plasma99

I'll reply to my own topic only because I have just fixed the latch and it might be helpful to someone else. There may be a better way of doing to but my method was to first remove the pull chord bolt. I left the plastic pull chord in place. I then unscrewed the two rubber gromets from the bottom of the trim (holes circled in blue). I then used a chisel wrapped in tape as a pry tool to detach the trim from the tailgate. I had to pry 6 clips away from the metalwork (4 at the bottom and 2 at the sides) to get access to the latch. You have to line up the pry tool with the clips and lever down. You can then remove the plastic latch cover. The latch is held on with 2 nuts (size 13). It can then be removed from the tailgate. You have to disconnect the electrical connection first. The problem with mine was that the piece of light green plastic circled in purple was underneath the white plastic lever. It needs to be above as in the photograph. Once corrected, the latch started working. No idea how it got in to that position that but it all seems to work fine for now.

Hi, I have the hatchback model and was wondering how to get access to the tailgate latch/lock which I think has failed. You hear sounds of a motor but no locking takes place. Having to keep the tailgate closed with string at the moment and receive the tailgate open warning every time I go over a bump which is very distracting. I have removed the plastic pull cord which was held on with one bolt. Are there other bolts which need removing before you can remove the trim from the tailgate? I have had a good look around but cannot see any. I used a pry tool to try and remove the trim but it simply would not release other than move a few mm. Youtube does not seem to have a video on the procedure. Thanks in advance, Peter

No issues starting from cold. It was Just restarts from stop. If I had to add a factor it would be that it tended to occur after a lot of urban driving and long waits at traffic lights. Ok so far with new battery. The whole process of restart seems faster, smoother and more efficient. Probably psychological effect.

Mine never deactivated start-stop. It just didn’t work properly - sometimes stalled on restart. It’s been ok since I changed the battery but have only run it for a week so far. I’m still nervous about it - it’s a system that needs to work 100% of the time else it’s not safe to activate at all.

It is an auto but I’ve had the same rear brakes for some time. Changing the BEM code - I guess I’ll need some accessories to do that?

Definitely doing enough mid-length trips. 52 mile round commute at least 3 times a week.

Thanks for the replies. I think after 8.5 years, I can treat it to a new battery. Any reco on a good make? Not sure whether to pay a bit more for Bosch. I know you have to buy the start-stop model.

I have been experiencing issues of my car stalling at roundabouts/traffic lights when engine restarts following a stop. It seems to be a bit random and difficult to reproduce but the frequency of events is increasing. This morning, it happened at a very busy roundabout. It stalled, restarted automatically and then stalled again a few times. The cars behind me were giving me some grief. I then selected neutral and restarted the engine manually. It stalled again but worked on the second attempt. Basically, I have lost all confidence in the stop-start system and now have to turn it off. Has anyone successfully resolved this? Could it be that I need a new battery? The battery is from new (8.5 years ago).

Yes. I discovered this when a friend of ours exited the car with a bleeding hand. We found the chrome on the interior door handle to be delaminating and sticking up with razor sharp edges. I have put tape over it for now. May replace with heat shrink tubing. Found the handles on the other three doors to be deteriorating a little but not enough to cause injury. Not hugely impressed tbh. I also have the problem on the dsg lever with chrome peeling away leaving a razor sharp edge. Can live with it for now.

I normally get a warning to top up before each service is due. It's the first modern car I have owned that requires topping up between services. However, it runs well enough and the oil consumption is consistent.

J.R., any chance you could outline the procedure for getting the cover off and exactly what to look for in terms of degradation? I would like to do my first inspection at 6 years.

I'm not adhering to the Skoda UK recommendation of a change every 5 years/50K miles but I don't recommend it if you are of a nervous disposition. I do think about it a lot when driving the car and do keep a close eye on the forums. Since I plan on keeping the car for the long term, I will probably change the belt after 7-8 years/70K miles since I will have to do one belt change anyway. If the water pump is the weak point, I will just keep a close eye on the coolant level. People claim they change it for "peace of mind" (oh, the cost is only the equivalent of only one costa coffee per week) but I regard it as a protection racket which I am going to try and not fall victim to. I don't think the Germans would recommend a 10 year/210km change/inspection unless they had solid data to back it up.

As someone who is trying to adhere to the continental 210000Kms cambelt change without time limit, I'm becoming increasingly alarmed by these stories. I'm probably going to bottle it now. German engineering? - what on earth has gone wrong? I've never knowingly experienced a water pump failure on any car I have owned previously. It looks like the water pump is far more likely to fail than the timing belt based on the experiences being reported on this forum. Is this what is driving the UK (5 year change) recommendation? Also, is the water pump designed not to "seize" fail which would cause a big problem to the timing belt. Does it just "leak" fail? Therefore, you can experience a water pump failure without doing too much damage to the engine, assuming you catch it early? I'm at 48K miles/>5 years and I'm really not happy about changing the water pump and belt right now. The new pump could fail after another few years and you end up paying for two big changes in quick succession. I'd rather keep a close eye on the pump and get the belt/pump combo changed midway through my ownership at about 7 years/70K miles. I just don't know now.

Never tried it but the manual provides an explanation:-

If the exterior release handle is faulty, a 3 second push of the middle "boot open" button on the key fob will release the tailgate. If that's not working, I have no idea how you manually open from the inside. Just been in the car to check and cannot see anyway of doing this. I suppose it's not impossible to imagine a situation where you might need to get out of the tailgate in an emergency without the means to electronically release so would like to know how to do it.

I’m sticking with what appears to be the continental recommendation of 210000 kms (130000 miles) without time limit. It’s not without worry. You do wonder if VAG UK really do know something that they are not publicising. However, without an adequate explanation, I’m not adhering to the UK recommendation. My hunch is that the belt and associated components are good for the lifetime of the car (unless you are a Taxi driver). If VW are recommending a 130k mile change, that would be their worst case and you can bet your boots they have successfully tested the belts/associated components well above that mileage.

Over £300 sounds a bit steep! I paid a main dealer £78 + VAT with me supplying the Pads and Discs. The only downside is that you have to waive the guarantee if you are supplying the parts.

Mintex discs and pads have never disappointed.

Thanks very much for the information from Jase_31. This ties up with what wertok said from Sweden - 210kms without time limit. There is no adequate explanation of the UK 5 year 50k miles recommendation. No way I am getting mine changed now. A well engineered (long life?) belt fitted by the manufacturer - why would I mess with that? There will always be loads of people saying “don’t risk it” and “I had a mate down the pub and his went at 5 years and 1 month” but these people would have to concede that hundreds of thousands of German owners are also taking a risk. I don’t accept the premise.

I know it has a cambelt. My simple question is what do the Skoda dealers in Germany recommend as the interval for changing the cam belt/water pump on a 2016 Superb 2.0Tdi. I may be wrong but I sense the UK dealers are profiteering by stating 5 years

So do you know what Germany are saying? I tempted to go with what they say since they designed the engine. I've been looking at the foreign websites looking for their version of the attached but cannot find it

Is that Sweden?

Does anyone know what intervals are now being specified in Germany, Ireland and other European countries? I believe they were once different. I am at 5 years and 48K miles and it just feels a bit soon to be replacing cambelts and water pumps. That is just a hunch though - not base on any technical reasoning.

Quick update. The main dealer quoted me over £100 for a new part - couldn't accept that. I believe there are cheaper parts on Ebay for around £40. I went for a bodge. Don't know how long it will last but this is what I did:- 1. Button assembly removed from tailgate by prising away from panel with a screwdriver. 2. Connector unclipped to allow assembly to be completely removed. 3. Button package dis-assembled (not easy, did break a few retaining clips along the way but not enough to cause a problem) 4. Believe the failure was caused by broken plastic around the white hinge (see photo). This causes the button not to spring back properly after being pressed. 5. Microswitch itself tested and found to be fine. 6. Fashioned a new hinge housing using a cable clip (nail bent to force cable clip in position between housing and white hinge). 7. Reassembled and switch springs back properly after being pressed. 8. Tested on car and works fine after about 100 cycles.

Hi, I was referring to the button on the tailgate itself. I don't have a TAILGATE OPEN button on the centre console - just a CENTRAL LOCKING LOCK/UNLOCK button. The car is a hatchback and have been driven a 2-3 days per week over the last few months. I am sure the battery is healthy. From my limited diagnostics skills, I believe the locking and unlocking function is working fine. I believe the tailgate release mechanism is OK. It is just the tailgate release button on the tailgate handle that is faulty. I was a bit worried as I am going on holiday next week with alot of luggage. However, the tailgate open button on the key fob does release the tailgate so I can still use the boot. I will update this post if I manage to fix it. Slightly disappointed as I would expect this sort of fault on a 10+ year old car, not a 4 year old one. That and the chrome strip coming off the window after a few years does grate a bit. Maybe the Quality department need to take note.