Phil-E

That's definitely not fine 😂🤣 Where does the hiss come from? Really the exhaust should hold pressure right up till either you can't hold the pressure anymore or the engine stall (requires more force than just your hand).

I think that means that your car doesn't have the interior monitor sensors fitted then.

It's a bit of a grey area with HID bulbs. I'd personally stay on the sure side and just upgrade with some halogens from Osram or something (night breaker or similar). You won't get the bright white as from xenons but there will be more lumens being thrown out.

Projector lights refers to the way the light is focused out. Reflector lights rely on just reflecting out the light: Projector combine a small reflector that is hidden behind a projector lense that focuses the light into a more controlled beam: I think what you may be thinking of are xenon or HID (High Intensity Discharge) bulbs.

No idea. I imagine it should be reliable. It's no more complicated than the variable valve timing they've been using for a while anyway. It's certainly cool. We had a Golf 1.5 TSI hire car for a couple of days that had it.

1 change if the spark plugs after 80k miles is pretty good going. I think the interval is 40k Miles.

Yup. I've also dropped significantly in power and handling. Although the Saab was heavy it had sports suspension and twin turbo so torque instantly no matter the revs. 240bhp and 490nm down to 122bhp and 200nn. But I'm actually enjoying the Octavia more. It's a nicer ride just pootling along, quieter, smoother etc. But still plenty of power and torque to still have some fun. Will still easily do 200km/h on the Autobahn. You often can't do any more than that due to traffic anyway. I'd had the Saab to over 250km/h several times but that gets boring too.

It does need doing eventually. But 2nyears I find a bit extreme. The last time I had an A/C serviced it had been 4 years since the last service. The system was ever so slightly low. No leaks detected. As long as the system is still sealed and working without problems then there's no need to go overboard with it. So I'd say 3 to 4 years should do.

A 2015 model should have had all the problems ironed out. The 1.4 TSI used to be chain driven. There were problems with the chain guides and tensioners. They revised them. But then switched belt drive. Just good servicing. Spark plugs would likely be due for the 2nd time. Oil changes are important obviously. They can suffer from inlet valve carbon build up due to them being direct injection. But at that mileage it should be a problem yet. But then be sure to use a couple of inlet valve treatments to keep it at bay (the type you squirt into the inlet with the engine running).

It all comes down to your budget. In all honesty the Octavia is the better car all round. The platform is much better (based on the Golf) whereas the Fabia and Rapid are based on the Polo platform. Far nicer ride, better independent rear suspension, loads more room inside and a massive boot. I'd say a petrol is probably your best bet. A 1.4 TSI probably.

I just have to ask why? A 2.0 FSI is hardly an upgrade. A 1.4, 1.8 or 2.0 TSI would be a nice upgrade. But a 2.0 FSI just isn't worth the effort.

Yup. That's the one. Mine sounds like this. But after a 30 seconds or so quietens down and.i can't hear it anymore: https://youtu.be/XyL2Eh5i5sA

The only real big issue the TSI had was related to timing chains. But that problem was fixed with an improved tensioner and guide design. But I believe the 140bhp 1.4 TSI is now belt driven. As above the other problem (common across all direct injection engines) is carbon build up. A few treatments of intake valve cleaner before it gets too bad can help. Worse case scenario is the valves have to be walnut blasted but this can be done without major disassembly of the engine. They tend to be kinder to the gearbox, clutch and flywheel and suffer fewer failures compared to diesels due to the reduced torque. No DPF or EGR to worry about either.

Very good. Hope you enjoy the car. The DSG is super quick. Can change gear (switch between clutches at least) in as little as 8ms. I've heard complaints of hesitation or delay. But honestly I've never noticed any. Must be down to driving style. Drive it properly and anticipate what the box is going to do (you get to learn the shift points, when it will and won't shift down etc) and it's buttery smooth.

Funny you mention this. I also have this on my 1.4 TSI 122 bhp version. I've seen it mentioned a few times from other people too. Most opinions seem to point to the catalytic converter pre-heat that it does from a cold start. During this pre-heat the fuel injection is different and the valve timing is adjusted. You will hear from the exhaust that it sound like there's a hole in the exhaust and a bit raspy. Once it's revved once past this jerk it runs fine and then never jerks again.

To me enjoying driving isn't about the car being sporty, having the best handling, the fastest, dropped within an inch of its life so it can corner 5mph faster etc etc. I've had more fun in cars that don't perhaps handle like a sports car. But I find in cars with normal suspension and tyres etc it's more fun to chuck them around without crashing and banging around or worrying about scraping the belly on bumps etc.

When did the oil and filter on the gear ox last get changed? And how many miles has the car done?

I used to use the levers on my previous 2008 Octavia with Halogens. Once I'd don't it once it was easy enough to do quickly. And certainly better than those horrible stickers. Found it easier to remove the lights since it's super easy on the Octavia. It was also the same system used on my Saab that had factory xenons. I could get to those without removing the lights at least. Now I can change this in Maxidot on my FL Octavia.

Hello from Paderborn 👋

I really wouldn't be messing with the DPF. It's illegal to remove it as well as an MOT failure. It sounds like you'll do enough miles etc to keep it clear. The 7 speed DSG has no service interval. But there have been some recalls/service campaigns for oil changes and/or software updates. So you need to check if it's included and if it's been carried out.

I guess my first question is does a diesel suit your journey and driving style? How many miles do you do and over what kind of journeys?

I think I see what it's doing now. When you first set off it shifts straight into 2nd and slips the clutch slightly which is what mine does. Then when you set off on the hill it holds first gear until it can shift straight into 2nd without clutch slip. Hence it revs a little higher. It certainly needs normal behaviour and just how they've programmed it. Most likely to reduced clutch slip and wear as much as possible.

I've never yet seen one shifting like that though. But then that particular engine isn't available outside of India it seems. It could be that a custom DSG software may be the only option if Skoda India are saying everything is fine and that's how it's programmed.

I see Skoda are still fitting Turanzas. They were fitted to my previous Octavia when I bought it. The garage then fitted some new tyres (also Turanza). They were awful. Horrible droning noises from them once they'd worn a bit. Replaced with with Goodyear efficient grip and they were spot on for 20k miles.

I did a quick test too. I know it's a different car, older model and a petrol but the gearbox is similar/the same. I tried to set off slowly and up a slight hill. Mine acts completely differently to yours. So either there is a fault or they've completely messed around with the programming of the gearbox for the indian market / this engine gearbox combo. VID_20200803_192549 by Philip Embleton, auf Flickr