greg123

You need to get your head under the front by the intercooler (remove the small cover if it isn't missing) and take off the wheel, then the two star press on fittings can be seen, as well as one torx to the subframe and it clips in the front. Greg.

Octavia 1's are a bad ride unless on 15" wheels (which means 288mm brakes max). I chose some Hankook KH's due to their smoother ride on the last tyre job and they ride nealy as good as 15's. All 17's and most 16's are just dogs over pot holes and anyone who thinks not has not driven in a decent merc e class or jaguar recently. Re the bushes, yes TT ones are an improvement but by far the easiest to fit and best are the poly, probably superpro. There is NO NVH increase that I can pick out. To my sensitivity, 16" tyres cause a 50% worse ride, that's my level of pickyness, but I can detect nothing other than excellent 'tight' control and direct streeing with the poly bushes. They still flex and are still the same size! Just more durable and not voided, with just enough flex to take out vibration/noise, but while keeping the wishbone well controled. For the looks reasons you may not want to change, but behind the wheel on all but on limit cornering (eg not safe road driving) in the dry on flat roads with no pot holes, the 195/65/15 will give the best ride and better directionl stability. Wider tyres magnify reluctance to go in a straight line, think of trying to accurately steer a bicycle which had barrels for wheels, vs the pin sharp accuracy of racing tyres. You won't be dissapointed with the poly setup. Greg.

Agree with Ross (Lummox) immo issues mean the engine runs about 2-3 seconds then cuts out, with a flashing immob symbol (car/key symbol). Willl it start with a jump start? What is the voltage across the batter when trying to start? Pulling fuses is pretty easy to isolate the seats etc. There may well be a small spark jiggling the fuse responsible for such a current loss. If not, measuring battery drain via ammeter/current loss while pulling fuses will be needed. Greg.

Yes that ride height is CRAZY. I mean, it might get over a speed bump? Hell, who is going to impress the unemployed teenagers???? Dammit Ross, just take the springs out... Ross - your work is great. Congratulations on this now being a 'car' with a few issues, it's a significant phase. I have a similar motor in ATM, the difference is that it was just broken in every possible area, not a conversionl.... ugh... :-\

Common one. Mainly the lower wishbone rear bushes. Load under drive deforms them (they go weak) so a static tracking check is about useless. I use a dynamic tracking device to check tracking under a small amount of load when the slack is taken up, it's a pain to do but results in a very accurate drive. The best thing you can do is carefully check out the lower ball joints/track rod ends and so long as they are solid with no play when a 3 foot bar is used to check them (waggle steering with weight on teh wheels while holding the TRE to check the TRE's) then have the lower arm rear bush replaced with poly and the tracking set again to parallel. If you can, get the front bushes done too. The difference is marked with the poly bushes but most notably because they don't deform as much and have little slack, the tracking when it's done will be roughly the same when you are driving under load so you'll get more consistant results. Obviously check tyre pressures, swap wheels from left to right, check for dragging brakes, to eliminate the obvious. Greg.

506.00 is old spec. Std for PD on 10k/1 yr (you DO want to do this, avoid longlife at all costs) is 505.01. The longlife oil is 507.00, which shoudl be okay to use but I wouldn't let it get to longlife intervals. I pay around £25.00 for 5l of 505.01. Greg.

About 3-5 miles in cold weather should do it. If in doubt, replace the thermostat.

No I don't think so, only in a VCDS output test (computer diagnostics). If you can, or can find someone, to re-write the ECU code, then yes. Greg.

Rear weel bearings are common on these and give that noise. Have you jacked the front up, switch off ASR (if you have it) and run the vehicle wheels in the air to see if you can hear it? Diff noise is also possible. Isolating the rear end like this can help. Greg.

Slightly ot I know, but related, isn't the 5 speed box going to have issues over 250lb/ft from memory too? I know on tuned tdi's running from 250-500lb/ft have to have 6 speed & fancy clutches. You have probably considered this already though. Good luck with the rods. Greg.

PM sent!

What evidence do we have re the stock ones breaking and if so at what rpm lb/ft is the problem happening? Greg.

Agreed. With that kind of issue I tend to also drop the oil, then fill with bespoke flushing oil, run the engine a while (at idle) on that, then drop that oil, clear the oil pump and suction clean the oil filter housing (if the diesel type). Then when it's filled up wtih new oil and checked on the dipstick after a run/parking it's extremely clean in there indeed. Greg.

Most of the facelift 90's I have seen do have the same GT17V VNT turbo. They suffer in the same way, in that a VNT rebuild (most people change the turbo) is often required around the 100k mark. The earlier 90's all had a wastegated turbo which is a weaker unit, but doesn't have the VNT issues. Greg.

Why not? They tend to last out the cambelt interval fine, and keep the 2 year warranty/total camdrive replacement engine warranty. Most get broken on removal, or are over the 4 year/80k mark. Greg.

It's supposed to be, but is it in real world? Also, never any paper figures for how quick the 0-60 is using 50% throttle and 2,500rpm max which is an average brisk acceleration and how 'quick' it feels to drive to test. Would love to see more figures like that in tests. Greg.

It's not too hard if you have the tools... You will need your SKC code (4 digit) or you will need a dealer/someone with vag-tacho or similar. You'll need 2 new keys from Hinkleys with virgin transponders (eg new keys, used key will need new transponders). I buy as new 3 button flips, get a new key cut at a specialist for £7, fit a new transponder & badge for £5, extract the SKC from the instruments (cost of the software, cable and laptop) and then code it in with VCDS or similar. Any good auto locksmith will be able to do similar to the above for around 2/3 the price of Skoda. I'm afraid it isn't as simple as just getting a new key. Greg.

How fast do you go, the gearing is tall :eek: 2,500rpm and you are going fast, 3k and aren't you doing over 90 or something? I guess 6 speed would be nice but I think you would have to regularly do fast outside lane work to notice it. Greg.

Yes, other than I don't have the cash/would want an estate I must admit to thinking the very same thing... I didn't have it long enough to brim to brim, but I did do a lot of miles and judging by the £20 it took to get the gauge back higher than it was, my gut feeling is that it was right. In £ per mile, my car would have used over twice as much for sure. I just wish the dials were as large & clear as on the mk1, the plastics looked as good and the dash had a bit more style. The mk1 l&k is a nice place to be, it was a basic model but this mk2 left me squinting at the dials (hate tha double calibrated speedo with the higher numbers all scrunched up) and generally unimpressed. My favourite is the C5 Audi A6, which is similar to the facelift Sharan. Like a cockpit! Greg.

I'm not saying that it is faster on a stopwatch than a 140, it isn't. The 140 is swift. But it sounds better, and while a 140 goes well, like a 140 should, I'd describe this as going a lot better than it should. It also makes less fuss about it than the 140, it feels like 'okay 140, you got there first, but I'm 2 seconds behind exactly and the driver wasn't trying'. It's late I'm probably making a strange analogy, however good to see from the comments that how well the 105 goes/drives and the exception mpg compared to the 140/other pd's is not just noticed by me. It's unbelivable really, my Peugeot 405 estate was a lot lighter and had 90hp, so around the same bhp/ton yet it wouldn't keep up with this in a MONTH of sundays and you'd be frightening the life out the passengers wringing it's neck trying. This, you don't even know you are trying. I have to try a lot harder in my 1.8T and keep putting my foot down when I need to, it doesn't coast along on fumes the same at all! Anyhow - anyone got any guesses why the 105 might be better? Any design changes, any upgrades to the pd unit injectors? Anyone got any press releases from it? Greg.

Actually it's a Skoda fleet car, I just had it for the week while another was in for warranty repair. I don't think it's remapped, being 7k from new and a Skoda car, it doesn't have the 'whoa' scrabble of the tyres and shove in the back that a good pd130 does, however it's nearly as good but from lower rpm, while sounding crisper and somehow putting it down better without trying. Sort of deceptive how fast it goes in a few seconds off a roundabout, without feeling like it really was working hard at all. IE off a medium size roundabout from a standing start out of a 2 lane exit, by the time the 2 lanes merge to one a hundred or so yards later it will quite happily be up in the 70's/80's and losing licence if not careful without any sort of boyish driving. A very, very competent performer in my book. Greg.

Just get a new clutch & flywheel (solid, not dual mass) kit. They are under £250 now. If any doubt about the starter, replace it. It is a starter in the past that damaged the flywheel, as it's supposed to engage before it spins and faulty ones would do this damage, not a correctly working one. Greg.

Just a discussion on the A5 platform (in a Skoda Octavia II, quite a big car longer than the Golf) 1.9PD 105hp 5-speed. I drive a lot of pd's and pre-pd's and pd always are around 10mpg down on a good VE engine. So, I was pretty shocked when I had this nearly new car for a week and: 1) it runs SO well. I drive VRS's, Audi TT's etc, this is only 105 HP but the engine sounds so crisp and the way it would happily cruise over 100mph if you let it, just breathing on the throttle gets 80mph @ 60mpg, great 50-70mph pulls etc. It also noticably 'rolls' well, needing long periods of no or very little throttle at fast speeds with very slight inclines, dispite 205 tyres which are not narrow. 2) Overall I have been getting 57mpg average going as fast as traffic allows. Driving carefully (up to 60mph) on a cross country run, I got 65mpg. Even if driven over/around 80mph it will deliver over 60mph, when my 1.8T would do 23mpg to keep up the same speed! (private test track for that please) Round town, at steady 30/40mph speeds I get 70-100mpg, with the stop start it's still up in the mid 50's minimum. Essentially I'm wondering what has gone into the latest/last of the 1.9pd's as it seems significantly better than the pd100/130/150 in the way it runs/mpg. Even though it's 5hp down on the old 110tdi VE which is my fave for economy, it puts the power down in a way that makes it much more competent, you would really struggle to keep up with it in a 110 when in the Octavia II 105 you are just driving normally without even trying, zero fuss - pulling well in 4th from below 1500 - over 4,000 no noise no fuss just keeps on pulling. The car has 7,000 miles on it so it's not even loosened up properly either. Figures are Imperial (UK) mpg. Anyone got any clues as to what's going on? It throws the A5 body around like it's a light car and I'm sure the A5 is heavier too! Traditionally mpg's have only got worse since the VE (more emmission regs, dpf/cat etc, retarded timing) has anyone else experienced this bucking of the trend on the 105pd or later cars? The 1.4 roomster tdi I had previously did not do as well! Greg.

Agree re VAG = plastic. Interesting about the damper - do you see trouble with them Ross? Greg.

Qualify improved, stiffer sidewalls reduce deflection on bump and cause loss of grip over objects such as pot holes, gratings etc. While cornering, this is felt as a sharp bump followed by a loss of traction and a slide before the tyre regains grip, most noticable in wet conditions. Technically, stiffer sidewalls do not improve cornering either. They improve turn in response. Let me clarify. When you turn the wheel, the tyre now points in a different direction and starts to go that way. The body of the car is still going straight. So the tyre bends on the rim till it produces sufficient 'pull' to drag the wheel and car across. It's hard to feel, but essentially it's relating to the speed the car starts to turn. Once the car IS turning, as in going round a roundabout, there is no difference. The stiffer sidewalls may be bent a touch less but it's not really an issue due to the fact that whatever position the tyres reached, they are now pulling on the wheel and pulling you round. So feel 'in' a corner and actual grip/g forces are not heavily influenced by sidewall stiffness. The most noticable difference is in the robustness of the tyre for going over things like kerbs with a heavy vehicle, it's possible to 'bottom out' onto the rim and burst soft tyres. Commercial and XL are much stiffer. The downside is that the ride is far less supple and they are more likely to 'bounce' as mentioned above over things like gratings, just like low profile tyres. An A3 1.8T with 18's on had me sliding a metre to the left as I accelerated in town round a junction over a wet grating that was sat well down in the road, it's sidewalls were very small and stiff. My 1.8T with 16's doesn't slide over the same grating. I was not impressed, I was hardly racing! However the A3 with the 18's went well round a smooth dry roundabout. So, 'better' is a relative word. Sometimes people look at racing cars and think hey that must be best, but they forget they drive on perfectly smooth tarmac and come in for a totally different set of wheels and tyres if it starts to rain! They they also forget that the fastest cornering cars on the planet have ultra HIGH profile tyres with tiny wheels in the middle, F1! And the fastest accelerating, top fuel drag, have the narrowest tyres on the front and ultra ultra HIGH profile, SOFT wall tyres on the back and they run them half flat of air as this combo gives maximum straight line grip. Totally the opposite to 22'' rims with a 30 profile tyre, which at a glance in car mags one would think gave the most grip. Greg.