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It sounds like you and I are running basically exactly the same cars 👍 - manual 230 hatches (albeit yours 2 years younger + FL), both Stage 1 Racingline maps with 330bhp, both 235/35 R19s. I should have added that the APR and 034 (without the additional part they require) mounts do operate exactly the same and have absolutely zero discernable difference in NVH properties from each other. I did see your other thread, I think I also commented (can't remember!), but given what you've described, I'm pretty convinced that the noise is axle tramp under the increased power - especially since we've extended stock BHP by +100 or thereabouts. Mine did it before I replaced the mounts, although I don't tend to pull away hard that often to save the stock clutch for now. Personally, I would go for it to see how you get on with it 😊 It's not an invasive mod, it's not that expensive for a test, and it's fully reversible - so long as you ensure you replace the bolts each time to prevent stripping.

Evening! I've had both the 034 Motorsport billet alu and APR stainless steel fitted to mine for the past 2.5 years; the 034 first, and the APR one earlier this year due to 034's admittance that additional strengthening was needed to avoid warping - which, once removed, had not occurred on mine. In terms of noise, vibration, harshness (NVH) there is a noticeable difference in all those areas, but personally it's not that much. It's obviously difficult to describe on here, but I feel it mainly in vibrations through the floor. Everyone has their own tolerances around NVH and is totally subjective. For me, it meets my tolerance level but then again I have stiffer springs and an aftermarket exhaust - so it only adds minor NVH to what was already a noiser (AKA "more purposeful...") car. I fitted it because I wanted reduced (if not eliminated!) wheel-hop, better manual gear changes, and peace-of-mind knowing I had some better components fitted to make the car 'feel' sportier, since it's Stage '1.5' remapped (additional components on Stage 1 map). Gears are easier to select and the manual throw is much less vague - not that it's a bad 'box to begin with, but you definitely get a lot more consistency with the 'felt' changes. It really optimises the car for me, and makes it even more enjoyable, so for that reason I can stand the NVH. Based on your initial post, if you want a 'smooth drive', it's perhaps not the best choice for you as it never really 'beds in' - you just get more used to it. In real terms: Noise - it took about 1 week for me to get used to it on daily drives, but doesn't add a great deal (especially not to mine). It's just more noticeable at lower revs. Vibration - You'll feel it in low rev maneuvers a lot more; reversing particularly. This does add to the 'harshness' factor, but the fix is to rev more OR just get on with it... It feels a bit like a 90s diesel Volvo occasionally, especially on cold start up. So if you do a lot of stop-start / commuting, it's probably not a great idea if you want a quiet, comfy drive. Harshness - The only thing I can add here is when you release the clutch without accelerator for a slow take-off / maneuvers, you'll feel more vibration. But it doesn't affect the drive much IMHO. If anything, the 'pros' that I added above re: accuracy of gear changes and the 'tightening' up of the whole car under revs is hugely addictive. I personally love it, but I am aware that I've optimised mine for performance where it counts, rather than make it the comfiest it can be. Swings and roundabouts 😃 My recommendation would be to really consider what you want to achieve by adding it, and whether it'll bug you having the vibrations. Good thing is it's not an expensive part to buy or fit, and - so long as you replace the bolt each time - its's easy to refit the old one if you test the APR one for a few weeks / months. EDIT: If you do go for it, be sure to identify the right part as there are 2 different shapes available depending on your individual car.

@Stuart-h - Who did you use for the re-map? If / when the dealership identify that the car has been remapped, they may directly attribute the 'fault' to the map and will charge for it outside of warranty. Wouldn't know costs of replacement / fix, as they haven't yet identified the root cause yet. It would be worth calling the re-map company to query if they've experienced this sort of issue post-map before with other customers, and if there is a fix for it. If not, it's still useful information for them so that they can log these sorts of issues to identify any trends going forward.

Hi Steve, welcome to the forum. There are a lot of posts about wheels and fitment (for future info, you can also use https://www.willtheyfit.com/ for aftermarket wheel checks to your car). The OEM wheels from Octavia VRS Mk3 were either 18" or 19" sizing. Both should be standard fitment in terms of wheel hubs / bolts etc. To get more specific advice from others in this forum, it would be good if you could specify what size wheels you're going for (or provide link) and any other information with EBay post? I'm no expert in this field and looking to get a/m Neuspeeds anyway, but used WillTheyFit etc to verify fitment. Things to consider will include: - Increasing the wheel diameter may affect your speedo calibration, so you might need to get it re-calibrated (Skoda may be able to assist, or any VAG specialist garage) - You may still find that without suspension changes, there may still be a larger gap than expected re: fitment between wheel and arch. That's a minor thing, but some expect wheels to fully fill these but might just raise the car slightly. - Unsure what larger wheels will do with stock 'SE Technology' spec suspension, not just in terms of harshness but also any extra wallow etc. since they're not the lightest wheels around and adding unsprung weight might unduly affect performance of the standard car.

Doesn't sound like it's the lower engine mount in your case, then - seems more likely (as you've highlighted) that it's suspension related (i.e. hitting bump stops) OR heatshields OR exhaust hangers that meet their tolerance limit and connect with something... If it only happens occasionally under certain conditions, theoretically it would be easier to nail down - except it's hard to repeat those conditions without nailing the car a lot. As an aside, replacing the lower mount is an excellent mod (particularly in a FWD car with upwards of 260bhp) and IMHO the additional NVH is minimal in the TSI's. That said, everyone's taste is different and I'm aware the 'tuners' have got a bigger appetite for NVH than others. Considering the parts are ~£50 and easy to fit, it's 100% possible to try and rollback if it's not for you.

Another simple fix is to never use a Skoda dealership for servicing, and switch to a specialist VAG or tuning garage. (I understand that there are massive dependencies on this, including whether or not you need to maintain guarantees / warranty / PCP clauses, as well as higher costs potentially etc). However, independent garages have a reputation to uphold and more often than not deliver vastly superior service, with better knowledge. Rather than typically lower quality, high quantity work that most dealerships provide. If you can't trust them to fix a simple issue after multiple requests, how can you trust them when it comes to the bigger stuff? And if you care about quality work to the vehicle, it's a no-brainer to move to a VAG specialist. Either way, all should have checklists of some sort to ensure that requests for resetting servicing intervals etc are completed to stop the inevitable pinging on every start-up!

Like I said @EnterName 😉 All proper useful info though, I've learned a lot reading through all this.

This is a good point to raise. As someone who happens to work in this area (security, mainly) - if anyone at the garage raises 'GDPR / UK Data Protection Act 2018' as a reason not to show you receipts from previous owners etc, I'd advise the following: A) ask for the clause in their privacy policy regarding this (i.e. don't let them fob you off with a made-up / half-understood "store policy" approach). Read what it says and/or ask them to explain their justification. and B) ask them to anonymise any documentation (e.g. scan / photocopy and black out the previous owner's address). As a potential buyer, you have a justifiable reason ("legitimate interest") to get written assurance that the car you are looking to buy meets your requirements and expectations. If it's within the capability of the garage / seller etc to anonymise documentation, which they will have to hand somehow (unless they're utter tools), they should do so. You're not looking for who owned it; you're looking for what was done to the car, when - as per normal car history stuff (e.g. servicing intervals, modifications, repairs etc). It's probably a minor point to raise, but I'm sick of common sense and genuine requirements from legitimate interests getting arbitrarily blocked through ignorance of data protection legislation. #NerdRantOver 😉

You'll probably get 1000 different academic answers from this wonderful forum, since it's all dependent on the engine make/model/tolerances & oil spec used within the engine 😉 As a general rule of thumb (& as I'm sure you're well aware), the indicated coolant temp meets its 'normal' level much faster than the oil itself. Oil takes a while for it all to warm up and become less viscous, therefore putting less friction on the engine components & doing its job properly. Personally with my VRS, for example, typically sits between an indicated 95 deg C (which I regard as the 'cool end') to 105 deg C (usually 'middle' - e.g. motorway driving). I'd consider 'Hot' to be 115 deg C+ in normal driving, unless doing track days etc. I'll take it gently for the first 5-10 minutes of driving where it starts increasing from the indicated oil temp from 50 deg C -->. My personal approach is to wait until it hits 90 deg C, where I (subjectively) feel that it's "warmed up" to allow more spirited driving etc; but appreciate others might think differently. I'm not sure there's any definitive answer online unless someone is a verified VAG engineer, but typically anyone with mechanical sympathy & understanding will limit any spirited driving or overrevving until the oil meets at least 80 deg C, where it starts to reach its operating temperature.

As a little update to the 'black badge' discussions, I recently updated the rear look of my hatch. Not for everyone, I'm sure, but I wanted a cleaner understated look without fully de-badging the rear. Figured that the Skoda emblem negates the need for "Skoda" lettering, and that simply replacing "Octavia" and "VRS" in black would create a bit of imbalance, with them only on the upper and lower RHS respectively. Other half knocked it up in Photoshop, then I spent a happy afternoon removing original badges and replacing them. I'm happy with how it turned out

Few other threads on this topic including the one below, as well as some suggestions for brand options if you scroll up. Would also consider a dogbone (lower) engine mount to tighten up the engine chassis connection which adds to the 'feeling' of tighter handling, if you haven't already. Not only reduced wheel-hop under load, but when cornering on mid/higher throttle, it works well with a tighter suspension setup too

After fitting it, I spent a full 5 minutes in aesthetic ecstasy, flipping the silicone lid off-and-on, off-and-on, in pure tactile delight. SWMBO looked at me like I was mad. Then she saw it, tried it, and that was the rest of our evening... Also, definitely get these. Not quite as tactile, but definitely one of the best simple mods.

If there was turbo leak, it would be accompanied by a pretty obvious exhaust gas smell. Had one when the V-band on my turbo wasn't properly secured after adding the 3" downpipe on the Scorpion system. After being tightened, it was considerably better. Everything else from the OP's thread seems directly related to the stock clutch not being adequate for the torque; which now seems fixed after a Sachs clutch upgrade

QS Tuning in Haywards Heath I'd highly recommend. Only ever received excellent service from them, incredible knowledge and expertise. They're also a tuning shop so they know their way around all the models. Appreciate it's a bit of a mission from Chichester, but is a good option.

Presumably, yours is resonated? (Otherwise you'd be used to the excessive booming of the unsilenced system 😉) There seems to be a lot of factors as to how boomy or resonating the Scorpions feel. You seem to have addressed one of the most common issues which is with it developing some sort of turbulence between the 'real' exhaust ends and the fake tips. If there's too much of a gap, it tends to cause vibrations (and that's about as much 'science' as I understand 🤔). I mainly notice booming with my rear seats down, but I've not added any additional sound deadening in the car yet. Normally it's in the mid-range too, under load. With seats up it tends to be ok, although yes - on long motorway drives / with a hot exhaust, it does get pretty loud. You might investigate the Y-section again and proximity to heat shields. I asked my tuning garage to ensure all the heat shields and undertrays were tightened appropriately as a direct request last time it was on the hoist; seemed to fix a few minor (unrelated) rattling issues

What MK3 6spd manual model do you have? Pre-FL VRS 230, at 34,000 miles (32k of that mine) Do you have any loose movement in the stick in neutral or engaged (i.e. does it wiggle a bit)? No, little play in the stick. Do you have a stiff/overly notchy gear change from 1st into 2nd when cold? How about 2nd to 3rd? I think universally 1st - 2nd is notchy when cold, although mine has improved considerably over time (i.e. past 20k miles). 2nd to 3rd absolutely fine. Do you have any mechanical feeling through the stick into 2nd? No more than normal, usually feels like a thinner gate. Could be the nuance of VAG design bypassing reverse gear. IF you do have a mechanical feeling, is it crunching gears OR something between the 'box and the stick on you opinion. No more mechanical than normal. Has it got better or worse over time/miles? Better for me. But an important point is that I've got a dogbone engine mount fitted. Was an 034 billet aluminium piece, then replaced that with an APR billet stainless steel piece. Significantly eliminated any 'play' in movement and improved gear shifts making it much more precise. How about going into 1st or reverse? Same as @TrinityJay - reverse has pulled the partial engagement trick on me once or twice, but that's expected behaviour. Getting back into first from second (i.e. slow movement forward, like slowing to crawl up to traffic light), it has it's normal mechanical protection (to prevent change into 1st at speed and overrevving the engine) - but easy enough to pre-rev and change down as needed. Have you had an oil change? IF so VAG oil or other? Any difference? No. Have you had an alignment? No, although the lower engine mount made an immediate world of difference. Have you had synchros replaced? No.

99% sure it's the clutch, as had exactly the same issue (with same setup) and posted back on here a while ago. The torque generated with a >280+ BHP map overrides the standard clutch friction in higher gears when lower in the rev range. Literally would copy and paste what @MarkyG82 said re: kicking down to a lower gear to prolong standard clutch use before you invest in a new clutch and the associated labour costs of upgrading it. Skoda will not want to know, and as the standard car is supposedly set up for '230ps' as standard (usually baselined around 250-260 BHP OEM in the UK), any remapped car will void the warranty on the standard clutch. Hence why I went immediately to VAG tuning garages since I bought mine and not looked back. If it's only happening intermittently, might be to do with heat - i.e. long vs short journeys. The short-term fix is change down when accelerating hard. The longer-term one is replacing it with something like a Sachs Organic clutch.

Prices do seem it, but they are actually very decent quality (presumably you mean the gloss black Monte Carlo 'black magic' ones?). They're well-painted in metallic black, with a high quality resin finish. Going for cheaper options is typically a false economy; or you could try plasti-dipping them yourself but it will be difficult to achieve the same effect. I literally just bought replacement boot / tailgate badges to finalise matching up all badges minus the grille to Monte Carlo black; Superskoda delivered in 2 days flat!

No move from between 35-38mpg average in the last 3 years - throughout town, A & B road, motorway and spirited driving. Manual pre-FL 230 with Racingline stage 1 (now "OEM+") map on Shell V-Power.

Think this feeds into my '90s fast saloon' love and age category but: - More induction and exhaust noise for the VRS models. Even in 2016 the EU regs were not as limiting as OEM setup - Wider track on rear (fitment similar to OEM VW or Audi) and choice of OEM 8.5J R19s - Stiffer rear suspension and better anti-roll bars as standard - Full LED internal and external lighting as standard - @TrinityJay +1 on boost gauge 😅 - Stronger manual handbrake cable... for both mature adult 'assurance' reasons, and immature child 'handy-turn' reasons - Better quality audio speakers - Power dampers on bonnet as standard Otherwise, as above, most of us knew what marque we were buying when we went into getting a Skoda. It's 3rd tier in the VAG group hierarchy, but it definitely fills the niche well in terms of weight (much lighter due to less sound deadening) and space (even with the hatch, I can fit in 2 bikes and a weeks' worth of camping equipment). Admittedly spent a great deal of money on it, but it's much more economical to modify and personalise than a lot of other brands 😎 Still very happy 3 years on!

Yes, I believe so (info here) - with the caveat that I didn't do the install myself but paid the gents at QS Tuning to do it for me. I actually don't know whether they are or not for mine, although I am getting some minor noise over speed bumps. This may still be in the 'wearing in' period as I've not done much mileage on them since they were fitted 2 months ago, but don't actually know if they're 'greaseless' or require some lubrication (comes with as standard).

I would definitely take the opportunity to upgrade the drop links if possible - I (the tuning shop) did recently with the rear APR bar because they came with them. Makes sense if you're going to be upgrading that component to ensure supporting components are updated too and saves additional labour.

100% this will help. I recently went this route, albeit having already got an Eibach Pro-Kit on my Octavia (so very different to your refined Golf 😉) but it worked an absolute treat at minimising body roll whilst dialling in the rear a lot more! I went with the APR rear ARB, but there are a few others offered from other providers too (H&R, Eibach etc - although many of them are rear and fronts, the latter of which are unnecessary - as @StealthRS245 points out). It would be worthwhile consulting with a VW specialist / tuning garage near you as to the suitability of what rear ARBs fit your estate, as the rear suspension setups differ considerably between models so require specific ARBs.

Probably covered already without mentioning, but what state are your tyres in (and what are they?)

Always helps to be helpful! 😉 But you're very welcome