pcspinheiro

Hi GordoGT, mine had a cold starting issue, it would (randomly, not every single day) crank a lot before starting. However, it always seemed to start quite violently regardless of this. I seem to remember it used to start smoothly without shaking the whole car. I have since parted with it. I was a great ride, comfortable and economic, but I just couldn't take its quirks anymore. Sticking with the old, trusty Astra until it dies... Cheap to run, super cheap to maintain.

Sorry, appart from being called an idiot for slightly opening the oil filler cap with the engine running by an indy VAG technician, nothing new came to light. Maybe it's normal for turbo diesel engines... I'm also sorry to say that I became too tired of the incessant, small but soon to be expensive issues and parted ways with the Superb. It was an ok time to sell given the scarcity of new car deliveries, so I got a fair price for it. I'm now running 100% on my cheap and easy to fix, cheap to run LPG converted 21 yo Opel/vauxhall astra estate. Sad to leave the comfort, space and security of the Superb, but can't beat LPG and a 25€ full service on my own garage for running costs. Well, the wife's nissan Leaf can, but then again it cost a arm and a leg 😅. Cheers and happy Skoda driving, I think I'll turn to an oldish petrol Merc (C or E class) for LPG conversion when the Opel dies.

Thanks for replying! I have the feeling that this car will give me a lot of expenses very soon. I hope they sort it out while the warranty extension is still in effect, but the dealership seems so unwilling to do anything... I'm booked in for them to do some "disassembly" to better document the oil leaks for the warranty. Strangely enough, the guy that called to make the booking asked about the difficulty in starting (which I had reported earlier), so I think they themselves suspect something wrong. They NEVER cared before, but the fact is that my list of complaints about issues with the car on their system is quite long. I suppose it would suck for them if serious issues arise because they failed to act.

Has there been any development to this? Recently I'm having a similar issue with my 2017 superb 2.0 TDI... It randomly, but not frequently, needs to crank a lot to start (feels like 6-10 revs, but never counted), but the dealer cannot find anything, battery is fine, they say. Seems to be becoming progressively worse... Even when this doesn't happen, I always feel like it starts with a lot of vibration, shakes the car, but have no means to compare to another. Sometimes it does start smooth, like I suppose it should, not mostly it feels a little violent. The car also has oil leaking from the gearbox, engine... I'm gutted that a car well under 100k km would have these issues (plus likely wheel bearings...). 😭

I was listening to my recording and it was probably a mistake to record it with the phone outside the car, the engine noise overlaps a lot with the knocking sound that I'm trying to show. You CAN hear it if you pay attention, it's most prominent right at the beginning of the video. I'll see if I can shoot one where it's clearer.

So, my Superb likes to keep me on the edge... Yesterday I noticed, on cold start that after getting it to move if I reach for the clutch it does this loud knocking sound like "troc troc troc". It seems to be there only with the clutch depressed and goes away in a few seconds. I don't notice it when the engine warms up, but I've never heard this before in 4 years of ownership. The car was serviced a couple of weeks ago and they supposedly bled the clutch cylinder, could it have something to do with that? Any opinions? Cahnces are I take it in and they cant hear anything... The people at the dealership should get their hearing checked! Another thing that annoys me is the sound it makes idling cold, this "reek reek reek" you her in the background (together with some chirping if you get close to the belt side). I've heard plenty of diesels and VAG diesels and this doesn't sound right. Been complaining about it since I got the car, they initially said it was the timing belt and that it was changed under warranty, but the engine had absolutely no signs of having been touched. The noise did lessen for a while but it quickly came back and it's quite annoying. Here's a link to a video, but it's way more noticeable in the car that in the video (my wife called me right at the end...): https://photos.app.goo.gl/X3djGn6YkFK1f8LD8

@nicknorman you are correct, I was on a small incline! This is why the car was backing up as I repeatedly tested the noise. And I reckon this happened more often when I was half way down, where it was steeper. I suppose that explains it then.

Yes, and this is not even Skoda warranty, it's some third party warranty extension that I was offered when I bought the car. But they probably pay way less for repairs that if its me, so let's push this past the warranty, shall we? EVERY single problem I had with this car I had to diagnose myself and go to the dealership with the answer. They never found any problem with it unless I pointed my finger right at it. And even then... As with my cabin ventilator, that does a chirping noise when it's cold. I even showed them a video of it, but the day I left the car for them to check they couldn't hear anything. I wish I had the time to sit next to them while they "diagnose" stuff. They probably just talk to the head mechanic who pulls out his guessing hat an says it's nothing. This is what I heard from him multiple times, "it's nothing", even when my ac compressor was doing a horrible clatter and this idiot telling me it was the diesel injectors! I diagnosed it was the compressor myself and THEN they changed it under warranty. I've also always had a chirping sound from the distribution side of the engine, which they've been ignoring and even said they've changed the timing belt, when the car had clearly not been touched (and the problem remained)... My warranty expires in 3 months, if they fail to address the current issues a formal complaint letter will follow to Skoda offices, the importer in Portugal and the dealership, along with a write-up on their complaints book, which should then be verified by the overseeing authorities. A friend of mine had a VW golf but never bought VAG again due to the bad service at the local dealership, the same that sold and services my superb...

Sorry for the absence, was away on vacation. Yes, thrust angle is within spec (last line on the upper half of the table). So, additional info. My car has had a high speed vibration ever since I can remember but Skoda never found anything, until they found the obvious when I suggested it: a slightly bent rim on the right side, where the vibrations clearly came from! Now, wheels have been refurbished but the car still (as per other posts): - pulls to the right, but maybe less I'd say - does this swooshing sound over 40km/k, apparently also from the right) - vibrates at over 140 km/h but way less (still right side) - the rear right hub spins more freely and with a higher pitched sound (wheel off), buy has no noticeable play. - front wheel seems to transmit more vibration to the suspension when spun by hand, when the car was up to remove the wheels for refurbishing (a little subjective, should use a mechanic stethoscope, which I even have but lack the time to be constantly around the car at home...) So I guess this points to bearings going out on the right side, which could explain most if not all symptoms? A Google search told me that my symptoms coould be caused by worn bearings, even of not enough to cause play... But I don't want to go about changing parts without being sure... I did complain to Skoda just today, when reminding them about the warranty claim for the various oil leaks on the engine, but my hopes are realistically low...

Thanks for the replies! I recently did the front brakes and ended up bleeding out the excess oil at the callipers instead of sending dirty oil up the system. Coming back to my point 3, after much insisting from my part they looked at the car and found a bent rim. I've been complaining from high speed vibrations ever since I got the car, so I probably drove it like this for the best part of 75000 km... luckily I hardly ever exceed 120 km/h but I think this may have caused other harms... Together with this swooshing sound above 40-ish km/h that did not go away with having the wheels refurbished, the fact that it always comes from the right side, that the car always pulls to the right, I think that my bearings may be going out... In fact, when the wheels were off I spun the rear hubs by hand and on the right side it's was considerably looser and made a higher pitched sound, despite no play (yet). And, of courses the bent rim had been in the right side all the time, alternating from front to back when rotating tires. I'm getting very tired of this car and of the service at Skoda... They really seem to out of their way not to do a god damn thing other that change oil and filters! Just now they DID see the oil leaks from my engine (valve cover, crankshaft seal and gearbox, this last one being the worst), but still they are delaying getting approval from warranty and even denying there was oil leaking from the crankshaft seal, when I have clear photos showing that area full of oil!!! As if it was normal for an engine under 80k km to have oil all over it! I'm guessing it's just a hard job and they don't want to bother. I've put it up for sale and I won't be getting a Skoda again, that's for sure. Maybe the cars are better than what mine leads me to believe, but Skoda service is appalling...

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, maybe brembo pads are not the best out there but the noise was there before the swap with original pads... Braking wise, they brake fine. I don't think the noise is caused by the pads, but if it was that's no reason to ditch brand new ones (unless it's an issue and ok can do a warranty claim with brembo). It's really only when coming to a full stop, otherwise silent and efficient. Also, the hill assist was definitely off and the brakes would only stay on by themselves every few braking attempts, not always. That's why it's puzzling...

Hi again, I have two little questions regarding the brakes on my superb: - I had a rubbery squeak when slowly braking to a stop with my old brake discs and pads. Had them replaced recently with brembo discs and pads and still does the same... Could this be some bushing going bad? - related to this, today I was on a small incline testing this noise (seems more prominent form the left side) without the electric auto brake and noticed that, every few braking attempts the car would not move back freely (as expected) and the brakes would stay on for a few seconds, then let go. Is this normal? I was afraid of having let some air into the callipers when I pushed the pistons in for the new discs and pads, but the next day Skoda replaced the brake fluid as part of the service plan and must have bled/checked the braking system... Cheers!

Quick update, they did find an oil leak from the gearbox (that's what is causing the big stain on the under tray) and the valve cover (that one I could not see) but say that the crankshaft seal was "clean". I disputed this and they insisted on it until I showed my photos taken the week before. Then yeah, they agreed to send that in as well for an insurance claim... 😒 Sadly, they will only do it after the 16th since the guy that took my case will be on vacation. No matter as I'm away too, but it could speed things up a little. But the takeaway here is, this is super lame for an engine with a mere 75k km on the clock and always driven sensibly. It's leaking oil everywhere and I'm starting to wonder if the reluctance to start cold and the sweet smell we noticed the other day in the garage couldn't be a head gasket going too... There's no way I'll get them to look at it under the warranty though...

Haha, just noticed that my phone's spell check put break instead of brake pretty much everywhere. I type faster than I can see and trust the machine 😁 Car's almost done, they did see the oil leak but it's mostly from the gearbox, have to wait for a lease plan (warranty extension) approval for repair. They also said that crankshaft main seal was clean, so I showed them again my own pictures taken days ago showing oil all over, and they agreed to include that in the approval request. Waiting for the painful s€rvice summary... Cheers!

Small update: it was breaking fine on the road, no more soft pedal feel. However, it was due for a break fluid renewal in September, so I asked for it now. All good, thanks for your feedback!

Maybe I'll ask the dealer to bleed them, can't be that expensive... They'll have the car for an oil service and to look for an oil leak (probably front cranckshaft seal), so the wheels probably have to come out anyway.

I hope so. I could do it myself but no time before having to hand in the car....

Maybe I didn't explain properly... I opened the bleed nipples while pressing down on the pistons to retract them. I then closed them right away while keeping the piston pushed in. But now the brake pedal kinda feels a little soft? But I was also driving my old astra for over 1 week so maybe I had forgotten how they feel. I do get the feeling that the pedal keeps going down ever so slowly if it keep it pressed long. If there's a tiny bit of air it will be right by the bleed nipples, wouldn't bleeding the brakes do the trick? Why do you say flush the whole system? Oh, and yes, having the brakes machined was only 10€ each, new ones were almost 50€ each (bought brembo). But turns out it was 10€ lost because they probably didn't do it properly this time. Used them several times in the past with no issues... Thanks!

Taking the car in tomorrow, will update on what they find (or not...). Another worrisome note, the car has been reluctant to start cold, especially if left stopped for a few days. Today it took it quite some cranking to start and then there was this smell in the air (my young son noticed that, said there was a weird smell in the garage) that was a bit sweet. Could it be coolant? I think I may be freaking out about this car, but I would like to keep it for many years trouble-free.

Sorry for the quick shout-out, but today I changed the front discs and pads on my 2017 superb. I had them machined a while back but, while I've been happy with this service in the past, I think this time it was not properly done... Anyway, the job implied retracting the pistons a fair amount and, after some reading, I decided to open the bleed nipple and discard the oil right there instead of pushing it up through the system. I think it was a good choice since the oil wasn't exactly clean. However, since the process was going slow and I was alone at it, I opened the nipple enough to make it quite effortless. Despite being careful, I think this may have allowed a little bit of air to go back in before I got to fully close it because the brake pedal now feels a bit soft and if I keep my foot on it, it continues to go down veeeerry slowly for a while. The nipples were tightned correctly and there were no leaks after gently pressing the pads against the discs with the car still in the air and engine off. I haven't driven it out on the road but I'm wondering if it's dangerous to drive before bleeding out the air? The car is due for the last oil service at the dealership tomorrow and I need to drive it there. Seems to brake fine btw... And the only thing that I can think of that may have gone less well was the bleeding out of the oil to retract by the pistons.

Was just reading this out of interest and I'm like "really???" Aren't these things supposed to self bleed with the help of the expansion tank? Why do they keep making things so complicated??? I've renewed the coolant on my Opel astra several times and did a DIY radiator swap, no issues with bleeding and whatnot. There's a small bypass on the thermostat that leads to the expansion tank, any air coming through will be bled right out since the tank sits higher than anything else in the cooling circuit.

True... It was actually someone from Portugal that reached out to me here in this forum, when I was complaining about the mediocre service at the local Skoda dealership, who recommended this guy. He too makes a 200 km round trip to go to him. I'll see how i goes. I'm not sure if these guys are downright incompetent or just lazy to do more than exchange oil and filters (that's also probably the most profitable work when oil gets charged at about 50€/L ...). When I complained about the chirping noise in the cabin ventilation (which happens EVERY SINGLE DAY in the winter/cold weather), and even showed them a video, the guy said they had to see themselves and, guess what? The next morning it magically didn't do it when they tested. Plus the guy murmured something like "and the amount of work to exchange that..." 😠

Yeah, there's a guy who used to be a VAG tech and now has his own shop. His work is highly praised but he's a bit of a "I know it all d i c k" As long as the work is done right I don't really care... That's 100km from me though...

So, for someone who is used to service/repair other cars, is it possible to keep my Superb TDI running happy for many years if I service it myself, after the warranty expires? Excluding timing belt, as this seems too involved for my liking (only thing I never attempted in my other cars, really). The reason I ask is that paying Skoda some 300€ for an oil and filter change seems like a big premium when I can do it for ~70€ using good quality oil and filters. I've been servicing my 1.4 petrol Opel Astra for many years, it's now clocking 383.000 km and the engine purrs flawlessly (costs me about 25€ in filters and genuine GM oil). I change the oil 2x more frequently than supposedly needed and plan to do the same on the Superb. As per online videos/tutorials, seems simple enough... I got a 5y warranty extension but so far it's just been a way to "force" me to get the service done at the dealership to keep the warranty, since they almost never find the faults I complain about and, the ones they did, I had to arrive with a diagnosis myself (Aircon compressor, for example). It will be 5y in November and I'm taking it in friday for what I hope will be its last expensive oil exchange, hoping they will see the obvious oil leak that i reported, most likely coming from the crankshaft front seal. Cheers!

I also had some annoying clunking from the front when on uneven roads (more like rock paved roads) and noticed this went away when pressing the brake pedal. Skoda said it was loose pads (factory ones, with very little wear!) and quoted over 100€ to install some "anti-noise foil". I obviously told them to bugger off. in the meantime I had the discs resurfaced and, even with the same pads, the noise went away.... Maybe the springs that hold the pads in place got stuck in the caliper carrier and would stay loose when no force was being applied. Don't know... Fact is, the factory pads did have a backing layer meant for noise reduction, so I'm unsure what Skoda meant by installing these additional and costly foils...