Colin170CR

Not quite what you asked but at my last service at the independent VAG specialist I use the Haldex was due for an oil change so I specifically asked whether they will be cleaning the Haldex filter when they changed the oil. They said they always do because they've seen what happens if the filter gets fully clogged up & left for too long. Now, whether they actually did clean the filter is another matter! TBF I've been using the same company for many years with my old Audi A6 TDi, MK2 Superb CR170, my wife's Karoq 4 x 4 for the short time we had it & now my MK3 Superb & they've done a good job with all of them so I have no reason to doubt them.

I've been there & done that! Although the boot did stop when it felt some resistance. I had the car for 2 years before I discovered it had a virtual pedal 🤣

Yes I believe the independent garage did have access to Digital car records. Service books in the cars are rarely stamped theses days.

Oh. I should add that the £504 I paid was at an independent VAG specialist garage not a Skoda main dealer!

You seem to have a "different" Skoda main dealer approach to servicing in Bulgaria i.e. reasonable &, bring your own oil - unheard of here. Something we don't seen to get in the UK. Sounds very reasonable to me. My last Fluid service (including Haldex filter, brake fluid, engine oil & new plugs) was £504.

I just checked, the last service on my wife's EV was actually £130 & included a new rear wiper, body check (required for corrosion guarantee compliance), a pollen filter, update for sat nav (free) & a couple of other small items that I can't remember. Also a complimentary wash & vacuum was included which you generally don't get at independent garages. The £230 service was for my car last year. Basically an oil change & a few other bits. EV servicing is generally cheaper than ICE cars because there are far less consumable items. I'm not sure who would think or suggest EV's don't need servicing. They have a service book with mileage / yearly intervals just like any other car. So far our experience with an EV (apart from a problem with the charging flap that was fixed under warranty) has been pretty good. Perfect as a local runabout 2nd car. However, the key to low EV ownership cost (apart from not buying new) is being able to charge it from home on a low overnight tariff. Without that we would have stuck with the petrol car we had previously.

Yep. Very similar. I think our local busses are OK but we are semi rural so all routes lead to the local city where a change is needed to go anywhere else. Also, most busses go round all the houses to get anywhere, so much so I could probably walk it quicker, if my hips could hold out for longer than 400yds!! Two garages & one tyre place for me. Local VAG specialist for servicing & Kwik Fit for MOT's & the odd battery which is within walking distance - even for me! Wouldn't trust them for servicing but for MOT's they are fine & they know not to try & upsell me any of their other services. Local tyre place is good & can fit you in most days without a booking & their prices are OK. My wife's car is still under warranty so goes to the local Hyundai dealer until 2027. TBF servicing at the Hyundai dealer has been fairly cheap so far. £50 1st service & £230 for the last one. No oil, spark plugs etc needed & even the brakes last forever with regen. Best of all to fill the 64kWh battery overnight from empty at home only costs about £5 which is good for 300 miles in summer.

I do run the A/C / Climate regularly for demisting & to keep the system seals from drying out (ex AC industry engineer). I just don't use the A/C for prolonged periods due to the low annual mileage & the rubbish summer temps we've been experiencing of late. You don't need mechanical A/C running when it's only 17c outside! I've long since given up doing anything on our cars that's more than just washer fluid top ups, tyre rotation & a few other minor tasks. There was a time when I spent all my spare time under cars doing engine swaps, repairs, body modifications & the like. I liked doing it but it was mainly because I couldn't afford to pay others to do it for me. Then I got company cars so didn't have to worry about anything other than putting fuel in them. Now we own & run our own cars, I'm getting too old to be getting under cars & can afford to have a local garage maintain them for us - just. I agree on the independence thing but it's also the convenience of being able to jump in a car whenever I need to do something on a whim & to get from A to B without having to do D-Day type logistic planning 3 days in advance. Today's a prime example. My car's in the garage & my wife has gone out with a friend on a whim so I'm stuck at home until she gets back & takes me to pick my car up later today. I haven't used a bus or a overland train since I can't remember when & I avoid them like the plague. That said if my wife & I go anywhere together locally, or further afield on a 1 day return trip, we nearly always takes her EV cos it's so much cheaper to run & we haven't used a public charger since we got it over a year ago. My car gets used for longer journeys, holidays or if we need to haul something that's too large for her car. The other snag is that while I have no problem driving my wife's car she doesn't like driving mine because it's too big for her!! I'm still not sure if we / I am ready to drop down to a single car yet. I guess all the while we can afford to run 2 cars we won't change but I'm sure there will come a time when we will have to consider it.

Just had the dreaded call from the garage with the extra "advisories". So, based on the Indi garage & Skoda records for the car:- Spark plugs - I swerved on these last year so I guess they need changing a year on. Haldex oil, oil filter & pump clean out - not really negotiable so yes. Air Con refresh - hardly used it with the mileage I do & the summer we've been having but Ok. So all in, & including engine Oil & normal service items, errrr £600!! That's put a big hole in this months pension😒 I'm starting to wonder if we can exist with only one car🤔

Mines going into one today. Yearly oil & inspection service 🤞

Which is why I go to an independent.

Yes the Air box filter. Easy swap. I also removed the "snow baffle" underneath the air filter to improved the airflow even more. Never much much snow where I live & even when it does I can't see how it would ever get that high up inside the engine bay? Maybe a small amount of additional induction roar when accelerating hard but you can't really hear it from inside the car because the exhaust & engine noise drowns it out. K&N say a few extra BHP added as well but on the 280 it's hard to tell as it's pretty quick as standard. Bought mine from the K&N store on Amazon. https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/KN/page/B6D270E2-F297-4766-AF16-91FD670B145A?ref_=ast_bln If anyone is interested I also have a spare K&N filter for a Karoq 1.5 DSG which I took out of my wife's car when we sold it. It's a bout the same size as the Superb filter but not as deep.

K&N for me. Not had to wash it yet. Just make sure you use the K&N label / sticker which hopefully prevents the garage throwing away the K&N & replacing it with a stock filter come service time.

I made some car ramps out of 2.0" angle iron when I was an apprentice in the '70s. Arc welded them all up & they were really strong & weighed a "ton". Couldn't carry both of them at the same time!! Ramp angle was fine for '60's & '70's cars at the time but would be no good for modern models. I lent them to a "mate" & never got them back😒

One of those 15min jobs that turn into a nightmare. Not restricted to cars either. All too familiar. I've downed tools in this warmer weather. Siesta time.

I bet the courtesy car isn't a 280!

That seems an awfully long wait. Did they tell you that before you dropped it off? As for my car it only visited the dealer once & has been with a local indie VAG specialist ever since. Same with my previous Mk2 Superb & the Audi A6 before that. I only use main dealers when the cars are recalled or, still in warranty which, for us, ain't long because I normally buy them at 2-3 years old. Our 22 plate Hyundai will be with the dealer for a while longer due to it's 5 year warranty & then I'll be looking for an EV specialist to compare.

I had a DTUK box on an old Audi A6 1.9TDi ( which had a tray under the engine. I know this because the tray came loose while I was driving in Belgium on holiday & had to get a garage to make a temporary fix). The extra boost of power & torque made it quite swift except, after 150,000 miles (10,000 after fitting the DTUK box) the clutch went. Not sure if this was due to general wear & tear or, because of the extra torque from the DTUK box. After having my 280 remapped (Revo stg 1) a few years ago, it is holding up well 🤞 . The extra 80bhp certainly makes it quicker & , like yours, the fuel consumption is up to 38 on a long run. Only 26mpg around town though which I can live with because I don't do high mileages any more. Mine is on 19 Trinity rims which I had powder coated black to match the paint colour of the car. Cheaper then getting new rims & it makes the car look better IMO. Not to everyone's taste but I like the meaner look of an all black car. However, it's a pain to keep a black car looking clean.🧽

Well well well. Looks like mine doesn't have a tray either. However, after 7 years of ownership I think I can live without one.

Very curious. For a modern car that looks odd without an under tray. I'll have a look under mine as well. As for the Throttle response, yes I found the same. In D mode there was a definite lag between pressing the throttle & any forward motion. Some forum members have talked about there being an "Audi throttle mode" in VCDS which can turned on to sharpen up the response. However, others have also reported that this function did not improve anything in their opinion. As for mine, I fitted a Racechip Throttle pedal which was originally bought for my wife's 1.5 Karoq to cure the biblical throttle lag that car had. I switched it to my Superb when we sold the Karoq. Same fitting & connections & it has certainly improved the throttle response. When the Racechip is in R+2 mode & DSG is in Sport the car becomes a bit of a "hooligan" with "savage" near instantaneous acceleration & gear changes. Far to aggressive for me so I run the Racechip in N (normal) mode which is fine. Depending on the road surface 19" wheels can ride a bit hard especially with suspension in Sport mode. I run my suspension in Sport mode & the DSG in D most of the time but switch to Normal or Comfort suspension as required by passengers &/or road conditions.

I run mine on Falken's cos I'm tight & I don't do huge mileage any more. It's my car so it's my rules & they've been fine. I'm on my 2nd set in the 40,000 miles & 6 years I've had it.

I'd say you've been very unlucky. My 2016 280 has only had the water pump & fuel vapour canaster replaced in my time with it. All the rest has been "normal" consumable items. Not looking to get rid of mine anytime soon either.

Warranty on a 2018 280? Had my water pump done 18 months ago at around 60k. That & discs & pads all round was expensive at a VAG specialist but less than main dealer. Mine's due a service in July 🤞.

Jeez. Prices have gone up massively since I used Hippo last. I just checked & I paid £149.99 for a Mega bag collection in Aug 2020. I filled the bag with waste soil from a landscape project at home which was easier than doing multiple trips to the dump (lockdown issues) & with no tarp to protect the car. TBF I use my local dump quite regularly for a variety of stuff I can't put in our wheelie bins. A few weeks ago I had a double stacked fridge / freezer in my Superb. Must have been over 6ft high / long - no problem. All hail the estate car.

How much are they charging to pick up the bag now then?