CookieMonster87

Selling a full set of Octavia Mk3 Travall Rubber Mats. Used for a few months throughout last winter and in excellent condition. Only selling as I’ve recently picked up a set of OEM mats at a good price. £30 collection from mid Norfolk area.

Have a look in to Das Auto in Norwich if that isn’t too far for you. They are VAG specialists. I’ve used them a couple of times in the past and intend on using them to service my car in future now that the Skoda Service plan has ended. I took the car to them recently for their opinion on a coolant drain and flush as it looked a little discoloured however they tested it, checked for a silica bag and confirmed there was no debris and that it was all good. They said the work would be unnecessary but would be happy to carry it out still if I wanted. They certainly knew more about my cars service schedule than the main dealer when discussing upcoming work too!

@Warrior193 cheers for the reply, that’d certainly make sense. How does your arm sit in the bracket, does it appear to float or is it sandwiched too?

Can someone clarify the purpose of the arm on the upper Engine Mount, shown just sticking out below the expansion tank in the following image, please? It appears that the arm just sits within the body coloured bracket on the chassis and partially encompasses the threaded bolt but doesn’t actually have any mechanical interaction. Mine, however, appears to be sandwiched in the bracket as the bolt looks to have been overtightened, squeezing the sides of the bracket against the arm. Not sure if this is correct or if the arm is supposed to float in that bracket to limit lateral movement.

@kernowalan I feel like I’m in the same boat. I get the same symptom at the speeds you described. Twice I’ve mentioned it to the Main Dealer when in for a Service/MOT. On one occasion I took a technician out for a drive, they suggested that this is down to tyre wear and even flagged it in the vehicle inspection (although they didn’t flag it the following year). The car came with Michelin PS5 fitted all around and there is noticeable “sawtooth” wear on the inside edge of both rear tyres when running your hand over them but with over 4mm tread depth remaining I’m reluctant to change them out. Having previously ran Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 6 on my diesel vRS I switched to these on the front when they were worn and haven’t had any issues with abnormal wear. Now I’ve used up my Service Plan I’ll be using an independent however I’ll be a bit miffed if it turns out to be wheel bearings and I’m out of the 2 year approved used warranty.

A quick update on this. Booked the car in at a reputable indy for a coolant change and a check of the expansion tank for the silica bag. I was quoted around £170 which included the replacement of the expansion tank if it was found to contain the silica bag. Received a phone call a couple of hours after dropping off to say that they had done a test of the coolant and found that it’s well within the operating range. In addition they said there was no silica bag present (MY20 car) or any signs of contaminants in the coolant. I was advised that there was no need to replace the coolant and it’d be a waste of money although they were still happy to proceed if I wanted. I chose not to go ahead as, bar the noticeable colour difference, there is no evidence to warrant the change. All the fluid levels are checked regularly so I’ll follow up if there are any significant changes.

Also keen to know this too as I’d like to touch mine up when the discs/pads are due.

I also noticed drone running with Michelin PS4. I recently replaced the fronts with Goodyear Asy 6 as I had a slow puncture. I will be doing the same with the rears when the time comes as thats where the drone appears to be coming from. They currently have too much tread left to justify the change now.

@Warrior193 @varaderoguy evening both. Many thanks for your replies. I’ve certainly never topped it up with water since I’ve taken ownership. Can’t comment on what the dealer may have done whilst in with them for a service mind. If I were to top it up I’d only ever use the G12 Evo. Contacted the main dealer ref a price on draining and filling. Came out at around £170 noting that this wouldn’t be a flush which I gather involves a lot more work. I was advised that if the coolant has started to discolour then it is likely to reoccur as a result of “sediment”. First I’ve heard of this outside of the silica bag splitting however there are no signs of this. I don’t believe mine has the silica bag, I have had a good look. Did they not do away with these by MY20 cars?

Morning all, I was out having a quick clean up under the bonnet the other day and noticed the coolant sat just over the min mark. Not an issue for me as it was pretty cold, is usually around the max when hot and the car is running fine (water temp and heaters). Thought I had a bottle of G12 Evo kicking about, so I dug it out however I’ve found that there is a noticeable difference in colour between what’s in the expansion tank and the bottle. The coolant looks clean and clear with no signs of oil contamination. Dipstick looks good too. The car is a MY20 2.0 TSI with just over 40k miles on the clock. Full main dealer service history. Had the car for around 18 months. Is this a cause for concern or is it simply a case of replacing the coolant as it’s probably the same stuff from build and is 5 years old?

Can’t comment on the 235s however I’ve just replaced a worn pair of 225/40 Michelin PS5s with Goodyear Eagle F1 Asym 6s (currently £35 off for 2 and £70 for 4 at ATS) and both have a thicker section of rubber that runs around the circumference of the alloy to give some extra protection. I think most premium brands do. Never had any issues running the standard tyre size with the 18” Gemini alloy other than when the wife took the car out for the first time and properly had a go at curbing it! I don’t think any amount of protection would have helped in that scenario.

So I rang to book this in and got told that the DSG wasn’t due until 80k miles. This wasn't mentioned in previous conversations with both main dealers so kept the booking while I did a bit of digging. While doing this I discovered that the VAQ was likely due as I had no previous record of it being done. Called back to add the VAQ and remove the DSG service as it does appear the DQ381 is due at 80k miles only to be told by a different service rep that it’s 40k miles. Bangs head against wall. I’m leaving the DSG for now as all the information I can find suggests 80k miles although I will get this done a lot earlier. Currently at 35k miles. @Ootohere thanks for the information you’ve posted across the forum on this. It’s been a big help.

@vladRS I’m in exactly the same situation. I’ve been looking at the following Resonated Milltek Cat Back but it’s pricey. The non-res version is about £300 cheaper however I’d rather avoid it being excessively noisy and the drone that would inevitably come with it. After more of an OEM+ feel to the car. Unfortunately I haven’t come across anyone with either fitted for a comparison. https://www.awesomegti.com/temp/milltek-resonated-uses-oe-tips-octavia-vrs-2-0-tsi-245ps-face-lift-hatch-estate-opf-gpf-models-only/

So I contacted 2 Main Skoda Dealerships for a Service quote for a vRS 245. Almost 5 years old with 33k miles on the clock. I have a major and minor service included as part of the Approved Used PCP offer from when I bought the car. I asked to be quoted for the Service, Spark Plugs, DSG Service and Pollen Filter which I believe are all due. Due to the mileage only an oil change was carried out at the 4th year service. Dealership A have quoted me £600+ for this. This includes the major service, covered under the Service Plan, £400 for the DSG Service with the Plugs and Pollen Filter making up the other £200 odd. Dealership B have said the Pollen Filter and Spark Plugs are included as part of the major service and covered under the Service Plan. I would, however, have to pay for the DSG Service at a touch over £300. Needless to say when the time comes I’ll be booking in with dealership B however I am curious if I have been misquoted by either of the dealerships and their take on what’s included as part of the Service Plan. I will dig out the small print to confirm but many comments on the Forum seem to suggest only an oil/filter change is covered as part of the Service Plan in which case I’d like to confirm the difference between a major and minor.

@DanielQ1999 that looks great, especially with the black badges! Did you order the full set from Kopacek? I ordered the diffuser from https://www.rieger-tuning.co.uk/product/skoda-octavia-5e-rs-rear-diffuser-abs-plastic/

@DanielQ1999 just ordered one of these myself. Did you have to wait long for delivery? Have been advised 2-3 weeks. Picked up some speed fasteners from Halfords in advance.

@HappySam Thank you very much Sam! 🫡

@ApertureS thanks. It gives me something to go off. I’ll probably go with a width of a role of masking tape in either direction. Won’t be far off then.

Good Morning all. Could I trouble a willing Briskodian to take a measurement for the location of their tailgate vRS badge please (hatch model)? I’m after the dimension from, as you look at it, the RH side of the boot lip to the edge of the badge and from the swage line on the boot to the top of the badge. For context, I recently had a rust spot corrected by a body shop and would like to make sure the replacement badge goes back in the same position. For those that are interested, at the time of writing, these badges are on sale at Kopacek. I paid just over £20 delivered vs the nearly £40 quoted by a main dealer. https://www.kopacek.com/skoda/octavia-iii/octavia-iii-rs-genuine-skoda-rear-rs-emblem

@MTwedVRS Hello Matt, are you still considering upgrading the exhaust if you haven’t done so already? Like you I’m struggling to find any videos/people who have opted for the resonated Miltek cat-back. The OPF/GPF cars are quiet however I don’t want it to be obnoxious nor do I want any drone and at £1200+ I’d want it to be spot on.

@Moribund if you want OEM your local main dealer will likely be the cheapest and quickest option. Assuming that they are local that is. My local had them in stock when I called up and picked up when I was next passing by.

I’ve had the same issue with both of my Octavia. Used the same method with the pin to clear out the blockage which worked on my newer car but on the last one it only cleared out one of the two nozzles. I picked up a replacement nozzle assembly from a main dealer for about £12 IIRC although you can find non OEM for cheaper. Part Number: 1Z5955985. As per the video above, once you open the cover the nozzle assembly just pulls off. Can be a bit stiff so be cautious as the wiper assembly is mounted to the window.

@EnterName thanks for your reply. I can see both sides of your argument. The car is in excellent condition with marks appropriate for its age that I can live with. My issue with the boot is that it appears to be blistered with rust underneath. Yes it’s very small but I’d rather get this addressed asap so that it doesn’t get any worse. There are a couple of stone chips on the front bumper I’m happy to take care of myself but the rust on the metalwork I’d rather leave to the pros. Can’t get in until the NY but will update on the repair when it’s done and what the body shop say once they have seen it.

I’ve noticed the HVAC control panel is slightly loose in my Octavia. Theres slight movement up and down. Had the car just over a month and it wasn’t obvious enough for me to notice before however I didn’t notice it at all the almost 4 years ownership of my last Mk3. Am I the only one or has anybody else noticed this? I’d attempt to remove and refit it however I haven’t been able to find any guides or photos to go off. Any tips would be much appreciated.

Had a quote of £200 +VAT from a reputable body shop. No experience in this area so I don’t know if that’s good or not. Granted that quote is generated from the photos/description I sent.