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I'm on my 2nd Enyaq - as ever with Skoda they have been utterly reliable. Just jumped in the car last week and drove from Edinburgh to near Utrecht in the Netherlands. We took the ferry from Newcastle rather than driving 11 hours to the South coast, but we could have made the journey without charging. We stopped for a toliet stop after 2 and a half hours so we plugged in while we went to the loo and grabbed a coffee. On the way home from Utrecht, zero charges and we had 40% left when we got home.

With the plunging prices it is difficult to know when is the optimum time to buy though scared mongering keeps saying China will look to increase the margin it makes and EU, rather than UK, Anti Dumping Duty can add quite a bit to the landed cost. I am buying 100w solar panels at sub £33 and as they are on self adjusting in 2 axis solar trackers they are more effective. Batteries, mounted within solar generators so they have solar to battery charging and built in invertors which can do AC supply as well as the multiple Type C and A outputs for laptops etc. Aim has to be no mains electricity used during the day time so all electrical power is from. Solar or cheap Nightime electricity downloaded abd used during the high priced time. Next EV will have V2L ie almost definitely a Megane e MY 26.

Interesting - so basically a ten year return on investment... which is probably why a lot of people haven't taken it up and a good reason why all new builds or refurbs should have it as a mandatory requirement of Planning Approvals and Building Regs. As for "why people don't do the same sums for a new kitchen or for a new extension" they probably do in some form - but the return on investment and justification is usually non-monetary and hence not readily quantifiable.

Cheap times may change. One common message from listening to talks at Everything Electric yesterday was that the grid demand variability will always be present, there will always be ultra-cheap periods. As always, the key is making sure one is in a position to take advantage of that. Energy poverty is a bigger social divide than what's powering one's vehicle, that's if one owns a vehicle in the first place!

Hi All - Just a bit of writing for you all to enjoy - I'm no writer but stay with me anyway - Mods if you wish to Move to another section feel free 😁 The Super B and That Trip to France Us Caddye’s are your traditional archetypical Irish family. No airs or graces with us, what you see is what you get. Two great kids, our lad, Jay is 10 and our daughter Alannah is 13 now. We have a fairly normal existence in fairness with bills to pay, places to go, activities for the kids, trying to just make life as stress free as possible – Every family is in the same boat up and down this country. When my beloved Mk1 Fabia vRS was involved in an unscheduled indiscretion with a Galway traffic light I was on the lookout for another car. I was trying to delay the inevitable “That car is way too small to fit the kids and associated bits in” conversation but alas that conversation was accelerated at 4:45am on a rainy morning in April 2024! My search ended with a reasonably tidy 3T 2010 Skoda Superb Mk2 Estate. Not only that she is an Elegance with tan leather, loads of toys, an absolutely massive boot, loads of space inside and going well. The car is an original Dublin registered car as well which is a rarity in this country as we always have low spec cars with the way that extras are taxed. Because of GDPR I will never find out about previous owners or where in the class structure they fall. Car absolutely fits our needs like a glove, cheap running, parts plentiful and mechanics know them better than they know their own wives. Mechanically Superb’s of this generation are fairly robust and reliable with very few foibles so I was ready for many years of loyal service. After this car came to us via a great chap Declan for very reasonable money we were all set for a new chapter in family motoring. The car really proved herself over the next few months and we had no concerns apart from one day I started her at work and she ran like a bag of weasels but then cleared – strange I thought but passed it off as a glitch. Another day she put a load of smoke out the back and Sinead my wife mentioned that the car put smoke out on her but then cleared, but again I put that down to a DPF regen. On cold mornings there was a bit of steam from the exhaust but this was attributed to the cold. Another thing that annoys me is the parking sensors – I park putting my arm around the passenger seat and looking back, a skill that has been passed down the Caddye generations as both my father and grandfather done likewise. The sensors on the left back were giving erroneous readings which again I put down to age related issues. Nothing to worry about. Little did I know that these little incidents were invariably linked. She was running really well and with this in mind Sinead asked me how I felt about driving in France as there was a great deal going for Domaine de Ormes which is only 200km from the Cherbourg ferry. Sounds good to me I said so let’s go for that All good and happy in the weeks leading to the trip, new tyres, a new timing belt, tensioner, idler rollers and waterpump were fitted up with Cian and a good check over. Alco testers, hi vizzys, headlight beam benders, IRL badge on the back, bulb kit, mini trolley jack, breaking bar with 19mm socket. A selection of hoses and a few tools. This would cover all foreseeable incidents and keep the French gendarmerie happy. Tuesday before the off and the heater wasn’t great in the car – Also with the expansion bottle cap off there was a few bubbles coming up – Ahh sure she probably didn’t just bleed right was the problem I told myself. I had an appointment in Galway but outside Abbyknockmoy things took a turn for the worse with loads of white smoke from the exhaust. I promptly called off the appointment and headed for Craughwell as this is where Dave and Sean are. These lads are VW specialists and really know the EA189 engine. Their diagnosis was “Bypass the water supply to the EGR cooler and see how it goes. Them coolers split and allow the exhaust gas and water to mix giving the appearance of a headgasket failure” Sean asked me had she ever locked up on startup and I said no but I had to replace the battery a few months ago as she refused to turn over… “I have never seen one of them engines need a headgasket in the 20 years I have worked on them” was a reassuring thing to hear Back to Ian’s and Cian put in an EGR cooler bypass but the smoke was still there – Thats probably still residual water in the exhaust I said – Sorry I wanted to believe. She was still bubbling in the expansion tank – Not as bad but still bubbling none the less. Jimmy was asking what was going on and we told him. His reply I would keep hearing at least 3 times a day for the next 8 days “Under no circumstances take that car to France” So the following Thursday I went to work with the car and no water usage and no smoke – Great I thought that’s her ready now. Friday I used the car for work again and no problem. I was now confident that all was within limits. Friday evening, I loaded the car and checked her over, put on the IRL and put on the headlight beam benders. Lifted the bonnet and checked the oil, perfect then checked the expansion bottle and to my horror it was low, so low in fact it was on the point of triggering the alarm. I tried to think of a way out, but it was too late – She was going to Dublin and Dublin is 200k away. If she uses a bottleful of coolant every 150k that will be doable ….. I have a full 5 litres of coolant in the shed and I have an empty one so I put 2.5 in one and fill the 2 with water – 10 litres is the whole system filled twice so that should do it. I pack the 2 jars in at the tailgate edge for easy access. Here we go. I am a small bit worried and try not to show it, its too late to pull out and we definitely need the Superb as Sinead’s beloved FN2 Honda just doesn’t have the boot and isn’t booked on the boat. This has to work – I’m that far in that there is no way back now. Kids are all excited and bringing this and that – I am quiet thinking the worst. Saturday 31st May 2025 I phone the Insurance to see how we are fixed if it goes south in France – I can get recovered to a local French mechanic and a few other bits. Our travel insurance will get us home but the car will have to stay “Ahh sure I’m sure nothing will happen – Don’t worry about it” said the chirpy girl at the other end. If you only knew what I know now I was thinking. I googled every car place, every recovery outfit, and every train station between Cherbourg and Domain de Ormes – Get ready, if this goes tits up then both mine and our Super B’s reputation would be irreparably damaged. Everyone is ready and I suggest that we set off early as we are all geared for the off. This has to work, and I can’t say anything. The temperature gauge and the low coolant level warning cannot be seen from the passenger side which is one small comfort. We set out and drive through Clonberne as the road to Creggs is closed. We call to Ian – Cian isn’t there and I say my bye byes and say everything is okay. Ian says “Cian is a bit worried about the car” I told him she will be sound. I am driving steady watching the gauge – 90degC all the way. We stop at Killbeggan and I disappear to check the bottle – At the level so all good. Feeling not too bad. M4, M50, Port Tunnel and traffic is heavy, Temp is perfect no warnings. We land at the ferry terminal and I am happy enough. Stage 1 of 4 complete. We go up the boat ramp of the WB Yeats and the low coolant warning comes on to which I remark that the sharp incline has put on the warning. Right 150k has now been set and that is do able. You would be taking a break at that distance anyway so its definitely within the realms of possibility that this will work Sunday 1st June 2025 After a fairly restless night I’m in a tizzy to get to the deck to get the car topped up and I hurry on to the deck and get all the bags in, bonnet pulled expansion bottle topped up and then the nervous wait – Everyone quiet. Is it a leak or the headgasket? – No coolant on the deck. Please let this work. Perfect startup and no smoke, not too bad. We roll up on a French passport control officer and the kids are giving him whatever French they have picked up and he is delighted but just as he says “Bon Voyage”, the dreaded alarm for low coolant blares again … Oh f**k this can’t be, please not here, not now, – No where to stop and check. It can’t be gone already …… Please no, not in France and not on a Sunday. On a Sunday the French rest, no exceptions. I hear Jimmy’s warning once again “Under no circumstance take that car to France” I say to myself throw caution to the wind and just push on, no petrol stations, then there are signs for lorry’s not to overtake, and you guessed it that means climbs. A Superb Estate is 1550kg and has about 500 kgs of people and luggage on board so no big lifts or putting any pressure on the car. Then the temp gauge starts to climb off the 90…. No please – I check the oil temp and its saying 114 – Not overly high – If it gets to 125 – 130 you are on thin ice. Temp gauge is at over 105 now and the low-level coolant warning is flashing… I know the EA189 is strong but can it take that sort of abuse? The road starts to level off, the temperature levels off and my stress levels off. We travel about 150k and Sinead suggests a stop off at a services Aire Vallee De La Vire – Thank God. Kids get a feed, we get a feed. The Superb gets a rest and a cool down. We sit for 45mins and Sinead announces we are only 60k to go. I say im going to check the car. The pressure in the expansion bottle is enormous and I start to fill the bottle again. Nearly 2 litres she takes. I decide to run the engine to circulate the water, which I didn’t and couldn’t do on the boat. She fires up no problem and I go under to check – Where’s the cap ?…. Please no… where will I get a cap in the middle of France on a Sunday? I look and its down by the alternator. I left it on the engine cover and then started her up. Any more I put it on the scuttle panel – A lesson learned….! We load up and head out – No warnings and temp normal. I just cruise along with a lorry at 90km in the right lane. Everyone thinks that this reduced speed is just a factor of us being in a strange land. Its all about mechanical sympathy and preservation after the heating she has endured over the previous 100 or so miles. We come off the dual carriageway just as the temperature hand starts to stir and with the reduced pace it levels again. We roll up to the campsite and check in. Special stage 2 out of 4 is now complete. Alannah remarks “Daddy the car is smoking a bit” I pass this off as a DPF regen and don’t say anymore. We have made it – Now we have a sick Superb and we are 500k from Patch – That’s quite a problem for me only as everyone else is oblivious – Lets keep it that way Monday and Tuesday 2nd and 3rd June 2025 Rest days and I post on the Briskoda.com forum but just ask if there any harm in bypassing the EGR cooler? I don’t disclose that we are in bother in France. I just don’t want to jinx the whole deal. I know there is a small independent old school garage just down the road about 8km away - Staff Auto in Saint-Benoît-des-Ondes, Should I take the car there and see what they can do? What if I say I’m just going a nosey but If I do that the mask is well and truly off, everyone will be anxious and the holiday will be ruined. An answer comes from Breezy Pete from the Briskoda forum who says its good troubleshooting to bypass the EGR and no harm to drive it but get it sorted sooner rather than later. https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/532688-skoda-superb-mk2-cbbb-coolant-leakegr-advice/#comment-5951782Thinking back its now obvious the head gasket has gone or the head is cracked and there is no way that will be fixed here. The engine has got a fair heating and the head is probably warped – As long as she does not hydrolock as water will not compress and could break a connecting rod or piston – With the pressure in the system the water is leaking into one of the combustion chambers – Every cold startup will be a nerve-wracking experience from here on Wednesday 4th June 2025 We go to an open air Zoo and Castle Bourbansais, La Bourbansais, which is 23km away. It’s all rural roads and speed is slow. Car runs great no issue, No smoke, no warnings, steady temperature. Its all easy pace and the car behaves impeccably. When we get back, I check the expansion bottle – No coolant loss, Say nothing and keep saying it Thursday 5th June 2025 We intend to go to Dinan and a few places roundabout– We load up and I hit the key. The starter motor just clicks. This is the dreaded hydrolock. I keep trying and Sinead asks if the battery is down – I say maybe it is and eventually the engine turns over and fires into a rough run in a cloud of smoke – My biggest fear has now been realised – It’s the headgasket and make no mistake about it. We drive through the campsite with smoke eventually clearing – Nobody looks behind, everyone is oblivious to the situation but at this stage I’m now thinking of how we are going to get home and we aren’t going until Sunday. Some of the route is dual carriageway – I take it nice and handy but still the dreaded temperature starts to creep up again. I keep looking in the mirror for smoke but none appears. I nurse the car on the pretext that I’m being careful, The reality is one big stress and the engine will go full Chernobyl leaving us stranded. Friday 6th June 2025 We decide to go to Mont san Michele which is 30 or so km away. The heater now doesn’t work and its ****ing it down. I have to run the fan to keep the windows clear and its Baltic inside the car. Again its nice and easy pace and no hydrolock today. There is a complaint that it is really cold in the car and “We could all catch a dose” I grunt and say the heater matrix is likely blocked. Saturday 7th June 2025 Another hydrolock on first startup – Seans question earlier about the engine refusing to turn over on the starter now becomes relevant – Very relevant. We go to Dol de Bretagne for the market but again all I can think about is tomorrow and the trip to Cherbourg – We come back to the car after 2hrs and the car fires straight up – We go and refuel – We spy another LHD Superb Estate in dark blue – This one is on an 11-KE plate – I wonder what the story is there? Sunday 8th June 2025 Its D-Day and im not talking the Normandy Landings here. We will be passing by if we make it that far. I sit in the car and ask her nicely “I know you are very sick but please do your best and I promise I will get you fixed up properly and you will have your forever home with us” I check the oil for signs of water. The oil filler has a small layer of mayonnaise just under the cap. I didn’t see that. We load up the car with all our gear – Again I make the suggestion we leave early. Everyone aboard and its time. Here goes – I hit the key and The Super B fires up immediately without smoke and we take off – Sinead checks out and we are headed for Cherbourg – 209kms to go. Its overcast and cool. Perfect conditions, I think. For the first 60kms the temp needle is steady 90degC, no warnings. First climb and the needle starts to creep. The climb is steep, we are loaded to the hilt and I keep glancing down. The road levels off and the temp needle does likewise. This routine continues over the next 4 or 5 climbs. The needle doesn’t seem to be raising as high as the previous week. We stop in the same services and things aren’t as bad as the outward journey. I’m quietly confident. I check the expansion tank and again the pressure is big and the level is low enough. We have covered only 60kms at this stage. Another 110km to Cherbourg and them awful climbs to go. Next sign Cherbourg 78km, Cherbourg 46km, Cherbourg 23km – We go past the reenactment of the Normandy Landings – There are loads of people along the roads. The traffic is a bit slow which suits us just fine. We can see the coast as we come downhill into the port itself. We are early there with about 1 and a half hours in hand. As long as this car gets aboard the WB Yeats we will be home free. Every startup is faultless and we board the ferry. Stage 3 out of 4 is now complete. I am nearly celebrating. If the engine caves now then that will be grand – I will get pushed off and recovery can come and get us in Dublin Monday 9th June 2025 We awake early and have a light breakfast. I am thinking of the startup – Expansion bottle filled again – Sinead has booked us priority exit from the boat so to avoid mayhem we have to get going – Please do not hydrolock at this late stage. She fires up without incident, no smoke no rough running, passport check a chat with the customs and onto the Port Tunnel, M50 and M4. Homeward bound, Temperature steady, no alarms, Nice and calm pace. Im now getting confident that indeed we are going to make it. A stop off at Maccy D’s outside Athlone and bottle filled – She then hydrolocks again and again she eventually turns over, starts, runs rough and clouds of smoke. I don’t really care as we are very close now and the damaged engine is getting steadily worse but even if the engine goes bang now then Ian can come up with a trailer and get us – She runs rough, is suffering but eventually we struggle home – We have made it Stage 4 out of 4 complete. Tuesday 10th June 2025 We have to go to Limerick for a bed for Alannah – I am really chancing it now. We stop at Ian’s Garage. Ian, Cian and Jimmy are at the door of the garage as I pull in. I step out with the two arms aloft and with the victory fingers on both hands smiling like a cheshire cat. Jimmy is the first to speak exclaiming “I have to hand it to you – You have balls” I tell the above story and everyone says we were very very lucky to get away with such a journey We did get to Limerick and back and the following Thursday I come back from work with the car belching out clouds of steam. Sinead asked me “Is your car working okay?” I said “Well its working but its not okay” “OMG was it like that in France?” “Yes it was – Did you enjoy France and did you have any concerns about the car?” “Yes and No” “ Well all I saw of France was a temperature gauge, a low level warning light and an empty expansion bottle” – I drove the car on for a further 3 weeks to the point I had to release the built up pressure in the bottle every time I stopped the car before she eventually cried enough and the engine refused to start. The EA189 will always be remembered for its association with the VW Dieselgate scandal but no other engine would have stuck that sort of abuse for as long as it did or maybe it was the little chat I had on the morning before we took off for the homeward leg. A car is an innate object incapable of showing any emotion but I like to think that they do indeed have a heart, soul and a personality. All my workmates knew that the trip was in jeopardy as I was telling them of my troubleshooting capers the week previous – Usually you would get a “How’s the holiday going?” text but they knew that it was on a knife edge and any mention of it would have put the kybosh on the trip. I never contacted anyone either for the same reason! Thinking now about the whole trip, the well worn adage from the SAS is fitting in this story “He who dares wins”. The car could have blew up on the way to Dublin or worse still outside Cherbourg on the climbs or halfway to Mont san Michael but it didn’t but it was close. There was too much at stake to surrender. The Super B has received another full engine so she does indeed live to fight another day. She is going great – No oil/water loss and no tsunami in the expansion bottle. There was a fair few bits we got with the new to me engine. Did you know that the bare EA189 is identical no matter what engine code it has? Nor did I – The difference in engine codes is in the injectors and turbocharger only. Well I made a promise that our Superb will never see another owner if she held up her end of the bargain, which she did so it’s up to me to honour my promise!! Many a 15-year-old car gets unnecessarily scrapped when a problem like this occurs being classed as uneconomical to repair but I believe that if you have a small bit of DIY knowledge you can easily keep an older girl maintained and roadworthy giving you years of loyal service. My car has many dings and marks and is no show pony but as transport she excels. I laugh every time I see a new SUV as I am looking at €500 every month in repayments and then the car isn’t even yours for you have to stump up €20k in a balloon payment – I don’t give a toss how bad an old 2010 Superb is going but she won’t swallow a monkey of cash every month. Fact. We made it to France - Outside Domaine des Ormes Outside the Lodge Boot full with Cooler Box and the Vital Coolant in the Right side We Mad ethe Cherbourg Ferry - Now that's a relief 3 Weeks and finally she has given up - Fair play to the Brian James Trailer Sun is shining on an empty Bay Like a big Jigsaw - She has come back Dol de Bretagne

I've wondered for a while... Do you really go round each morning unplugging all your electrical items from the mains and plugging them into the little batteries you have and then do the same in reverse at night???

Well then do as suggested above and find some clips to go into the buckle.

I did wonder when I saw your first post. Even mentioned it to another member that I've only seen that handle in one other place!

There’s also a third option - don’t worry too much about buying reversing sensors and instead teach your daughter how to reverse without hitting stuff? 🤣🤣🤣

Yes - two options: 1) source the original factory sensors and loom, have them installed and coded in. Expensive but will look OEM. 2) just buy any old set of generic reversing sensors and have them fitted. They take power from the reversing light, thus they only common when you are in reverse. Perfectly good and many can either supply the sensors in the same colour as your car (or close enough) or you can have them painted.

Hi Warrior193, thank you for your answer. I did that, I got a Varta AGM 70Ah 760ah and coded using a friend's VCDS. I was away for work and used the car like 1 time a week with no errors. As I changed job i started using it more often and it started telling me the error above. With a multimeter I checked and the error was on even with the battery at 12.4v or 12.76v before turning it on. It's not an alternator problem as it charges (12.9v-13.3v-13.4v). The previous owner mounted canbus LEDs in the foot area, above the head and in the trunk. But those should not be a problem. I wanted to update the infotainment only because one day I did not turn it on and I did not get the Low battery error. I thought maybe with a newer version something was fixed. Some correlation/causation situation.

Hi All, came across this forum tonight and thought it worthwhile joining. Own a white 2014 Octavia TDF 4x4 (2000cc). Had this from 2015 as it was a dealer registered car with [I think] 25 miles on the clock. Drove a 1600 but the extras sold me on mine! No major issues but a few questions which I will post in due course. Wi photo with my Skoda in the snow. Happy motoring!

I agree , software update is a bit of a cop out , can’t really explain away a mechanical problem for that long so calling it a software problems giving them license to hold onto it longer im thinking this car is not fit for purpose .

Another thing that hasn't been mentioned, and I assume it's the same for the 4.5 - on my Mk4 vRS if you turn the ignition off with your foot on the brake it automatically puts it into Park and applies the handbrake (without Auto Hold on).

Managed to make a good enough connection and get ourselves home. Will see about a new plug or just a spade connector.

I have had this same issue during foggy and rainy mornings. Apparently either the windscreen camera or the front radar does not like moisture, could be both as far as I know. But with my car this goes away after driving couple of miles and everything works just fine from there on. But my co-workers car has taken this completely to another level. None of the driver assist functions work regardles of the time of the day or weather. Screen is full of lights and it looks more like a christmas tree with nice beeping sounds. The other day the car even refused to start at all. Dealer said that this is a software issue and the car is being taken to them tomorrow to be updated. I will inform whether this helps or not. Needles to say that I am not impressed with this kind of "quality". Two 2025 MY cars suffering from same kind of issues, which tells that this is not just bad luck, its bad design or bad quality. Or both.

Unreal matey!

Hmm, this isn't going brilliantly. Started the car this morning - Bong!!! "Travel Assist unavailable"... "Front Assist unavailable"... "Proactive occupant protection system restricted"... "Emergency Assist unavailable"... "Error: ACC". Skoda Assist seem to think it's a front radar sensor gone u/s - waiting for my local dealership to get back to me with a priority appointment at their service centre for diagnostics. I really, really want to like this car - and in many ways I do - but it's not making it easy for me!

Hi all Finally got round to having the codes read. See images... My mate did suggest a message about it being 247 miles since an high oil warning (I think that's what he said). He's reset it. I have had the same issue 2 more times since I posted, both times within 10 mins of me starting (so cold). Mate suggested changing the oil pressure valve... Thanks for any advice!

@Terrierist what are the chances 🤣

Found this on here. It may be of some help . The most common ones are in the engine compartment. Check that the fuel pump in tank is actually running as well. Think its accesible under rear seats. Check the wirin and connector there to as my sons fabia had worn through. Alasdair

When I had my heater matrix replaced they (my VAG independent) flushed it twice. They have ODIS (I have vcds but never hooked it up after) and said the coolant bleeding function "runs on" for 150 miles to bleed more air out. I cannot remember what it does to achieve that but VCDS functions would probably be a good plan to use to help with the fill. They vacuum filled it for certain as they are a bugger to get the air out.

And expensive times are likely to change also for everyone unless on is daft enough to only choose to pay the single rate across the whole 24 hours. Some places pay about a 50 % premium for using electricity 1600 to 1900 hours. Octopus Cosy Heat Pump do, just need to remember to get ones system toastie between 1400 and 1600, let it cruise lightly in the Expensive period and the have it kick in again on higher power later in the evening. All about paying the fair market price for the real time. Exploit the cheap lecky, avoid it when pricey. Device can be ad cheap as £14 i have found and that is for a little battery, little balcony solar panel and two LED bulbs. Like Boxt boilers there a devices which you can get that just pay for themselves, high efficiency ie 90 % replacing a less than 70% efficient ones and one is better off even paying the £11 a month buying plan. Heat Geeks are doing some incredible Thermodynamics work which is now removing the need for large water tanks for Heat Pumps and tge Leggionares cycle. Game change foe Heat Pumps.

Can you describe your symptoms a little better? How are you trying to open the door and the tailgate? Are all the other doors unlocking and opening okay?

Yes, I did say I had solar, and no I didn't do the sums as if you could actually remember, in my case it was a 100% no brainer as they never cost me a single penny, they were supplied and installed by a company looking to sell any unused power back to the grid. Therefore, I don't have to worry about payback periods, or the question I asked about what if they don't last long enough to put you in profit, before you have pay out again fitting replacements, which just kicks the can even further down the road.

To match the fuel duty would probably need around 20p per Kwh?

You are right about the tax angle, although I'm not sure about the actual percentage of tax, I could look it up, but the principle is correct. It really is an insult to be paying tax on tax, but that's the way it is and there is nothing I can do about it. With all the tax hike that this government are looking at placing on the motorists, I think that you EV owners should be starting to feel the pressure increasing on you as a lot of the black hole in the nations finances are down to the concessions you have been enjoying in the past, and to some extent, still are. Grants to help buy, BIK tax rates lower, cheap vat on the electric when home charging, zero VED has also been part of it, even in some places, free parking has also been given. It would not surprise me if some of those are withdrawn or seriously reduced, it cannot be allowed to continue much longer. I'm also not sure just what you mean by the real "Truth", but I suspect that you mean that EV's are better for the environment and that they are not a fire hazard, to that I still say, let's wait and see what the future shows up on that issue. I suspect that similar arguments took place years ago when diesel was hailed by various governments as the fuel of choice and was actively promoted like electric cars are today. I still stand by your rights to have whatever type of car you want, be it petrol, diesel or electric, LPG etc and that given time any issues will be resolved with any of them. I mean petrol, used to kill from the carbon monoxide fumes in a confined space, that is no more with the advent of catalytic convertor. Diesel, used to be a really dirty fuel, you could see the black soot particles belching from the tailpipe, DPFs and EGR systems have now reduced that by 96% and is within 1 or 2% of the emissions from a modern petrol engine, so huge strides have been made and I see no reason why the same steps should not be made with battery technology over the years. My only real gripe with battery vehicles is that I totally disagree with the push towards going all new vehicles having to be electric by law, where is the personal choice in that and I just can't help but wonder, if there was zero incentives given an electric cars in any format, just how many of them would be on the roads today? Guess is just a few, in a similar fashion to vehicles converted to run on LPG. We know that there was a push towards diesel years ago and is one reason for the popularity of it today, so just maybe without governments interference in the markets over the years, petrol would still be the major fuel today? At the end of the day who knows, only the fullness of time and results will prove one-way or the other.

Mechanically mine has proven totally reliable over 66k miles; early infotainment woes fixed through updates and is anytime now. The 1.5tsi manual is very economical on fuel - overall 57mpg for those 66k miles, mostly long motorway trips. High 40s to low 50s on more local runs. I would normally change my car at about this age/mileage but I like this one so much have decided to keep it another year or two.

OVO have already doubled their 7p charge anytime rate to 14p (for most users) . In any case even 24p per kWh is around half the cost of petrol/diesel.

Actual generation costs, especially solar abd wind, can be as low as a penny per kwh but add on all the transmission and even Octopus costs and you get to 4.7 p per kwh, a, sixth of what non pro active are paying. Then of course there is the steam turbines that take hours to heat up and cool down and so cheaper to sell their power for a negative amount, minus 42p as we recently saw. Then there is the clever predictive planning that Kraken and Tesla software does. Given cheap or free electricity in the middle of the day and those with batteries will use less and tea time when the real price of electricity is circa £1 a kwh as those expensive Peaker plants are called for online. Have been paying £133 a month, but our last ICE car going to EV means more lecky usage. I like to just top up with Am Ex now and the so I get cash kick back. Don't think Octupus are too keen on me doing this though. I wonder how long the 5, 6, 7, 8 p per kwh will stay as it is an obvious cash cow for domestic users, battery storage people small and large to take big advantage of, buy low sell or use when high.

None taken..... BUT as I said in the OP, I turned the headlights off in a traffic queue because I could see they were dazzling the driver of the 2-seater in front of me. I have often been semi-blinded by some jerk in an enormous Tonka toy behind me in traffic and don't get me started about those who sit in a queue with their foot on the brake! What's the handbrake for?

Hello. The new 2020 Skoda is pleasant in terms of appearance and driving. Especially if you own a 2.0 diesel. The engine is incredibly responsive and economical. But the bodywork disappoints. The paintwork is terribly thin and rust cannot be avoided in the first 4 years. At least in the Nordic countries with a moderately harsh climate. Fortunately, there is a 12-year warranty against rust from the inside out. Which I have successfully used. Hopefully, they will fix the paintwork error in future models. There have been some software problems. But they have been fixed under warranty. In general, after purchase, I recommend taking care of anti-rust treatment. Even if the paintwork is terrible. I really like this car.

I think the “Truth” was discovered quite a while ago unfortunately some people are struggling to accept it. You made an interesting point earlier about tax Graham. I knew the fuel cost of my petrol car was £0.15 per mile to run, I realised that a fair amount was fuel duty but until your post about tax paying I had no idea how much that was. Fuel duty is 52.95 pence per litre and then there is 20% vat on the whole cost of the fuel and the duty, so you are paying tax on tax. That’s the truth you need to worry about, not whether a lorry fire was caused by spontaneous combustion of an EV or the lorry brakes overheating and how EV hire cars will exploit holidaymakers.

A few years on this post but felt it was worth updating with my fix. A little back story. Light came on. Looked like actuator had jammed. When you turn off the car the actuator moves back and forth. It was struggling. Moving about 10mm or so. Should be 30-40mm. Can’t buy the actuator on its own so a new turbo it was. Apparently the actuator is part of the turbo. When it arrived the actuator was on the wrong way around for packaging purposes. So it was turned around proving they can sell separately. Anyway, 23 months later the fault reappears. I tried spraying the point where the wastegate is with penetrant and wiggling it and it worked for a few days. But the day it was going for an MOT it went into limp mode. So I decided to focus on the elbow of the actuator as when I moved the wastegate I could feel it wasnt jammed. I was pretty aggressive with it. Anyway, MOT passed and 1,000 miles later the fault has not returned. I’m not saying this will work everytime but it’s worth a shot before wasting money on a turbo that isnt needed. In a nutshell, lube and wiggle the elbow and get it moving solved my problem.

And I thought we were talking about "truth about EV's", not personal preference over rental cars. Hey ho. Not sure where PV5 fits with rental car though. ;)

But the lights for driving were not on , hence no instrument lights. Personally I find it to be a superb feature and wish that all cars were fitted with it. Maybe there would then be a lot less cars being driven around in the dark/semi dark with nothing but sidelights/DRLs on . Not a dig at you so please don't be offended but are you 1 of those who seem to " think" that having headlights on are all about seeing where you are going with no thought about being seen. If the latter is the case chances are your driving a dark coloured car.

Most EV fires I've seen have been tesla's Both my Enyaq or MG5 aint suddenly burst in to flames on my drive way or while I've been driving them

"the male lip is a plastic lip on the rear of the scuttle panel which is just pushed into a female slot in a rubber section which is bonded onto the bottom of the windscreen? is that correct." Yes but rather than simply pulling it which can tear the lip I recommend getting a thin screwdriver or similar to get in the slot beneath the lip and prise it out. There are no other fixings. Lubricate with something like washing up liquid when replacing.

As you now have the Fabia is it an option to sell the Citigo to your son, then he can do what he wants with it and at his expense.

I had the PDC issue and it was fixed by the dealership in January 2025 with a TPI software patch that was released in December 2024. This work was carried out before the OTA 1985 software update was done. Maybe worth asking if your vehicle has had this TPI implemented before replacing the battery or sensors. Prior to the TPI being actioned the dealership was chasing (for several months) a poptentially high current draw from the battery, which was suspectedly caused by the infotainment display not going to sleep when the vehicle was switched off. The battery, alternator and infotainment display were all changed to reduce current draw but this didn't help the PDC issue. I believe my PDC problems started with a previous software update (1981 from memory), but the dealership didn't wan't to consider this. Switching on the ignition a few seconds before clutching and cranking the engine also worked for me and others. The dealership's technician told me that the TPI mentioned this sequencing. If all relevant software patches have definitely been done and fault persists, then I'd personally be checking the battery condition or battery current draw in standby mode (if possible), before replacing all sensors. Has a load test been done on the battery? Might not be of any help, but the attached scope plot shows my new 59Ah battery terminal voltage dipping to around 8.3V from 12.2V during cold cranking. I only experienced the PDC issue during colder conditions.

Worth mentioning in case he doesn’t know. I do it without even thinking or looking although here in NZ there is no speed warning just the lane keeping assist

Auto hold on will apply the parking brake automatically. I find the ride great with dynamic chassis control. You might find it easier to put the drive modes permanently up on the screen so any mode is just a single touch away. I regularly use comfort, normal and sport rather than just stay in one mode. I’ve had Audis and BMWs before and love the Skoda but I personally enjoy being written off by brand snobs. I couldn’t care less and prefer to drive an under the radar vehicle

Update from me and my 2021 L&K iV My plug didn't have those lugs on it. It could be freely fitted either way, and there was only a minor difference in each direction. We had to switch it 4-5 times to decide which was best, it certainly wasn't an "instantly amazing" thing. However, I think changed the actual settings on the screen to match the first post, and moving the focus to the front seems to have made a massive difference. I don't know how OP came up with that idea, but changing from back to front makes such a difference to the sound, its really surprising.

I never liked the texture of the factory material in my Felicia and always envy the leather door panels that other luxury cars of that era had. I decide to give my panels to apply leather although: 1) I had no experience on this matter. 2) I had no other example ie another Felicia owner here of photos from a UK tuning magazine that i was reading those years. I start visiting Upholstery stores in the area and i heard many opinions: ''it can not be done, i want 750 euros for this, there is no gain to do it, i can put Leatherette but i can not guarantee that will last long, yes you can put Leatherette but only an experienced technician can do it, leave it as is, those panels don't stand leather" etc. Since i was not yet member in any forum (GR or foreigner) and there was any Felicia owner in the area to ask i took the risk, removed the 4 panels and went to an Upholstery store which asked me reasonable amount of money and took the responsibility to install real leather. Here are 3 examples as they look now after about 22 years of use. Keep in mind that things now in the market are different, more help (informations) from internet, different prices due to competition, different materials, some cars have them as Standard from the factory etc. This was a ''risky'' project back then but i never regretted for my decision. I know that the photos are not good and there is missing one but i will take care of it in a future post plus a small analysis for the Pros and Cons.

Can’t recall whether I ever posted an update. In case not, after 4 months of emails and telephone calls, the dealer I bought the car from has paid me for what it cost to replace all 4 tyres and a wheel alignment - around £1100. The general manager at the dealer told me the cost was being shared with Skoda UK. I have to say that I am quite surprised and it was definitely more difficult for them that they had to give me cash rather than fit new tyres through their network. But I had to get them done as the rears were an MOT failure and after 4 more months they would have blown out. One thing that helped I think is that I posted on the FB group Skoda EV Lounge which is run by Skoda. On there you will see that a lot of Scandinavian customers have been compensated. The more customers who complain the more likely Skoda will correct the problem at source. If not the dealers need to check alignment as part of their PDI. Although the PDI that my dealer did was a joke. Good luck to all those with the problem. Not all Enyaqs have the problem. Nothing to do with Bridgestones btw. Message me if anyone wants my Skoda case number.

I would assume your co -worker is getting a courtesy car if not iinsist on one as mine went in for a software update 3 months ago and still no nearer getting it back! I insisted on a courtesy car so at least im still mobile .

Our car just does normal journeys, never in a position to get really hot as far as the brakes are concerned. As for oil, quite the opposite when it comes to maintenance. 10-12k/annual with new filter every time (507 longlife oil too). In my opinion, it's quite impressive that a car can do 105,000m over 10 years without having a fluid change and never have a brake issue.

Didn't you say you have solar? Have you done the maths? But very good question: It's been 10 years since my solar PV install, I receive FIT. By my calculation it had paid back initial investment around 9 years. Initial estimate was just over 10 years but accelerated due to 2023 energy price increase in combination with me able to bank those with V2H/battery, plus my early crypto mining profits using excess solar. For V2H, payback was calculated to be 2 years. on time-shifting my energy load alone. Not counting storing "free" solar. But after 1 year I got battery installed. So that's £800 difficult to account, but then for £2200 I got 2 new charge point installed, so paying £1400 for 2 brand new charge points is more than reasonable. Battery storage was calculated payback of 8 years, again using only time-shifting energy load. Reality will be sooner due to solar and getting more daytime load (AC system). AC system install probably wouldn't see any ROI. It might if we rely upon it for heating. But so far wife doesn't like the dry feeling and amount of air movement as result of the AC fan. So now only use it in the morning before getting up to make bedrooms toasty warm. It's purely a comfort addition. One question I always ask, why don't people do the same sums for a new kitchen or for a new extension? Or even a new boiler, a new car, new computer? Why must some thing justify the expense whilst others don't? Also, a few weeks ago, I DIY swapped the solar inverter from the 10 year old one to a new one to minimise downtime. Took me ~1 hour including getting tools out and packing up. The new inverter cost £330, could be around £200 if it were single string. It's all super cheap these days.