Normski55

I had my 2002 Octavia Mk 1 Ambient 1.6 petrol estate for four years between 2016 until recently. In that time I am happy to say that despite the age and 150K miles the car ran absolutely fantastically. In that time I did spend some money on the car, cam belt, water pump, clutch, wheel bearing, brakes and oil changes but I don't begrudge a penny as the car owed me nothing. It was comfortable to drive, never misbehaved and pretty economical (over 40 mpg). I'm sorry to say that as a consequence of being laid up for 6 months due to the virus, the old girl failed the MOT and was going to cost £700 to get back on the road. I was absolutely gutted to see her go when I sold the car to a breaker as she has been a reliable friend. Maybe parts of her will live on in someone else's care. I would just like to say thanks to everyone who helped me through the forums when I needed help. Maybe I will be back in the future if I get another as they are brilliant cars. All the best, Normski

The battery on my Octavia 1.6 petrol 75 hp started to play up so I bought another online using my number plate to supply the vehicle details which they identified correctly. The battery arrived OK and it is a 40 Amp/Hour type. When I removed the old battery I noticed it is marked as a 50 Amp/Hour. The new battery seems OK and the motor spins up quickly. I just wondered, how can I confirm which Amp/Hour battery is the correct one and will it matter? Thanks, Normski

Thanks for your help on this fellas. At least I know I can fill the insurance form in correctly. Don't want to give them an excuse from wriggling out of a claim (hopefully I won't need to). Cheers, Normski

It's time to renew the insurance on the 2002 Octavia. When I search for insurance on the net some forms ask if an immobilizer is fitted and I simply don't know. Is there a way to find out? Cheers, Normski

Thanks Nige, does that mean you don't need the press?

Thanks for the advice guys. I forgot about the advantages of using a copper mallet as it does take the shock out of it. I bought one some time ago so I will did it out. Nice tip about the cold chisel in the slot, didn't think about that. Yes, the video is very slick. Just goes to show what you can do if you have all the right tools laid out in front of you. I have watched a few of these and they are a good source of learning.

Sorry, obviously didn't read it properly. Oil is good. I had a similar problem when I had the water pump changed. Rang the garage and they said sometimes you get an air lock which doesn't come to the top straight away. It turned out to be a hose weeping in the end.

Have you checked the oil? Hope it's not milky.

Thanks for the reply, always good to check first I think.

Got a front wheel bearing grumbling and just wondered if I dare tackle it myself. I've looked on AutoDoc (see below) and there are a couple of things that concern me. These being:- You have to hit the hub really hard to get it off the strut. What are the chances of cracking the casting and will the downward force damage the strut? I have access to a press so extracting and replacing the bearing should be OK. The bloke in the video below makes it look really easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVthmJBaKc4 Cheers, Normski.

Hi Wino, thanks for that. I looked at 7zap.com and found the engine. It is a 1.6 litre AVU. I rang a few motor depots but they didn't seem to be able to help. I then rang a Skoda dealer who sent me this link which is the same as 7zap https://www.partslink24.com/vwag/skoda_parts/illustration-mailing.action?mode=K0LWRGBGB&lang=en-GB They said I needed assembly number 19 shown at the top left near the expansion bottle. Price £117 plus VAT. I'm going to see what I can do. The leak is coming from the connection at the thermostat end so I am looking at just cutting the hose back by about 25mm and reconnecting it with a new clamp. The other alternative is to buy a metre of 20mm hose and try and route it without kinking it.

I've got a coolant leak from the hose that goes from the left hand side of the heater matrix when you look at the engine, to the connection to the engine under the thermostat housing. It could be just the hose clamp but I was thinking I might change the hose as well to be sure. There are no other hoses connected to this one so I was wondering, can I just buy a length of hose the correct diameter and route it from A to B or should I buy a hose that is formed in the right shape? If I have to buy a shaped hose is there a way of getting a part number so that I can shop around on the net? Normski

Thanks Ken, is it possible to describe what a worn bearing will feel like when rocking the wheel? Will it be a large or small amount? I assume a perfect bearing will not have any play at all. Thanks, Normski.

The Octi seems to have developed a low pitch drumming sound when you get up to about 40 mph. The drumming tends to go quite when going around a left hand bend so I'm thinking the wheel bearing could be playing up. I have also got the ABS light coming on intermittently which could be related as I believe there is an active sensor in the seal. My question is, if I jack up the front wheel, how can I check the wheel bearing and what am I looking for or listening out for? Thanks for you help, Normski

Hi fellas, just to let you know the problem is now solved. My local garage charged me £306 for a new water pump, cambelt and top up with anti-freeze. While they were under the bonnet I had the oil and filter changed, £346 for the lot. Very pleased with that. One other possible benefit, I don't know if it's my imagination but the car seems to be running a lot better. Sometimes there was a bit of a lag when pulling away, a bit like the flat spot you got with carburettors. Ken, you mentioned re-timing the injection pump, do you think that might be it? Unless it's just that I had been using my wife's Fiat 500 for a week while it was off the road.