alis

How long were you driving for and did it eventually settle? Or did it keep up that behaviour for more than ten minutes? And how was the drive home? The TSI water pump and thermostat assembly are much one in the same although they come as two parts. They a common failure item. To change is likely going to be a 5-6hr job in a garage. The thermostat housing was just under £400 and the water pump sub £100 last time I got one. If you are going to the hassle of replacing the thermostat housing then the water pump should ideally be changed at the same time since you’ve gone that far.

Thanks, I think you are are right as the only place left it can be is in the lift pump. Away to stealers just now for a part so will ask the question to the guy at the parts desk.

Hi, Seems like a daft question but does anyone know where the fuel filter is located on the 2.0 TSI mk 3 estate? I have a occasional lumpy idle, I cleaned out the inlet manifold and gave the intake valves a good clean last week but didn’t make much difference. No codes to note. Fuel filter has not been changed for quite some time. I have only recently started working on the car now it’s not worth very much and 100k+ miles but has been mine since new. thanks, ali

First of all as the OP with my vRS firmly back home on the drive and running as sweet as nut I can only apologise for my hellishly delayed response. Secondly to whom ever recommended Victoria Garage in Maud for the repair - I cannot thank you enough, a better garage I have never seem. I fear they are few and far between and a dying bread. They are just shy of 100mi from me - but as I own a NP300 Navara I don't mind throwing the car on a trailer for all future work. The long and short of it all was that the engine problem was not as a result of timing chain or tensioners but as a result of blocked/jammed ports on the variable valve timing ports on the end of the cam shafts - both of which have now been changed. I'll post a copy of the repair details and a detailed description later. Cheers, Ali

How bad? They lied to me, I told them why I knew they where lying, they then insisted they where telling the truth, I then provided photographic evidence, they then ignored all my calls and e-mails. If I didn’t work every day god sends and have two toddlers to do sine my free time i’d Have pushed the matter a lot harder. I dont mind putting it on it on a trailer for the round trip, what my issue is will be the future care of my car. I had intended to keep it for a lot longer, I have already had it for 5 years and it (until Thursday) drove like a new car. But with a family I just need reliability.

It’s booked into them now, gave them a call and they won me over. Skoda are going to make a good will gesture, woman in Victoria garage says she puts it in the computer and it calculates the contribution. just wish they where closer!

Will give them a call, are they a franchised service centre/dealer?

Not think much of Perth? I’m quiet happy to tow it to Perth myself, my other car is a Navara so plonk on the transporter and away... Kennys VW/Audi was the only place I know of in Inverness who is independent, everyone else is a dealer and seem not interested.

Morning All, my 13 plate MkIII vRS is off the road with the local Indy vag specialist diagnosing it as stretched timing chain, the car went into the garage as it sounded like a chain rattling off a casing... the car is on 70k and up to 60k was all full stealer service and I am the first owner from new (excluding dealer as was a demonstrator). First off off my biggest problem is my local Skoda garage is in Inverness and they recently got caught out by me lying and trying to mug us off over a headlight bulb - long story but it was the straw that broke the camels back. And the local Indy garage doesn’t have the tools for doing the chain and VW or Audi garages don’t want to work on a Skoda. I actually got them to say this sloth took some fishing. Faced with a 120m tow to the nearest Skoda garage is a pain but likely a nescessity, however, given the chains are not meant to fail and the car has been properly maintained and cars for do I have any grounds for calling on Skoda? I called them but they were not even interested in helping despite it being the 3rd time i’ve Told them about my dissatisfaction with their local franchise. I love our Skoda, it’s our second Octavia having bought with the first one ten years ago I am now faced with moving it on and going with another manufacture as I have no real support or assurance from Skoda themselves. Thanks, ali

Apoligise, it was meant tongue in cheek. I'm certainly not the typical forum member, the rest seem like a great bunch of guys. I should have known better, it's hard to convey context of a statement on a forum when tone and manner is not portrayed. I would just like to highlight the implications of such a modification, especially to a new car. Ali

I think your spacer idea is one of genius! Why not fit a additional component to your car that the manufactures have not deemed necessary, your automotive skills clearly exceed that of the design & development imparted to car than by that of Skoda. Lets just forget about the obviously unimportant warranty implications in the result of failure or faults resulting from wheel arch clearance/conflict and the increased load on the bearings & bushes. But instead on the effect on the XDS+ system and wheel camber - which will only get worse not better. Imagine your car becoming a sack of tatties, but at least it'll look cooler. .......... :p

We swapped from a Mk II to III and the difference in room is quite noticeable. I'm 6' 5" and 16 stone and have not a single complaint with our vRS estate, I can even set the front seat up and then get in behind it without any compromise in leg room. Vegit8 is right about wallet in the back pocket though...

22,000mi 2 yo, less servicing, 6 issues in total on more than a dozen visits.: 1. Head light failure - O/S light deviated far right and held position whilst driving 2. heating control display fault - 4th LED failed to illuminate 3. Day time running light failure - initial failure due to condensation as a result of cap not fitted in repair #1, reoccurred days later same cause, intermittant fault persisting for following month 4. Heating failure (all or nothing) - 16'c cold, 17 'c scolding - likely a result of issue 2 5. Theromstat stuck open - took 4 weeks to source replacement thermostat, dealer unwilling to provide replacement vehicle insisting permanently running cold was not an issue. 6. Adaptive headlight defaulted to lowest position - initially dismissed by dealer, eventually solved (very quickly) after threat of elevating issue to Skoda UK I must admit, faults 3, 4 & 6 should have not been an issue but a lack of attention to detail and in general any quality in after sales service was the result in the repeated visits. I really should name the dealer in question, I don't think Arnold Clark in Inverness would like the bad press. I certainly won't be buying another car from them unless they change their approach. I'll continue to buy Skoda though.

Cheers dudes!

Afternoon all, Does any one have a maxi cosi iso family fix base and seat in their mk III Octavia and is their any issues with it? Mothercare have an offer on where I can save £330 getting it now but I'm away with work and not back until after the offer ends. I don't want to hear bad news, I don't want to be the one who has to write the advert "Reluctant sale, Octavia vRS, arrival of two new babies force sale". Don't make me go diesel. BTW it's twins, not two woman Cheers, Ali