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Mine is still on the original Varta AGM battery, so I'd recommend Varta

A couple of pointers on this: 1) You do need VCDS, but you can also code in new batteries with ODBEleven as well. 2) I cannot stress how much of a bad thing using the rip/off VCDS 12.x software is. It was pirated software that was cracked from Ross-Tech and if you really care for your Skoda, I highly recommend not touching that software as you don't know what its doing to your car. Please...please...please don't support dodgy software pirates, as it supports illegal activities and has the potential to brick your car. 3) For those of you who are running things on a budget, you can get a basic dongle from 51 UKP from ODBEleven; this is not expensive and that pays back for itself after the first use.

Those images will be after the clutch failed, it would not be possible to assess its condition prior to failure.

until the moment it exploooooods 😁😆

Hello I just became an owner of a spanking new Octavia vRS mk 4.5 and I'd like to share my first impressions but before that a bit of a background story. Last year I was looking for a new car to replace my Ford Mondeo Titanium S from 2009. It served me well but it was time for something newer. I guess my criteria mostly were that the car had to be practical but also a bit sportier than the previous one. Initially I was looking at Cupra Leon Sportstourers (also estate) but I was eventually mesmerised by a velvet red Octavia RS mk4 liftback. I thought I got a pretty nice deal on it as it was just barely used (~3000 km), so no new car tax to pay for me anymore, and it had ton of extra equipment as well. I was super happy with it. Then in February the facelift was announced and I admit that I didn't think much of the RS facelift at that moment. I was definitely thinking that the front lights were cooler on my current RS, I mean the fog-lights were a separate unit and the front bumper was also much more aggressive and edgier. Also nothing really bothered me too much about the infotainment system. But....as time passed the design of the facelift had started growing on me and in addition some of the improvements here and there (a bit more power, newer infotainment system). And by July I managed to convince myself that I want the facelift RS, so I ordered one! It arrived at the end of September. However, by that time I still hadn't found a new owner for my mk4. I had some offers but nothing good enough yet so I asked the dealership to wait a bit and give me more time to sell my mk4. Then I finally found a buyer and told the dealership as well that I'm now ready to receive the new car. But I guess I jumped the gun there a bit as the deal to sell the old car hasn't been quite finalised yet. So that means that I'm in a unique position where I currently own a mk4 Octavia vRS and a brand new mk4.5 Octavia vRS and they are both velvet red! But it's a good opportunity to compare them. So finally, here are my thoughts on the differences: The specs Both of my cars have a ton of extra equipment but there are slight differences (just some quality of life extras really). I really liked the extra features on the old car so I mostly copied them when speccing the new car as well. But most notable ones: Both cars are liftbacks Both are velvet red mk4.5 has 20 extra horse power but cannot test it yet if I can actually feel the difference (still break-in period) Both have DCC, Adaptive Lane Assist Both have Suedia (leather) seats (as part of Challenge Plus package on the old mk4, separate option on mk4.5) Both have 19" wheels (Altair on mk4, Elias on mk4.5) Both have a Heads Up display Navigation was a separate option on mk4 but I think it's part of the base RS spec now. I couldn't spec preheating for mk4.5 in my region (wasn't available in the spec sheet and still isn't in the configurator) I added Canton sound system on the mk4.5 (yet to review it properly) Exterior The biggest difference between mk4 and mk4.5 is the front part of the car (as you've probably seen from pictures yourself). As I also mentioned above, it took some time for the new design to grow on me but I really like it now. The rear lights are also a bit different (the shape/light bar of the turning signal is now horistinal and straight, see picture). Also the stripes/trails within the rear lights seem to be illuminated (more). The design of the 19" wheels is different. I don't like the aero cover (or however you call it). I think the Elias wheels look much better without it so I removed the covers. However, beware that if you decide to remove the covers you need to purchase a set of centre caps and lug nut covers. Otherwise it's a bit ugly still. the vRS logo is different, I think the new one is better in the sense that you can actually understand that it says vRS (I remember one of my friends asking what VIRS means and the old logo can absolutely be misinterpreted that way) Door sill protectors have "Octavia" written on the, not vRS. Interior Interior design is mostly the same but there are more and less noticeable differences: The biggest difference (literally) is the size of the infotainment screen. It's 13" on the new one vs 10" on the old one. However, the larger screen size is in any way disturbing. The upper edge is still below the dashboard and isn't blocking the view in any way. Coupled with the upgraded infotainment system it's a really nice upgrade. Some of grey coloured pieces (door handle, the plastic around the gear shifter, rotating knobs on the steering wheel) is dull/matte whereis it was shiny on mk4. The design of the wireless charging pad/compartment has changed a bit and it feels like it's holding the phone a bit better in place. The icons on the physical buttons have changed a bit. Infotainment system/Virtual cockpit That's the big change on the inside and in short, the improvement is huge. The infotainment system is very responsive. The new style feels a bit more modern The digital instrument cluster is a more customisable as well (The right arrow on the steering wheel now switches between different display modes eg map, trip info, gear info (D, S, M), while the left one chooses between display style (with tacho and speedometer or without) No custom vRS animation on the instrument cluster when entering the car anymore, it's mostly black with SKODA fading in. 😞 The gear information (D, S1-S7 etc) can now be displayed with a huge font between the tacho and speedometer (vs being displayed in the bottom left corner on mk4). That's super awesome now. The normal gearbox mode (D) will still display only D and not D1-D7. The Adaptive Lane Assist button is now gone from the steering wheel but the option to switch to it from ACC is now hidden in the same menu (left upper button on the right side of the steering wheel). When I first saw that the button is missing I thought that they forgot to install it and actually had to double check that it's there. There's now always an indicator bar visible in the speedometer dial that shows how much range you have left to go, so now you can select something else to display in your speedometer dial. The physical button for selecting your driving modes now toggles through driving modes, that's nice! There's a ton of customisable shortcuts at the top and at the bottom of the screen (eg can set shortcuts for car, assists, lane assist, heated front windshield at the top; media, phone, navigation, android auto/carplay shortcuts at the bottom) The widgets on the infotainment screen are slightly less customisable but that doesn't really bother me: there's a couple of templates that you select from when creating pages/screens, previously you had more freedom here. I wish the HOME button was slightly bigger though. It was easier to press it on mk4 infotainment screen as it was actually a separate "button" on the left of the screen in mk4. Now it's an icon on the screen. The style of the integrated navigation system feels more modern but haven't used it that much as I'm more of an Android Auto user. Audio As mentioned, my new mk4.5 has Canton sound system. My initial reaction is that's it's not much of an improvement (still), let's see if I can figure out some good settings for it. I did have to check whether the subwoofer (squeezed into the spare wheel compartment) actually worked. Yeah, you can feel and here the vibration when you open the boot but not that much in the driver's seat. I do hope that the only result of the subwoofer won't be the body panels falling off in the back and that I can at least feel the bass when that's happening. There is an extra setting to adjust the subwoofer in the Sound menu. So in short, default settings seem a bit lacklustre but I still need to play around with settings before drawing a final conclusion. Some missing features/changes I've encountered some inconveniences on the new mk4.5 (not a deal breaker though) I think the biggest feature that's missing on the mk4.5 and that I found quite useful as well is the lack keyless lock/unlock on the rear doors. In other words, when you previously could unlock the car by just pulling the read door handles and it would unlock (and could also lock it using rear doors) then that's now gone. You have to take an extra step to touch the front door handle. Another annoyance that I found is that the speed limit warning is turned on each time you switch on the ignition. Unfortunately that's done so to comply with legislations (manual says so). However, Skoda did add a shortcut to disable it quickly (same button and place where you can disable Lane Assist). However, not all has been perfect! When I logged in with my Skoda account into the car and added myself as the main user, it wanted to load some settings which I assume were from the mk4. It did load my seat position but also a lot of icons appeared in the infotainment menu that were just loading (had the loading animation). Perhaps there's a more clever way to solve the issues but I eventually deleted and recreated my Skoda account. I took the car for a first proper drive over the weekend and had a yellow/amber "Emission control system fault" icon appear in the instrument cluster. No errors/warnings in the infotainment menu (status is fine there) as well and car drives fine as well. I plugged in my bluetooth OBD scanner to see what it comes up with and it reported fault codes P2080 (P2080 Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Range/Performance Bank 1 Sensor 1) and P2084 (P2080 Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Range/Performance Bank 1 Sensor 2). So now I'm taking it back to the dealership. I hope it's just an improperly installed sensor (as per repair manual it seems that both sensors are wired into the same connector) but let's see. That's it for now. Feel free to ask questions and I'll try to answer them. And some pictures as well:

Sorry, no idea. But I don’t see any obvious reason why it could not work on manual gearbox. Maybe I´m wrong

Probably not the issue and a bit like asking Grandma to suck eggs but - but is petrol being injected? Plug should smell of petrol, or even the exhaust tailpipe after a few attempted starts.

Springs and Shocks all replaced with Bilsteins, also had the drop links done at the same time. The bushes were all in good condition, so were fine. Car is so much better now. I've done around 500 miles, including narrow country roads and motorway work. It is so much more stable under braking, cornering and general handling, who would have thought it! Worth spending the money.

So, I've got a mk4 ('22) Skoda Octavia with an e-tec engine- As i've been driving it, I've started to notice an extremely short, very high-pitched, very faint tone sounding randomly. Imagine a mosquito quickly going past your ear 😂. It almost sounds like it's behind me in the rear passenger compartement, but really hard to tell with the pitch and faintness of the sound. I've worked out that it always happens when the little "eco" in a circle symbol on the instrument display turns out. Manual says this symbol comes on when the transmission get put into neutral whilst driving. Anyone had this or have any idea what's causing it? Now I've heard the sound I can't un-hear it, and I can't keep driving with the radio at full volume forever!

Thanks a lot for the feedback @Giannis20 . I did a full scan and I can confirm that it doesn't trigger any error in control units.

you'll need a trailer board connected to the trailer socket that has appropriate lighting and a third number plate. If not you'll be illegal and the car won't know you have the bike carrier fitted, meaning all those issues you are concerned about will occur (emergency braking etc.). Also be aware of the weight limit on the easifold and the tow bar - I'm not sure what the weight of you're bikes are as the carrier itself is 18kg and I'd imagine the bikes are quite heavy too if fitted with batteries are about 25kg each which will mean they aren't that far off the limit of the carrier and, in combination with the carrier may not be that far off the tow bar limit, which may only be around 80kg.

The Polo MK6 parts catalogue lists 2Q0407255L, 2Q0407256L, 2Q0407255AE, and 2Q0407256AE...with the AE version being a newer version of the older L version. Cars manufactured after 25/05/2020 used the newer AE version instead of the older L version. It seems likely that they are interchangeable. Polo MK6 parts catalogue https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/vw/RDW/PO/837/4/407/407000

Do you have a light socket and lights on the Bike Carrier? The cars knows it has something on it rear if you do. Emergency braking can be a god send when your mind lapses and you forget the bikes are sticking out.

For reference if anyone searches this, I have found a Superb being stripped that shows the lever arm from the back of the panel (labelled 3V9 867 825 for Left Side but that doesn't actually exist, i think my part number above is correct). This arm is spring loaded and is the same whether you have an auto cover or not. The Solenoid (white part) when extended (off) allows the retaining arm to go up and down using the spring i.e. it will retain the luggage cover, or you can twist the cover and the spring will push down allowing the cover to roll back manually. When the solenoid is retracted (when the boot is opened) it pulls the arm down and locks it there so the cover isn't retained and rolls back automatically. I assume it goes back out quickly afterwards. Mine is stuck in the down position or missing entirely ! I intend to strip it all apart and report back I cannot find the solenoid at all on ETKA. Its doesn't seem to have a part number printed on it on any picture either which is odd. Its also not mentioned in the workshop manual. Very odd.

@RajaStyle Yes, that is correct. The dongle actually works on ALL VAG cars - i.e. VW, Seat, Skoda, Audi, Bentley.

You'll want the PRO Pack (NextGen device and PRO VAG plan), no need for credits. The credits are only for the one-click-apps (which personally I would stay away from!) You can't do any coding/adaptations without the plan.

I test the common rail this afternoon and try to put the paw straight...

I actually posted this in a different wrong forum but it was relocated to this wrong forum 🤣 You're absolutely right. I was using the "what could possibly go wrong" technique. 👍

@nta16 Thanks for this and from what I have see on this forum I'm properly impressed with the help from the community. Thanks for the link to the VCDS group. I'll add myself on there. All the best Alasdair

It was a few years back but from memory I think we paid £230 for water pump and belts then a couple of hours labour at local garage so again from memory it was around £330 all in, I will have receipts somewhere but not in front of me at moment. There are cheaper pumps available but from other owners experience they sometimes run noisier than genuine equipment, perhaps don't last as well either.

Nowadays you have to be careful where you book a time for trans specialist. I woke up as a woman while I was pose to get my dsg mechatronic serviced 😔

Right, my thoughts which have been suggested already. Classically the clutch plate is designed to wear out. The normal first symptom is a little clutch slip. This is the sign to get the car booked in for a new clutch, well before the flywheel gets damaged. The recovery service should have known better than to force the car into gear. The fact the clutch could not be properly disengaged indicates something far worse than wear on the clutch plate. I would insist the dealership check the whole clutch release mechanism. The pictures make it clear both clutch and flywheel are toast but you'd need the parts inspected independently to find root cause. Maybe Skoda UK would like to take a look at the parts?

What it is worth doing is find a GOOD local VAG specialist near you; taking it to them and asking them to go through it and ask what they think needs looking at. Tell them you are planning on keeping the car and want to make sure that everything is good for the future. I'm making an assumption that you have a TDI (either 150 or 190). Things I might consider: Coolant change (and change of header tank if you still have the silica bag in and cannot remove it) Cambelt and Water pump change HALDEX service (clean/replace gauze and fluid) DSG gearbox fluid and filter change (either for DQ250A-6 speed or DQ381A-7speed gearbox) Oil/Filter/Fuel Engine Flush - make sure you run the car on 5W30 (better for higher mileage Octavias) Running some Super Diesel through it to clean the EGR and keep the injectors and DPF happy (or you can do the normal diesel plus use the fuel additive I use - https://www.hydra-int.com/DPB000K.html) to keep things sweet. Air Conditioning charge, Aircon cleaner and a new cabin air filter Clean and waxoiling under the wheel arch liners to stop rot caused by the sponge of doom and in the chassis rails. I heard a kitch saying - any fool can buy a new car, but it takes real men to take and keep running their old cars. Sorry - all a bit alpha male and all that nonsence but your carbon footprint will be considerably better and you'll have a car that you know/love.

Nope - you need the appropriate screen for the appropriate system.

Sorry, no cheap way, you need a vagcom i changed mine for a varta AGM battery five years ago and is still ok. Stock one was efb like yours. I codded with a Chinese vagcom cable. Other way is have it done by your dealer

On the other hand, a forensic inspection of the diaphragm might indicate a fracture, causing loss of clamping force - if this was found to be the case, it could be valid ground for a warranty claim. Retain the component shown in image 2 if you decide to do this.

Thank you for the pictures! Next weekend i will install mind :)

Skoda Service Campaign 55N3. Details in this previous post.

If changing the rear springs from standard ride height to lowered ride height, you will also probably want to change the rear shock absorber buffers from 127mm to 112mm. This will provide an extra 15mm of suspension travel compared to if you don't change them. With the non-DCC car, it looks like 5Q0511357J would be suitable...although do confirm this with the person who is going to fit the Bilstein B6/B8 rear shock absorbers. 112mm rear shock absorber buffers 5Q0511357J (for lowered rear springs, non-DCC) https://www.autodoc.co.uk/car-parts/oem/5q0511357j?supplier%5B%5D=101

The Authenticator App is just a code generator; codes specific to the account you need to log in to and time - they refresh every 30 seconds. Typically set up in the app using a QR Code or other identifier provided by the account requiring the use of the codes. The App does not need to be on the same device (but could be) because they are login specific not device specific. I use the one on my iPhone to login to accounts when using my MacBook. The Authenticator App has its own password to access the codes, or could be biometrics (e.g. fingerprint or face recognition).

16" rims will clear the front brake calipers on 312x25mm front brake discs. All of the front shock absorbers on the Scala and Polo MK6 (and Audi A1 based on the Polo MK6) use the same diameter struts. Don't use Polo MK6 GTI front wheel bearings because those require Polo MK6 GTI drive shafts which are longer than the other Polo models. These 312x25mm front and 272x10mm rear brakes are both TRW brake systems. The 256x22mm front brakes use a 22.2mm master cylinder bore, whereas the 276x24mm and 312x25mm front brakes use a 23.8mm master cylinder bore. So you might want to consider changing the master cylinder if increasing the size of the 256x22mm front brakes. However, it looks like the servo is also different...and there might also be other differences.

That'd be Methane, would'n it, Lol.

Hi, Thanks for this, yes, I think I will keep hold then, I do love the car to be honest :)

Try LLL Parts, they have parts catalogues for Skoda Superb, you will find at the bottom of the page under manufacturers / Browse Catalogs (sic) you will need to check the part numbers for the lights because your's will be LHD, fog light on a different side to here in the UK. Ebay the obvious choice, though Polish Aleggro and Ebay Kleinanzeigen may be helpful?

Had a nice meander around the Bluebell walk in Arlington today. It still might be a bit early - another week and it'll be in full bloom I reckon: And this friendly little Robin hopped up right next to me on the back of a seat I was on: Gaz

I think that that engine's build date would fall into the period where this shocking build error occurred, I'm sure that there is an actual date on the paper label on the top cover for the drive belt, ie at the top RHS of the engine. Skoda seemed to acknowledge that this occurred in some markets with better consumer protection and took appropriate action, ie check all stocks of new and held used cars covering a certain period in time, and repair as or if necessary, probably even contacted first owners, not good enough for us though, VW Group had chatted to DVSA and I'd think that as DVSA claim (well when I asked them about this as a worried owner of a car with one of these engines they did), that none of this incident or possible incident, triggered any of their flags for forcing a recall or request to attend a workshop for correction, VW Group squeaked out of this need to dig into their war chests - nothing to worry about seems to be their position in UK marketplace.

Some find they work on some engines, best check Peugeot 207 engines, coolant sealants seem more popular that oil sealants but there are all sorts for all sorts of leaks. Coolant (or head gasket I forget) I've seen reported as used on modern VWŠkoda engine on this site and was reported as seemed to do the job, at the time and no report back of failure (or continued success) make of that what you will. How bad actually is the leak, could it be resolved simply by a hose, part, gasket or seal replacement or is it even that bad to worry about, old cars (especially American) leak like sieves, some from new, the old saying for some was/is if the engine isn't leaking it means it's run out of oil. Wipe clean just before MoT as a drip of residue leaked oil from the underside of the car can annoy some MoT testers but a small leak to ground is allowed on MoT as you have discovered. Is the leak that bad or would another Mot tester perhaps have ignored it. Bear in mind an MoT is just one (hopefully trained) person's opinion that the car passes the minimum statutory minimum standards at that oner point in time only, it doesn't mean the car is in as good a condition as it could or should be and may fail an MoT as the car is driven away from the "pass".

From Fleet News this morning: "Non-compliant brake fluid warning after stock still available A second safety warning has been issued for a non-compliant brake fluid that could impact stopping distances and degrade braking systems. The warning was issued by the Verification of Lubricant Specifications (VLS) after stock of Mannol Brake Fluid DOT 4 3002 was found to be still available and still non-compliant. In December 2023, VLS received a complaint claiming that the product failed in critical performance areas required for safe brake operation. " https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/non-complaint-brake-fluid-warning-after-stock-still-available?gutid=6419

What is the point of the ACT not functioning? It makes no difference or nothing negative if the accelerator pedal is getting floored.

Ouch - but that’s the point of sleepers I suppose. Diesel remaps can achieve mountains of torque and you don’t need to change down to press on.

Sorted now , drove 100yds and all back to normal

The 1.4 TSI 132 kW Twincharger is a timing chain. But the Water Pump is belt. Best get good parts and have the job done only once. Plenty have had to have the job redone.

I had this problem on my Karoq. I confirm that it can be solved, when it happens: - turning off the engine for about 30 minutes (it resets everything) - pressing the SOS button 1-2 times - pressing the SOS button for 1 minute The first option is not viable if you are traveling. The other two are, and they mean that after 1-2 minutes a call is made to the VW emergency call center (not to the Police/Ambulance, to be clear). Just press Stop Call on the display when the call is made. Sometimes the button doesn't work, so when the operator answers just say it's a mistake. Magically the light turns green again. I also noticed that when it happens the car microphone stops working (so if you are on a call they can't hear you anymore) and I think the volume also stops working, which no longer goes up but only goes down. If you try to restart the infotainment by pressing the radio power button for a long time, it gets stuck on "loading profile". In the workshop they updated my OCU firmware in September, since then it has only happened 2 times, months apart. Quite shameful that they don't find a definitive solution, given that it is a problem of the entire VW group...

I can't help with the specifics but some comments may be of use because we had problems getting to grips with the electronics and software. The Fabia 4 has all sorts of gizmos but be careful of your safety if you are navigating menus and trying out settings. It’s easy to become distracted lose focus on road safety. I’ve found much that is of nuisance rather than of active assistance. The dash layout is highly configurable and you can save the set up you like. Sounds fantastic but with our Fabia 4 the car randomly decides to change the configuration of its own volition. It's a fine drive with good levels of comfort and interior space for its size. Turn stuff off and it is back again on the next outing. The cameras and sensors are useful for parking unlike the park assist package we chose which we find terrifying. It’s easier to adapt to the car rather than trying to bend it to your will.

Ben, good that you got it sorted. It never rains but it pours, no biggy, or even littley, at all, you've also posted your thread in the Fabia Mk3 2014-2021) forum. I'm not throwing stones as I live in a greenhouse. 🙃 That might be where you went wrong after fitting the parts as that probably refers to reading the Owner's Manual to find what fuse covers what. Reading and referencing to the car's 'Owner's Manual' has saved many owners, including me, time hassle and money by unnecessary visits to Dealerships, garages, mechanics and auto-electricians. Even for repairs it's worth having a look at instructions and information which 'Owner's Manuals' can have a lot of. Of course that is when VWŠkoda puts the correct information in their 'Owner's Manuals' unfortunately that's no always so with fuse allocations but they get it right most of the times so still worth a look. I'm sure you have a brighter outlook now. 🙂

I wonder if it’s a choice of market thing. My car was delivered a few weeks ago in NZ, hard to imagine they are still making it with a Skoda logo after all this time. The 4.5 has been available in other markets for quite awhile

Hello. So here's a couple of screenshots of the instrument cluster (there's also a screen for the navigation but didn't want to take pictures of that, but it's mostly the same option of layouts). Bonus picture of the infotainment screen (with some useful shortcuts at top and bottom I've set up for myself) and heads up display (with navigation enabled but stationary at the moment of taking the picture). PS! I'm aware I have the "engine" light on. The dealership is still figuring out what to do but it's related to a faulty sensor for exhaust temperature. It's OK to drive and is not causing a limp mode, fortunately.

Hi, have/had similar high pitch in my MHEV, but it seems to be more seldom knowadays. Car is 2 years. Maybe I am getting older and loosing abiöity to hear high frequencies.😂

Your e-tec cuts off engine completely and then the battery kicks in and feeds everything. I am assuming the noise you hear is ten electronics working.

Did you try turning off the climate completely? I had a sound that was kind of high pitched and intrusive, and with the fans and climate completely off it shut up. Touch wood it didn’t come back either