nicknorman

I had a 2016 280tsi, it had dual injection. Now I have a 2023 280tsi which has only single injection. Not sure when it changed but I would guess when the 280 went down to 272 and got a gpf.

Have you checked the DSG oil level, using the correct technique?

I forgot to change mine until about 65,000 miles. When I took them out there was no visible electrode wear. Apart from a slight difference in colour they looked the same as the new ones. I could not detect any change in engine running with the new ones. They wear with mileage, not with calendar time. So changing at 5,000 would only be the thing to do for someone with money to chuck away. In which case feel free to chuck it my way!

The fuel consumption will be based on the ECU counting the injection pulses, and their duration. That is to say, the amount of fuel delivered into the engine, not the rate at which the indicated fuel quantity is decreasing. The other parameters are derived in software and the software was probably not written to cater for a failed ejector pump, so I don’t think we can say either way what fault the symptoms point to, however a failed or blocked ejector pump seems the most likely.

I suspect (but not certain) that the transfer pump isn’t a pump in the conventional sense. There is just one electric pump sending fuel to the engine, but there is a T on the output and one arm of the T goes to a “pump” in the other side of the saddle. This pump works by squishing the petrol through a restriction which increases its speed. The high speed fuel passes an opening to the fuel at the bottom of the tank. The high speed causes low pressure (Bernoulli effect) which sucks up fuel from the bottom of the tank. So x amount of fuel leaves the T arm of the electric pump and x+y amount of fuel arrives back in that side of the saddle. The y is the fuel transferred to the pump side of the saddle. So no moving parts or electrical supply, but the possibility of the restriction becoming blocked by some dirt etc. meaning the pump doesn’t transfer fuel.

I have same model and year. No coastal path whistling that I have noticed. I don't have a sunroof, do you? As to the display, I quite like the central tacho with digital speed and happy with the kw and oil temp, so I have not tried to turn them off.

It seems Skoda recently changed the service interval for the Haldex to 2 years (used to be 3 years). And bearing in mind how much gunge was on the gauze filter of my old Superb when I cleaned it after 3 years, it is probably a good idea to make it 2 years! Although why it is a calendar time, not a mileage, I have no idea!

Well, not on my car it isn’t! I am intimately familiar with it after I hit a badger and the plastic air scoop shattered and punctured the radiator. Lots of coolant came out, no oil!

Well because then you have to store it somewhere when not in use. Depends on how much you can afford, I guess. I have had 2 Superbs both with the OEM towbar, and it is pretty good. No complaints other than you do sometimes have to reach under to encourage it out. You certainly need all the electronics, otherwise the parking radar, rear traffic alert radar and manoeuvre braking will drive you crazy. And a camera with the "look down onto the towhitch" mode. Both my 280tsis had an auxiliary radiator in the nearside wing area (RHD), not sure if that is a feature of all 280s or just those with factory towbars.

In the interests of fairness and of mild interest, I should correct the above. Once the car was at the garage I checked the App, which gave me the current mileage and said "updated from vehicle just now" and when I picked the car up, the mileage on the dash was 7 miles more. Which is why I thought they had driven around enjoying the performance at my expense. Which they denied of course. But then I looked at the App again yesterday and still there is about 7 miles difference between the App and the dash reading. I think the reason is: The car actually stores mileage in km, it is converted to miles to be displayed on the dash. And the car also sends the mileage to the App in km, again it is converted to miles to be displayed in the App. Slightly different conversion factors are used in these two conversions (different number of decimal places, eg 0.6214 vs 0.621371 ), meaning that the App and the dash will start to diverge slightly. By 30k miles it has diverged about 7 miles. I did apologise to the garage for the false accusation, but made the point that it didn't seem unreasonable to believe the Skoda App!

The issue with the brake fluid is that it is water absorbent (hygroscopic) and the water in solution can cause brake failure under repeated heavy braking when it boils. I don't think the increased use of the fluid by the tech is the issue. You would think that a car brake system could be adquately sealed to prevent moist air getting in (eg a rubber membrane under the filler cap that allows changes in fluid level without air being pushed in and out, as you get on motorbikes) but it seems that car manufacturers prefer to simply change the fluid more often. I can't imagine why! Regarding the wipers, if they were actually damaged or worn then fine. But I have never yet noticed any problem with the front wipers.

In the end I paid my 8 euros and went onto Erwin. Yes 40k for the plugs and 80k for the DSG as expected. It’s crazy that “customer services” couldn’t tell me that! Although with the last 280tsi I forgot about the spark plugs and didn’t replace them until about 70k. To be honest it was very difficult to tell the difference between the ones I took out and the new ones, other than the latter were cleaner. I couldn’t see any electrode wear and certainly the car went no better after I replaced them

Anyway I heard back from Skoda customer services. “Sorry we can’t tell you when the spark plugs or DSG oil needs to be changed because it is vehicle specific. You will have to ask a dealer.” This despite me giving them the reg and VIN. I wonder if it actually legal to sell cars whilst keeping the servicing regime a secret that only dealers (and not independents) can know.

No not tried Perth or Dundee. I went back to Sterling because that where I got the first 280tsi from and that was a good experience. This time around also a good experience and 100% better and quite a bit cheaper than when I went to Abz to try to buy a new car - and left thinking I just wouldn’t bother! But going to Sterling to buy a new car is one thing (every 7 years or so) but not for a service!

Yes I did take the old car there once years ago. It was not a great experience for a reason I have forgotten. I should probably try them again. They don't sell new Skodas any more, hence why I had to go to Sterling to buy the new one.

Thanks for the wiper tip, I might get one. A rear one, because there i nothing wrong with the front ones. On the Haldex, yes I had a previous 280tsi on which I changed the fluid AND cleaned the gauze a couple of times - I know how much gunge comes off the clutch plates! And to be fair to the dealer, they were advocating having the gauze cleaned for an extra 0.5hrs labour. Would definitely be worth it if I wasn’t going to DIY. Pretty limited for dealers here, when I bought the car I wanted to avoid the local dealership and its other branches, and it was about 120 miles to the nearest dealer not part of that chain! I’ll probably just do the Haldex myself and keep the receipts for the oil from TPS etc. I don’t plan on selling the car until it is well past the point when a full service history has much impact on the value.

My Superb 280tsi is 1.75 years old so I was rather surprised when, after taking it for a service at the local Skoda dealer, they called me to upsell "needs new front and rear wiper blades, needs brake fluid change, needs Haldex fluid change". "Hmmm " said I, "nothing wrong with the front wipers, the rear one has been rubbish from new (seems to be a hopeless design and I doubt replacing it would make it any better), the brake fluid is 3 years then every 2 years, and the Haldex is every 3 years. Well, unless the recommendations have changed recently." "They have" he said. I didn't believe but when I went to collect the car he did show me the printout which now shows brake fluid every 2 years and Haldex every 2 years. Althought they had cocked up thinking the car was Sept 2023 when actually it is Dec 2023. But interesting that Skoda have changed the recommendations to 2 years. So one point to them Then I noticed that the car had another 7 miles on the clock, which seems excessive for a brief road test. Unfortunately they always disconnect the dashcam so I can't see them exploring the 0-62 in 5.3 seconds bit! And when I started the car, the "check engine" light came on straight away. Turns out the dispstick hadn't been put bak in properly. And presumably the check engine light had been on during the 7 mile "road test" thrash, but they hadn't noticed. Not much point in doing a road test then! I was not impressed.

Anyway, for future reference just activate the brake maintenance function using VCDS, wait for it to stop whirring, turn everything off, then push the piston back in. Once complete turn the power back on and exit the brake maintenance mode. When you do this last step, there is lots of whirring as the system "learns" the new pad thickness. So if you haven't properly done this last step after putting everything back, the might be a problem with the parking brake effectiveness.

I can't see how it can be a leak in the caliper if no fluid is escaping. I have heard that when bleeding the brakes by means of operating the pedal (as opposed to pressurising the master cylinder), one should avoid pressing the brake pedal down too far as it can enter a zone where it doesn't normally go, perhaps past a bit of a wear lip, and with a non-new system this can damage the seal. But also of course on these modern cars with ABS and auto-hold, there are more complications in the hydraulic circuit and I wouldn't like to assume it must either be the caliper or the master cylinder. I believe there is an ABS bleed function that can be activated with VCDS but can't remember the detail.

I would have thought that at 180+ kph there would be plenty of cooling air without the fan. Perhaps the issue is the dreaded shrouded water pump sticking or at least not fully opening? Although I am not sure if this particular engine has it, I think most diesels Skodas do.

Quite right. I was thinking of another engine (the one on my canal boat) that takes 7 litres.

Assuming it’s the same as my 2016TSI then changing the oil is a doddle. Warm up first of course, then undo the plastic drain plug (no under-trays to remove). I just use a large flat blade screwdriver. I always replace the plastic drain plug - pretty cheap from TPS. Note, don’t buy a cheapo alternative from ebay. I did but I think I didn’t get away with it (oil all over the garage floor next morning😢 Undo the oil filter housing (top front of engine) but don’t fully remove it just yet, give it a minute for all the oil to drain out of it. That way you don’t spill any. Remove old and insert new paper element from TPS, screw back on. Insert new sump plug, turn it clockwise about 1 turn until the locking arm clicks. Add lots of oil (I think it takes around 7 litres, can’t remember). I use Quantum oil from TPS, very cheap and meets the spec, what’s not to like? I bought a new 280tsi in 2023, changed the oil at 7000 miles and then dealer service at the designated (variable) time (around 16,000 miles). Now due another “interim” oil change by me even though about 7000 miles remaining according to the computer. The later model has a metal sump and drain bolt but I think your 2018 version will be plastic.

Just going back to basic principles, it seems the heating does work if the thermostat is set high enough. So no malfunction of the heating system, only its control. Control is based on actual temperature vs set temperature and comes on when set temperature is higher than actual temperature. So one explanation would be the the system thinks the actual temperature is just below 24. A faulty cabin temperature or airflow temperature sensor. No idea where it is, but perhaps it’s value can be read on VCDS etc.

On a single carriageway road I’d agree. But on a multi-lane motorway surely that depends on how fast the other traffic is going? To be clear, I don’t think it’s useful when overtaking on a single carriageway road, but it is on a motorway when often people in adjacent lanes are going at quite similar speeds.

You didn’t ask the question first time! But anyway, I can’t help except to say “reasonably tight” bearing in mind you are screwing a steel screw into aluminium. I doubt it’s critical.