davejay

It's done just under 12k. I spoke to the main dealer who said that topping up with water before every journey will be okay until I can get to them next week. Thanks for the help.

It's now quite a bit under the minimum so there probably is a loss but when I started the engine a few hours later the warning didn't come up. I have a couple of hundred mainly motorway miles to do in the next few days so will I be okay topping up with water then taking it in at the end of the week?

I've just had it come on when I started the engine. The manual gives the usual warnings but i) is it possible that it's just a bit of a computer malfunction and ii) will it be okay to do a couple of days driving until I can get it checked out?

That's easy for you. I've only just got beyond 8 track. It has a USB port, by the way.

Lease up on the 14 plate 2.0 140 and if it ain't broke don't mend it so Superb no. 3 was delivered today. An hour driving round town shows me that it's a bit quicker off the blocks, the ride is more comfortable and there's a lot more gadgets to get the hang of. Two questions; 1) Are there any glitches I should be aware of (such as the propensity to stall that hasn't been ironed out yet)? 2) Anyone want to buy a couple of hundred now-redundant CDs?

Switched on the engine today and I got 'Error on/off' flashing up on the matrix and the ESC light came on briefly. Turned the engine off a few seconds later, restarted and the same happened. It hasn't happened since. Was this something to worry about, or was it just one of those things and I should think no more about it? Might it also have had something to do with the fact that the car was being washed at the time, so a bit of water might have got into somewhere?

Well, it 's arrived and very snazzy it looks too in whatever shade of black someone got paid a fortune to think up the name of. The main thing is that there seems no difference between the new one and my 12 plater; maybe a slightly quieter engine and very slightly firmer ride. 170/140 bhp doesn't seem too different and the extra techno-bells & whistles won't get much use. The big bonus is that even running in I'm getting as good fuel economy as I was with a two year old engine, albeit with a boot that isn't yet full of work-related junk. As you can tell, I'm impressed.

Just had a call to say the new one is on its way "within the hour". It's like Christmas again.

If he hasn't noticed them, surely you can't be charged?

My leased 170 SE 2 litre 12 plate went back on Tuesday. I get a 140 on Friday and I'm missing being a driver already. Today, for example, I had to travel on something I believe is called a bus, which to my amazement stopped at regular intervals to let other people on. Seriously, apart from the obvious 170/140 power difference is there anything else I'll have to look out for in, especially in terms of gadgetry? And the man who took the old 'un away gave me a report that included a couple of wheel trim scuffs, two scratches and a paint chip. I've read the fair wear and tear guide but to be honest I'm as wise now as I was before. Is the stuff he mentioned more or less a case of him having to find something for the sake of it, or am I likely to get a hefty repair bill? How fair is fair wear?

I wasn't going to, but got a good new quote from a company I'd previously discounted as too expensive so that's what i;m doing and hoping that changing over won't be too painful. Quotes went up over £100 from a month ago to last Friday then down again by about £50 this afternoon. Please don't ask me to explain the vagaries of how they're calculated.

I need to extend my insurance for a week or so as my new car is going to be later than expected and the insurance on my old one (which goes back next week) runs out in a couple of days. Does anyone know of anywhere that's cheaper than the extortionate rates (£100 + for a week) I've found online so far?

Yes, same spec. The company I'm with at the moment haven't got 170s but the 140s are very cheap. The difference between them and a 170 elsewhere is about £50 a month and as it's lease I wouldn't be able to do anything to the engine. Thanks to everyone for the advice.

I'm coming to the end of the lease on my 2.0 SE 170 diesel and the best thing I can say about it is that this is the first time I will ever be looking to have another of the same car. However, the best deal I can get is on the 140 version. Is there much difference driving-wise?

Sorry for taking my time replying, but this was it. Fixed under warranty.

Post Offices are a pain. The postal service is very reliable and reasonably good value, except when you have a package that goes just over a price threshold, now there's not so many. Anyone who wants it privatised, I'm sure getting a business letter from Birmingham to London midweek will be as easy as ever. A rural collection or delivery on Saturday might be a different matter.

Local guy came round to clear our gutters last year (three storey house, far too high for a terrified of heights coward to attempt). He charged hardly anything and came back twice to sort the overflow problem without asking any more payment. This year we had something stuck up there and he came the following day, sorted it in five minutes and wouldn't take a penny ("I was just passing" - sure).

Thanks. As I said, I'm thinking about a Merc next year; C class possibly or E if I can get a decent deal. I daresay it's been mentioned on here in the past but the fact that the two marques can no w be compared is testament to how Skoda have changed - can you imagine it being said twenty years ago? I also loved cotswold's story of the dealer. Judging a book by its cover will always be the same; on a weekday train in a suit I'm 'Sir' and at the weekend I'm the ticket inspector's cheap t-shirt wearing 'mate'.

For some reason I can't reply to the message you sent me, so I apologise to everyone else but please don't tell me what "we both know," that I am "trying to save face" and "lack the courage of my convictions." I didn't like the drive of the E class I tested, I might look at one in the future, I hope yours goes well for you and anything else you might care to read into my message of what I thought was politeness is up to you, but don;t accuse me of something I didn't mean and certainly am not.

Good luck is a figure of speech, as in "I hope all goes well with your new car."

I love this weather. Another two months of it and I'd be ecstatic .

I test drove a Merc E (albeit coupe) a couple of years ago and wasn't impressed at all but if that's what you fancy good luck. I've been thinking about the C class for next year - is is much smaller than the Superb?

Update - took it in, 'technician' drove with me for ten minutes and couldn't find any problem. He suggested it might have been a bit of DPF problem and to have a motorway blast, which makes sense as I've been using exclusively round town for a month or so. Thanks once again for your advice.

My dad died for the want of an available kidney. I was ten. You could say that I have a vested interest in this debate.

Yup. Apparently there are some plants that pollen or whatever the word is in the autumn. It's not bad - a few days of sniffing and that's about it.