BazzY

Sorry if I've misinformed on DSG service issues, I stand corrected, but there have been numerous complaints on forums about problems, though of course that could be a few dozen complaints among a million or so vehicles. Can anyone confirm the issue of model change (in whichever market Upsidedown90 is resident) as this may explain his query regarding price difference ?

Hi, I suspect you're not in the UK as trim levels here are not named "Style" and "Ambition", though a bit of Googling indicates these trim level names are used elsewhere and Alasdair1 is probably right about ambition being the lower spec. However I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) here in UK the 2019 would be a Mark3(facelift) and the 2021 would be a Mark4, so different model. Suggest you check this out further before making up your mind. Personally I would have the manual gearbox every time as there are countless reports of issues with DSG if not serviced properly, but then I prefer manual anyway so only a personal opinion. If I'm right about the change of model (apparently in 2020) then this might explain the difference in prices.

No malignant dark forces at work here, just a normal case of "Murphy's Law", sometimes attributed to "Henry J. Sodd", which clearly states "Anything that can go wrong ......WILL !! It happened on Sunday ! only Halfords is open ! Someone at your local Halfords is completely incompetent ! They have the battery in stock (or not! ) ! someone hit the wrong key ! someone else tried to cover it up ! Did they at any point actually check whether it was on the shelf ? You have my sympathy - this is a very frustrating situation. It's another day tomorrow - hope it goes better for you. P.S. In my experience credit card refunds usually take 2 or 3 days to appear on the account.

You have been misinformed of dimensions of Yuasa HSB027, see Halfords website - it says - Dimensions (LxDxH): 242x175x190mm. As for the original issues - yes if the battery has been as low as 8.8 volts or even less it is very likely cream--crackered so you are wise to invest in a new one. However you MUST then check that you have a charging voltage of over 14 volts when engine running so that you know the alternator and charging circuit are working because if they are not then this would have caused the battery to fail -and will kill the new battery before long. Finally - the Charger you mention from Toolstation will be suitable, but if everything on the car is functioning correctly you probably won't need it (doesn't hurt to have one as "insurance" though !

The sensor shown in your photo - at the back of the radiator - is not the Engine Coolant Sensor. It is the Radiator Outlet Temperature Sensor. The main Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor is normally mounted to the cylinder head or thermostat housing. I would expect cylinder head. Mine is at the back of cylinder head but I don't have same engine as you. Do some research for location and look at suppliers for what it will look like. Good Luck.

Do you have a meter to check the fuse ? Or a new or spare fuse to put in it's place ? Definitely you will want to be sure it's not just the fuse before assuming the motor is faulty. As Breezy Pete said the fact the washer still works has nothing to do with it.

Let's not get carried away debating 14.6 Volts vs 14.8 Volts. That's not helping the guy solve his problem. So - to address the actual question . It is normal for a low battery warning to pop up at switch on if the car has been idle for a while, such as 2 or 3 weeks in the airport carpark when you go on holiday. This may also occur if the car is only used for very short trips as the battery has never had the opportunity to fully charge. There is actually a considerable dip in voltage as soon as the door is opened, and more when ignition is switched on. This is what triggers the annoying low voltage warning. However, as Johngerard said above this will result in charging at the higher rate (14.6 or 14.8 i.e. something above 14.4 ) immediately after start up. How long it charges at the higher rate depends on what the BMS/BCM thinks is the battery state of charge - could be a few seconds or several miles. If this is not happening then there is some problem with the battery or charging circuit and controls. New battery was fitted and coded - Did you enter your VIN in your friends VCDS in order to do the coding - and did you enter a new serial number for the battery as well as new parameters ? If not the new code may not have been saved -so BMS doesn't know it has new battery. If the previous owner fitted mods (those LEDs) did he/she do any other changes ? Has the battery monitoring module on the battery negative terminal been removed? bypassed? disconnected? Has coding been changed to try to permanently disable Stop-Start? Don't forget the basics - a poor connection anywhere in the charging/battery circuit will upset the system. Does the voltage measured at the alternator match the measurement at the battery when charging? In one case we had similar problems to this with a Fabia TDi which turned out to be a poor connection of the engine earth strap which had burned/corroded after not being properly cleaned and tightened after the Skoda dealer did the cambelt and water pump. Hope this at least helps you to know where to look ! Goog luck! Please report back if you find the solution so others can find help when they need it.

Wrong. 14.8 is normal for AGM if the BCM sees battery needs topping up.

Disconnect those extra LED lights at least until the problem is solved.

You say "It's not an alternator problem as it charges (12.9v-13.3v-13.4v)."" That doesn't seem right to me. I have the same car (2017 1.6 TDi). I changed battery from original EFB to Yuasa AGM, Charging voltage most of the time is 14.8 volts. Did you change battery type to "FLEECE" when you recoded ?

PPS No idea why but my pc went to the en-US portal address instead of en-GB. Don't know if that makes any difference.

Just done this for the ECE 5 download. No problem using the built in Extract function in Windows 11. Maybe the issue has been fixed. Haven't loaded the files to my SD card yet though. PS. 30 minutes to download, 1 minute to extract.

Thanks for reporting the outcome so others have a solution ! Nice Job - Shame about the O-ring !

I use the ALCAR (Eurasteel) 8667 with a cheap 205/55 R16 tyre. Works for me. Octavia 3 1.6 TDi 2017.

Can't comment on the original "will it fit" question cos I haven't tried those sizes. I agree with your opinion that the lower profile tyres are a pain - uncomfortable ride, worse for aquaplaning, expensive tyres. My Octavia MK3 1.6 diesel SEL 2017 is on 205/55 R16 as standard and I'd recommend this as a decent compromise (I run all-season tyres - good all round but a little noisy). There are loads of Octavia and Golf 16 inch wheels around and they're so common the tyres are reasonably priced. Just my suggestion !!

PS. Please post back here to let me know if it works - then others will know this is a viable solution.

Glad to be some help, Hope this solves your problems.

I recently had the same issues with a 2015 Golf MK7 1.4 tsi 125 bhp, very similar vehicle and engine. Replacing Temp sensor did cure it. The Bilstein Temp sensor you have identified appears to be correct for both this and the Octavia. It is at the back of the cylinder head (i.e. towards the bulkhead) towards the left end (i.e. gearbox end). Pretty well hidden by pipework and turbo stuff so that access from the top is very difficult. Working from underneath the car I could see it. There is a curved plastic shield which curves part way round the drive shaft, mounted by two bolts. Once that shield was removed I was able to reach an arm up behind the engine to get at the sensor. If I remember rightly it was secured by single bolt with 10mm hex head. I replaced mine with a Lucas branded one from NAPA but the O ring of the new one leaked so I had to take it out again and fit the old O ring with the new sensor . Note that there is a small "support ring" also fitted between the O ring and the cylinder head and this may or may not come out with the sensor. It can be removed with a small pick or spring hook ( or a tiny cranked end on a straightened paper clip ! ). If everything else is still in place you will lose very little coolant doing this without draining the system. A bit fiddly getting the securing bolt back in but you can do it this way. Sorry no photos, I did this job a few months ago. Good Luck.

PS. Try watching a few of the relevant videos on YouTube to see what others have done.

When working on cooling system recently on 1.4 tsi Golf and 1.6 tdi Octavia I found this tool very useful. saved a lot of bother with clips at awkward angles. https://www.screwfix.com/p/silverline-flexible-ratchet-hose-clamp-pliers/404fu . Still not perfect or easy though. As for the original question - ref. vacuum kit - I wouldn't bother. I'd only drain the system as far as necessary for the job in hand and refill "old school" with G12 Evo. Run up to temperature with filler cap off, then cap on and several short runs with a close eye on temperature and coolant level checks after. Note some dealers have quoted 4 hours labour for a simple drain and refill using the vacuum kit several times over. In my experience it's almost impossible to get more than half of the coolant out without disconnecting every hose in the system. If enough vacuum were applied to really do the job it would risk damaging some part of the system. Either way you cross your fingers and say a small prayer.

Yes but which relay ??

So it depends on whether it's manual or DSG transmission ! And possibly also on trim level and year of manufacture, - Very reassuring for those who have to jump from car to car and just drive off I don't think !!! Well done VAG !

I think you will find that this is exactly how the ACC is designed to work, even though it seems stupid. We have a Golf with the same system and the Owners Manual clearly states that the ACC will not bring the car to a complete stop but will disengage at 20 km/h or below. The "Front Assist" however does operate at below 20 km/h and will apply emergency braking to avoid collision - though I would seriously avoid relying on it. The two systems are separate and switch over at about 20 km/h. I agree it's crazy but that's the way VAG designed it. I doubt that you will be able to do anything about it with VCDS and remember if you try to you are interfering with the cars so-called safety systems which may be dangerous !

But does anyone know where to find and identify the headlight washer relay - my VCDS says it's dead !

I've seen the boot problem on 2016 Fabia before - in our case we managed to open it by pushing down/in on the boot lid while pressing release button. A spray of 3 in 1 oil in the nooks and crannies stopped it from happening again. Hope you are lucky and find an easy solution. Could also just be low battery if it's stood idle for anything over a couple of weeks.