JulianS

Seen this twice before. Once on my vauxhall common rail. Don't jump to conclusions. I sucked the debris out with a syringe, changed the filter and carried on driving. 100,000 miles later and no more metal has been seen - it's just sh y te from the forecourt pump I think. The high pressure pump is after the filter.

''Saw tooth'' rear tyre wear due to rear negative camber is a ''feature'' of these cars I think. Causes a noise that resembles that of a shot wheel bearing. Best bet is to rotate the tyres regularly and live with it, ThickFit are about the last place I'd take a vehicle to for alignment.

I've got one of the last 1.9 diesel (2010) Octavias with the BXE engine. With 175,000 on the clock I can just detect the first signs of what I think is a dmf failure. Just on tickover, when it's hot there's some random metallic very light banging sounds coming from it. Obviously it will get worse so it needs doing. I plan to fit a solid flywheel as all the evidence suggests that this is a good move on the 1.9 with 5 speed manual. It has had a small oil leak for about 5 years at the rear of the engine, very little but it just manages to wet the undertray, It is from the head/inlet manifold joint. Years ago I got a new gasket and started the job but the EGR pipe to the manifold has a frozen stud and I dared not risk shearing it as that would not really be repairable with he engine in-situe. Anyway, I think you can guess where I'm coming from, Should I just pull the box and engine out as one unit and do both job? How much of a task is it over and beyond what pulling just the box is? I have a 4 post ramp and engine crane. Can I take the front crossmember off as a full unit with all the various radiators as that would make access much easier? And comments, thoughts or suggestions please. Many thanks.

Well I changed the 'stat yesterday and now VCDS confirms that the coolant temperate is correctly regulated at around 89 degrees. A good lesson for all here, the deliberately inaccurate ECU driven temp gauge is no indicator of actual temperature and I bet countless cars are running too cool with the owner blissfully unaware. You should all check as it will hurt economy, heater output and probably cause more deposits from EGR. A bit of a pig of a job, You don't have to remove the alternator although it may not be a bad idea. I removed the bottom rad hose in its entirety and then unbolted the plastic snake like intake manifold (which wouldn't come right out) and managed to pull it up out of the way enough to get access. You then need a 1/4" drive socket, extension and UJ. Prepare for a flood of coolant as draining the system from the bottom hose leaves the engine still full up.

Just out for a run today and thought it would be an idea to have my VCDS plugged in to monitor a few things. Anyway, I noticed that the engine appeared to be running a little on the cool side. Mostly it hovered around 78-84 degrees depending on the engine load. As suspected the temp gauge tells lies as it sits solidly at 90 degrees, it's fed from the ECU of course and never really registers true temperature, unless by coincidence, which is the modern way but mustn't grumble. So, in search of efficiency, a slightly better heater and a cleaner running engine I think I should replace it. Can anyone say where it is and how hard of a job to change. It's an old 2010 TDI with the BXE engine. Thanks.

Remembering that the 1.9pd has a fairly elaborate system back there in the tank that looks like it can start throwing problems especially when the fuel gets below a certain level and the eductor system has to work. One design ''feature'' of the pd engine is all that fuel that travels through the cylinder head, it heats it up like hell, hence the fuel cooler and the funny plumbing in the tank.

You could do worse than have a look here. It spells out pretty well how the lift pump, eductor and other parts of the system work. The problem you have could relate to an issue here: https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/2005-bew-pd-lift-pump-operation-and-internals.225672/

Is it possible that the boot light is remaining on? Had it once on a Morris Marina. Get your smallest child in the boot and shut him in. (for a while!) It looks like you've hooked it up correctly. 820mA is certainly too much although I understand that some modules take a while to go to sleep so maybe you need to monitor for a while.

Isn't that just because you ran it with the MAF disconnected?

I think I read some time ago, maybe on Honest John, an engineer stating that a common theme discovered with all the failed con-rods was a bluing of the associated crank journal. That makes me think that it's prone to nipping up and also explains why the rods get twisted and the little end busted open too. I wonder if there's a production run of cranks or rods that are a little out of spec? My 2010 BXE Octy now has 170K on it and my thought is that as it hasn't grenaded now then it won't. (fingers crossed) It should be nicely loosened up by now and I change the oil and filter every 8K or therabouts. Also I treat it carefully when it's not up to temperature, but when it's warm I use full throttle all the time pulling away but never rev it up so much as it doesn't seem to make it go any better.

Could it be fuel starvation? Change the fuel filter and note if the electric in tank booster pump is working.....

Good morning, I know this topic has been covered many times but I just really want come sort of confirmation that my thinking is good before I spend any money. The alarm went off last night on our 2009 1.9 Octy. It seems to go off every few months for no reason. Anyway, I got my VCDS plugged in and checked on the activations. The current activation was code 22 (back up horn) and the last three/two were all Interior monitor. The last ones were in the summer so likely to have been a spider or fly, so I'm not worried about that. But it was -1C last night, so cold, and the back up horn activation sounds like the battery in the thing is dying. (main battery voltage was 12.5 after standing all night so I don't suspect that) I think I have to buy another alarm/horn unit, do you agree? I bet they are expensive if genuine, any cheaper substitutes available? Failing that, I wonder if I could just unplug the alarm and forget it. The immobilizer is the important thing I would say and the car isn't worth a great lot. Thanks.

Indeed. I think you have to be a bit careful with the ''touches the floor'' thing. As you know it's a dual circuit system so there's effectively two master cylinders built into that one unit. For it to touch the floor would necessitate a failure (or failing) of both brake circuits. Arguably, at the moment I have a brake system that could revert to braking just 2 wheels. (I don't know if it's a diagonal split or a fore/aft slit system)

From the MOT manual: ''This Inspection applies to all vehicles where pedal creep has been detected when pressurising the brakes with the engine running.'' (method of inspection) 3. With servo assistance fully depress the pedal. (reason for rejection) 3. With servo assistance the pedal creeps down and touches the floor. I'm really not sure that it should be doing it, it's an MOT failure. I have to say that I never noticed it before and it is creeping down at a fair old rate and it's hard to come up with a reason for it other than internal seals although I'm happy to be proven wrong. I've got the new part coming now so it's going to be highly interesting and head scratching if it doesn't fix it. http://www.partinfo.co.uk/files/VOSA Inspection Manual Classes 3 4 5 %26 7.pdf

I'm surprised too, to be honest. I had the clutch slave go, nasty cheap plastic job, so I swapped the clutch slave and master to same a break down miles from home. But this brake master has definitely got leaking seals as if you keep you foot hard on the pedal it slowly sinks down to about 1/2 way saying to me that one of the seals is going. it's still driveable but these things only get worse. Car has done about 130K, much of it on long trips so I wouldn't have expected it, but mechanical stuff does sometimes do weird things.

Indeed. But I've drawn a complete blank from any number of factors. So I've ordered one from the local Skoda dealer and should be with me tomorrow. It seems they swapped from a regular switch on the pedal to the Hall sensor on the master cylinder at some stage. Why they're not available is a mystery to me as you can find them on Golfs and Seats etc, as it's all the same stuff. Plenty of them from scrappers on ebay but there's no guarantee that it's going to be any good.

See this picture. I think it's a hall sensor and doesn't just swap over - well it does but the MC needs to be able to take it. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Skoda-Octavia-1Z-04-13-1-9-Diesel-Brake-Master-Cylinder-Ate-0000233512/293212370385?hash=item4444d1b5d1:g:AagAAOSwhNNdbk2B

My 2009 Octavia needs a new brake master cylinder. No bother you would think. Well there are seemingly dozens available and none are correct, Euro Car Parts came the closest to listing one, (at £350 which I reduces to £220 with a discount code I found, but even so - yikes!) but when it arrived it was missing an all important provision for a connection to the wiring harness. Physically it was correct though. I'm awaiting a call back from Morcambe Skoda as the parts man seems to have taken off, however I'm expecting a daft price assuming they can source one. Any thoughts on where I may go for a correct master cylinder for my vehicle please? The regular motor factors with a good reputation, and ECP are telling me dealer only which I find astonishing given the tens of thousands of the things in use as taxis up and down the UK. Julian.

The DPF delete. It occurred to me that you could make a passage way (with a long bar) through the substrate and then just replace it - Mr MOT man would not see the internal mod. And if you don't make the passage too wide then the sense lines fore and aft of the substrate would still see some pressure differential and hence the ECU would be happy and not chuck out fault codes etc? Has this approach been tried before?

Just in case anyone is reading this still, I have done the job. It is not straightforward and expecting the fill and drain plugs to perform in accordance with their descriptions will leave you sadly mistaken. The drain plug at the rear, on the diff housing only drains less than half the contents, to drain it all you have to employ the special procedure as per the link. Filling has to be done by volume via the reverse light switch orifice. Failure the do this will result in a box with very low oil level. https://www.myturbodiesel.com/images/pdf/a5translevel.pdf Regards Julian.

The same basic company that made the lead acid batteries for the Jerry U-Boats in the last war.

Clutches last almost forever if you're ''kind'' to them. I had a 1.9 Pug 306 years ago that managed over 320,000 on the original clutch and gave the impression that it would do another 320,000. Motorway miles don't wear it at all, town driving more so. Julian.

I'm just wondering if anyone has or recommends changing the gearbox oil? My car is a 2010 1.9td with the 5 speed box. and it's on about 115,000 miles now. I know the destruction manual will probably not have a schedule for oil replacement so I don't intent to look. I'm more keen to find out what popular opinion on the matter is these days. It looks like there's a proper drain plug, which is more than can be said for my Vauxhall, which had to have a plate removed from the bottom and a new gasket fitted. Julian

Thanks gav. I've decided to change the master as if the slave was giving these problems then there would be oil all over the show. Fingers crossed! It's dead on this forum. Is there a better UK forum? Maybe I should join a VW forum as this is all the same **** as a Golf etc..... Julian.