robs12

Ah, tyres and service too...that makes a lot more sense!

Less the brake fluid and aircon service, that's around £800 for rear discs and pads and a caliper?...wow. Ouch.

Yes, you can wire/connect it directly to the existing speaker cables. Or use an adapter plug (but still needs tapping to the speaker cables, just on the adapter cables instead, so completely reversible if needed). Gain, crossover frequency and phase are adjustable. I'd not wind the existing system up to max volume, but it's quite fine at 75-80% 😁

Have a read here:

That's exactly what they do say: "Thanks to its high-end material specification, this toothed belt's service life reliably spans the entire life of the vehicle." That from the VW press newsroom, about half way down: https://www.volkswagen-newsroom.com/en/the-new-golf-das-auto-international-driving-presentation-2797/the-new-golf-powertrain-structure-engines-and-gearboxes-2835 (whilst this is referring to the Golf, it is actually the EA211 engine they're talking about).

The SKODA Mk3 maintenance manual (albeit an old 2013 version, don't know if anyone has a more recent version?) is here and clear: https://www.dropbox.com/s/zh8n0y4sz6jsxcd/Maintenance.pdf?dl=0 See page 16/17 for 1.2/1,4 Tsi, and page 24/5 for diesel cambelt maintenance schedule. For the 1.2/14 TSI, the VW EA211 engine ' service training manual' is here: https://procarmanuals.com/vag-ssp-511-new-ea211-petrol-engine-family/ Page 13 actually says the camshaft toothed belt is 'maintenance free'. I don't know whether to believe the manufacturer or the dealers, but from a warranty point of view it should be the manufacturer to follow IMHO... I didn't get mine changed at 5 years, we'll see how it goes!

I bought some Philips Racing Vision for my Octavia in Feb 2020, so nearly 2 years now. They were £20. £24 now. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LWPJF1J?ref_=pe_3187911_248764861_302_E_DDE_dt_1&pldnSite=1 Not really sure how much difference there is between them all, But these were certainly brighter than the standard bulbs.

That feels like a lot to me, but s/h prices are very high. Maybe get a quote from WBAC to see how much 'market price' is compared with that £17.5K? I bought my company lease car at 3 years old in July 2018 (from Skoda finance/BCA - 2015 plate 1.4Tsi DSG estate) for £11.3K as comparison. But irrelevant really. WBAC offered me £10K for it in October (this year, so 3+ years after I bought it), which gives an idea of how crazy s/h pricing has become. Can't offer any advice on longevity of engine I'm afraid.

That's what they said...but they don't actually state how long the life of the vehicle should be (that I have found anyway..!).....if it were only 5-6 years then....fair enough 😉

I think the problem is that any answers to the question (how long until it failed) are going to be such a small sample size (if it even reaches one!) that it is not really going to give you an answer you can use. If there were any failures, there would be so many variables over usage (how often, temperatures, long periods unused, dusty conditions etc) that it would be meaningless anyway unless there had been many failures and some correlation could be made. I am also yet to hear of a single failure....so statistically speaking, quite happy to not change it at 5 years. But if 90% of owners do change at 5 years (perhaps unnecessarily) then you will never hear of failures anyway... Will be a good question to ask in another 5 years - of people that have not changed it. You take your chances!

I guess it's the choice at 5-6 years old of following the UK stealer's advice of change the belt at 5 years (at considerable cost), or follow the manufacturer's advice from the workshop manual of inspect at 240,000km then every 30,000km (both the separate cambelt and water pump belts). I'm taking the latter path, given I have a copy of the workshop manual and also the VW literature for the EA211 engine which clearly states maintenance free belt for life of the vehicle. I'll trust the manufacturer over a dealer... I'll let you know how I get on 😉

So nobody with a 1.4 Tsi failure yet then so far. ...and a mix of TDi and TSI responses - completely different engines and service intervals of course.

Might be a very quiet thread... Will be interested to see if anyone says yes!

From lyrics link: "Compare to EA111 1.4 TSI, the new engine got rid of its main shortcomings. The stretching out timing chain was deleted and replaced with timing belt designed for entire engine lifespan (that is VW's official statement)."

I bought mine (2015 1.4TSI estate DSG) 3 years ago, having driven it for 3 yrs from new as a company car. In August WBAC offered £8,870 (I just looked out of interest, not wanting to change). Last week they offered £10,000 - a 12.7% increase in just under 2 months. In terms of depreciation it's lost £1,350 over three years - £450 a year. Can't be bad...😁 Think I might keep it a while longer!

French motorways with ACC are bliss! (But still keep well away from any cars with a "B" sticker on ) Not sure how far you're going or if you're planning to hit the motorways, or whether it might be a regular thing, but if you are, have you considered an Emovis-Tag liber-t tag? This let's you drive straight through the toll barriers without stopping (dedicated lanes too). No faffing about queuing and trying to put cash or cards in on the wrong side of the car. Costs a little to apply, a refundable deposit + a fee each month you use it (+ the tolls of course), but makes for a very smooth journey! I've made several solo trips down to Alps and beyond and think it's well worth the money. Costs here: https://www.emovis-tag.co.uk/subscription/

An oft asked question! There are a few posts about it if you search. UK Skoda dealers will say yes based on the 5 years. Skoda (the manufacturer) say no, just to inspect at much higher mileage (~130K) and replace if needed. The belt is designed to be maintenance free. Air cleaner and pollen filter are very easy to do yourself if you are so inclined (and cost £17.50 together from Carparts4 less, vs £80 to fit from Skoda!). Air cleaner is supposedly needed only every 6 years/60K. I change mine more regularly. The pollen filter is harder because you have to open the glovebox, and there is a knack to that (but again, other threads here if you search).

So actually a squirt of grease on the doors.....I wonder how many will check/notice whether that has been done or not...

And looks like the warranty is transferable - there's another link to the warranty T&Cs in the link you provided above: https://customer.vwfs.co.uk/content/dam/bluelabel/valid/www-vwfs-co-uk/documents/SKODA_Warranty–Terms_and_Conditions.pdf Brake fluid & aircon (and belts of course) not included. Looks like it is £768 fixed, not 'from'...

Just received the e-mail - two services (one minor, one major), two MOTs, two years roadside assist (inc Europe) + two years warranty (inc Europe) for £32/m = £768. For cars 3-6 years old with <100K miles. Seems like a decent deal - thoughts?

For the underseat sub, see here (put one in a few weeks ago, BIG improvement): IMHO you'll get much better imaging with separate tweeters rather than coaxials. No experience with what fits in though.

Spare wheel always for me. £65 for a can of sealant is absolutely criminal... £7.50 on amazon...but these things are only good for relatively small leaks....and you might well have to buy a new tyre anyway if you get a puncture...so why not get a spare now and be confident of getting home..?

Nice one! Many thanks once again Bigade!!

If you're just missing a little 'oomph' then see here: If you want a significantly better overall sound then you're into a lot more - starting with soundproofing and probably getting a professional aftermarket install. Probably not worthwhile. It's a relatively noisy car.

Kenwood sub now £94 on the big A https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-KSC-SW11-Underseat-Subwoofer-Radiator/dp/B00BO8O9XQ/ref=asc_df_B00BO8O9XQ/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310873119586&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=293763835383871479&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045816&hvtargid=pla-562423027424&psc=1