tiv

When the blower motor is on (I use it on the lowest setting in auto mode) there is a noticeable vibration on the steering wheel when the car is idling. What's interesting, I only feel it when the engine is on and running idle - when start-stop shuts the engine off and the heater keeps running, there is no vibration. Otherwise the idle is super smooth, when the heater is off, I can't even tell if the engine is running or not without looking at the dashboard (I had the valves cleaned via walnut shell blasting a few months ago). I would not think the blower draws so much current that could influence idle (in the lowest setting, how much could that be - 1 amp?) - but I cannot really think of any other reason. The cabin air filter has just been replaced about a month ago.

On my 1.4TSI the water pump started leaking at 100kms/5yrs. I got it fixed at an independent place specializing in VAG cars, and they said it was a common issue with these cars. They have apparently missed the part in the manual about filling it up under pressure as they said it took them several hours to bleed the system and I had to add small amounts of coolant every morning for about a week after the replacement - then it stabilized and it's fine ever since then. It was a yr ago so I can't remember the exact number but they certainly did not charge for 5hrs of labor - the pump itself wasn't cheap but the overall cost wasn't staggering.

Thanks for the info! Good to learn something new every day No codes or warning lights - I'm going to jack up the car over the WE and take a look at the suspension.

Hello, I've noticed steering to become "jerky" at very slow speeds (parking). It has been raining hard for days and everything is dripping wet, so in the good old days I'd have contributed this to belt slippage (although definitely there is no squealing) Apologies for the daft question, am I on the right track with this? Do these cars have conventional hydraulic belt driven PS pump? Doing the finger poking test on the belt it feels just a little bit loose - is there a way/need for adjustment? What's your experience on drivebelt lifetime ? (does not look worn) The car is 6 years old. thanks, T.

With 6 yrs w/ start-stop on the lowest spec battery Skoda was kind enough to install, I think I'm heading for a replacement - it still starts fine but barely goes above 70% SOC. Anyway, not complaining, getting 6yrs out of it still beats my expectations. Started playing with reading various battery related values with OBDeleven, and this one measurement struck my eye - internal resistance is measured at 7.8 mOhms. Out of curiosity, those willing to do a measurement for me, what does it read for you? IIRC it is with "Control Unit" and "Live Data". Asking because it feels way too high for me - expected 5 or something around that. I know temperature influences it significantly - it was around 15C not too high, not loo low. thanks, T.

Exactly. I had my waterpump replaced by an independent garage and they said they spent hours bleeding it but I still had to add smaller and smaller amounts for about a week every morning. The factory repair manual says coolant is to be filled in using a "special tool" after it has been drained (e.g. on water pump replacement). This tool is actually a pump that forces the coolant in under pressure (has an adapter cap for the reservoir).

Hi, When the heating is on (I use the 'soft' setting), resting my hand on the steering wheel I can feel the kind of vibration associated with idle being not the smooth. Nothing terrible, it's just with the heating off I can not tell by if the engine is on or not, but with the heater fan on it can be felt very much. I'm guessing it must be the extra electrical load associated with heat being on - is there anyone else with similar symptoms? I'd say it's unlikely it is caused by the fan bearing or anything like that, as there is no vibration near the glovebox area, I can only feel it on the steering wheel. thanks, T.

water pump was replaced today, it was clearly leaking by the shaft. end of story (hopefully). Fun fact: by looking at the old WP, I've realized the WP has to come off when replacing the thermostat as the WP cover (where the thermostat is in) is bolted to the WP from the inside. Simply clever...

It is coolant leaking, but at a very slow rate - in about 3 months and 5k kms since summer it went down to the low marker on the reservoir (and then I have refilled it), and the occasional drop underneath the car is still there. Mechanic's advice: leave it alone until it gets worse.

ok, another day, another mechanic, another diagnosis. 1st of all, I've cleaned the oil from near the top of the engine, drove the car since then, and the oil did not re-appear. so it indeed could have been the result of a spill, however I cannot possibly imagine how (so far from the filler cap) took the car to dealership finally, when explaining the symptoms, the guy says, "wanna bet ? it's gonna be the water pump. we've done countless number of them, no matter if diesel or petrol, they all crap out on the mk3 octavias - on the 1.4tsi petrol, it's the plastic housing that develops cracks over time causing seepage". he said what happens is as droplets of coolant trickle down the side of the engine, water evaporates, the remaining thick, slimy stuff picks up the dust/grime and by the time it gets to the bottom it looks and touches exactly like oil. we could not get an absolute visual on the source, as it is obscured even with the car lifted up, but he said he was 100% sure, also suggested a simple check: place a piece of cardboard underneath the car, collect a few drops. pull the dipstick, and drop a some engine oil to the cardboard a few inches away. wait until both dries and check the residues visually. I did that, and while the difference is actually really not striking, there *is* a difference, so what drips is *not* engine oil. there is still no visible change in the amount of coolant in the reservoir (did not drive that much yet, and we're talking about like 10 drops a day).

I was wrong - not the driveshaft seal. Took it to a mechanic today, he smelled the oil and said "aint't transmission oil sir, this is from the engine" and said it was seeping down the side of the engine. He thinks it is either the valve cover gasket, or the camshaft seal at this side of the engine (there is a seal as the water pump is driven from this end via a sprocket and a belt under a plastic shield behind the piping). Due to the insane amount of water piping in the way, it is near impossible to see (and even harder to take a pic, see my attempts below), but oil is visible there. Also, further diagnostics is only possible by dismantling the water piping which would be a major undertaking. The pics with the red circle show where the black of the oil can be seen using a strong flashlight. This guy (although claiming to be an indie mech specializing in VW) said he hasn't worked on a 1.4TSI CHPA engine yet, and he himself suggested trying to find someone more familiar with it. Taking the car tomorrow to another indie Skoda specialist - all 3 dealerships I called has the earliest appointment in 2 weeks...

Yes it is - it feels more greasy than engine oil to the touch and also it is more blackish (I've changed oil less than a month ago, so that's still fresh). It only leaks when I use the car (3-4 drops yesterday as I did drive, no drops today as the car has been parked - put a piece of cardboard underneath). I would not worry much for normal everyday use, but I'm reluctant to leave for family vacation next week with long drives planned. I'll try to get it fixed tomorrow, hopefully not all mechanics are on vacation... I wonder it if it's the driveshaft (it is the long one) coming out of alignment has caused the seal to fail over time (now thinking about it I can recall a faint vibration on accelerations) - otherwise I can't really explain (apart from bad luck) as the car has barely 100k kms on the clock.

All right, there we go. Perfect timing, we were just about to leave for a 1500km trip next week...

Hi, Noticed a small oil patch in the driveway today (quite sure it wasn't there a few days earlier). Reached under the car and kind of blindly shot a few pics (attached), they seem to show the oil is seeping down near the dogbone mount bolt. I'm going to jack up the car and take a look later - until then, does anyone have an idea where it could come from? thanks, Tiv

Thank you, very informative. So I guess currently my best bet is applying more silicone...