Xenon1024

Cheers, folks. I'm not hearing too many horror stories. I'll put it down to luck of the universe! I knew at the time of purchase, that being an ex-fleet vehicle(!), clutch wear was most at risk so that was considered. Hopefully, all these receipts will be useful for next vehicle upgrade. Android Auto definitely makes up for the death of the TMS.

Hi all, I suppose I am looking for general feedback, and for other owners to re-assure me it's all going to be okay! I am starting to get frustrated with the emergence of "random" faults cropping up in my 65 Plate Octavia SEL Estate 1.4 TSI. What more can I expect? Maybe a cautionary tale to other Octavia owners. Cost of repairs, excluding service and wear and tear is listed below. I have excluded service because they are relatively known / planned costs throughout ownership. I have also excluded air filters, plugs, tyres, bulbs, and wheel alignment etc. Car is 95 % town driving. Year; Odometer; item; cost 2016 9.5K miles Car purchase (Skoda approved used) £16,500 2021 45K miles Replace water pump £352 2023 58K miles Gearbox bearing(s) failure - recondition including new synchro rings £1,224 " " clutch kit (was still serviceable but can feel a little slip and gearbox was off anyway) £423 2023 59K miles Reverse light switch replace £63 2024 64K miles Handbrake button failure - new handbrake lever £242 2024 65K miles Replace Clutch Slave Cylinder £203 " " Replace Clutch Master Cylinder (sadly, the new slave cylinder did not fix pedal issues) £319 Significant service "milestones" for context: 2023 60K miles New Battery (AGM); New front discs and pads; Air Con recharge I have been told by the Indy VAG garage that Skoda now recommend 140,000 mile interval (no age requirement) before changing timing belt. Don't get me wrong, the car has been a solid workhorse, returns 48 mpg, and cheap tax and insurance. If it wasn't for the silly second hand car prices currently, outrageous insurance, and crazy tax rates I would be considering replacing for a Karoq. What's everyone else's "unplanned" costs?

I've had similar failure recently and also furiously searched this forum. There is a single point of failure where the plastic retaining pawl that holds the button inside the lever can break, which means the button (which is not broken) comes off, because it is under spring pressure. You may think it's not much of a big deal, because maybe you think it's push to release the ratchet, and the ratchet is engaged "all the time". Well wrong, because without the button attached to the plastic pawl, it can no longer "pull" the rod mechanism forward (under spring pressure remember) and it won't engage the ratchet when you pull up. It is the inverse - the ratchet is NOT engaged by default and the spring pressure (forward pull) is required to engage the ratchet. You push the button to counteract the spring pressure thereby releasing the ratchet. Somewhat counter-intuitive. This is where that driving myths of "don't press the button when pulling up the handbrake" has a sliver of truth for this engineering scenario. I come from school of using handbrake button all the time because it's quieter and I use handbrake with clutch control at junctions / slow traffic. In my case, due to urgency , safety assurance, and no time to fiddle around with DIY repairs (blue tack worked temporarily), I had the handbrake lever replaced so it was pricey. I asked to keep the old lever (because it's expensive!) but also so I can have a look / take photos. I will report back if there is interest. In summary, yes you can replace the button only, but if the button is not broken, it will be the plastic pawl inside the lever. In my opinion the failure has a grossly disproportionate negative effect on driving safety or quality. If you do not want to DIY repair, you will have to replace the whole lever.

Yup, I think we have to remember factors like convenience, time, assurance (confidence) when considering price. The fact that this forum is going to be mostly "knowledgeable enthusiasts" may skew that, but I think its great that there's lots of helpful info here that can help when weighing up options. My car is a family workhorse, not really a "pride and joy", so I am willing to pay extra for convenience and assurance for service and repairs (I have a great relationship with my independent - a free courtesy car can be a lifesaver for unexpected repairs). For "routine" stuff you can find competition with tyre replacement and MOTs. Things like battery or cabin filter or engine air filter replacement is easy DIY. Others say other repairs are easy but I don't have driveway, [decent] jack, axlestands, or [car] tools so that is limiting. Also after passing its MOT I like to treat it with a jetwash and a full tank of premium petrol lol.

I'll just add my two pence to point out non-monetary points, which some people value, as I have to sometimes justify Indy prices to myself. This will be different to your situation. Indy garage: may be more convenient / accessible during workday and can sometimes have better booking availability. may offer free courtesy car (which can indirectly give you a warm fuzzy feeling of their competence if you get given a 200,000 mile dinosaur that drives wonderfully) should update your SKODA digital service record Quality of their inspection report / photos / measurements may be of higher quality / value / assurance - eg wheels off brake inspection/measurement Service packages might do more work / inspection or use premium parts than main dealer so it costs more than you expected. Eg for some reason mine itemises an engine flush. Just ask them. Customer service / banter / technical talk - you can speak to the technician who actually worked on your car compared with receptionist who doesn't understand why water pump doesn't need replacing with timing belt change on EA211 engines. Will offer competitive prices for repairs. Main dealer: At least 2 year parts and labour guarantee Should wash and vac Should have infinite free snacks and drinks give you FOMO/FOBO when looking around showroom "might" update software - I had "Recall 90k1" one year. Others may have different experience generally. Sometimes have fixed price offers (although I haven't seen one for ages). Might provide [office] space to sit and do remote work in Can give you opportunity to steal those tiny bottles of screenwash I would be wary of "generally take better care of your car and they have often have more knowledge/experience" argument as you don't know how skoda technicians vs independent technicians are competent. You have to assure yourself on a case by case basis. In terms of quality of work / guarantees, I have zero worry with quality done at Skoda Main dealer and I know there's a path to complaints (if I'm paying the price for sure I'm going to make a fuss). It's worth searching other skoda service centres. Prices for service oil and inspection can be as low as £156 (Sunderland). For new front pads and discs this ranges from £375 (a "maybe") to £435 (nope).

Having logged back on I realised that I never gave closure on this thread which can serve as reference for others. Final itemised cost via Indy VAG garage was: £120 + VAT labour for removing and installing water pump, £161.18 + VAT Water pump £11.60 + VAT "Long life Antifreeze red" I did get an oil service at the same time so not sure if that helped with rates. Having done 3600+ miles since June including 7 hour journeys and no sign of leaks or overheating. The only thing is I'm not entirely convinced they used the correct G13 coolant (VW TL 774 J spec) as it's looking rather red (so perhaps G12) but as far as I'm aware it's compatible. I also can't find any evidence of having the dreaded silica bag in the tank so I think I'm safe on that topic.

Second one: Basic filtering: Brand C; Model year 2016; Engine code CZD% Transaction No. 2049883/6 Release date 02-Oct-2019 Service information: Warning light for coolant shortage or coolant temperature is on, coolant leakage in pump area Customer statement / workshop findings The warning light for coolant shortage/temperature is on; and/or The coolant level in the expansion tank dropped below minimum; and/or Coolant leakage under the front vehicle part/engine compartment. -------------- see attached for remainder of report that has details and pictures -------------- This TPI represents exactly my situation (and confirms work would've been covered if I was within warranty). Of interest is that there are essentially two solutions: replace the pump seal or replace the whole coolant pump, in accordance with manual and spare parts catalogue (ETKA). The diagram referred to for the "whole coolant pump" makes no doubt that it is referring to EVERYTHING ie all gaskets, pump, thermostats/regulators, housings, covers, screws. I then decided to telephone SKODA main dealer #2 and after giving my reg, cut to the chase quoting for "replace pump as described in TPI ref # 2049883/6" and got a (more believable) main dealer price of £496. Lesson #1. Do homework from erWin for £7.50 first. 2049883-6.pdf

As I stated above I found TPI Reports x 2 for my VIN when searching for "coolant": First one: Basic filtering: Brand C; Model year 2016 Transaction No. 2045292/2 Release date 19-Sep-2016 Service information: Contamination of V-ribbed belt by coolant Customer statement / workshop findings The V-ribbed belt was contaminated by coolant caused by its leakage. Technical background Production change Measure The ribbed belts used in Škoda vehicles are not coolant sensitive as they are manufactured of the same material like the coolant hoses. Therefore, there is no reason to replace the V-ribbed belt, which came into contact with the coolant and was then dried. In individual/sporadic cases – if leakage of the coolant system occurs, deposits or coat on the belt may be created (e.g. caused by dye contained in the coolants), which may damage the V-ribbed belt. In these special cases, the belt is to be replaced. The decision about the replacement is to be made individually by the Škoda partner – on the basis of his own assessment. The necessity to replace the V-ribbed belt within warranty or goodwill is to be documented by detailed photo documentation in the DISS system. ------------------ Therefore it seems an easy decision to change the belt if it's going to be under £20 when you're taking off the pump anyway...

Update. To continue my first post: Skoda main dealer- £873 Indy VAG garage #1- £370 Indy VAG garage #2- £670 Indy VAG garage #3 - est. £550 (to be fair requested a look). ------- Indy VAG garage #4 £350 "pump only" Indy VAG garage #5 £432 Indy VAG garage #6 £380 "cambelt not included" To be fair to garages, they can't always know the water pump on this VW engine is not linked to the timing/cambelt side. I booked in with one of the garages in June, I shall update on my experience. For my curious mind I paid the £7.28 for erwin access to seek some juicy titbits (as well as workshop manual) for my VIN. I then realised that the range in prices could be because it's not as simple as pricing for "a new water pump" because there are: Thermostats x2 (the workshop manual now calls them "coolant regulator") for which there appears to be two versions for the large circuit (start of opening 105 or 97 C). Thermostat (coolant regulator) housing and covers Toothed belt Are there any forum rules about posting TPI reports from erwin? I have a couple of relevant ones which would be useful for others.

I asked for a new belt (for the pump) because the car's got 44+ K miles / 5 yrs on it, the leak may have damaged it, it's not going to cost much, and the linked service manual states to replace with new whenever the pump is removed. I suspect that's why there's a range in price quotes - some garages may have assumed a timing belt (and kit) change, which is not what I'm after and would cost megabucks.

Hi all, I've been living with a slow coolant leak for over a year (problem existing before lockdown so difficult to estimate when it started) but definitely topped up more than 5L in 12 months. There's clear evidence of leakage underneath the water pump area with general 'wetness' and pink residue/crystals on top of what I think is the gearbox and suspension. There's also residue on top of the toothed belt guard/cover so that's a clue what's happening inside. After searching this forum and wider I understand that my (1.4 TSI EA211 CZDA) engine has the water pump on the passenger's side separate to timing belt, and that although not as common as diesel, there are reports of leaks from pump and/or housing in petrol models. I can't pin-point the leak to pump, thermostats or housing as its difficult to see but there are visible drips on the black plastic. After shopping around (budgeting for worst assumption of total replacement) I'm getting various prices for replacement from different garages (Bristol to Stroud 'corridor'). Skoda main dealer- £873 Indy VAG garage #1- £370 Indy VAG garage #2- £670 Indy VAG garage #3 - est. £550 (to be fair requested a look). This price range has confused me. What prices have others paid in the past or considered reasonable? Am I asking for the right job? I have asked for new water pump AND thermostat housing AND belt to be fitted. I didn't mention gaskets/sundries/pressure testing or priming with new coolant as I assumed that would be included. Because I don't know exactly where the leak is I would prefer a replacement of the wider assembly instead of say, just the pump part. I consider 'big ticket' jobs like water pump replacement to be a once in a lifetime of ownership event with severe consequences of cooling failure (family use). So although the thermostat housing looks quite expensive (I'm assuming 2x thermostats, housing covers and gaskets are included) it would give peace of mind. I am using http://www.vwgolf.org/assembly_overview_coolant_pump_thermostat-1694.html for reference. There are also youtube videos for this type of engine - they all appear to replace the housing assembly and not just the water pump sub-assembly. The videos also indicate the labour that could be involved. Any assistance or tips would be appreciated - even if it's how I can dialogue with garages. Ta If I make progress I'll update this thread for others.

Hi, I'd like to join the club for an upgrade if possible please! Installed SW train version: MST2_EU_SK_ZR_P0245T Installed SW MU version: 0245 Part Number: 5Q0035874A SW: H25.14.78_STD2Nav_EU Is there a change log(s) to see what was fixed? does this affect the 'activation' of mirrorlink/android auto? Thanks