edbostan

I have started to do servicing again like the old days. I resent paying Skoda, now £105 for plugs when I can buy the NGK plugs for £16 odd quid each. I have changed the oil with Redex engine oil, half the price of Castrol, Shell etc and it is C3, VW504, Porsche C30 5W 30W spec. If it is good enough for Porsche it is good enough for me. I have observed this oil has eliminated the occasional chain rattle on a cold start. I have not been able to find who blends this oil - perhaps someone on here might. Parent company is Holts.

Saw a Youtube video of removing the spark plug covers using cable ties. Wrap cable tie around the shoulder of the cover, pull tight and wind the cable tie upwards around a spanner to pull of the cover.

I should get a proofreader. Yes the 1 should be infront.

I filled up on my return from Cornwall this weekend at a semi-rural Texaco station and only noticed that it was E10 from a sticker on the pump handle. Fortunately my car is compatible with E10. On our arrival two weeks before, the displayed price per litre was 34.9p pence per litre. During our stay the price increased to 38.99 pence per litre. Now does the 38.99 pence per litre reflect the E10 price or the E5 petrol? There is confusion on this with pricing and compatability. There is a price hike problem here!

After looking at a sequence on GB News this morning What3words was featuring its advantages in finding you in a moment of crisis. Emergency services can use this app to locate victims in need of medical attention or you can find a destination with the three words not knowing the postcode. It is a clever concept and avoids trying to explain where you are if the recipient also has the app. Rather ingenious British first.

I use Waze via my phone. I have been derided by my youngsters by using my Tom Tom as they regard it as a dinosaur. With Waze it is free and live. Users can add hazards live to inform other users. If you have enough data it is a worthwhile consideration. My son uses his phone and plugs it in to his info screen. I just listen to the instructions rather than seeing the pictorial map as tht can confuse. Just by hearing the voice its just like listening to verbal instructions. Perhaps wifey may prefer it after a trial. Try it locally.

Would you have thought that after building and designing cars for many years, ease of accessibility during maintenance would be a factor. Whether us or a Skoda technician the ease of replacing filters and spark plugs cannot be rated as easy on the difficulty scale. My Roomster 1.2tsi for example, to replace spark plugs you have to remove razor-sharp metal covers of which cylinders 3 and 4 are situated behind metal shielding with millimetres of free space. The cabin filter involves sliding a tight slide while carpet burning elbow flesh on the passenger mat. Replacing the air filter is so tedious unscrewing too many screws and lifting up the airbox cover only to release the bayonet fitted air filter and the risk of damaging the pcv valve. The power steering reservoir cap is under the battery so that has to be removed to check or top up the reservoir. The oil filter is inverted so a chance of residue oil coating the alternator with oil beneath. Not surprising servicing costs are so high when based on an hourly basis and servicing accessibility not simplified. I know that technicians are doing it day in day out but these engines are not good to work on when having a bad day. Perhaps I have had a bad day!!

I read that we need new consumer boards as many houses only support 40amps which is insufficient to support the high-speed chargers required for EVs and the other household consumption. More expense!

Typo 2k, Oh I have been ribbed.

I always thought Skoda pads are made of Brillopads and discs of tin foil according to my Roomster. After only 2000k miles the wear lip was appearing on my front discs and the rubbing noise when the brakes are applied is disconcerting. Nevertheless 8 years later and 43k I have 4mm left on the front pads and goodness knows how much on the rears as they were fag paper thin when new. The rears have little work to do and the discs are not so polished as the fronts. This autumn will be decision time where to get my first replacements.

I was surprised by the good condition of the old one. It had done 20k but the white sleeve was only slightly grey and was dry and no smelling of oil or petrol. Lifting the cover of the airbox to gain entry to the filter the pipe which pushed onto the pcv did become free to my horror. I thought I had broken the valve but the pipe pushed back on. That might be a tip to disconnect the pipe from the valve next time to avoid breaking the corrugated end which pushes into the manifold. The pipe was clear with only a smear of clean oil in the end of the pipe.

I think the MG5 electric is a cracking choice especially with the longer range battery being introduced. MG may upset the apple cart on electric vehicles pricing. I know that being Chinese my upset some consumers but MG still have their R&D in the UK supporting British jobs.

Thanks xman, I will do. It appears rather dense for air to pass through it.

Just bought a Mahle air filter for Roomster. It has a white soft sleeve over the paper filter. Does this white sleeve have to be removed or does it remain covering the paper element?

I bought a Mahle pollen filter for £15

£105 for spark plugs is extortionate. They are £16 each at my local motor factors for iridium tip and platinum core

This is a worldwide problem. My son has a 15 plate Ford Fiesta which needs ABS Module and pumps. Been on back order for 6 weeks now. He is happy as he has Ford Puma courtesy car from Ford dealer.

I have thought about caravan ramps for lifting my Roomster enough to gain access to the sump plug.

I had to have mine done also. I put it down to the air filter being exchanged at a dealer service. When you lift the airbox cover up to reveal the filter which is attached to the cover it puts strain on that pipe and there is no give so leverage is put onto that pcv valve and breaks. Bad design.

Oil is retained in the filter until air is entered when unscrewing it. It is rather like dipping a straw or pipette into liquid and placing finger over the top of the opening. Liquid is held in the straw or pipette until your finger is released and the liquid pours out. There is no one-way valve in the filters

Get a car freshener which could blend with the more powerful fragrance

Don't know how we survived Death Valley without aircon.

Our aircon units are weedy compared with American units. European compressors are smaller and what with the obsessions with emissions we get barely adequate.

I am going to replace the air filter myself so when lifting the airbox cover is does not put leverage on the PCV valve. I am surprised Skoda have not redesigned the PCV tubing to be corrugated so there is give when the airbox cover is lifted

Is not 504 petrol engines and 508 diesels?