Warrior193

I suspect that if 13.1 volts is the maximum charge rate delivered, the hotel battery will not fully charge in the time it takes to recharge the HV battery.

IIRC, all 'sealed for life' lead-acid vehicle batteries are valve regulated (VRLA) type now - they are designed to vent through the valve if abused.

^^^^^ This plus suspension lift.

As @toot says, you need to get an accurate level reading first - this can only be done when car is on level ground. Consequences of significant under or overfilling oil are equally bad for the engine. I would suggest adding no more than 1/4 litre until you can get the car to somewhere the level can properly checked.

At 13 .1 volts, your hotel battery would barely be receiving a charge, correct charging voltage for AGM or EFB is around 14.7 V. It is possible your existing battery has become badly sulphated, affecting the charge rate, but If that is the maximum charge rate available while the HV battery is being charged, I can see more problems in the future, even with a new battery.

Closer to 10%, but nowhere like enough to prevent drastic reduction of life. Persistent undercharging, even at around 60%, (approx. 12.3 V) is not great for any lead-acid battery.

Not the same as my Octavia is Mk3 - but I had both battery and alternator replaced in first year of warranty. Replacement battery (Moll EFB) is still reasonable at 6 years, despite low annual miles.

@rmills has anyone actually checked the terminal voltage of the hotel (starter, etc battery) when the HV battery is charging?

I would expect a reasonable life to be at least 4 to 5 years, I would not expect the hotel battery in a hybrid vehicle to have a shorter life than an ICE. A lot depends of how the battery is treated - no lead-acid battery likes deep discharges or persistent undercharging. Have you been told why your battery does not appear to be charging properly?

I assume that you are aware that at 11.6 volts your battery is more than 50% discharged - even with regular recharging, the life of that battery will be drastically shortened.

Happy New Year Rob, great that your move is completed now - that's real RD country, no problem with noisy neighbours eh? Is that a bach on your property too?

Hello John, welcome to the forum.

Hi Matt, you probably have MIB2, if you post a pic. of the infotainment head unit, the system can be identified.

The price quoted for the timing belt is outrageous! - cam belt kit GSF129VG0990 for my MY16 1.4TSI was priced at £98.42 when I had mine changed (at 6 years) in October 2021.

Hi, did the message actually read 'stop/start error' - or 'stop/start unavailable' ?

Hello Morten, welcome to the forum. How is the ride now with the lower pressures? It is normal to slightly increase tyre pressures for winter tyres - although the dealer settings were probably a bit too high. I believe that you have to lift the rubber bellows protecting the shocks from the bottom to reveal if the transport blocks have been correctly removed.

That removal of halogens in 2023 is a reference to the energy use in mains-operated lighting - not based on life of lamps fitted to vehicles.

The 'crunch' means add more glycol 😄

Hi Oz, personally, I'd go for the higher spec/lower price Passat. I would guess that rear seat legroom of the Passat is at least as much as the Octavia, and I'm fine with mine.

A small pan on the hob is also an option.

Hello Doug, welcome to the forum. Blue exhaust smoke, especially when opening the throttle after a downhill run, will usually be oil burning - this can be from faulty valve-seals, worn valve guides or worn piston rings. What engine and how many miles? Is oil being consumed - and how much?

Get it carefully visually inspected at 5 years and consider replacing at 6 - again depending on inspection.

Hello Sanju, I suggest getting the electrical connections for the throttle control checked. Are you aware throttle control is fly by wire?

There can be a small gain made by using 98 or 99 RON fuel - I usually see a few MPGs more when used, which I think balances the increased cost.

From 2015, the 1.4 is quoted as 150PS (about 148 BHP) But I believe some have seen higher figures (stock) on a Dyno.