €2bn a year Explainer: How will new EU tariffs on Chinese EVs work? The EU has notified Beijing that it intends to impose tariffs of up to 38% on imports of Chinese electric vehicles, triggering duties of more than €2bn (£1.7bn) a year and a likely trade war with China. The tariffs will be applied provisionally from next month in line with World Trade Organization rules, which give China four weeks to challenge any evidence the EU provides to justify the levies on imported EVs. The charges come on top of the existing 10% levy on cars imported into the EU, meaning Chinese-made electric cars face total tariffs of up to 48%. China immediately hit back, promising to “resolutely take all necessary measures to firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies”.

Thanks all for the comments. I think I will go for cross climate 2's or similar in another brand. I'll take a look at the tread patterns to see if any are ambidextrous as that will be handy for evening out tread wear.

Well. IMO they should return your car for you to take to a competent garage, without charge other than for the brake work.

As I said, the key with PHEV is regularly plugging it in. Although I didn't realise fully charged can hugely improve ICE efficiency, not just about EV range. Thanks for pointing that out. There ought to comparisons of PHEV to '99 style hybrids. Here is one, didn't say how charged is the PHEV https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a46414049/toyota-prius-vs-prius-prime-test-results/ Another one reporting on other studies, where if not plugged in, bad economy: https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/manufacturer-news/2021/03/03/phev-models-found-to-be-61-less-efficient-in-real-world-use Advise in Which more or less lines up what I've said: PHEV is for driveway-owners, much be able to charge regularly to get the benefits. https://www.which.co.uk/news/article/plug-in-hybrid-cars-use-more-fuel-than-official-figures-claim-aIpyB5l2V4A8

No, I live in a HA house like millions of others. I never had the breaks to get out of social housing, again like so many others in society, we are split into the haves and have-nots.

Actually, this is a common misconception. If I travel to London for instance, a journey I take several times a year and approximately 240 miles (I do it in one non-stop trip of course). I can increase my fuel efficiency by many mpg if I fully charge my PHEV first and - this is the important bit - use the Sat Nav. This enables the car to meter out the charge to maximise its efficiency. Cruising on a motorway is a weak point for EVs, whereas in heavy traffic, it plays to their strengths. My PHEV can keep some charge available for when I get to London, for instance. It works well and the car usually depletes its charge with a mile or two of my destination. Without using the Sat Nav the car tends to use the charge at the beginning and also on the motorway, which means you drag around all that ruddy extra battery weight for no benefit. Once in London I'm generally screwed, as they say, as charging becomes a nightmare and is generally not feasible, so the return trip is done in pure petrol mode. I've explained the scenario before, so won't bore with my life story on this matter, again. PHEVS are the most complicated of all cars and you have to give them as much information as possible, if you want to maximise their efficiency. I would never buy a secondhand one, they are far too complex. For instance, my car can run with .. Front EV motor Rear EV Motor Front and rear EV Motors combined Petrol engine Petrol engine and front EV motor Petrol engine and rear EV motor Petrol engine and both EV Motors it can recharge from... Type 2/mains supply Front EV motor Rear EV motor Brake regen using a combination of the above or the petrol engine can recharge as you drive (you can set for 3 different levels of total charge). It can run in 'Pure electric', Pure petrol 'Hybrid' combination 'Sport' where ever thing can run simultaneously '4x4' where the electric motors run almost all the time and the petrol occasionally helps out. Nuts! Dread to think the problems some poor sod will have with this car in 10 years time.

Update-reegassed by local independent garage using Mahle system and f gas. Passed all tests including vacuum andregassed £100 no charge if fails. I think the Škoda machine is faulty or not used properly. I have UV tracer liquid in it now.

Visit your dealer for them to check it - they will identify the fault code and work out what has caused it.

Not my photo, but one taken last night, of the Milky Way over Cuckmere (on the coast between Eastbourne & Seaford): Thought it was quite stunning. Gaz

We go to Lithuania every year to visit SWMBO's family and friends (tonight we're staying in Dresden on our homeward journey after our 2024 visit). I'm 72 and my joints are a bit creaky, but I can get out of the car after a day's driving without any problems. We both find the car to comfortable and we usually have the DCC set to comfort on the motorways and normal for other roads. The car has been reliable on every trip apart from 6 years ago when we found a piece of metal in a back tyre when we were in Klaipėda, Lithuania. A tyre depot repaired it for €20 and the tyre was fine until it was replaced a couple of years later when it was worn. This wasn't a reliability issue with the car though. I will add that I don't rush and usually cruise at about 70 mph, so the car isn't working too hard. Although there are only 2 of us travelling, the car is packed full with the back seats folded down and it's sitting quite low at the back.

naghh (slight squeak of anguish)....not necessarily. I've seen some bad airlocks on Golfs/Audi's. Remember that when they change coolant at the dealer, they do it under pressure to get rid of the airlocks. It comes down to blocked/trapped air in the heater core. You can let the expansion cap open to vent any air when the car is hot though (to be done extremely carefully and at a risk of scolding)

Fitting new blades and having a streakless windscreen brings me immense joy 🤣

175,000 miles and 20 years old looks pretty good still.

Yes. Try this instead. Intake Manifold Position Sensor - Audi 8V/8S/B8.5/B9 & Volkswagen Golf MK7 GTI/R - EA888.3 PART NUMBER: 06K907386D Had the exact same problem in my 2014 Octavia 3 with 84xxx kms I snapped off the old sensor (and it is very easy to get to if you take off the oil filter) and put the new one in. Cost me ~ $140 AUD https://www.vagparts.com.au/products/audi-volkswagen-intake-manifold-position-sensor-genuine-volkswagen-audi-06k907386d?variant=39553411514443 https://www.ecstuning.com/b-genuine-volkswagen-audi-parts/intake-manifold-flap-position-sensor/06k907386d/ MK7 Golf Gti's have the same problem however the fix isn't as widely documented since they received intake manifold warranties for up to 10 years or 120k miles. Diagram in here shows where to replace the sensor. https://www.golfmk7.com/forums/index.php?threads/p2014-code-intake-manifold-runner-position-sensor-switch-circuit-bank-1a.330245/page-2 AUDI: https://www.audiownersclub.com/forums/topic/14901-s3-2014-error-code-p2014/ Couldn't find it but There was a reddit post I believe talking about this issues where the only comment told OP to buy the sensor and take off the old sensor (he said he snapped it off because it was hard to get out, I did this too.) Super Easy Job, the commenter did it without taking the oil filter housing off and he must have spent ages and doing it but yeah. Take oil filter out, snap the old sensor off, put in the new one, and Bob's you're uncle. The new sensor is a little longer than the old one so it does seem to stick out a bit. Also remember to lightly lube the o-ring on the sensor, I just used engine oil. Hope this helped!!!

My Kodiaq can close from the button on the remote but you have to keep pressing the middle button on the remote and have to be within 2 metres.