Octabus

2 years of skoda ownership has taught me one thing... buy the bolt kit aswell - so on Sunday afternoon, when everyone else has shut shop and gone home, you don't have to worry about saving that shredded bolt!

there are two drain holes at the back too, check the frost hasn't split the connector or the pipes

it sounds like the noise is a bit of turbo flutter (have a look/listen on youtube) Check the intake piping is all sealed up as the air box etc normally muffles the sound. EGR and sticky veins are fairly common and could be a clue to the coughing restored horses courtesy of mr muscle here:

Driving to and from work with a full clean MOT, hooligan air filter fitted to celebrate - great success!

I have to confess, I felt some trouser motions when I first encountered it! just don't blame me for the amount of sleep you will loose by clicking through it!

They just clip in, I think the rears might have a couple of screws? searching youtube will show you! the mk4 golfs/bora are the same

buy a 4x4, add the following: front bumper badges brakes (312mm fronts, vented rears from the VRS) wheels half leather seats (and the god awful white carpet) carbon wrap the drivers door handle, the middle dashboard trims if you're picky the roof lining and pillar trims exhaust of choice (vrs has a cutout in the bumper) remap R32 golf suspension gain: traction! ESP over TC satisfaction of having built a vrs that you can powerslide I started off going for the VRS replica, but when it cames to adding badges, a typo occured.. they joys of living in rural England! I stopped on the VRS route because I can drive onto ramps without using bits of scaffold board nobody ever suspects the plain old skoda less attention from police/robbers/general timewasters don't get tailgated by boy racers wanting to test the power of their corsas

They are now mostly in the £1500 range... Personally that would be my budget. I would buy one for £1000, then have full belt service, and fix any niggles I had used to barter on the price with the rest Currently have 2002 4x4 estate (i would say vrs, 4x4, and clean non ex-taxi diesel estates are in the same price band) paid £1200 from a garage with 120k, full service history, clean car and 11mths MOT 2 years on and that same car is on 155k, stage 1 map, uprated suspension, intercooler, many shiny bits, full leather, and a few oil changes - I've been offered £1,500 for it If its a well loved turbo charged estate you are looking for, I would recommend the 4x4. Most of the vrs examples will have been owned sooner or later by someone wanting a fast car, abused and sold on. After the map, mine keeps up with a vrs in a line, but leaves it behind off roundabouts and when its wet - sleeper!

if they are scratched, cracked,or simply missing local breakers yard or that pesky eBay. The front ones are the same hatch/estate, the rears are estate only. The VRS ones are no different to the others. If they are grey or going a bit blotchy any oil based substance will revive them short term - wd40, olive oil, baby oil etc for a longer fix unclip them, clean them off with hot soapy water, and hold the heat gun on them. don't do them on the car or the paint may blister. remove and paint is another option, colour coding works very well on the light coloured cars. plasticote, or flexible paint is advised If you do paint them, I very very very much advise to get some clear vinyl (or even carbon wrap?) on the rear one for under the tailgate. This is a scratch magnet!

I'll second that, the best price I could get on a back box was £300!

two friends with silver mk4 astras had the same problem, both cases was the starter motor... 99% of the time it would fire straight away, then, when they were in a rush, or it was piddling down with grumpy child and even grumpier woman on board... nothing! rocking doesn't always work, as it can't turn the motor unless it has engaged with the flywheel - hitting it with something solid was more effective. But ringing me to bring jump leads also helped?! (maybe that bit extra amps helped...) Moral of the story is, if its silver, it might be the starter motor thats getting a bit tired - a bit of carbon on the armature, or a bush thats past its best. A new starter motor and a fresh battery in the key fob won't harm anything. good luck

WD40 around the middle of the fan (motor) should help, check for debris caught round it but KEEP AN EYE ON THE FUSES ON TOP OF THE BATTERY - the ones under the clip cover, they get very hot when the fans are straining and have been known to catch fire. When its cold/light, remove the fuse for the fans (I think its the first or second one from the left but check first) to avoid fingers getting ripped off, then move the fans by hand to see if they feel stiff - if they do, replace them or turn the radio up and drive around with a fire extinguisher. It may be worth removing the fans to inspect and clean them, it could just be a bit of rubbish caught in them. Always remove the fuse before putting your hands near them as they can start even if the engine is off - I got bitten by one on a saxo, and I can assure you it hurts!

You're not the only one... my back box is a lost cause, its been sat in the scrap bin at my mates farm for the last 3 months! I chopped it out and replaced it with a bit of slightly bent 2.5£" tube flared down to fit - look horrific, sounds questionable, but the man from Vosa liked it last week, so it can stay until I find another option - trial and error tells me an A4 back ox is close, but too wide to fit between the wheel well and the chassis rail (there's 12" width realistically) an aftermarket S3, TT quattro type that doesn't have the box where the spare wheel well SHOULD be a close contender.. This has been an absolute blessing for using part numbers & ebay: http://etka.cc/skoda/parts_lst/lang/e/markt/CZ/modell/OCT/year/2002/hg/5/catalog/sk/drive_standart/252 ETKA online, directed specifically at the rear axle on a 2002 model the result of that was confirming golf IV R32 springs and shocks will fit - about 20mm lower than standard, but much firmer ride

Still tempted... but I need 4x! JoshH you are correct: They are multifit spacers, if they were adapters, there would be a set of threaded holes (one set boltholes to fix to the hub, another set to fix the wheel to the adapter) I think the issue you may be having is depth of the female side of the centre bore in the spacer (or the middle bit that sticks out of the hub is too long) To try to determine if they will fit, you need to measure how deep the 57.1 mm bore goes into the spacer.... I'll try explain a bit more, as the more I read what I wrote, the less sure I am it makes sense! http://www.superforma.co.uk/hubcentric-explained the blue bit that sticks out of the hub on those pics, sticks out more than the hole in the spacer.... I hope that made sense, as that is the only reason I can see why they won't fit based on what has been said above! If you measure how far the spacers go in, we can measure how far our sticky out bits stick out, if we stick out less than you go in, they will fit!

*Update* Well, it arrived, would be a perfect fit behind the steering wheel, if only it would communicate with VAG! So, turbogauge 4 is not a VAG lover, anyone tried a scangauge? others?

oops.. so much for a summary!

Good to hear a mix of opinions on this one - from both sides of the fence! As a fairly heavy cloud maker, I am (as most others quite surprisingly) more than happy to discuss the outsiders views on my habbit, just as much as I like to share experiences with fellow users. Just to summerise my thoughts on some of the usual comments (from here and general human interation) Them things are probably worse for your health than cigs! Short term an ecig produces less of the known nasty chemicals found in cigarettes.. tar that coats the lungs for example. We don't have 50 years worth of studies to determine if the other chemicals and the way they are processed by our bodies, are likely to cause mass problems Some people (myself included) can have an allergy to propylene glycol (PG) in my case I got a sore throat, some people have more severe reactions. PG can be used as a bulk ingredient, as a carrier for flavours, and as a carrier for the nicotine. Some of the flavourings used (essentially food flavourings) contain diacetol, which is not considered safe for baking, due to how it reacts with heat. Do the big companies use these? no, does the guy on ebay batching them in his shed use them... who knows?! In the same breath (!) Are the ingredients of a shop bought pack of lambert and butler, the same as in the fag-house bought pack of langbert and bottler? Personal experience, as most have said, my health has improved a lot from switching from cigs to e-cigs. I may gain again if I gave up vaping, but for now.... i'm quite happy not waking up to cough out half a driveway, to not have a cold or chest infection every 2 weeks of winter, to not get out of breath walking more than 50 yards, to not have part burnt yellow rolly fingers, and to not smell like the aftermath of a stolen car.... ...... I would also highlight that some people have nut allergies, most people don't. both my grand fathers smoked, one barely made his mid 60's before cancer intervened, the other saw his 92nd birthday, and died of natural causes - despite heavily scarred lungs from TB in his 40s! Humans don't come with a care manual, so its trial and error. That stinks! Some of the sweet flavours can be sickly, I agree! I had a blueberry cheesecake one last month that was delicious - but the stench of sour milk followed it. I also happened to be stood in greggs behind a young lady whose perfume put me off my steak bake. I once threw a friends magic tree out of his car window as it smelt horrible to me, he loved it... I can't stand the smell or cigarettes now - turns my stomach. I even make my mates bird go outside to smoke when I'm at their house! We all like/hate different smells, so if i'm at work, or with friends, I tend to use the more subtle flavours, and don't fog up the enclosed spaces.. the same courtesy I would pay to others if it was a cigarette, fart or deodorant! Argh! I can't see ... where did all that fog come from?! If you have been victim to a smokers discharge, or a vapers discharge, I apologise on their behalf, they are a disrespectful, selfish and generally unpleasant individual. The high VG, high output devices can fill a room/car quickly, anyone doing this deliberately to innocent passers by is doing it for attention - give them a kick, as this sort of thing is only giving ammunition to the ban clan! ...although I admit I find it hilarious to fill my mates car up so when he comes back to it and opens the door, it looks like snoop dog is in the passenger seat! Even non smokers are starting Zero nicotine is available, but why anyone would want to start vaping with nicotine is a mystery to me? I do think it should be sold in the same way other tobacco products are sold - behind the counter, not hanging by the till with lighters, papers and sweets like they do in poundland! Many heroin addicts go to methadone, some start on methadone... its their choice, but the tobacco age limit is getting applied to a lot of reputable sellers. My local vape shop lady told me she recently refused to serve a man because he told her he wanted to buy an e-cig for his 14 year old daughter to stop her smoking - that's a moral dilemma! Bottom line is everyone has a choice, you can choose to smoke, vape, eat fruit, get drunk, throw yourself off a bridge, join a running club, get your giggly bits out in asda, buy a skoda, eat roadkill, join the taliban, adopt a whale, cross dress, visit foreign countries, state your opinion, own a cat, iron your underclangers, choose warburtons over hovis despite in store promotions, change the batteries in the tv remote or watch dwarf p0rn, buy lots of useless things from china on ebay so you get a random surprise delivery a month later.. if you think its right for you, you are going to do it - why should you let someone else decide? Its just another craze Yes, but its also a way out of the cigarette trap.. and its an addictive hobby with all the different flavours and gadgets to try! (and its more acceptable than getting kicked out of asda every thursday night in the name of self amusement) ooo, thats a big one! Its also a great talking point, I have met a lot of new people and got chatting to various sorts due to curiosity and comparing devices. Much better than the usual crowd of characters usually found loitering by the pub back door - certainly better conversation anyway. Have you switched to vape, or are you quitting that too? This is the big question really, I do think now the market has kind of peaked, for me there's no "next stage" just different brands and flavours, nothing completely new to try like when the first sub ohm tanks appeared, and kangetech brought out stranger things (aero tank turbo was a beast!) or when there were only 4 flavours (tobacco, cherry, menthol or toilet duck.. sorry, "apple") I think i am spending less time looking for new products, and just topping up the stock.... I don't seem to be using it quite as much recently... last year, i would say i couldn't ever give up my ecig.. this year I say by next year, I might not vape at all. Time will tell ..just got a triton tank, got it last month, its still sat in the draw... I tend to be using the nautilus (1.6ohm), the arctic (0.2ohm) and the drippers when at home now. 50w eleafs are an all rounder for all atomisers I use atomic fireball is still flavour of the month!

faulty N75? Also check all the vac pipes attached and in good condition, check electrical connections on Maf, MAP & controllers - I had a diesel rover with a serious case of wires too short, ended up replacing half the loom due to wires pulling out of the back of connectors, shorting out etc. Google the fault code suggests the following: http://wiki.ross-tech.com/wiki/index.php/17964/P1556/005462

.......and then what happened?! So much potential here I experienced a semi turgid moment!

To be honest, I found the side mount to be the better option - mainly less reworking of pipe routes, less pipes and joints to spring a leek, much less chance of a stray stone or bad judgement leaving a hole in the intercooler! Unless you go for a BAM manifold, then the pipework is a little easier. After a chat with my bosses rally car mechanic I solved the stupid clippy pipe problem with a 70mm to 60mm silicon reducer pushed over the joint, thus no more leeks! (ebay item 361454040418 - £7.50) Do you have a boost gauge installed? if not, my first boost gauge was crude but effective - go to a petshop, buy about 2m of silicone airline and a t piece, go to shed, dig out a boost gauge you haven't seen in 8 years, cable tie boost gauge to windscreen wiper arm, t in to the fuel pressure regulator pipe, shut bonnet and watch.....don't use the wipers! see if the power loss comes with, before or after boost drops, to determine if power is cut to lower boost, or if something is going wrong (misfire etc) causing the turbo to slow down, then causing a pressure drop. Hope that bit makes sense

Mudflaps? Got to have big mudflaps...

Planned to: Fit R32 springs and dampers, clean thoroughly, and do the pre MOT panic checks What Happened: Springs didn't arrive, mate wanted do rebuild his brakes, so after visiting greggs, went to car shop for parts... ordered a few bushes and bearings, bought an oil filter, felt a bit inspired.... Ended up doing: Spent most of the day with my tubby buddy on my back or getting dirty and tired out by two 14 year olds (2002 registered CARS!) rear brake shoes on the dis-astra done, oil change on the sportswagen done, leather cleaned (thanks to my mates bird ) alloy wheel centrecaps upgraded to two tone type, engine bay cleaned up, 2x cars washed, new shocks cleaned up and got a bit of paint on (worse respray ever!) front bumper grills removed and cleaned after finding some swines cat has taken to p155ing in them :peek: few mot checks done.... the horn works, I tested it several times randomly while my mate was sat next to it putting the silly sprung washers onto his brake shoes!

look down the back of the engine, you se that metal boost pipe? the one thts picks up from the turbo with a rubber elbow, then drops down into the dark bit? .between there and the pancake pipe, the gods at VAG decided to put a stupid clip type joint which I found to be the main boost leek on mine. is it still running just the standard N75 to actuator setup? (smaller hose from that metal pipe mentioned above, goes into the N75 valve on the intake pipe, then makes its way down to the actuator on the turbo) I tried fitting a manual boost controller in parallel with the N75 (as it is too harsh to use as a daily driver without the N75). That gave identical symptoms you described in the first post. It is like the ECU is not able to decide how much boost it wants, more.. less, more.. no, too much!... bit more.. ahh, no i'm scared, back it off, more.... the actuator may also have been adjusted badly on the turbo, the pipe may have a leek, or have come off. I found I had a few improvements when I fitted an uprated SMIC, I cleaned the MAP sensor when I fitted it, as this was covered in carp. might help.

Its got a lisp! Have you tried refitting the standard airbox to see if it is a new sound or just not noticed it before.. also check all the intercooler plumbing, sounds like it could be a tiny split in a hose starting as it only seems to do it around peak boost?

I have to admit, I bought a recirculating diverter valve, built of ebays shiniest chrome..... leeked from the inlet side, PTFE taped solved it leeked around the bolt flange, silicon sealant to the rescue still leeks vacuum, not sure how i'm going to cure that, I trod on the standard one so i'm waiting for a better one to appear!