Octabus

Airbag light is mostly the plug under the seat, magic electric spray (thats what you ask for in Halfords) works wonders here!

10 days? You're lucky.. I get it every 3 days

Good to hear it was resolved! There's nothing worse than searching through, reading a thread that sounds just like what you are desperately trying to fix and never see an answer! agreed, cars fixed, remapped and for less than the price of a back street remap.. now to start fixing boost leeks, annoying occasional electrical gremlins, and find that rattle!

Mr muscle time... cheapest option to try before rebuilding turbos. What sort of boost pressure is it showing? (fitting a boost gauge will determine if it is limiting itself by opening the N75)

I am currently in the process of swapping my 4x4 to R32 suspension (essentially springs and shocks) with replacement of anything looking a little tired as I go.. I'm sure the bolts he will be referring to the bolts that go into the floor holding the rear trailing arm bracket on.. I've looked at mine and wouldn't like to consider trying to remove them without a new set of bolts and a new bush to fit whilst its out. A receipt from kwikfit to say it has been done doesn't mean it has been adjusted at the rear, rear may have been within acceptable limits when they checked... most likely only adjusted the fronts. Here's the diagram and part numbers for the rear end ETKA 2002 4x4 octavia it would appear the mounting bracket has slot holes, which would allow some rear toe in/out adjustment.

I thought the Octavia was called a Laura in India?

It might get unwanted attention as to the untrained eye, it would appear your brake lights/fog lights are constantly on... Personally I would keep the factory setup and drill in a sidelight bulb (the little wedge type ones) and holder to piggy back into the lower sidelights. LED types are bright, less load on wiring and you won't risk any canbus errors or lights earthing through each other like an old renault!

Good write up, I'm also curious about the Haldex filter, Haldex oil and rear diff oil changes .. did the guide ever get done?

..possibly not standard on the 4x4s? It doesn't make a sausage of difference to me, but i do like how the ageing boot carpet gets held in place by the spare wheel (plus all the carp stuffed in with it) If you do need a level load the full length, maybe two lengths of 3"x2" would make up the difference? a bit gypsy-tech, but a cheap andsimple solution to a problem...?

Theres a lot of coolant going somewhere..... I think you would notice a greasy wet film underneath for any major leek (but not with current weather conditions) and you would see a vapour cloud behind from the exhaust (also residue up the back end - again, not so easily spotted in this weather) As you are now plum deep in a doomsday senario..... II would replace head gasket, water pump (get the metal blade type if the diesels have a plastic one) fresh belts, thermostat and see how it goes. a good clean up in the process makes it easier to spot new leeks. My water pump failed progressively, about a week before hand it emptied the header tank over 25miles.. check all pipes are warm-hot when its up to temperature, this also points to a thermostat problem if there's a chilly pipe when the rest are hot!

My elegance doesn't have the raised boot floor - although my mk4 golf estate did..

blue magic lurking between Billingham, Durham, Bishop Auckland, Crook, and on occasion, West Yorkshire.. My plate is almost a private plate (if you have a weird imagination) "Dream" spelt ..02 EEM ...DR EEM? Ironic as it's a bit of a nightmare at the min!

agreed, your biggest worry is oil loss... i snapped mine, but the dipstick held the tube in place so I thought i was ok.... a litre of oil in 150miles... and no corrosion issues underneath for quite a while.... horrible mess on the drive. fire risk too when its running under the sump and dripping onto the downpipe. If there is much left of the base of the tube, try remove it and use some fuel hose to extend it - will make a temporary dipstick tube if carefully secured at the top - but don't trust the accuracy of oil level readings!

they just rock forward and rest against the backs of the front seats don't they? The headrests need extracting and hiding somewhere, there are holes in the back edge of the seat base to push them into, but I find they are a very useful packing pad - wrap a towel round them if its something dirty or unpleasant

I'll let you know what you're in for! Although currently its behaving itself, i'm wondering if all the heavy rain/floods/puddles you could class as small lakes etc has resulted in a bit of water getting in the bearing/joint. Added to the to do list once the warmer weather appears. Presently highs of 1° on a weekend here, not the best conditions to be laid on your back under a car.

..and the thickness of the adapters (usually around 20mm+) will need to be deducted from the offset - making the wheels stick out more, and possibly catch the arches.

I hope Kenny has been de-baubled. or more naming dilemmas are coming your way!

Trying to find a part number will help, if they are listed with the same part number, it should be the same part.

The estates look so much better with the black pillar trims between the windows. Still can't make my mind up on the bumper vents... :S

Just the info I required! My next question is how the hell do you access the front prop rubber? I was under it (again) today.. surveying the task.. It looks like exhausts & heatshields have to come off, then its a long reach spline bolt aiming at it up the transmision tunnel, with all four wheels off the ground to allow the prop to turn to get all bolts... That's as far as I got as i decided it was too hard for a Sunday afternoon! I had a shake on the prop, and everything seems nice and tight, so I'm thinking its time to order the parts and replace the lot when I have a full weekend to go at it. Thanks for the part numbers, i'll do the googling from here and decide if I need to remortgage or not

The paranoia got the better of me - Just checked mine. You are looking for what looks like a large posi screwdriver made of rubber. Mine were both in the hinge crease of the front doors, halfway between the hinges. the rears are the same, and hide in the floor pan behind the mudflap on each side. Glad I checked, drivers front puked out a load of gritty gunk right down my sleeve! Guess thats been blocked for a while... the front inlets are as per the pics, i'm not sure how to access the rear ones, but I think it maybe easier with the sunroof tilted rather than open (go at it from inside) Worth noting that the drains don't just serve water that has got in past the seals, but gather the massive amount of condensation that forms on the glass. Happy poking!

If you can't see them, and there's water in there - they will be blocked! Google would suggest the following: Also check the outlets, seemingly rubber bits hidden around the corners of the car, that look like a fish mouth.. i've seen them on the door pillars, and in the corners of the bulkhead from under the bonnet.. giving it a wiggle/squeeze or poke it with a stick and the contents should trickle out nicely

Quality man time well spent - I know this will look amazing!

It may also be worth rodding out the sunroof drains. I had a mk4 golf estate which left me with the exact same in car fishing pond. You need some curtain wire - its like bike cable outer sleeve. usually white and sold with two screw in eyelets for hanging net curtains and such (a couple of quid from asda, wilkinsons etc) The same problem left me with an in car shower over rough ground or when cornering when I had my discovery td5.... open the sunroof fully and I think the drains run into the two front corners, poke the wire in down there, expect to get in a good meter or so. expect about 2litres of water to pour out from th bottom of the front wings!

I have quit getting nicotine by fire and compost, correct I do agree entirely on the new and unknown aspect - But having seen first hand for myself the short term benefits of vaping over smoking, I'm not going back to cigarettes anytime soon! The cough has gone, the breath is less eye burning in a morning, fingers and teeth don'y get yellow stains, my lungs feel bigger, I don't get anywhere near as many coughs, colds, chest infections or headaches, sense of taste and smell are twice as good, my car windows and interior are cleaner, financially better off (liquids and consumables, maybe £10 a week VS smoking 20+/day at £8 a pack! or rollies getting through 2 or 3 pouches a week) Its also a hobby to some extent, so many new juices, tanks, batteries, different methods for building coils etc. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_cigarette Side effects - by youtubes most well known vapist https://youtu.be/S3mDzoGc254 I'm thinking that perhaps vaping is not so popular among Skoda drivers?