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Having owned two Skoda Estelles back in the day, I well remember all the jokes - very embarrassing driving past a senior / upper school in Essex back in the late Eighties just as the kids were leaving the school. I still recall the mass shouting of SKODA!!!! accompanied by finger pointing and laughing. My first job was working for Hewlett Packard, based at one of their offices in Berkshire - I wrote a software database for helping collate data for the field engineers - named Soft Key Operated Data Accessor :-)

Good piont. The Ring charges from 2v, according to instructions, which of course is very, very low indeed so will take a couple days or more to fully recharge ("FUL"), if it can, after say 48 hours or so of charging I'd expect the battery might be as good as it gets. Perhaps enough to give more usualable service life but I would check the battery voltage after the car has been standing parked up for three or four days or after a few days of use and see what voltage has been retained and same again after a couple of weeks. You can establish battery voltage by just connecting up the RSC904 and see what figure it gives whether you actually go on to charge the battery again or not. Let us know how you get on.

I did it, thanks a lot ! No errors afterwards, so I guess everything went good

I find it easier to take the hub off. I then drift the old bearing out using a square lump hammer as a drift, leaving the original ABS sensor in place. Dremel inside and seats to clean up and install using a vice to hold on the bench. I put the new bearing in the freezer for 24hrs, lube bearing and casing up and install with similar tool. ABS sensor doesn't require changing then. I used to install them the old fashioned way of bearing in the freezer and hub in the oven, you can push them in by hand, but have to renew the ABS sensor.

Definitely a lemon, I've wasted my money on new cars since 2002 and never had one with faults like these. I would take it back to be sorted out ASAP and insist on a courtesy car for the duration of the repairs.

Did you have a Freedom membership that has lapsed?

Sounds very much a lemon.

Hey @Cairus - its March 2021. Road Rage Performance do a well known plug-in software but when it plugged in and I spoke to them, he said it was a 5WA part number instead of 0CQ and that that was a Gen6 and couldn't be tuned yet. I was looking at being able to switch to a more rear-bias or have different modes depending on the driving etc.

After my recent post showing the MIB2.5 upgrade, I've created a How to Guide, if anyone is interested in going down this path. MIB 2 to MIB2.5 Upgrade Guide v1.0.pdf If the above doesn't work, try this link. References:- - GitHub G11 to G13 Conversion Guide - GitHub AIO Firmware Readme

Hi I had noticed that the headlamp aim of the dipped beam was very low (just a puddle of light 2M in front of the car). I don't know the history if the car, so figured that the headlamp aim would be out. I initially tried the adjustment - the adjusters are shown below (Octavia 2 2007 Pre-Face Lift) the adjusters can be rotated with a 10mm socket or a 6mm Allen Key) - You can see the lens of the projector moving - a good reference is to make the gap between the lens and the reflector is equal. It achieved nothing!!! I decided to check the headlamp bulb. Remove the white retaining knob - it is screwed on by hand - the tightness does not affect the alignment. The high beam adjuster is also shown, and can give vertical adjustment of the high beam only, with a 6mm Allen key. Depress the retainer (just under the hook, against the edge of the light), and using a ring spanner or similar, pull the retaining hook sharply towards the centre of the car, this will cause the headlamp unit to move forward 20mm or so. It is now unlocked and can be withdrawn - have some towels or similar to protect the bumper from damage. May be worth having an assistant hold the headlamp to avoid it falling. It is possible to disconnect the electrical connector to remove the headlamp from the car. Swivel the headlamp unit out to get access to the dipped beam lamp holder. unlatch the clips to ether side - they stay attached to the headlamp unit, then pull the cover away. Examine the lamp and ensure that it is located correctly in the holder. In my case, the metal spring clip which holds the lamp in the correct position in the lamp holder, was not fitted correctly. The top right side of the spring clip had come out of the locating hole, meaning that the clip was not keeping the lamp pressed fully in to the holder, causing the lamp to aim towards the floor. With the clip inserted in the hole correctly, the "lug" on the skirt of the lamp should locate in the "slot" in the lamp holder. The clip is held in place (on the left side in this picture) and is unhooked by pressing the clip down (towards the bottom of the lamp housing) on left side of the clip, which allows the clip to disengage from the retaining hook and then to swing open, allowing the lamp to be removed. Once I had re-fitted the clip correctly, and re-fitted the lamp, the correct light pattern was produced (horizontal line with an angled up edge to the left). Refit the cover over the rear of the bulb and engage the clips. Carefully align the headlamp unit in the tracks of the retaining bracket and gently push it in until it stops. If it is difficult, ensure the "rails" on the underside of the headlight have engaged with the rails on the retaining bracket. Once the headlamp stops, push the hook in (using a ring spanner or similar), towards the headlamp unit, which will pull the headlamp in to its fully locked position, and the headlamp unit should be aligned with adjacent panels. As you close the bonnet, ensure that the bonnet does not hit the edge of the headlamp unit - it wont if you have fitted the headlamp correctly. Refit the plastic retaining nut on the top/rear side of the headlamp, inside the engine bay. The retaining nut tightness does not influence the headlamp alignment. Check alignment of headlights and adjust as required. In hindsight, the give away here was that the light pattern was, in MOT speak, "Obviously Incorrect". Had I checked the lamp fitment first, adjustment would probably not have been required. Always pays to check the simple things first, and never trust that someone else says they have checked it!

Came across a bit of a rarity at the Res earlier Whooper Swan?

If you are using a smart charger, you may have an issue triggering the charger if the battery voltage is very low (below about 8 volts) . There may be a note in your charger instructions on how to overcome this.

So i connect the +ve lead to the Red +ve terminal and the black -ve lead to the same bit of metal the battery is earthed to?

Guide is here:

After a couple of hours, the pressure was down to almost 1 BAR, and no drips in the cardboard. I also think thats way too much mayo for only condensation, probably a small leak in the headgasket is pushing little by little coolant inside the engine and to the oil. Tomorrow im gonna check for any drips, and before starting the engine im gonna remove the sparkplugs to see if there is any coolant inside the combustion chamber. just in case. Luckily, as Breezy_Pete mentioned, changing the headgasket is not that difficult and is cheap enough. Only the gasket itself and new headbolts to not reuse the old ones, anything more?

Hi everyone I'm jackos and I have a 2000, 1600 felicia pick up and I'm looking forward to gaining loads of juicy knowledge from all of your experience. J

I'd vote for too much mayo, even allowing for regular short trips.

DSG filter was changed. Are you thinking about haldex filter screen? Mine is 2wd

I got a chance to fit my DIY colour matched badges today. Look much better. Really pleased with the clean look now.

Hi! I recently wrote about the quirks of USB-C powered dash cams. Long story short: the Viofo dash cam may not work because it isn’t a fully compliant USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) device, while the car’s USB-C port acts as a USB-PD power source. This can usually be worked around in two ways: * using a “special” USB-C cable that tells the car it’s powering a legacy 5V device (which is likely what Viofo offered you), or * using a USB-C to USB-A adapter/dongle (like the one in the attached image) together with a USB-A to USB-C cable. I explain in my linked post why this workaround functions properly.

Thanks @Rbz5416 I was on version 8.11.0 updated to v 8.12.0 and bingo info reappears. I'm always wary of updating an App as there is always a risk of making things worse and not being able to go back

Hi Scotjimland. Appreciate the detailed update. Glad to know it works and you can enjoy your holiday in a couple of weeks. Ill have to take the plunge and get a Skoda tow bar fitted then 😬

Selling a full set of Octavia Mk3 Travall Rubber Mats. Used for a few months throughout last winter and in excellent condition. Only selling as I’ve recently picked up a set of OEM mats at a good price. £30 collection from mid Norfolk area.

Yeah I think I will on this one, will keep looking - thanks guys!

I've had the car just over a year now. I can't recall when I did the last update, probably in the last few weeks. I've only done the ones that pop up on the infotainment screen and I usually just press 'update now'. Thanks for the tip on the reset of the system. I'll give it a try if it persists after the next update. I might just run in standard cruise control for a while as I am still undecided on the adaptive side of it.

That does sound like a good result and a premium product, albeit at a premium price! If this is the ONLY towbar which can be used safely with the Mk IV Superb, I think Skoda needs to be highlighting this to prospective buyers in advance; it will definitely put some people off. The extent to which Skoda should be helping owners who have only discovered this after experiencing problems towing is a moot point. I am still having the matter on my vehicle being investigated by Skoda. Please keep us informed if any problems occur subsequently with the new towbar. I am sometimes able to tow for 100 miles before the Proactive Occupant Protection System fires off

DSG service and brake fluid change carried out by the local VAG independent specialist. No obvious issues with DSG based on how the oil looks. Hopefully hasn’t suffered too much from missed services by previous owners. That’s now all the major mechanical servicing done so I’m happy I haven’t bought a complete lemon! Check out VW Audi Workshop if you’re in the area!

I can now happily report that the Skoda OEM towbar works perfectly I had a 15 mile drive this morning on local narrow twisting roads and it behaved immaculately .. When you start the engine it alerts you that side lane assistance and rear protection has been switched off It also corrects the speed limit alert down 10mph on 60mph roads .. When you use the turn indicator it displays a small green light indicating that the caravan flasher is working ,. It took the dealer four days to fit, why I don't know probably because there were very busy and it was a lot of work fitting .. and the coding took a long time The reason the coding wont work with a third party module is it has to communicate with the Skoda towing module in the boot It works by pressing a switch in the boot and it drops down, then a simply pull and it locks down .. same procedure when hiding it... flick the switch then a gently push up with your foot and it locks into place To say we are highly delighted and also relived that we can now go on holiday in two weeks time .. Final price , including the courtesy car was £1,300

I added the screenshot to show where the Charging History is linked from on my version of the app. I do get the full charging history and the details of the session if I click on one of the sessions in the history. I have have just been offered 8.12.0 so I will shortly find out whether it still works... Yes, I still get the charging history and details.

See if the lights left on warning noise happens for each of the front doors being opened, with lights left on, keys out of ignition. If it doesn't, replace front door lock modules until it does. You'll probably find that doing this fixes tailgate issue, cos the tailgate is meant to stay locked until the car senses one or more of the car doors being opened first. Currently it seems not to be getting such info until you open a rear door.

It could be a faulty CCM. I believe it locks and unlocks doors plus windows etc but if failing can get confused. I read they are prone to corosion due to water ingress. A scan should pick up any faults. Alasdair

Move on IMO.

Yippee! Finally got there. This long-spout funnel from Ebay is of the correct dimensions to operate the antisyphon flap - although it's only just long enough. ebay.co.uk/itm/358288782651 Thank you to Evolution13 for pointing me in the right direction. Of course, I cannot yet use the 25 litre jerrycan as, sod's law, I filled up at the petrol station yesterday, - so it will have to wait a few days. For the sake of a couple of quid, it's worthwhile keeping one of these funnels to hand, in the event that you ever need to refuel from a can.

The sticker you've seen is possibly a part number of the whole strut assembly, which will likely exist as an internal VW Group part number that's very useful inside the factory. No such part exists as a spare part though, you have to buy all the bits separately. Shock/spring/bearing/topmount etc. The 5Q0 413... part number is that of the shock absorber only. The 5Q3... part number isn't found in the parts catalogue.

My Skoda dealer never mentioned it until I asked about it and they said oh yes every 2 years! When they told me oil change only via top up/drain plugs, I took it to a VAG registered indy who removed pump , checked strainer and renewed “o” rings.

How many miles on your plugs? I do mine every 60k km My vrs did it a while, took it to the dealer and they had an ecu update. They injected it and problem solved.

@travs OK, so VW started converting the MQB "Classic" vehicles to GEN6 earlier than expected. The first ones to be converted were, of course, the new models based on the MQB EVO platform. I understand your intentions, but with this type of transfer case with a single clutch, you can essentially only change the fact that you already have more power transmission to the rear axle in normal driving situations. In other words, a bit more "bite" of traction. Many people (Gen5) like to code it for the Audi RS model. However, I see this as a disadvantage because the oil pressure is increased, resulting in more power transmission even during normal driving, and therefore more wear and tear on the clutch plates. The transfer case for R models, etc., internally or project name "Twin" for short, has different friction plates. These individual wheel clutches are briefly subjected to a torque of 1200 Nm during clutch testing on the test track at the end of production (EOL - End Of Line). Tuning in this case wouldn't be my main concern. Back to the Haldex. I personally recommend a Haldex service every 15,000 km. You'll only be doing the clutch a favor by doing so. You have a Autoscan for me of your Car?

@varooom was a great loss to this forum. Much knowledge and not appreciated enough like many that were here and techs and trained and qualified in Mechanical Engineering, electronics and the rest. Motor car stuff.

Just did my own exhaust tips today without removing them. Hopefully it will last. Used a degreaser,some decent sanding and a high temperature black paint. Thoughts?

What you have on screen is the Adaptive Cruise Control modes. These determine how fast/slow the car accelerates again after slowing down when ACC detects that the reason for slowing down is gone. These are different to the Driving modes which are Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual.

As a little extra, even the VW R models, Audi RS3, and Mercedes A-Class AMG, Cupra etc...have a multi-plate friction clutch; only the high-performance models have two of them, and the preload is achieved differently. However, the complete system isn't a VW or Audi development. It also comes from our company. Currently, we're offering the electrification of this model. 😜

Just a quick point: the transfer case for the rear axle of the 4x4 is a Haldex Gen 6, manufactured by BorgWarner. As a former supplier of the complete transfer case, I can tell you that VW themselves extend the maintenance interval. BorgWarner has completely different recommendations 😜

Just some examples to back-up. Not upset by the way, just trying to bring your behaviour to your attention. However, you've now disparaged the forum a couple of times. Its not a fraternity, there are plenty of opinions and deliveries, but its nothing to do with the guys that setup and run the forum at their own personal time and effort. I don't think they deserve to have their work tainted in that way.

The reason I didn’t initially offer more in-depth information is because a) this wasn’t the original topic of the thread and b) the search function does exist. If you want to go more in depth about stuff you don’t understand, simply start a new thread and people will be more than happy to contribute. As with most forums, we try to avoid the hijacking of threads, where possible. As you’ll have read in the forum T&Cs, before starting a post, you’re asked to search for previous threads on the topic. Nobody asked you to be an expert on VAG, but I wasn’t walked through these things - I had to find them out myself by spending a few hours reading up on things, before speaking with dealers and independent places. I don’t know how much you know, and it would be rather time consuming to explain everything about VW in every single post. Certainly, there is a level of implied knowledge. Rather than simply questioning my sources several times, I’d maybe suggest saying “I’ve looked up XYZ, spoken to my local dealer, done my own research and I can’t find any solid information regarding the VAQ. Are you able to let me know where I can find an official source on this?”. Without knowing how much, or how little, you know - it’s very difficult to provide a complete answer. The reason there’s animosity toward you is because you’re extremely critical and questioning, but yet rather vague about your own comments. I’m not sure why this forum has an apparent reputation elsewhere. I fear, as with a new member a few weeks ago, there is an expectation for all to agree. I find Briskoda to have some of the most organic discussions I’ve seen on any forum.

This was one thing that I found frustrating with the MK2 Superb. The door pockets weren't large enough to hold a bottle and the centre console cup holders were only just large enough for a coke can or slim bottle. In the end I found a clip on cup holder designed for prams and clipped it to the door card.

I'd generally describe someone as reluctant when they question something four times - 'Doesn't Skoda say the diff is "lifetime"?', 'What's the evidence for this?', 'Who is the authority on this?' and 'I was under the impression that the dealers usually say it’s lifetime.' Since this isn't going to be let go, I've spent a good twenty minutes on Google. Something you need to understand is that VWAG, be it Audi, VW, SEAT, Cupra or Skoda, are utterly useless when it comes to service intervals and maintenance schedules. This is something you will find on every single VAG forum. While a phone call or quick search on here, SEATCupra.net or VWVortex.com would have given you the answer you needed, I'll explain it anyway. The reason you've been unable to find any reference to the VAQ LSD is because VAG don't call it that in any documentation. I don't know why, but they don't. VW refer to it as the 'front axle differential lock', while Skoda only refer to it in service items as the 'final drive oil'. This is a bit misleading, as 'final drive oil' is the same term used for Haldex AWD systems, which have a slightly different interval. I'm not going to send you a thirty-something email chain between my friendly Skoda dealer and I (not least because I'm not putting my buiild sheet and VIN on the internet), but that is what I found out. You can choose not to believe me if you want - I'm trying to help. The dealers are absolutely useless. For service departments filled with 'car enthusiasts', they are utterly woeful - I wouldn't go near one if they paid me. They do not understand the VAQ, and most don't even know it exists. As mentioned before, it is an electronically-controlled, hydraulically-actuated multi-plate clutch unit - it uses hydraulic pressure to enage and disengage a clutch that ties the front wheels together. This needs to be looked after properly. If you do find a dealer that knows what they're on about (I haven't yet) then most don't service it properly and won't clean the pump screen/gauze. The following is a section of email between a service advisor and I - 'Please note that the Diff gauze isn’t included in the cost for the Front Diff Lock Oil. As per SKODA’s Workshop Manual, when we perform this operation, only the Haldex Oil and Drain Plug are replaced. The Diff gauze would be an additional cost.' Clearly then, it wouldn't be a proper service according to the Skoda manual. Now, with all of that in mind, we can find a few official sources, outside of the internally-available service information. Again, remember that VAG service information is rubbish - hence why most sensible owners default to what is recommended by specialists. This document mentions 'Front axle differential lock: Change fluid (if equipped)' This document also mentions 'Front Axle Differential Lock if applicable: Every 3 years' This link, under the extended scope inspection, describes 'check/replenish final drive oil', with reference to this being every 3 years, or 30k miles. This graphic shows that the Haldex 4x4 wants doing every 3 years or 30k miles - remember that the VAQ is the exact same Gen5 pump as the AWD system. This document mentions 'Front Axle Differential Lock if applicable: Every 3 years' This service, under any vehicle equipped with a VAQ, also describes 'Front Axle Differential Lock (if equipped) - Change fluid every 3 years' Although not official, if you don't trust AwesomeGTI, you're wasting your time on any VAG forum - 'Every 20,000 miles Recommended Haldex oil + filter interval' and 'Gen 1, 2, 4, 5 and the VAQ front differential'. Link to here. I can't speak for the MQB Evo intervals, as I believe it was only Skoda that reduced the VAQ to 2 years. You question 'time versus mileage' - it is generally assumed that the average person covers 10,000 miles a year - therefore, a service interval of 30,000 miles becomes, according to VW too, 30k or 3 years, whichever is sooner. I've never heard of anyone being told the unit is sealed for life. Even if they are - two things. Firstly, this is likely the words of an inexperienced, bored service advisor - I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them. Second, some common sense is required. If we know that the Gen5 Haldex AWD unit needs servicing, then it stands to reason that the Gen5 Haldex VAQ unit also needs servicing. The reason that many places 'might suggest a more agressive service schedule than is... required' is simple - VWAG service information sucks, and the stuff breaks. You can imagine that if an electronically-controlled, hydraulically-actuated multi-plate clutch unit sounds liable to problems, then two seperate manual gearboxes, spliced into one electronically-controlled unit with two concentric input shafts and two clutches is even more liable. That's what a DSG box is. For completeness, and seeing as you mentioned it, we can touch on the DSG intervals. VAG uses several DSG types - the DQ200, DQ250, DQ381, DQ400e, DQ500 and the longitudinal DL501. All of these boxes are 'wet clutch', meaning the clutch plates are submerged in oil, with the exception of the DQ200 which is a 'dry clutch', where the clutch plates spin in air, like a traditional manual setup. All of the 'wet' boxes have filters that can, and should, be changed - even if VAG doesn't do this. The DQ200 has no filter, but does have both a gear oil and MCU (Mechatronic Unit) oil to change, when it is needed. This is often suggested around 100,000 miles. All of the DSG boxes have a recommended service interval of 40,000 miles, except the DQ200 (no interval) and the DQ381 (80,000 miles). This is because the DQ381 is supposed to use a more advanced low friction oil. Whether this actually works or not, I don't know of anyone that leaves it until 80k. I did mine at 40k, and plan to take another view at 60k - I don't cover the miles, but I do drive very hard, so am going off of 40k/4 years. I see you've requested to delete your account. It's a shame, but if you find the forum such hard work, then I don't suppose you will miss it. As you can hopefully see from the above reply, many of us here on Briskoda do have a wealth of knowledge about these cars. I find that, generally, people don't tend to take too kindly to their information being questioned multiple times. Were it new information, then I could understand, but this is a topic that has been discussed many times since 2017, and a simple search will show many links and screenshots by various members over the years. Personally, I found your replies to be a bit standoffish and cynical, although I appreciate this may not have been the intended tone. Oh, and in reply to this 'but all the sources I find are independent and have an interest in making money' - what do you think a main dealer makes more money from, selling cars, or servicing them? I'll let you in on a secret - it's not the first one. If you spend the time, have a search on the various VAG forums and see why stealers are hated so much - they are dishonest, unreliable, often incorrect, careless and vastly overpriced. Buy the car, be it brand-new or approved-used, and run. I hope this helps, whether you view this as a member or guest.

Also please check the cable run and don't put it over the side curtain airbag Eg, not like this.

Timpson charge 50 quid for a programmed duplicate key cut I bought a blank on Aliexpress for 22 quid delivered (pre-cut by sending a photo) and swapped over the PCB myself....not easy, needed to use superglue to get it together! Uncut were available for 8 quid with un-programmed PCB - I took it to Timpsons and they wouldn't use it, they only use their own fobs.

Look up anything and everything here: https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs