skodavia

My lease car went back at the end of november, not a skoda but was processed by BCA. they did make a point of wanting to see all the documents and there was a section on his paperwork that he had to tick to say it was present. he also photographed all the service book and manual etc. Sorry if it's not what you want to hear.

These can be cleaned, send me a pm and i will let you have the details of the company we use to clean dpf's.

I used VCDS and also used the guide that is posted on this forum, it worked 1st time no problem, a lot better than how it left the factory, why they don't program this way as standard is beyond me!!

I have activated mine so it now opens and closes from the key fob and from the button by the gear lever. It also still closes from the switch on the tailgate and i have had no issues

tibiking, I've PM'd you

Just putting this out there. We all drive an MQB VAG vehicle. For some reason Audi and VW 2.0 TDI's get a PTC ceramic heater in their heating unit. Skoda in the uk seems to have scrimped on this piece of kit. Could have done with it this morning. I have done some research and the parts are available. some of the wiring is already installed but some of it is not. Basically from what i can see it is a PTC element, 2 relays, 3 fuses and some wiring and connections made to engine ecu and running cables from the underbonnet fuesbox to the heater element. Has anyone ever attempted to do this? do you own an Audi or golf with this kit in and does it make a difference? please let me know, If it is possible to do i will do it and add a guide for it. I need some part numbers for connectors specifically in the under bonnet fusebox for the relays (small pins) and some connectors for the green 40 amp fuses. Also i need some info on which pin on the engine ecu to connect to and the connector involved. TIA

Does it warm up normally as you would expect? also you say the expansion tank seems to be pressurising. how quickly does it do this. Just thinking out loud if it seems to warm up and pressurise it may be head gasket that has gone

The coolant pipes enter and exit the matrix at the n/s so this is why when they partially block there is only heat from the passenger side. as the water will flow through only half of the matrix (drivers side blocked more than passenger side) I have posted a guide on this in the guides section. It explains how to do the matrix and costs involved. I will be flushing mine again in the new year as i'm sure there will be more contaminant in there that didn't come out when i flushed mine.

I thought the pump ran when the engine was cold as the main water pump is 'closed' and this pump circulates the water in the engine through the heater matrix? i may be wrong. Sorry i have no idea how much they are and don't know of any issues

thanks for the info!

Thanks Billycool that is good info. Have you noticed any difference in engine warm up etc with the non switchable water pump? i just cant justify putting something back in that is known to fail.

having a read through this topic it seems a fairly common problem with VAG engines and water pump failures. At the moment i don't have (touch wood) a problem with high coolant temps or coolant leaks but in the near future I will be replacing my timing belt and water pump (i always replace the pump when doing a belt). Looking at parts prices for timing belts/kits/ water pumps it looks like you can purchase a water pump with or with out the switching part and the cost is significantly different. Someone on this post mentioned that the new water pumps come without the collar. I understand why VAG have chosen to fit this pump as it is all to do with warm up times and power losses etc etc. My question is, has anyone fitted a non switchable water pump on their engine? If a non switchable water pump is fitted then as far as i can see some of the problems that arise from this type of pump will be eliminated. I have also seen a you tube video of someone doing this and they fit a non switchable pump and then just swapped the solenoid over from the old pump to the new so that the ecu thinks/knows the solenoid is still in circuit but it will not have any effect on the water pump.

good idea, let us know how you get on

Yes there is! You will need to go to a car parts outlet and look for some a/c disinfectant spray. I did mine a couple of weeks ago for about 6Euros. basically you set the a/c on full and set the disinfectant 'bomb' off and close the door. takes about ten mins to work it's way around the system. job done!

It's always advisable to have a/c on as this also keeps the system running and lubricates all the many joints on the pipework in the system. all too often people believe that a/c is just for hot days but in actual fact the system dries the air in the car and therefore clears the windows as currently with damp conditions outside there will be dampness inside the car. not using the air con over the winter leads to o rings in the pipes shrinking and then the system loses pressure and then when you need a/c in the spring and summer it does not work any more. As you have the manual a/c i would use it at least once a week and certainly when conditions dictate like today. You should hear the difference between fresh air and recirculated air as the air flow will be different and also the windows will not clear as well in recirc mode hope this helps