beezera10

Our car just does normal journeys, never in a position to get really hot as far as the brakes are concerned. As for oil, quite the opposite when it comes to maintenance. 10-12k/annual with new filter every time (507 longlife oil too). In my opinion, it's quite impressive that a car can do 105,000m over 10 years without having a fluid change and never have a brake issue.

Very late on this topic, I know, but I have exactly the same symptoms as the OP reported. It bothered me at first as I'd not had that experience on any other car, but I've had the Octy 1.9PD 2008 (1Z5) for 10 years and 105,000m and it's always been the same. It's also never failed an MoT on the brakes, and passed its last one 3 days ago. I've never fully changed the brake fluid on the Octy, nor on any car I've owned, including an Octy 1.9 2000 (1U). I had the latter for 12 years and it never had any issues with the brakes. Does make me wonder whether changing the fluid every two years is simply a stealer tactic. I get that brake fluid is hygroscopic but, it is retained in an airtight system. I would have assumed that if the fluid was contaminated, I'd have suffered some form of problem by now. Anyhow, I'm assuming this is simply an Octy/VAG peculiarity and is nothing to worry about.

I'll try a couple of methods next time, and will feed back what I find. Trouble is, with my memory, I keep forgetting which is the best one🤦‍♂️

2008 Octavia PD 1.9 is clockwise both sides. Last time I did it on mine I had to replace the caliper as it was locked solid. In normal circumstances, and with old calipers, they can be very stiff as the seals swell slightly with age. It's only just occured to me though. If you remove the disc, reattach the caliper with no pads, there could be enough room to wind back the piston with the caliper held in place. This would obviate the need to try to hold the caliper at the same time as operating the wind back tool, which you need at least three hands for. Anyone tried this? I'll be looking at it next time the pads need changing.

You're welcome mate. I think I may have overestimated the cost having looked again at the Febi items - they seem to have come down in price a bit. Also, for your model of car, they may be a bit cheaper anyway. Depending on the engine/gearbox layout of the car, one shaft will typically be shorter than the other. On my Octy 1Z5, the N/S is a lot shorter than the O/S. When you are ordering from J&R, be sure to give them the reg no. of your motor so they can double check. Another little trick I use is to go to online marketplaces like Autodoc, Car Parts in Motion, etc, and put in the reg no. to get an idea of what the parts look like, then compare to, say, J&R. J&R did actually send me the wrong items initially, as there's so many different configurations to VAG models. However, there was no issue in returning them FOC and they did send the correct ones the following day. Hope all goes well with the fit!

I noticed the inner boots on the J&R starting to crack after 18 months or so, and were wide open after the clutch fit. I pulled lightly on the split and they tore open easily, almost as if they'd perished. I do know that cheaper, rubber-based boots can deteriorate because of exposure to grease, whereas the plastic based ones are more durable (GKN seem good). The outer boots seem fine, and the performance of the shafts is no different to the originals - so decent in my opinion (so far). I reckon you have two options if you want to keep costs down. You could get the J&R shafts and put decent inner boots on before you fit, or you could go for a slightly more expensive item in Febi. If I'd known what I know now, I'd have gone for Febi as they carry an excellent reputation for aftermarket parts. You could put a boot on the old shafts, but if the car has done a decent mileage then new shafts aren't that expensive to buy and fit. I reckon you should only need to pay ca. £160 for both shafts. I would replace both at the same time (as I did). If the shafts don't come with the torx/splined bolts, I would buy those separately - I believe Febi do those also. Always good to have new bolts (they may even be one-time stretch bolts). I never had a problem using the old bolts with a drop of threadlocker - just make sure you blast through the threads with degreaser first. As for fitting, o/s is done under the car and n/s with the wheel removed and a few socket extensions. Not too bad a job if you can get the car high enough off the ground to scrape under. It's easier with both wheels off so you can rotate the shafts then jam them with a screwdriver via the top of the brake caliper and into the vented disc as you tighten the bolts in turn. I tend to tighten opposing bolts lightly, then tightly, then torque up in sequence.

Just so, I mentioned the same in another thread after talking to a mechanic about avoiding walloping the end of the shaft. Not too keen of the stretch boots, they actually seem harder work than whipping the CV joint off (although properly locating the joint back on is critical!!!) Maybe the relocating tool would be more hassle than it's worth on reflection. Cheers fellas.

Didn't work for me - unless the spring clip was faulty in some way. I even tried my hardest to pull the joint back off, and it wouldn't budge. Have no real explanation for the shaft separating from the joint. Maybe the spring got damaged as I struck the end to the joint to locate it??

Aye, it was JCT600 Wakefield that I went to too! I think the ones I put in from the shaft supplier were just ordinary bolts, which would probably have been ok if they'd been grease free with a dab of threadlocker. I wasn't taking any chances when I got the new bolts, so cleaned everything thoroughly and threadlocked them too (possibly unnecessarily). You're so right about getting quality parts. When i replaced the half shafts, I went with J&R Driveshafts that sell on Ebay. The shafts seemed ok, but the inner boots split wide open after 18,000m and 20 months (the originals were still solid after 14 years and 140,000m). I was in two minds as to whether I buy another set of shafts, or get the boots replaced. As it was already in the garage for something else, I opted to spend £130 getting them replaced as I didn't fancy scraping around under the car, in freezing, wet weather, and dealing with those bloody bolts again!!! I was lucky not to have too much damage when the half shaft fell off (n/s). One of the bolts was bent L shaped, as was one of the backer plates. I'd lost two on the road and the thread on a fourth was badly damaged - oh, and I'd lost two of the backer plates as well. As I said, I'll monitor to make sure the bolts stay put. It's due for an oil change soon so I'll test to see if they've loosened off. If so, I'll do what I outlined above and clean them out and refit with a bit of threadlocker. Cars - bloody hell!

I just didn't want the same issue occurring again, and I didn't trust the bolts I'd been sent which were £12 for the set. Some places were offering the splined bolts identical to the Skoda OEM for about £16, but non were local. I'll have to have a look for TPS, I don't think I've come across them before. Mainly use Euro Car Parts or GSF for a lot of my stuff, the rest comes from Ebay or online.

Yes, the spreader plates were fitted as they should be. I needed the job done very quickly and, although I knew I could buy the same bolts for half the price, I had to get them the same day. I also needed a new set of spreader plates as several had become damaged when the shaft came loose - they were £14 for the set!! I did question the price of the bolts, and was told by the chap at Wakefield Skoda that he'd given a discount on them! No wonder they're referred to as 'stealers'!!!

Just a note on this old thread. I replaced both half shafts on my 2008 1.9Tdi Octy. The bolts were supplied, but were hex rather than spline. I torqued them up, but around 3,000m later my wife broke down with one shaft completely detaching itself from the gearbox. On the other side, two were missing and the rest were loose. It would seem that having grease on the threads was the primary reason for them working loose so, on fitting genuine Skoda bolts (£28.00!!!!), I followed the following procedure. After giving a decent clean up around the holes and the threads on the gearbox side, connect the shaft to the gearbox using a couple of old bolts (to keep everything in place) - tighten the bolts a little. Next, in the remaining four holes, spray degreaser spray or brake cleaner all the way through to ensure no grease is present. Once dry (a few minutes) apply a dab of red threadlocker and insert the four bolts. Once done, remove the original 'hold in place' bolts and repeat the procedure. Finally, use a permanent marker to across the bolts and plates so you can check later for movement. SInce doing this, I've had to have the clutch replaced then, separately, the two inner CV boots, requiring the removal of the half shafts again. I'm sure the garage wasn't as meticulous as myself, so I'm going to be monitoring the bolts over a couple of thousand miles to ensure they don't move. Just one other tip from a mechanic when replacing the outer CV joint. Place a cable tie over the shaft spring to compress it. Push the CV on which pushes the cable tie back as the clip enters the joint. Remove the cable tie and push the joint on the rest of the way. I say this as I've had one occasion when the shaft clip either failed or didn't engage correctly. On driving, they separated and shredded the splines on both the shaft and CV joint - new complete shaft was required.

Just a thought on an old thread for all you budding mechanics. I'm in the process of replacing the outer cv joints on 2008 Octy 1.9Tdi. I know the hub bolt can be used to extract the joint if a suitable spacer is put into the half shaft, but I was thinking about reassembly. I don't like the idea of walloping the joint to locate it on the shaft clip (I've had one fail as it didn't locate correctly), so was thinking of how to press it into position in situ. If a piece of threaded bar (M16x1.5 fine) was screwed into the shaft, with a the portion of the bar that goes through the cv joint stripped of its thread, and a suitable nut and washer set up on the outside of the joint, it could be pressed into place without the need for hammering. What do you reckon, any other ideas?

It was an excellent price, nearly took his hand off. For the same kit I was quoted £990 and £1100 elsewhere, very close to the figures you mention. The same garage did me a timing belt for £345 which was also the best around (INA kit). I suppose if I'd found this garage 3 years ago, and not gone for the SMF conversion, and not had a rip-off garage fit a sub standard clutch (£576), then I'd be quids in. As it is, I've spent £260 on four tyres and tracking, £576 for the dodgy clutch, £345 for the timing belt and £550 to put the clutch back to standard. This comes to £1731! I suppose if I were buying an Octavia diesel with all of this stuff done, I'd be happy paying that sort of amount anyway. As is, I'm hoping for at least 60,000m of trouble free motoring without having to raid the bank again! I even checked the clutch kit part numbers on the side of the box that was returned to me - it matches exactly with the kit I was after. Unless the garage found exactly the right box lying around, stuck a mega cheap part in, returned the box I have to me, and were the worst rip-off merchants I've ever come across, then I have the real deal at a great price. It'd be a lot of effort and an end to their business if they did - I'd let everyone know. As for the Teckmarx clutch, it doesn't appear overly worn or damaged. I reckon that it was made cheaply and not up to the required standard, hence the slipping. Could also be some issues with fitting, but I don't see a lot of issues on first inspection. I don't know if I'll get anywhere with a warranty claim, but I'll try (still within its warranty period). Other than that, it'll be for the scrappies to have. By the way, the garage I used is in West Yorkshire - I initially used the FixMyCar website for quotes - that's how I found them.

Quick update. I had the Sachs DMF kit fitted today (Pt. No. 2290 602 004 Clutch Kit | ZMS Modul XTend) with a gearbox oil change. Very smooth drive back and still a very light pedal. Won't be testing the take off in the higher gears for a few hundred miles just to settle it in a little. £550 all in. The flywheel they gave me back had FA0015-76-A stamped on the rim. This corresponds to a 'trade' DMF to SMF conversion kit. If you go for a conversion, make sure you insist on a quality kit, get it in writing (unless you totally trust the garage), and ask for all the bits back including the packaging for the replacement. Avoid anything Teckmarx as they are ****! Once they've put it on, you're pretty much stuffed. I even checked things out before paying this time round. You live and learn - unfortunately, on this occasion, it's cost me around £400 more than it should have.😡😡😡😡😒😒

Quick update! Got the timing belt/water pump fitted for £345 all in (INA kit). Decided to junk the ****ty Teckmarx SMF in favour of a return to the stock Sachs DMF setup. After getting a couple of quotes for £1100 and £990 respectively, I asked the garage that fitted the belt what they'd charge for fitting the Sachs kit - £550 all in!!! Booked it in straightaway!!! I've also asked them to look for issues with the SMF clutch as they take it apart and to take pictures of any major issues they find. As the Teckmarx is still within its warranty, I'm hoping to recoup something as there's no way it should be failing in 28,000 miles with the way we drive it. The car is completely stock, by the way. Anyone else found a better price for fitting than these. Before you ask, they return all the bits they take off to the customer in the box that the new stuff comes in. The only way I reckon I could be ripped off is if they're putting inferior parts on the car and giving the old bits back in a spare, quality parts, box - or am I being too cynical? So, it looks like I've been charged more for the SMF conversion than changing back to the original setup. With the original DMF giving 139,000m, I'm guessing I'll be a few hundred quid down the drain unless I get some joy from the warranty. Ah well, I suppose these things happen once in a while - b&*^%*ds😡😡😡

Thanks guys. Unfortunately, it does it in gear while accelerating hard, which suggests the clutch is tired after only 30,000m (very disappointing). I'll try Pikpilot's suggestion too, could be worth it along with the other tests I've done. When I had the conversion done to SMF, I asked which make it was to which he replied (a little vaguely) Sachs, which I knew were decent. When I came to collect the car, it was a Teckmarx, which I'd never heard of before. I wasn't happy, but he said it had a 3 year, 30,000m guarantee. I'm a little under that, so I may go back to see about a new clutch. Apparently, when investigating, Teckmarx clutches are made in the same factory as Blueprint and Borg & Beck. I paid £576 for a complete conversion - seems expensive now if I need another clutch!

Just resurrecting this thread. I have a 2008 1.9Tdi PD Octavia estate. The clutch was changed for a SMF about 30,000m ago, and the car's been driven pretty sedately over that time. Gears 1, 2 and 3, acceleration is fine, even in G3 giving it a good old boot. Also, car stalls immediately in G3 when trying to start off. It's G4 and G5 which is perplexing me as the revs increase a little on booting it uphill then immediately settle down with the car going at a fair old rate of knots. For example, uphill on our bypass, booting it in fourth sees the revs rise for a second, settles down, and the car's doing 75mph - same happens in fifth. Never noticed this at all with the old DMF setup. It would seem odd that, because the clutch is good in all other respects (no juddering, light pedal, no noises or bad gear changes, etc), that it should 'slip' just in these gears when accelerating fairly hard. I've heard about a clutch torque limiter (do these fail?) and other safety devices that protect the drivetrain from damage on heavy acceleration. Another thing is that, on occasions, I've pulled a fairly heavy trailer and experienced no issues at all. I'm asking this stuff as the car's due a 60,000m/7 year timing belt change. I don't want to spend £345 on a new kit and waterpump if I have to replace the clutch so soon. I'd rather call time on this motor and buy another if that's the case. Car is on 167,000m and the original DMF covered 137,000m Thanks in advance.

Just replacing the alternator freewheel pulley on my 2008 Mk2 1Z5 1.9 Tdi. The squeal starting suddenly and trashed the roller bearings so much that I could twist off the outer whilst leaving the spline on the shaft. Got it off with 50 torx and mole grips. Everything went back together fine, and it's not trashed the tensioner. I may well end up with a spare splined tool which someone could make use of. FYI - the correct pulley for my car is INA F-553470 or equivalents (I was sent one for a Citigo which obviously does not fit - F-576346 or equivalents). This is probably one of the easiest jobs to do on the Octy as the pulley is easily accessible after removing the fuel filter housing (which sits on top of the engine without removing any hoses). Cheaper and easier doing it this way than going for a new alternator. Pulley was Gates (INA) - £22. Tool was £2.62 from Temu. I had a 50 Torx.

Always a good idea to test, charge and/or take it for a blast. WInter will be the big tell as to whether its ready to be replaced or not. You can eke out more from a battery, but whether you replace sooner or later, you'll still have to replace at some point. Best I got from a battery is around 8-9 years (Bosch, I think). Anyhow, you're ok for now and you know how to replace when the time comes.

No problem mate. For your car, just keep it simple, no need to overcomplicate or overthink on this. As has been mentioned, give it a good charge. If it's still a bit sluggish or loses charge quickly, just chuck another on and don't worry. My son's battery was around 8 years' old when it failed (the original). I tried recovering it but my smart charger gave me an error saying the charger voltage didn't match the battery voltage, so it was FUBAR. As was confirmed above, a voltage over 12v would indicate the battery is decent (see post above).

My son's car has a monitoring connection on the earth, but its still made no difference to anything. It would appear the car's ECU 'learns' that a new battery is in place and adjusts accordingly. I also didn't do anything with windows, etc. Have had no problems with anything on the car. Also, the original battery had a catastrophic failure due to some internal trauma. It was instant and without warning. You could squeeze some more life out of the battery with a recharge, and test the voltage across the terminals, etc. My son's battery read 8v across the terminals, it should be over 12v if it's still any good. I did ring a garage about the VCDS thing. They said if it was a Land Rover Discovery, then maybe a good idea. For a Citigo, don't worry.

This is a simple DIY job, disconnect the negative first then the positive. It's the other way round when connecting the new battery (positive first then negative). My son's car has stop/start, the battery went straight on, everything worked fine and the car runs/charges normally with no need to VCDS (just replaced with a similar EFB battery, 60Ah, CCA 640). Because yours has no stop/start, it may well be a standard battery rather than EFB/AGM, etc, which should be cheaper. Just make sure the battery you get is similar type and output and you should be fine. As for the radio, I had no problem at all - everything just worked. The only thing you need to change is the time.

Thanks Nigel, excellent advice, will check out everything you've said!

Cheers Are you in agreement about the necessity to get the battery coded?