Gerrycan

Quite true but I cannot recall reading any reports of a snapped cambelt for any mk3? Since we are keeping it for a while longer I may get my cambelt done next service especially if an inspection reveals whether a decarb is required. Lots of very short trips and low revs although it is still running well.

Water pumps on less recent diesels were notorious for failures, although they usually gave lots of warnings. It was standard practice to change pump with the belt as they were on the same side. The pumps were far less problematic on the small turbo petrol engines although my 1.4tsi pump required replacing at about 50k km at somewhat eye-watering cost and did not include the belt which is on the other side of the engine on my model. WE just paid up local (Adelaide) dealer prices because it caught us at a particularly vulnerable period with a bereavement and we smashed the mileage in their loan car but nothing more than we would have done in ours at the time. I believe all the small petrol engines have a similar layout so I suspect it is on the other side to the belt. Depending on your mileage I'm not sure that pump replacement is really necessary (if it ain't broke etc) and if you are changing the belt just because you are being prompted by your dealer then there are lots of threads suggesting the five year UK term is just a dealer fund raiser. Seven years here in Australia before it was suggested to me by dealer and when I declined he did not push it and even said they had not had any problems reported by others who had also declined. Personal choice though.

@Felix2021, thanks for your all your info. Yes our 1.4tsi is good but there is no way it could match your 1.5tsi for fuel consumption at those speeds. A reflection of the better efficiency of Mk4's engine, higher gearing and far better aerodynamics I think. I get similar consumption in our fully loaded Mk3 for similar distances but operating at our heavily policed 110 and 100 kmh speed limits.

Maybe, but only yesterday our govt announced an intent to raise our fuel standards from third world to first world, similar with emission standards and also to encourage EV take-up and local availability. In the meantime there are diminishing options for my preference of fuel efficient manual and non SUV. It is a good move but I recognise that it brings the complications you mention.

That would be greatly appreciated and take your time, it just shows that your vehicle of choice is ideal for your circumstances and needs. I'm not sure how your figures will compare with the 'since refuel' display details (if you have one) since it quite possible your time between refuels will be greater than the 'long term' display automatic reset? First world problem

The are a few manufacturers selling here with various very mild hybrid models and the improvement claims vary from 0.3 to 0.5L/100 which ties with your experience at the better end, and I am pleased to hear you enjoy yours and I also agree with you about learning to drive to the mHEV characteristics. Very few professional car reviewers would have the time or inclination to do that, in much the same way they don't pay for their fuel or work out real consumption but just quote the display. You are right about the lengths that some manufacturers go to improve consumption for ice, but not many are proving to be really (or commercially) successful in the real world; Nissan variable compression engine and Mazda compression ignition spring to mind but there are more. Stop/start technology made a similar improvements to NEDC consumption claims (about 0.5L/100) but in real life some people just switch it off because it is 'overactive' and others are reporting their expensive AGM batteries seem to experience relatively short lives and I'm not sure if the latter case if the fuel savings are greater than battery replacement costs? If the mHEV has more benefits than negatives then I shouldn't and won't be critical, but it would be nice if the consumption improvements around town were a bit better My wife and I both drive our Octavia, she averages a creditable 5.9L/100 driving to and from work in our peak traffic in an outer urban environment. I will average about 15% less in the same conditions, no electrickery just technique.

Not sure what Toyota are now selling in Europe/UK but in Australia it is pretty much based on the original Prius format of, high efficiency Atkinson cycle engine, small NmH batteries and cvt gearbox. Sized to application from Yaris to Kluger large 7 seat SUV (Australian nomenclature) models. Hybrids represent up to 76% of sales here for certain models. Fuel savings claimed are around 40% better than full ice versions and I have heard of very few complaints from owners that they cannot match official figures. I believe the Yaris Cross hybrid may have a new improved NmH battery but otherwise same old, same old. Toyota do not sell a PHEV version here. Absolutely agree with you about vehicles needing to be "smaller & also lighter" and I'd add aerodynamic as well. Not just ICE but EV as well. Unfortunately the largest selling class of vehicle in Aus is the ute, mostly diesel, and none of the above especially when they are the specially imported and converted to RHD US RAM and F150 models. Humanity is seemingly doomed although the new Australian Labour government is showing signs of a genuine environmental conscience. I had never been a Labour voter but was driven to it to replace the old Liberal (very, very conservative) collection of corrupt liars and morons lead by Scott Morrison who not only claims to believe in god but seemingly thought he was god.

I admit I have not driven a mild hybrid 48volt system but they are on a few vehicles sold here and the official consumption figures and local reviews figures suggest they really only offer a few points per litre improvement so it is interesting to hear of your real world experience and opinion of the tech. Our Skoda is a seven year old manual 1.4tsi, no stop/start and I can usually improve on the official combined consumption figure in urban driving using light 'hyper-miler' techniques in our admittedly lighter traffic conditions. If I catch lights which I know have a long cycle then I manually stop the engine for the up to 1 and half minute cycle. The 48volt system allows a driver easier access to those sorts of techniques but I obviously I don't actually switch off the engine when coasting. I'm past retirement age but still working and normally we would have considered changing our Octavia which has been, and still is, an excellent 'goldilocks' vehicle for us. However Skoda prices have gone through the roof here and are no longer the clear bargain they were, I value efficiency more than excessive performance I would rarely use. The base Octavia sold here is still a 1.4tsi but with an Aisin 8 speed torque converter box with poorer consumption figures than our existing vehicle. We are on the cusp of a new generation motive power for vehicles so buying a new pure ICE seems short sighted, EV is too expensive, current individual vehicles not quite to my liking and the infrastructure certainly not in place in Australia. A PHEV seems to offer a middle ground but I cannot make up my mind whether it is the best of both worlds or the worst. Rust on our vehicle is not a problem since we live in a Mediterranean type climate and is low mileage at 50k miles so the temptation is to just persevere with what we have got and wait for prices on new vehicles to stabilise when supply chains improve and/or EV tech and infrastructure matures to point where it is more viable for us. I am comfortable with ICE as I think I know its strengths and many weaknesses, but battery technology is a bit of a head scratcher. It seems the more you actually know about it (not the marketing tripe) the more questions it raises. Battery chemistry and performance is far better than it has ever been but my opinion is that it has a long way to go if we are going to be totally dependant on it I really value the contributions that members make to this forum that can help me understand more and assist our possible vehicle choice decisions. Australia will get more options including VW group PHEVS and EVs in the next year of so and Cupra options are now selling here. The irony is that little New Zealand get a far better range of vehicles and much earlier than us because they don't the restrictive rules we have (originally put in place to protect the local car industry which has now disappeared anyway).

@roottoot, your suggestions are not necessarily cheap, convenient or necessary to calculate fuel consumption. It depends on what the car offers on consumption displays ( which is why I asked) and normal routines. @Jim2015 has given us displayed stats for a couple of his longer trips where it used the ice and there seems to be a wide variance in potential consumption between the two. I was just going to politely request that when he refills, and it might be a long time between refills, that he supplies us with the amount put in and the 'since refuel' display figures to try and work out trip display accuracy. The Bosch add on 48 volt very mild hybrid system does not seem to offer much consumption benefit for its added complexity. The Toyota hybrid system is even more complex but for a relatively small extra cost can near halve consumption. VW group PHEVs could be the single car solution we are looking for Australian conditions when they become available here but they will not be cheap. I am trying to avoid Chinese vehicles if possible but they are all that are affordable / available here.

Impressive on several levels although as Root says it is dependant on display accuracy and I'm not sure how that accuracy can easily be tested. Taken at face value the distance on battery alone is exceptional and it suggests that the 11km utilising the engine was achieving around 70mpg so despite the low aircon setting you must have been driving very economically. Standard ICE Octavia have three consumption display; current, since refuel, long term (usually last 99 hours of driving). Do you get a variation of this with the iV? If so then it may be possible to do some sort of comparison of calculated fuel consumption against reality when you refuel? Unlike Root I am less sceptical about the possible 70mpg since, as I have said (many times) before, we got close to that in a rented Toyota non-rechargeable hybrid, in higher temperatures, and without any attempt to achieve good economy. It worries me a little bit that the battery seems capable of running from 100% right down to zero since this is not good for the battery long term. Again it might only be reporting on utilised capacity rather than actual capacity retaining a percentage at either end for battery longevity? After all the water temperature gauge on VW group ICE vehicles is artificially stabilised at "N"ormal to avoid scaring the punters about the variations that occur in normal operation. If it does indicate a high temperature then you DO have problems.

It is just over a month since contracting covid and then a subsequent cold and while there has been considerable improvement I am still struggling with congestion. I did try a 'make-or break' run a week ago but it was a real struggle and made my condition worse for a while, so more break than make 😞 I can work ok because I don't push near the aerobic threshold, but my short trot to catch the train the other day, normally a non-event, was anything but, so obviously I have lost a lot of condition. Read a scientific review the other day where ten US universities had tested their (young, vaccinated) athletes who had contracted covid-19 and found that 2.5% subsequently suffered from mild heart myocarditis (inflammation) and so were restricted from re-engaging in intense training/competition for up to several months until the condition subsided. Since the age range was limited it does not really confirm whether that particular cohort is is more susceptible or not, but it certainly is yet another indicator that covid after effects should still be taken seriously by all ages.

Ye gods, I don't like the sound of that!

Well, just as I recovered from Covid I caught the cold that my daughter brought home from a local craft beer festival. She brought home beer too but has not shared that with me 😞. Strangely the wife has managed to avoid contracting either virus from either of us. I'm sleeping in a different room while spluttering through the night, but we are all sharing the rest of the house. Three years without an infection and this chest and head cold is an absolute doozy and in some ways more debilitating than the covid was. It has felt like the dog has been sitting on my chest all week, so no running although I have struggled through work. Hope to get over it soon and resume running before we leave for the UK at the end of the month where I hope to partake in some Parkruns where I usually win ................................. the bit where they ask who has come the longest distance to take part .

The additional information would probably help me understand. I know how the Octavia iV operates but not all aspects of what is reported here is not quite in line with my expectations. I'm not up to date with UK fuel prices so I'm not exactly sure what 5.50 pounds buys, 2.5 or 3 litres? I'd be looking at getting somewhere between 45 and 60 km on that quantity variation with my old 1.4tsi (gentle touring) and it would currently cost three pounds maximum here in Australia. We are coming to the UK later this month and looking at rental cars which are far more costly than 5 years ago. Oddly full EV options are not a whole lot more expensive, but obviously there is the fact that I'd be paying full commercial recharge rates and I'm not sure that we can afford the probable travel time penalty involved with planned trips from London to Scotland and other parts. Very tempted and great for local stuff but I'll have to sit down and work it out, and soon. I was surprised that Toyota hybrid options (or even any rechargeable hybrids) were apparently not available on any UK rental site I could find? Pity as we had very good experiences with one we rented last year in the Northern Territories. We will probably end up with a Kia C'eed which seems the best price for size option.

The overall consumption is excellent but for the 16 miles of ICE use you got about 30 mpg?

I think it wise to follow the manual's recommendations and resist the temptation to lower pressure even if it feels 'wrong'. The Octavia is a relatively light vehicle (less so if you have diesel and awd version) so a 1300kg towing weight on the back is compromising performance but I am sure you are aware of the potential risks and drive accordingly. I'm presuming the caravan is a single axle unit with simple sliding mechanism activating drum brakes. The brakes are essential but they do have their limitations and their effectiveness can easily be compromised by water ingress, overheating or even irregular servicing. In the event of an emergency braking situation there are all sorts of unusual forces being exerted on the rear of the vehicle (effecting both front and rear tyres) with excessive thrust and downforce on the towbar the extent of which will depend on a number of factors including caravan centre of gravity, its braking system efficiency and road gradient. In the worst situation you will need the recommended high car tyre pressures to resist tyre deformation and consequent compromised tyre/road contact that could eventuate from heavy braking loads. I'll repeat what I posted in another tyre pressure topic: You don't wear seatbelts for the comfort or convenience but for when things go drastically wrong and I consider this is a similar situation and personally I would go for safety over comfort tyre pressures.

I remember a Briskoda post years back where a mk3 2.0tdi estate owner was happily getting 50 to 60 mpg on his commute and then he swapped with his wife's small petrol car for a month or so. She remarked after a while that it needed refuelling so when he refueled he was amazed at the poor consumption (much worse than the OP's). She was only doing short local runs and there must have been constantly interrupted regens. Normal consumption resumed when the cars were swapped back.

Welcome @Slick2097 I just looked up the Tolkien run on the net and the promo video of the route looks quite fantastic! Quite envious of you even though I'd now be struggling to do 10km especially with some steep bits. Really popular too having completely sold out. Looking forward to hearing a report from you about the event.

I can relate to what you said regarding exercise and mental health. It certainly helped me through a really protracted phase where I was unemployed and the difficulty I experienced of getting any employment was a real shock. Life happens and there are setbacks, but you have a good conditioning base that is going to help you to heal faster and I expect you to come out the other side with a reasonable level of fitness. You will be able to increase the levels of exercise as you heal. Do not underestimate the benefits of a good walk, physically and psychologically. To quote my wife's physio when she had debilitating and painful lower back issues from a sudden disk prolapse a couple of months ago. "You're in good health and physical condition and I'm optimistic we can resolve your issues without major interventions. Of course if you were carrying a 20 kg stomach then this would be an entirely different conversation". He was right by the way and she improved rapidly

Sorry to hear about your injury, unfortunately there is not much that can be done about a rib break. I did one ice skating and as I was a very poor skater it was an easy thing to give up but I could not do anything active for a month or so. A chest ligament tear from coughing was actually the more painful if anything, so it will be interesting to see what your x-rays reveal. If you can do a gentle walk then that is good, just do what is comfortable and you might have to adjust your diet for your lower energy consumption.

A story from the safe driving course, I have related before, was about a complaint they received from previous participant who said she followed their instructions and went to her local garage and put the recommended extra psi into her Datsun 120 (that gives an indication of the age of the story although cars just do not rust here) but it was bouncing all over the road and rattling to bits, she lived locally so they asked to pop in to the track. They tried a standard 'pencil' tyre pressure gauge on and the end popped out of the housing, they eventually found a gauge that could measure it. My memory is a bit vague about the fine detail but I believe they said it was around a 100 psi. Unbelievable the tyres did not explode, or pop off the steel rims and equally that the forecourt pump with malfunctioning gauge could get it to that pressure. She did say it seemed to take a long time!!! I've picked up brand new cars on two occasions that had pressures in the mid 40's which just felt wrong and I had to let down. I assumed they weren't checked during the PDI. Apologies to the OP for going so far off topic

I have links to the Ballet work where they emphasise the importance of strength training over stretching for reduced injuries. This resonates with me because during my time with youth gymnastics I always hated the amount of forced stretching that some coaches employed. STRENGTH BEATS STRETCH | The Australian Ballet The other link is to an ABC 'great moments in science' program. The actual university research found that if the human Veillonella bacteria present in elite athletes guts were introduced to mice systems then they immediately performed on average 13% better on treadmills than control mice with none or other bacteria added. The bacteria is not present in sedentary humans. Bacteria of champions - ABC Radio National Felt like a run for the first time in two weeks since contracting Covid and seized the feeling before it passed. Lovely day 17 dec C, and topped up the winter Vitamin D as well. Post covid catarrh/cough is significantly less (at the moment). I was not happy returning to work unless I could prove to myself I could complete a 5 km run so quite relieved.

That tiktok is so on topic in our house it is almost frightening. My wife had an accident on the bottom step of our stairs the other day resulting in a mildly hyper-extended ankle. Initial panic as we tried to assess how much damage she had suffered, then immediately into a raised leg position with a cold bean bag from the freezer applied.....because that's what you do. We never really liked the idea of compression of an injured area (unless to stop excessive bleeding, or to slow the spread of venom from a snake bite). Long story short, it was mild, there was some general swelling, movement was restricted for a a day or two and today she went for a gentle two kilometre before work and 'all the colours of the rainbow' bruising is now appearing. The cooling and raised leg did not really do any damage, but probably did not do much good either, what has made the difference is that she got back moving as soon as possible. I've done some really bad ankles and Achilles tendons in my time and thankfully fully recovered from them, but healing always accelerated when I could resume sensible movement. I remember of a report some years back of someone who was running the equivalent of two marathons a day running the circumference of Australia. At one stage he had two really bad Achilles tendon injuries (presumably over use?) but against all advice he chose to continue (restricted) running. His progress was being monitored by an Australian university program and they were astounded at how fast the condition healed, way faster than any expectations and there were mutterings that it could lead to a revolutionary change to the way that such injuries should be treated.

As @AGFalco said the minimum recommendations are comfort biased. During the safe driving course introduction a couple of guys checked the participant's cars tyre pressures. More than fifty percent were below minimum recommendations, including mine on my first time at the course. Tyres are naturally porous and leak air, slowly but steadily so unless checked regularly are likely to be under. Pressure varies with temperature so if set when tyres are cold on a hot day then they will be lower as the ambient temperature falls, overnight or even on as daily temps fall from current highs in the UK. Running at comfort settings leave little margin for error so I always follow the course recommendations. It is a bit like wearing a seat belt, a bit of discomfort and inconvenience for a whole lot more safety when things go wrong.

Under heavy braking the additional load on the front tyres causes them to flex the outer casing enough to lift the centre of the tyre. Pre abs apparently it used to manifest in parallel skid marks from the outer edges of the tyres only being in contact. Higher pressures reduce the wall deformation to allow road contact across the whole tyre and better braking. That is what they told us on the course and I have had a veteran traffic cop confirm it to me as well.