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A trip to Nottinghashire yesterday, up via M25, M1, return via M1, A42, M42, M40 & M25, then A320. For me considering the traffic levels and the excruciating 20+ miles of roadworks on the M1 (hence the different route back), I didn't want to go out of my head with tedium... 😵‍💫🤪

I'm running a solar set up with a Givenergy All-in-one which is basically a 13.5kwh battery wall. The weather we've had the last few days has meant I've spent pennies on the grid electric and sold electric back to grid for pounds. So far this year I'm nearly £700 up on electric costs. The down side is I'm still about £15.5k in the red on the installation costs. 🫤

Free electricity right now for many once you have spent a bit on buying some gear for the solar, wind or hydro and that has paid it,s costs back. A couple were asking me about EV,s and charging and costs and then mentioned they have a river running through their property. That was when it dawned on my the V12 Vantage Carbon we were standing beside was theirs.

Car manufacturers moved away from hydraulic power steering many years ago as electric power steering uses less energy and hence improves emissions figures.

I'm an 80-years-old male and weigh a weedy 52kg. Removing and replacing my Skoda Fabia's wheels at home is fairly easy without using the type of tool being discussed above (I took the alloy wheels off soon after buying the car to give them a good waxing and check that the steel spare-wheel would fit), but carrying out a single-handed road-side 'emergency' wheel change would be a real challenge without some means to safely hang the wheel on as it's replaced on the hub. As I said above, an alignment tool suitable for the Fabia's wheels is widely marketed and (as nta16 has highlighted) the quality varies. A good quality alignment tool will be made from strong metal (You do NOT want the threaded end to snap off in the hub!), be smooth and - if possible - have a 'tommy-bar' hole in its outer end to aid insertion/withdrawal. (Examples here) Regarding Chug41's enquiry about offset, alloy wheels normally have their offset (ET) cast on their inner surface. https://helpcenter.wheelpros.com/hc/en-us/articles/360055697352-Identifying-Wheel-Markings#:~:text=Wheel Size and Offset - The,and an offset of 0mm.&text=Manufacturing Date - This is the month and year of manufacture. https://www.oponeo.co.uk/blog/how-to-read-the-wheel-markings

Hello, your vehicle is fitted with an electrically assisted power steering system. I believe that option, when active, will restart the engine if steering wheel is turned while engine is stopped.

It’s now just under two weeks since I collected my Mk4 L&K 193 ps dsg 4x4 estate. So I thought I’d share a bit about it: I’d had a 2018 Mk3 non facelift L&K 190 ps dsg fwd which I’ve been very pleased with in the almost 6 years I’ve had it. I wanted one last estate car before I eventually downsized, so I went for it. I’m guessing I might be one of the first in the uk to get one of these. I’ll try to feedback my experiences with it in case it’s useful for anyone thinking about getting one. Because I tow, I stuck with diesel. So far: First impressions are very good. The gadgetry is a leap on from the Mk3 although you could argue that the Mk3 was good anyway. Example: Self learning parking on the new car. I reversed in an S shape track into a corner of my driveway. The car asked if I wanted to save the manoeuvre for it to do itself next time. Self regulating speed in response to reading traffic signs. Stuff like that. Other stuff in no particular order: CD player in glove box is gone. Apple car play + Android does it all now and I also believe the new car has its own registered SIM. No more tyre gel. Space saving wheel now. Floor is still at low height so retains maximum space. Space also gained in rear side of boot because the Canton amplifier etc which was there, now houses in the spare wheel. Only one umbrella this time, although both doors still have a recess. Power outlets (the old cig lighter sockets) are no longer permanently live. They come on with ignition. As far as I can tell, the new car unlike the old, does not after a time, turn the ignition off on an unstarted engine. The ride and quietness is very good. The old one was great but it seems as if everything is soundproofed a bit more on this new car. I’d say though that the suspension on the old car was gentler. This is when comparing Comfort mode. Both cars have 18” wheels. The new car sits quite a lot higher at the back. Maybe all suspension settles and softens. I’m sure the old car was higher when new. Infotainment. The satnav map on the new car, unlike the old, has no altitude reading. Regardless, the map seems better and clearer overall although it still carries that trait where, if you expand the view, the text stays small. Rev limiter, when car in Park: The new car does not seem so far to have this although I obviously have not tested it too much. It’s a 7 speed as opposed to the old 6 speed. I’m getting the feeling that it’s longer legged as a result rather than closer geared. I tow an Eriba Triton caravan, and just like the Mk3 car, the Mk4 is a complete dream when towing and averages just over 35 mpg. The caravan is a small 950kg aluminium thing but the mpg is still pretty good. The co2 emissions are stated I think about 157 gm/km whereas the old car was about 132. Maybe the 4x4 has something to do with that. The quoted solo mpg is in the high 40’s as opposed to 54 on the old. But, I’m getting pretty much the same on the new car albeit without the bike roof racks on yet, and just like with the old, 65 mpg on a steady A road trip has not been over difficult to get, and easily does 54 on the motorway at 60/70 mph Once the racks are on this may all drop a bit. Rear seat release from boot is new and it’s great. Seatbelts add security and tighten up when the new car reaches about 15 mph. Front seats move back when doors opened, makes exit easier I guess, a nice feature. All in all this promises to be a great car, an improvement on outgoing one if that were ever possible. So far I’m happy and still singing it’s praises😊 Hopefully I’ll add more as time goes on.

Thanks @MartiniB and @Tell, maps updated today 👍

Fuel poverty is something we should not be seeing in the 21st Century. I have seen Youtubes of people living in high rise flats hanging out solar panels on their balcony rails and generating solar energy, costs can be quite tiny and charity organisation should be giving out as part of their support I reckon. The tools to cut cost and even live off grid are here and getting cheaper and cheaper. UK governments and Energy companies should be worried that there are less and less needed be involved in many of people's day to day needs.

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/trade-and-investment-core-statistics-book/trade-and-investment-core-statistics-book

You can check out what was standard and what was optional by looking at the relevant brochure for the various years here: https://autocatalogarchive.com/skoda/

It fitted like a dream. It's definitely the biggest battery and the only gotcha I had was making sure the manufacturer was set to VA0 (for Varta/Bosch). You need to transfer the thermal surround and also the +ve terminal plastic cover.

Beachy Head West. Belle Tout (above the Pay Here sign), cliffs in the centre are Seaford Head, white buildings on the horizon are Brighton: Didn't stay long after this as a lovely pleasant moment, listening to skylarks got utterly ruined by Mr Very Important Obnoxious Tw@ (white shirt) who got out of his Maserati and starting pacing between my car and his, dictating business letters and emails to someone who couldn't hear him clearly (Unfortunately I could) 🙄🤬 Gaz

Indeed. Octopus Intelligent Go now 7 p/kWh off-peak. EV home charging now at 2 p/mile for 3.5 mi/kWh, easily achievable year round average for most EV's.

1: The 9CIRCLE=branded tool is an American product and expensive even in the USA. It was just an example of a tool with a tommy-bar hole. 2: Nope - that's my weight. Cleopatra was described in one of Shakespeare's plays with the line "Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety". Sadly, age has definitely withered me, though I like to think it has not yet staled my variety.

Octopus Go rate for Midlands:- Nighttime charge rate down from 9 p per KwH to 8.5 p and day time from about 26p to 22 p per kWh, results !!

Okay some forward movement at last! Instead of using the lock plate as a lever, I was able to use it as wrench instead and finally managed to at least get the knurled knob to begin rotating - which I was able to speed up with some angles pliers. However still not able to get the actual unit and cable out it is still in tight. So I have applied more of the DP-60 fluid and am letting that soak a little longer before having another go. I ended up taking the car for a very low speed drive just up and back down the road without the lock plate in place, but has not made a differance, but the speedo is still reading so it does not seem to have harmed anything. Righto, will keep you updated as things progress.

Common Rail; it's the fuel injection system used on this model. Easy peasy; the Elegance trim has a full Climate Control system by default. If the display shows "ECON", press the "ECON" button once to put the system back into the normal "Auto" mode and leave the ECON button strictly alone after that. You'll get better (for you and the car) results by adjusting the cabin temperature to your tastes, and then using the "Demist" button as and when required. You may also want to disable the "Recirc" button in a similar manner, and only use it when passing through smoke.

I would suggest selecting Neutral if manual or Park if DSG, and applying the handbrake BEFORE switching off the ignition.

It has aircon but instead of an aircon 'ON' and 'OFF' button it has an Economy ON and OFF button So economy ON = Air con OFF economy OFF = Air con ON

I believe that all elegance models have climatronic air conditioning and humidy control. The ECON push button is part of this. You can download a copy of the drivers handbook for your car from the sticky thread at the start of the page for this model. This fully explains how to use the climatronic system.

I'm the new owner of no.107 I work for a main dealer in Dublin. She's getting a full restoration back to factory spec Rory Dublin Ireland

People do get some weird ideas about EV Batteries and the size and range they go. A pretty certain range when you know the vehicle. The big engine hearses were because they suited the slow journeys, much like a BEV would be. Light weight bodies (the vehicle) The Queen's coffin with her in it could have traveled in one of their Branded Hearse but an EV one from Balmoral to Holyrood with a charging session where they had the stopover in Brechin.

Bit late for that.

The single-use hearse - you could be on to something… G

The gearknob is clamped onto the gearstick not threaded on. Simple to replace. But the mk3 one sits a little higher unless you drill the centre out a bit. Then it will sit lower. Rear wiper motor failure on these is quite a common issue. That's why lots delete them. As for side skirts it's strange that the vrs didn't come with them from factory. The really improve the side of the car.

I don't trust any more anything from that VIKA motor, not even a washer. Both motors are recycled now.

Yes, was easy enough to get the dealer to do mine, though at the time it was still under the three year warranty. How much difference that will make I don’t know. AIUI, it was a small update and didn’t take long - unlike some updates. It made no difference to the display options in the virtual dashboard; I can get a map view but not with the dials overlaid.

No, no, no UK people, like millions all over the world, are making their own electricity, putting it in to their cars and feeding their houses. Why do you think, despite the rapidly rising UK population due to immigration, that the electricity per consumption, as measure by the UK electrical suppliers, grid etc, is going down and down, year on year ? It because the UK home owner and businesses are generating probably several Terra Watts of electrical power to add to the 90 TW or so the UK passes in to home, some homes are substantially export to the grid. During the day I use solar to power the electrical devices throughout the home. Depending how much I have in reserve I will use that through the evening At night I set the house to use the super cheap night time electricity, currently 8.5 per kWh for me. In the morning, batteries charged up with the cheap nighttime time electricity, charge the EV up if needed also. Currently spending less than a pound a day, not including the standing charge. Now Octopus have teamed up with TESLA powerwall installing that maybe a way to go though I do like the portable solar generators 1, 2 kWh but would like to source a 3, 4 or 5 kW portable battery to add to the collection. Their price, like solar panels, just keep falling and falling. 200W portable solar panel £86 delivered from Amazon, pay for itself in a year I reckon. 1.5 kWh battery Amazon was doing for £299 delivered. pay for itself within 3 years I reckon. Plus it has power backup so one does not do a Manchester Airport total power loss for several hours.

The electric hearse might just suffer thermal runaway and job done. I really have never witnessed a hearse that has broken down or a hearse being recovered.

3.5 miles per kWh is my winter energy consumption with the heat pumped fitted Zoe. 4 miles per kWh in cool weather, 5 to 10 temperature ambient range. 4.5 miles per kWh warm weather energy consumption. 5 miles per kWh, or close to, usually 4.9 I am getting, warm weather, no rush, ambling along, but early for the meeting, find the transit van flying along at 70 mph and a bit of drafting Talladega style, well maybe not that close but a respectful aero tow distance. How about 1.8 or less pence per mile energy costs Octopus Go in combo with Zoe.

It came from the alternator freewheel. The seal was detached and the freewheel shot all the lubricating oil on to the fuel filter housing.

Sky debunked this. It is only from some Gold movements, presumably on the LME, the UK bounces from seventh to fourth, we really are a firm 7th without the Gold movements they seem to be saying.

Electric power steering systems also have the advantage of being a lot easier to make adaptive to vehicle operating conditions.

People all over the world are concerned on many things. Climate change / global warnings, forest fires, flood, oceans rising. All concerning Fire and Emergency Services as well. Fire Service and Emergency service in the UK are purchasing quite a lot of BEV,s into their fleet of cars. They go with the flow sort of thing. It is fortunate that there are fires at recycling plants in the UK but they really are less common than moor fires in the UK and take up nothing like as many man / woman fire fighters time and resources as these. These informative videos and bloggers / vloggers are very good at giving information and telling the news of vehicles and ev,s. Not sure that any governments or manufacturers are giving a flying duck on anything they have to say though..

Funny you say that I have similar with the dog in the yeti but just got used to it over the years. Watched a few reviews about the 1.0 and spoke to a friend who has a golf with same engine and he enjoys it but it’s all city driving. Thanks for reply though. Kinda easing my worries a little. Hopefully see the car soon and able to test it. Could be the new addition.

It's all part of the stop/start system. The a/c is also connected to it.

1K0511115DE https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/1k0511115de?supplier[]=10029&supplier[]=193&supplier[]=85&supplier[]=253&supplier[]=246&supplier[]=10914 Japka ZCJ6784H, Japanparts ZC6784H, and Ashika ZCA6784H appear to be rebranded KYB RH6784. Kilen 65056 and Lesjofors 4295072 are the same spring, made in the same factory in Sweden. NAPA NCS1442 (matches 1K0511115DE) (appears to be rebranded KYB RH6784) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335441905945 KYB RH6784 (matches 1K0511115DE) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235550213372 Kilen 65056 (matches 1K0511115DE) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204000988707

Is it a hatchback or estate? The estate will often use a slightly stiffer rear spring than the equivalent hatchback. Does it have a factory fitted towbar? If so, the factory sometimes fits a slightly stiffer rear spring than the equivlant non-towbar model. What are the OEM part numbers of the front and rear springs? These might be 5Q0411105GM front springs and 3Q0511115AL rear springs. If so, consider going up one weight range with both springs to 5Q0411105GN front springs and 3Q0511115M rear springs. 5Q0411105GN front springs KYB RA1491 Lesjofors 4095137 Bilstein 37-293123 Kilen 25123 https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/5q0411105gn?supplier[]=85&supplier[]=16&supplier[]=253&supplier[]=246 3Q0511115M rear springs KYB RA5337 Lesjofors 4295136 Bilstein 36-301959 Kilen 65126 https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/3q0511115m?supplier[]=253&supplier[]=16&supplier[]=85&supplier[]=246 New shock absorbers could also be considered, if the performance of the old ones is suspect. Bilstein B6 front shock absorbers 23-254343 (DampTronic) https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bilstein/8049602#shock-absorber Bilstein B6 rear shock absorbers 20-267537 (DampTronic) https://www.autodoc.co.uk/bilstein/9166711#shock-absorber

Just to finish off my little story, the wait was I think close to 3 months. The 'two weeks' thing is just the timeline Skoda gives the dealer, and therefore they give to me. It was incredibly frustrating. Not nearly as frustrating as losing 2nd, 4th, 6th and reverse whenever the car felt like it, nor the car deciding that 1st was the only gear I needed, sometimes when pulling onto a motorway slip road! I was on the verge of dumping the car in a ditch at one point it got so bad, but it's been fixed a few weeks now and life is good again.

Sorry to bring this up again, but did anyone clock the horrific fire in a Lithium-ion battery factory in South Korea, CCTV shows in just seconds how the factory was engulfed in the toxic fumes which claimed 22 lives of the workers inside the factory which is precisely the reason why fire brigades all over the world are so concerned about electric cars. Footage shows moment deadly South Korea factory fire breaks out - BBC News South Korea: Exploding lithium batteries spark deadly factory fire - BBC News This is also yet another fire at a battery recycling plant, the second fire at this site in 2 years. Watch as fire engulfs industrial estate in Renfrewshire - BBC News Huge plume of smoke as firefighters tackle industrial site blaze - BBC News

Alignment tool? What happened to just holding the wheel up and screwing a bolt in? 🤔

Pah... That's no excuse! If it's not raining the roof should be down... And only takes about 30 seconds to put back up even if it does start to rain... And if it's light rain just keep driving and you stay dry!

What was wrong with the roofs of the MX5s... Broken?... There were at least two sunny photos there where they had the roofs up!

ah a hidden "benefit" of a lower spec unit ;o)

In my case, the problem with the starter motor wasn't that it was not working in the sense it couldn't start the car, but it had an electrical fault (for more detail track down my mechanic from 2018!) that meant it put too much load on the battery, and the car was progressively harder to start until eventually the battery was flat and all the electrics died one day. However, when starting the motor with jump leads, you're connected to a car where the engine is already running and the battery is charging, so the faulty motor still gets sufficient power to start the engine. Basically the cause of my issue was the starter motor, but the actual symptoms were in my battery.

River glaven at night

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

Hello, thank you for the response but it isn't the parking ticket holder or the sun visor. It's definitely somewhere below the steering wheel and I think it's behind the dashboard. So, I'll keep on searching...

if anyone is interested, below is a PDF I created of the various code changes I've made to my Superb (MY17) over the years. whilst some instructions r done with VCDS, and others with OBDEleven, the steps r essentially the same regardless of the tool - just the screens look different. this will work on 2015 to 2019 Superb. it won't work on facelift (2019 after) Superb, or at least there will b differences, which i can't assist with. enjoy 🙂 Coding - Superb MK3 - v3.1.pdf