alessio92

Hi guys, Couple of things on my Mk3 Octavia 2.0TDI Estate that I would appreciate advice on. Firstly, the front lighter socket (by the handbrake) is currently dead. The rear one works. Am I right in thinking they’re separate fuses? If so, I’ll try that first, if not I’ll look for a replacement socket. Secondly and rather more significantly, I’ve had a few instances recently where Reverse doesn’t seem to disengage properly. It’s a 6-speed so reverse is in the dog leg at the left. On multiple occasions recently I’ve pulled it back to the middle and then tried to put it in first but it’s gone back into Reverse because it hasn’t popped back up properly. It could just be me but I’m slightly concerned that it’s a fault… is this a thing that happens? Thanks!

81,000 Unfortuantely even with a scanner, the garage don't know what's up so it's going back to Skoda.

I have 6 months, but I was under the impression that I can only reject it in the first 28 days.

Okay, fair. I assumed, with the cars being the same parent company and much of the same Internals, that the codes would be the same. Yep that’s it. I’m seriously considering rejecting the car to be honest. By the time I get it back I’ll have about 3-4 days at the most of the 28-day rejection period and I don’t feel like that’s long enough to evaluate whether it’s been properly fixed or not.

Hi guys, Bought a mk3 Octavia last week as detailed on another thread, and it had an engine light come on straight away so it went back. The dealer’s service depot is at a SEAT garage, but they say they don’t know what’s wrong with the car because SEAT and Skoda diagnostic codes are different and the equipment can’t read the codes, so it’s having to go back to Skoda themselves. Can anyone tell me if this is true or if the dealer is having me on? thanks!

Hi guys, As stated on another thread, I’ve just bought a 1.6TDI. Despite having owned 5 diesels before this, this is my first with a DPF so I’m looking to educate myself. I’m sorry if the following seem like stupid questions, I’ve had a bit of a look through recent threads but can’t see the answers… 1. How often will the DPF regen, and what will trigger this or allow it to start? I do know they should take about 15-20 minutes. 2. How do I know if it is doing a regen, so as not to interrupt it? And do I need to keep driving whilst it’s doing this or just make sure I don’t switch the engine off? 3. How would I know if my DPF needs some major work, treatment or even replacing? Car is on 81k but I’ve no idea about the previous owner’s driving style. Ages ago I read that the recommended interval was 80k but I think that was when they were first introduced in around 2008 so assuming guidance has changed? Thanks in advance.

Given that it’s been at a dealer for about a month I’m wondering if the DPF hasn’t had chance to regen properly. How often should it regen, and how long does it need to do it, or what would trigger a regen?

Hi guys, Bought a 2013 Octavia 1.6TDI estate yesterday from a well known dealer chain. Whilst it’s been with them it has been MOT’d and had a cam belt and water pump change. Within 5 minutes of leaving the dealer, we had a tyre pressure warning light on; I didn’t think much to this as it could be perfectly innocent. Drove it home yesterday and then to the shop and back (approx 6 mile round trip) today. On our way back from the shops, the engine coil light started flashing. I’m going to call them and arrange to take it back to be looked at first thing tomorrow, but I just want to know what the flashing coil light could mean, and whether it could be something that the dealer would have known about and has tried to cover, or whether it’s probably just bad luck? Trying to decide whether to let them repair or just reject it outright… there are a couple of smaller things which in isolation I wouldn’t quibble over but the price we paid was the absolute top of our budget and I need this car to be as spot on as possible - allowing for the fact that it’s a 9 year old car. Thanks!

Hi guys, Hoping someone on here can help as I'm struggling to get any replies elsewhere online! I'm looking at buying a VW Touran, 2nd facelifted version so 2010 onwards. It's the first time I'll have had an MPV. The examples I'm looking at are mainly the 1.6TDI - the only other one we'd consider is the 2.0TDI as we don't want a petrol. They've mostly done 80 - 100k miles. Just wondered if anyone could offer any buying advice? Was the 1.6TDI affected by dieselgate or does it have any other known issues that I need to be aware of? How do running and maintenance costs compare to something like a Golf or Octy estate? Any advice gratefully appreciated as I may go to view one this evening.

Hey guys. I’m in the market for a new car which I hope will be either a Mk2FL or mk3 Octavia. My searches so far have led me to a couple of Scouts; I don’t specifically need Scout capability but wouldn’t say no if it’s the best example in budget (under £7k) I previously had a MK2 4x4 but have some questions - hope someone can help! - One of the examples I saw said the engine was 140bhp. Forgot to check the other but I thought the MK2 2.0TDI was a 105BHP as standard; is it different for the Scout? - Auto vs Manual: I’ve only ever owned manuals but drove an auto Corsa on holiday this year and the idea of an auto Octy appeals - but are they any good? 2011-2014 is probably what my budget allows for if that helps. - Tyres: my 4x4 had All-Season tyres on and it was amazing in bad weather. If I get a Scout that doesn’t have them on, it’s something I’d like to do but might not be able to justify doing all 4 in one go- is it legit to do one axle at a time I.e. backs then fronts? Or does that cause issues? - Much difference in running costs compared to a standard Octavia? In the long run I can probably justify slightly higher running costs but I really can’t stretch my initial budget any further so gotta get the best I can for the money, Scout or not! Would also welcome any general buying advice in the current market! cheers!

Cheers. To be honest I don’t want sporty… I’ve got an A4 S-line at the moment and the ride is really poor so wanna improve on that!

Hi, Has anyone owned both a Leon estate (2012 or newer) and an Octavia (Mk2 or Mk3)? Are they the same platform? I need a new car and Octavias were my first choice but their brilliance means second hand prices are high. I’ve seen a couple of attainable Leon estates and I’m genuinely interested as I’ve always wanted a Seat. I’m really interested to know how they compare in terms of owning and running costs (given Seat are the ‘sportier’ brand but there are mostly shared parts & engines I believe) and in particular what the space in the rear seats and boot is like - I need a large boot and rear seats comfortable for adults. Would really value any advice you can offer! Thanks!

Thanks, that's helpful. On a petrol, how many miles is too many?

How does the 2.0 compare on fuel? And yeah, my FIL also looks after his but I was more meaning he doesn't provide much of an analysis on how it drives! I definitely want as far under 150k as possible within budget. The A4 was on 167 when I bought it, which was the lowest I've ever had, but it still turned out to be worn out. Thank you.

Thanks, that's really helpful. Is there a better engine option than the 1.6TDI? My FIL has one and it seems ok but for him it's just a car!

Hi, At some point this summer I need to buy a new car and I'm leaning towards an Octavia III Estate. I'd probably prefer a diesel (1.6TDI?) as I currently do about 10k miles/year - this may increase depending on job situation - and I'm not fussy about whether it's auto or manual (are the auto 'boxes ok?)... but I've got absolutley no idea of what I'd get for my money in the current, rather silly, used car market. Have I got any chance of getting one that isn't totally shot for, say, £5k? What should I be looking for in terms of age/mileage? What are the trim levels? I previously had an 08 Octavia 4x4 1.9TDI and currently running an 07 A4 which is costing me a bomb so I need something that's a real step up in reliability and will last! Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hi. Over this summer, my wife and I may be borrowing my grandma's Golf MK5 for a period of 1 - 2 months between me selling my car and buying a new one. There are currently 4 named drivers on the car - my grandma & her three daughters. I'm just trying to work out how best to arrange insurance if we do this. Do we see if her insurer will allow us to add a fifth (and maybe sixth) driver? I think I'd heard that too many named drivers can push the premium up, or some insurers will only allow 4. Or can we take out a separate policy to cover our use without affecting or voiding the main policy on the car? Or is there a third, better way? Would like to keep cost down as much as possible. Cheers

Thanks all, your advice is very much appreciated!

Cheers guys, also wondering how long is justifiable for a test drive? Ifeel like I’d need a good 25 mins or so on a mixture of roads to get a good feel, is that legit?

As mentioned in other threads I need to buy a new car this summer. And for the first time I’m planning to shop outside the <£2000 bargain bin - unsure of exact budget at this stage. Id really like to test drive a few different brands/types of cars to get a feel for what’s out there. Is it possible to do a few no-obligation test drives with different dealers without having to sit thru a huge sales pitch or anything? How would I go about setting this up?

Hi guys. I’ll shortly be in the market for either an Octavia or Superb II estate, Budget max of £4-5k. I’m just after some buying advice for a Superb. I’ve previously had a Fabia SDI, an Octavia 4x4 1.9TDI and 3 A4 Avants - 2 of which were 1.9TDIs and my current car is a 2.0TDI (140BHP) so I’m not new to VAG by any means but I’ve never had anything newer than a 2008… hoping to get at least a 2010 if not newer this time. I’ve seen a 2014 Superb Combi Greenline with 140k on the clock for just under £4K. What kind of stuff do I need to be aware of if I went to look at one like that? Are running costs much different to an Octavia? Not just economy but tyres, parts etc? Which model of Superb is likely to be cheapest to run (if there is much difference)? I need comfort, space and reliability… and no hint of any form of sports options! Also, how much would I be talking for an aftermarket towbar fitting? Any and all advice welcome, thank you!

Apologies, my post wasn’t intended as an advert, just info for people to help advise me. Sorry if I broke any rules!

Hi guys, Looking for advice about selling privately. The car is an old A4 estate which will be advertised as 'Spares/Repairs' due to two fairly expensive (but entirely repairable) issues, but it's still driveable and is within MOT for a few months. I want the most hassle-free way of selling. Facebook Marketplace is free and easy but when I listed a car on there 3 or 4 years ago (also 'Spares/Repairs') I was spammed by loads of messages from Eastern European guys who either hadn't read the ad and were asking daft questions, or who didn't speak English. AutoTrader appeals on the basis of it being the most obvious place where someone would look to buy a car, but it's £9.95 for a 3-week listing. Has anyone done this - would you say it's worth it for a one-off? Also tempted to stick a sign in the rear window whilst I'm still driving it round but don't know if that's inviting spam haha. Not sold on the idea of listing it on eBay or Gumtree - feel like I might get stung by fees? Would be grateful for any advice and experience. Cheers!

From what's been said, if I could afford a Superb it would be first choice. Will have to keep my eyes open for one. Does the Superb tow ok too? Thanks for the warning about the Yeti, they appeal but sounds like boot space is nowhere near enough!

Hah. I did actually think of this but my research suggests there isn't much more room than an Octavia... but then the Octavia has 140L more than my A4 so maybe that's the way to go anyway!