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I’m back... to resurrect the thread haha! Last week I said goodbye to my Mini JCW and picked up another M135i. I’d originally ordered a Golf R on a lease deal but changed my mind and got this beauty instead. Couldn’t resist a move back to RWD and a 6-pot engine, felt I had a degree of unfinished business with these cars after letting the grey one go in 2015.... Its a 2016 LCi/facelift M135i with a decent spec. ProNav, front and rear PDC, Heated Seats, comfort pack, ZF auto ‘box, speaker upgrade and a nice set of 19” Lightweight forged M-performance alloys. These were originally in a hideous polished chrome finish so I had them powder coated “Aston Martin Dark Anthracite”. Get that kleenex ready one more time lol...

^^^ I've been supplied with a council no dog fouling sign, I put it on the fence 2 days ago. Fetched the wheelie bin in yesterday and stood in some dog s--t doing so. It's obvious, dogs can't read. Should be thankful that the sign's still there, the last one got ripped off within a few days, maybe the dogs couldn't reach that high this time.

Hi George, Yeah the JCW was great! Had it very nearly 3 years and had a lot of fun. Met some great people at meets and shows too which was nice. Just fancied a change and needed to go back to a larger 5-door car really. I’d have another mini again at some point if I can. It was 100% reliable. The handling wasn’t up to much on track but as a fun road car spot on. Definitely impractical though! Became abit of a grind if we went out in it as a family at the weekend.

Thanks a ton, mates. The dealer owned up and it is now being fixed at a minimal cost. P.S: Can anyone suggest good 16 inch rims? Also, I have all four Michelin Primacy ST3 205/55 R16s. What happens if I 'plus zero' to 215/55 or 225/55 besides increased grip?

It’ll make sod all differnce when you rock up in three years time asking for a trade in.

Now 10.000 km oil level unchanged, maybe 1 mm on the deep stick up to 100 ml of oil, but I suspect the oil temperature in relation with volume expansion (0,0007) when making the readings. Enjoy driving and consider to change oil at every 10000 km.

Rear suspension and calipers swapped over today and fitted the Fabia stuff back to the Ibiza so I can keep it rolling. Managed to get one front stripped down on the Ibiza before the heavens opened. Fitted the new top mount to that one. Hopefully get the fronts fitted tomorrow and brakes bled so it’s usable again. The second hand Boot carpet fitted back in too with the side trims. And fitted the front tweeters. And tidied the wiring in the doors

Update: spoke with independent expert on that he will check the car and issue report but judging by description he states any way of fixing this is unacceptable as it will impact car value and they will never be able to mount the components same way as factory therefore their opinion if thats permanent damage will be negative for any kinds of repair unless I agree to monetary reimbursement. That cheered me up a bit. Also consulted with lawyer and she states that’s a won case.

I doubt you have 20 Gb, Openreach FTTC comes in 20 Mb or 70 Mb variants at moment. Virgin use something called HFC, which is coaxial cable. Just like Openreach their fibre goes to the street cabinet. I have coaxial and get 225 Mb/s downstream and 12 upstream. The salesman assured me it was fibre but when they came to install the same old HFC coax cable was used. There are a VERY small number of places where they have recently installed fibre but even our street which was only installed last year got HFC cable rather than fibre.

It's surely now time to ditch Brexit. A fall in GDP of 2.5% to 3.9% over the next 15 years is not a good thing. Surely even the most staunch Brexiters can see this. Do the political gains still outweigh the economic losses? It doesn't seem like it to me.

Bosch A864S for the win!

In a word LAZY!

Thought I would update you guys on my recent Biking goings on... So I sold my Summer Toy the Kawasaki ZX12R in September, Did about 1000 Miles on it and really enjoyed it but wanted something more modern and agile. In October I upgraded my Work Bike/Daily Rider from a Kawasaki ER5 to a 2002 Yamaha FZS600 Fazer. Yesterday after a 2 Month search I finally bought a replacement Bike for the ZX12R, I wanted a modern Litre Sportsbike and in the end it came down to 2 x Bikes.... A BMW S1000RR or Kawasaki ZX10R. Well I viewed quite a few Bikes at various Dealerships around the UK but walked away for one reason or another...I have an OCD for One and then secondly when you are spending over £10K on a used Bike it has to be absolutely spot on! In the end I opted for the Kawasaki and yesterday purchased a 2016 ZX10R KRT Edition with ABS, Managed to find a stunning 1 mature Owner from new example that has done only 3000 Miles and from a main Kawasaki Dealership. They supplied the Bike new and have done both Services and the Recall work on it so know the history of it, I couldn't fault the Bike at all and I got a great deal too so happy days. Should be adequate with 200BHP/200KG

I don't believe I have ever accused those who voted for Brexit of any of those things. I think they have been willfuly misled, lied to, duped etc by an elite group within English society (and yes I am afraid I am singling out that nation in particular) who over many years fostered this notion that they were being oppressed and having decisions foisted on them by someone else. The EU being the useful bogey man in this case. The people who pushed the idea of Brexit are anything but oppressed and anything but stupid. The vision of a swashbuckling, buccaneering Britain shorn of all those inconvenient regulations, workers rights, consumer protection etc was never going to deliver what was promised. The people who voted for it were conned but they were sold a pup by a very privileged, clever, manipulative and well-resourced group within the upper echelons of English society, no one involved was stupid. Naive perhaps but that's quite a different thing.

How did it travel from factory to dealer? Train then car carrier for the local bit? Was it properly protected during the journey especially on the train if relevant. The amount of debris generated by a fast moving train is huge. I am in the 'reject' the car camp if it is mechanical damage and not dirt/fallout etc.

Stood on a cig butt yesterday and had to put up with the stink of it for 20min till I got home. Heavy rain so couldn't open a window. I was dry heaving at the smell. I thought when I'd come out of the supermarket someone smoking at teh door had flicked theirs and the wind had caught it and by fluke it ahand ended up in my shopping but no it was just stuck to my foot. Heavy traffic this morning so ended up taking an alternaytive route. Some numpty who would not pull out at a junction when he had a space decide the best idea was to half pull out and sit in the middle of the road then not take the next 3 opportunities to move off. He only moved when the whole queue started on their horns. I assumed he was one of the recently deceased but he wasn't he was a MAMIM, Middle aged man in MPV.

Reject the car. It requires a factory rebuild imo. You cannot clay out holes in glass, lacquer etc. The danger is they could make paintwork, plastic etc look better by claying, this would be only temporary if the surface is damaged and pitted. What was the build week? Damage could be weather related whilst "banked" at the airstrip.

Quite alarmed by this from Skoda, no fix planned implies that they will not be fixing the issue. This doesn't bode well. Service manager is adamant that Skoda are well on the way to resolving the "issue" (mind, he would say that wouldn't he) Cold here yesterday and it didn't take long (less than half hour) for the engine to cool enough to kangaroo badly. This can't be good for a new engine/gearbox/clutch. Even when normal operating temp, engine falters. Regarding test drives, 1.5 manual was never available each time I visited (out on loan, extended test drive, just been sold, diesel has same power output try that, try 1.0 litre give you a feel for the petrol engine etc, etc) Ordered the 1.5 as it was, according to all reviews I read, the pick of the engines)

Personally I would reject the car, I know it is a big hassle but as was mentioned earlier something external has happened and are they going to completely respray the whole car, replace the glass, all the trims etc. More importantly what may occur later. How would you feel about a car so drastically repaired?

I test drove a 1,6TDi Octavia mark 111, because it was there, no other reason. I thought it was gutless if I am being brutally honest. Father in law had a 1.6TDi Fabia mark 3 estate, it was a good engine in that but the Octavia estate needed allot of stirring with the stick. maybe better with a DSG box! I also tried a 1.4TSI 150, peach of an engine. Without doubt the one I would go for. Coming from a 170 Superb TDi i think if funds permit the 2,0TDi 150 is the way to go for you. Hope the test drive is good for you tomorrow.

Thanks for all the feedback folks, really useful. I get all the reservations about the future of diesel but simply can't afford a used 1.4 150bhp TSi in SE L spec at the mo, so a dirty old oil burner it has to be... Having driven a 1.6Tdi, I have now - with some sadness - discounted it from my wish list. The car itself (a 65-reg with 21,000 miles up) was outstanding but I found the engine lacked the guts that suit my driving style. I've just offloaded a 140bhp Mondeo 2.0 Tdci and the 1.6 engine in the Superb seemed a little wheezy. I'm now considering a 65-reg 2.0 150bhp diesel with 50,000 miles up and test driving it in the morning. It's an SE L Exec and has all the toys I want (if more than I really need) so hopefully the condition of the car is good. Will report back after the test drive.

A spare wheel and toolkit was a cost option on the Superb 2: not fitting it reduced the weight of the car and helped with emissions and fuel economy during type approval. As a result, it's pretty common to find a car without it. The wheel and toolkit from a dealer will be about €250, toolkit alone is less than €100. If you're looking in a scrapyard for a spare, make sure it's 16" with 5x112 stud pattern.

Whilst it may not be getting darker, car lighting is getting brighter, whether we like it or not. LED technology now also makes it much easier to offer additional features / functionality, and that, by its very nature, results in them being seen as a desirable / attractive feature. In comparison to a pair of simple halogen headlights then any form of progress, good or bad is going to be seen as unnecessary by the older generation or haters of change / progress.

So considering my earlierm post , i looked at the copy invoice and details of Oil Service . Tp my amazement they put in Magantec 5w/40 , well i know thats defo wrong stuff , seeing as its on the long life fill. Phoned the service manager on tuesday he took details and went to check on job sheet , comes back and confirms they put the wrong oil in , so off to them again monday to have a New Oil service and get them to generate ne paperwork and also ask if they update the Digital service record . Dread to think when latter this year they should be useing the 508/509 spec 0w20 version for all the Nerw Engines and tested under the new Regs ..

10mm long socket and small hammer is ideal for fitting

Remember this, send your granny in first....... https://videos.metro.co.uk/videos/32439484001/32439484001_780929229001_20110207-news-lsjewelgrab-Brightcove16x9.mp4

That's already happened. "Angel" and his 2 mates stole a car and were driving it pretty much flat out across the A77 towards Glasgow (at this time the A77 was a 4 lane 2-way road with no central reservation) and lost control on a corner. They hit an on-coming Jaguar and OMC started wailing about how they "didn't deserve to die": Meanwhile everyone I knew was more concerned about the Jag driver (who survived).

Might be worth trying to take a few screenshots of your attempts too so we can see what you are setting. VCDS will normally confirm any changes first and then come up with a message stating something like "codes/values have been accepted by the controller". When you change a value, this should then stay so the next time you go back into that module you will see that new figure. In the case of the drop down menus, again you should see your changes remain after coming out and going back into that module. I have recently done 3 changes to mine. Removed the crazy bong sound when I open the door in D mode, enable the fan LED display when in auto climate mode (why was this never on) and also reduce the activation speed for the main beam assist. I used the posts on this forum to apply these changes - top marks to all who have posted these - thank you! There are a lot of people who are up for helping on this forum!

As it is the Expert Report that Skoda Poland commission to find out what substance caused the damage should be the end of the matter for the owner and a new un-damaged car should be provided as a replacement. They should want to know the cause but maybe they already know unless it is just with this one vehicle and the environmental damaged happed just from some industrial product being near to it. Acid Etch or the likes being the most likely. Or something in the wind at a rail siding.

Which puts me in mind of 2 others; one fictional and one I saw pre-CCTV:_ 1) Fictional; at one point in Taxi (Luc Besson, not the NYC remake) a cop is watching 2 minor parts trying to steal a Peugeot 106 and gets a line which translates "Do you want the keys {censored}?" 2) Fact; I was in what is now the "champagne bar" in the Glasgow Central Hotel (overlooks the station concourse, when a couple of English "casuals" attacked a local. One, repeat one, old school Glasgow polis weighed in, and we could see that the casuals were thinking about trying to make something of it when the realisation struck them - "He's holding us both by the necks, and our feet aren't touching the ground!"

well tha Gaidhlig agam ach tha mi Albannach ;-) (well I can speak it but I'm Scottish not Irish)

I accepted it during pick up before I noticed that now I need to go claim way it was built beginning of September, delivered 2nd week of November. I am really mad but they have 2 weeks to respond by law so need to wait.

Langers2k +1. 100% new tyres should be fitted to the rear. Urban myth that they should be fitted to the front. Plenty of YouTube videos confirm this.

Errr.....no. I’m just not sure how much engineering is Korean these days. there are so many Asian automatics more than 20 years old that have had little maintenance and just keep plugging on. I’d start worrying about VAG technologies once they’re out of warranty; extended or not. Of course if it’s a business tax write off it’s a completely different matter. EV will be a different matter though if only because they shouldn’t be excessively complex mechanically.

I suspect. .. With respect, its extremely difficult to arrange test drives of cars with the configuration you are interested in, i.e. engine, gearbox, trim. How many 1.5tsi karoq manual demonstrators are there out there? Bear in mind some people are taking delivery of cars ordered many months ago? I find demonstrators are usually high end, diesel, dsg. Furthermore salesmen take control and take you on preset routes with little chance of real world driving, max 30 mins.

I'm picking up Friday....

A great initiative from Lego IMHO. Get involved https://www.lego.com/en-us/campaigns/build-to-give

Note that most (if not all) car manufacturers have 'designed' 3rd gear as the ideal ratio for town work. This allows the car to move in an un-laboured way. To go around in 4th promotes the unit to struggle to maintain that '30' speed area - hence the need to use the throttle more to maintain speed. Years ago to go round in 4th in town trying to climb or maintain speed on (even slight) inclines - generated 'pinking' - so audibly any driver knew it was time to change down. Today's engine management systems overcome that issue, so with no audible clue it is easy for drivers to go around oblivious to the fact that the engine is being laboured unnecessarily. Try it, and you find the car a lot more responsive and manageable. A laboured engine equals higher fuel consumption.

The new tactics have been well received by the police

I don't think so resealed the pollen filter housing and dried things out in 2012 when I got the car and over that time the door locks went one by one, I have unplugged the doors electrically manually they work fine, courtesy lights and mirror lights work fine, no other associated issues. I have had all three out over the years and they have worked for some time after being re-soldered. The eBay locks are listed for the B5.5 Passat which is fine but there are a myriad of sellers and prices seem to vary quite a bit, I was looking to see if anyone found a decent quality replacement from a reliable seller. This forum is gone really quiet the last few years I guess some of the posters have moved on.

If when they get hit, they stay down, thats fine, if they get up, then run them over, thats also fine The End

I think you should ignore the GSI. Choose a gear that's appropriate to the situation and keeps the engine happy and responsive.

It is pretty tight on the driver's side with 2 kids seats and 2 6yr olds in back but it's ok just for me and I'm 6ft, but I usually just put my daughter in the passenger side rear when she is on her own most of the time so it's fine. If you have long legs or like the seat way back it would be a problem.

@vrsdx57 - The thumb-wheel next to the panel dimmer is to lower the headlight aim when you have a heavy load in the boot (eg Mother in law ). There are up-down left-right adjuster screws on the headlights for setting the base aim as Langers describes.

I admire your tenacity Rob.. I think it would have ended in tears for the car a long time ago if it was me. Mines on a long sabbatical until I can face it again. Lol

For I while now I've had the Rieger front lip but didn't bother posting about it as I wasn't happy with how it looked on the car. The double step put me off, wanted it something far more minimal and further more I had clearance issues every now and then since it adds quite a bit of height. So the plan was to make it into a single step lip which would follow the line of the side skirts and be more practical. Took it to a recent acquaintance of mine that does wonders with plastics, he cut it in half, removed the middle part, glued the two parts together with plastic and resprayed it. No one will ever know.

I was on the toilet eating a grilled cheese sandwich. I nearly died when I heard the news.

+1 pressing and holding the on/off/volume dial down whilst the unit is off for about 10 secs causes the unit to reboot. This will sort most immediate freezing/crashing issues.