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Hi, Yes, 6-speed manual transmission. The original gear oil manufacturer's code is FEBI 39070. It is also labeled as equivalent of the VW G 052 182 A2 and G 052 529 A2 oils, which was ok for me. I haven't seen the code you mention. So far so good, but Italian summers are not critical for gear oils - it's the harsh winters that put it to the toughest test in terms of gearstick operation, viscosity and fuel consumption, so I'll know better by next April, but frankly I don't expect problems. Avoid fast gear changes before the gearbox oil gets warm, which may take 30...50 miles in winter, depending on external temperature, load and terrain (in urban driving conditions you may NEVER get it warm enough and that's bad). As I've known this supplier for decades, I might recommend it, which doesn't mean that the competition out there is not good - look for decent pricing and clear info from the seller and the car will be ok with this or any other equivalent product. I'd stay away from no-name, supermarket and very cheap "universal" products. Keep rolling.

Thank you Guy. Fuchs is a reputable German lubricant make with impressive product lines, both automotive, industrial and special. It can be found in Italy, but over-the-counter products typically cost more than web store ones, especially if you're lucky enough to get free shipping. ANY reputable provider is OK for me as long as they stick to specs and apply honest (not necessarily cheapest!) pricing. This approach helps to filter out wannabes or otherwise unreliable suppliers. I don't think I'll need another oil change as I'm looking around for a decent replacement for my current Octavia - pity there's nothing convincing enough, not even the new Octavia which appears stripped of some goodies such as the rear multilink etc. And then, these seem to be tough times for diesels, regardless of their age or EU rating. So it's wait-and-see for the time being. Cheers from Italy.

Resuscitating an old topic: Here's the (latest) English version of the Octavia specs from https://az749841.vo.msecnd.net/sitesencom/alv1/81e46249-2ab3-4bc7-b2df-f5dbe22b0051/OCTAVIA-Catalogue.2ea01c77506a7547fff36678dd8f039b.pdf: Page 93, under the FURTHER SPECIFICATIONS heading, Rear axle paragraph, reads: Compound link crank-axle / 1.8 TSI; G-TEC; 4x4: multi-element axle, with longitudinal and transverse links, with torsion stabiliser. Translated into common language, it seems that all versions except the three (1.8 TSI, G-TEC and 4x4) get the cheaper torsion beam rear axle ("crank-axle"), while the three get the multilink one ("multi-element axle, with longitudinal and transverse links, with torsion stabiliser"). Hope this helps. Cheers from Italy.

The only "genuine VAG oil" is the one labeled VAG (VW-Audi-Seat-Skoda). It can be easily recognized by the lack of physical characteristics and the exaggerated pricing. Most competition label and price their products fairly, showing that they care to get (and keep) customers. It seems to me that VAG don't care about us - recent global scandals seem to support that notion. The gear oil episode is just a step toward disaffection and change of brand when the time comes. They won't be getting my business anytime soon, although most of their cars have performed well in time and some (Octavia) have been champions of reliability and an embarrassment for less reliable "premium" models within the group.

Hi, I've got some relevant info that I'd like to share with all of you guys trying to make your way through the 6-speed manual transmission oil ("fluid") selection issue. The info recapped below was part of the answer to a few queries posted and discussed here. Despite sound and credible info shared by several members, I needed authoritative guidance on the matter provided by someone who is responsible for the (lack of) info we car owners end up with occasionally, so I asked SKODA to put an end to this in the right way, which they did. For obvious reasons, I can't just copy & paste the email (although there wasn't the usual disclaimer to that effect), but here are the essentials here: For HDV and JLU 6-speed manual gearboxes they recommend the use of the original ŠKODA oil, spare part No. G 052 171 A2 (synthetic oil, yellow color, SAE specification 70W-75W). They cannot provide requested info about oils from different manufacturers. Source: SKODA Customer Experience Dept. [email protected] ŠKODA AUTO a.s. tř. Václava Klementa 869 293 60 Mladá Boleslav Czech Republic My comments: They didn't provide full info (e.g., API Service), but that can be inferred from other reputable suppliers and it seems to be GL-4 and, in some cases, GL-4+, although the latter seems a marketing trick to me. However, we have the OEM Part # and viscosity, which is a good starting point. They haven't provided a list of "OEM-approved" oils (similar to those in the engine oil dept.), which is surprising, at least for me. Anyway, I'm picking up from here. Already bought the FEBI product and renewed the oil. Btw, the filling and drain plugs (on my car) are the 12-point-star, anti-tampering style (with central pin accommodated by a corresponding hole of the socket - an overkill, if you ask me) - yours may be different, e.g. Allen wrench - check before proceeding. Both are reasonably cheap and widely available in the common 1/2-in socket guise. So far, no sticky shifting, but temperatures are already higher where I live (around 5...10 deg C in the morning), so I'll know better by next fall. You can see the three photos - sorry for the out-of-focus. Hope this clears the desk for those of you who have had doubts similar to mine; thank you once again for your contributions. Cheers from Italy.

No, never needed too - I'm quite happy with what I see on the tach and what I hear. As someone said, at 150,000+ km it's nice to know that it still purs and costs almost nothing to run... In case of (suspected) problems, a Bluetooth VCDS connector and an Android or IOS App provide detailed recording, stats etc.

Around 900 rpm, just like in the photo above, slightly faster during low-temp season. I think official figures say +/- 50 rpm, so anywhere between 850 and 950 rpm is ok. NOTE: mine has no DPF, thank God, so no fast idle for that reason.

Should be the same as mine (see above), but you better double-check. The best source of such info, beside VAG which is mute on the matter, are reputable third-party suppliers who are keen to sell while keeping the *good press*. Beside the one you mention there are other 4 or 5: email them for a written answer (phone calls don't work as well if something goes wrong) and you'll get qualified and reasonably reliable guidance on the issue. You might also consider writing to PENTOSIN which is reportedly the OEM gearbox oil brand they use for the first fill in VAG factories. Compare the answers you get, discard the odd ones and proceed.

The maintenance programs that contemplate max. 100,000 km (we're supposed to get rid of our cars by then, I think) do not mention manual gearbox oil change - once they called it "lubed for life" approach. I beg to dissent and I'd do it at round figures, just to make it easier to remember, e.g. 50k, 100k... (km or mi, whatever). I've known a guy with 450,000 km on the clock and no gearbox oil changes, but that's a bit too much for me. Another consideration is the type of service - taxi, frequent full load - high speed, trailer hauling would probably require shorter intervals - it's a shame that VAG is so unsupportive on the issue...

I addressed both FEBI and CASTROL (BP Europe) for expert application advice and both proved both responsive and helpful. The FEBI product has now a new label with all VAG spec numbers, including the one I need (G052 171), making the oil selection as straightforward as can be. CASTROL also has a compatible product (Syntrans V FE 75W-80) with a slightly different viscosity. I also wrote to SKODA HQ in Czechia and SKODA Italy for an authoritative clarification, but neither bothered to respond to date - obviously, they might share our same doubts... The A2 (or A1) at the end of the VAG gearbox oil spec is reportedly just the packaging code, therefore irrelevant for oil selection. Since the OEM gearbox oil costs almost three times the compatible ones, I went for FEBI this time, being the closest clone. Besides, suppliers (e.g. VAG) who attempt to push undocumented products at that kind of price deserve being left out in the cold - at least, that's how it works with me. I'll report the experience once I get the time to change the oil. That's all for now.

Hi everyone, My Octavia 2 TDI (2005) has had the airbag light on for about a month. I think I've read most of what could be found on the subject, but still have some queries for those who have experienced and/or solved the problem before: Does the igniter issue (see the diagnostics output below) necessarily require the replacement of the side airbag? What would be the bottom line for parts, VAT included? Isn't there a more SERIOUS solution to the yellow connector problem - soldering means becoming unable to remove front seats forever. What I have in mind is two pairs of bipolar watertight connectors like those used on aftermarket HID looms or some sort of MIL-grade multipolar connector pair. What are the odds that the alarm is the consequence of a REAL igniter problem, as opposed to those of the simple door jamb loom or yellow connector electrical discontinuity? What does the Upper limit exceeded exactly mean? Any comments / thoughts / hints on the above are welcome. Here's the diagnostics output: Address 15: Airbags Labels: 1K0-909-605.lbl Control Module Part Number: 1K0 909 605 K HW: 1K0 909 605 K Component and/or Version: 02 AIRBAG VW8 024 0700 Software Coding: 0012338 Work Shop Code: WSC 73430 790 00000 VCID: 346318E32CFB 1 Fault Found: 01217 - Side Airbag Igniter; Driver Side (N199) 001 - Upper Limit Exceeded - Intermittent - MIL ON TIA, regards.

An update: I got two potential suppliers involved, here's the short story: VAG (OEM) product: G 052171A2, SAE 70W-75. FEBI Bilstein: neither of the two shown in my photos above are OK for my car - they suggest the same oil used in the VAG 7-speed DSG, here are the codes: FEBI Gear Oil DCTF-I code: 39070 (1 L), 39071 (5 L), complying with the VAG spec G 052 182 A2. (I'm having this double-checked.) CASTROL UK: Castrol UK suggest using their Syntrans V FE 75W-80 complying with the VAG spec VW G 052 171. Because of the free shipping (FEBI is available where I live), I'll probably follow that route, provided that double-checking confirms the product. To be continued.

Thank you MicMac. I apologize for not having searched the forum well enough and do hope someone will relocate my query and the responses where they belong to keep everything in order and readily available. The info members provide is often invaluable to me and I appreciate each of your contributions.