Alasdair1

Yep its very confusing. Might be a PR code in boot that relates to springs fitted. Hopefully there is still enough coloured paint left for you to check. Mine had no paint on whatsoever. If the car is bottoming out over speedbumps it may be that they have become weak or as said shocks have had it leading to weakend springs. Alasdair Alasdair

Check the condition of rear shocks as well. Normally they wont affect ride height but if they are completely gone then over time can weaken springs and I found when I replaced gas filled ones on one of my very bouncy cars the ride height was slightly higher. There was no sign of leaking but when I removed them they werent doing much in the way of shock absorbing.

Have a look at https://www.partsinmotion.co.uk/ They are pretty good on prices. They list two NAPA springs. (as well as loads of others) The H duty NCS1855 are thicker and shorter at £24.59 each and Standard ones NCS1140 are only £18.75 each so might be worth a go. Been using them for years and delivery is pretty fast as well. Alasdair

Is it under any waranty if you didnt buy it from skoda dealer? Alasdair

Yes mines an estate and was used to carry heavy loads so needed heavy duty springs. With the old springs it didnt hit speed bumps but sat pretty low in back fully loaded. Car was a bit hard suspension wise when empty so maybe as you said go for middle ground for a bit more comfort. It could be that the springs on yours have weakened over time. Alasdair

Before skimming head check its possible. If it is warped some modern engines cant be skimmed by much due to fine tolerances (sons landrover td5 being one) and may also need a thicker head gasket. As for the oil cooler I think the simplest way is to remove and pressurise with air and submerge in water and look for leaks/bubbles. You could also check EGR cooler if the engine is removed the same way. Alasdair

If the engine is running well apart from the coolant/oil problem and if its just the head gasket then I would replace and not go any further unless I had to. If you are removing head then get it checked for flatness before refitting in case its warped. I would check the oil cooler again first. Its 1.5 years old and I find even OEM parts dont last as long so could be failing. Hope you get it sorted Alasdair

If the head is removed and there are no signs of head gasket failure then it could be a cracked block but very unusual unless its been totally cooked or perhaps frozen. You say the oil filter housing was replaced. Did that include oil cooler? Alasdair

There are torx style screws which have to be removed as long as there not rusted solid. The plastic liner then comes out with a bit of bending/wiggling. Think there are some that connect to undertray (cant quite remember). When I did my timing belt on my old octavia there was about a bucket worth of silt. Probably explains why they rust badly between wheel arch and sill. I did the other side while I was at it plus power washed/dried and coated in waxoil.

Was looking for a friend with similar problems and came accross a few folks on other forums with same EPC and 12v low message. There skoda garage scanned it and found a few minor faults unrelated to warning but also noticed that there was a software update outstanding on their car. They were pointed in the direction of Skoda assist who did an update and so far so good. Alasdair

Hope its just the radio/fuse and nothing major once you get the scanner to work. Alasdair

Read on here someone with similar problems. They had an aftermarket radio that for some reason was stopping scanner connecting to obd port. Ai came up with this which I think is correct. Not sure re fuse number Troubleshooting Steps: Check Fuse 12: Check the fuse box on the driver's side dashboard; fuse 12 (top section) is critical for OBD functionality. Remove Aftermarket Radio: A common issue in VAG cars is that aftermarket radios bridge the diagnostic K-Line, preventing tool communication. Pull the radio out and try the scanner again. Test for Power/Ground: Use a multimeter to check for 12V12 cap V 12𝑉 at Pin 16 and a solid ground at Pin 4 of the OBD port. Inspect Connector: Ensure the port is firmly attached to the dash and pins are not pushed back. Try Another Scanner: Ensure the scan tool is compatible; some cheaper tools fail to link on older VAG models. If the port has no power, the issue is typically a fuse or power wiring; if it has power but no communication, focus on the radio or a faulty ECU.

Its a bit of a long shot but check the wiring to the reader coil in ignition. Just wondering if its been dislodged when removing cluster? If you can lock and unlock car with fobs I assume they are synced to car. If the reader coil isnt working then it would explain imobilser coming on or the cluster hasnt been cloned correctly. Hope you get it sorted. Always fancied a VRS Mk2 Alasdair

Before boosting disconnect battery for about 1hr and then recconect. Not sure if its needed but touch positive and neg together before reconnecting battery. This in theory should hard reset ECU etc. Not sure how to resync keys but if it doesnt work then might be an idea to try. Alasdair

Hopefully a boost will make a difference but it is sounding like an imobilser problem. If it doesnt start with decent voltage then I would give the folks a phone who did the work on the cluster before doing anything else. They may be able to help/advise. I may be wrong but I would assume that if one key worked it should be identical to spare unless theres a problem with one of the transponders or if more modern the key battery has failed and key needs to be resynced to ecu? Alasdair

Dont suppose you have another battery to try or perhaps jump it just in case battery has had it by sitting for so long. The red steering symbol can be low voltage/failed rack and I cant remember if mine illuminates at ignition (cars away). The other red exclamation is if I remember brakes. Sons fabia had it and it was a strip fuse near battery compartment that had a crack in it. Might be worth checking them. Alasdair

On my diesel when the imobilser decided to come on due to a bad key it was like yours starts then stops within 2 secs. I think some petrols are different and just wont start but not entirely sure as all mine are diesel. Is there any light on dash like an orange key or padlock? Alasdair

Check the cluster is making good contact with connector. Mine came loose on my 08 plate and caused all manner of lights etc. Other than that not sure. Might be a problem with door wiring if its trying to lock all the time and airbag light is on. Check there are no broken wires in the rubber boot on both front doors. Alasdair

Whats the condition of your battery and is the alternator actually charging. May be the cluster but low voltage can cause all manner of weird things. The fact it started and imobiliser didnt come on I assume its been coded ok. Alasdair

Could be a BCM problem. Did read that if theres a short when bulb blows the BCM can cut power and create fault code that needs clearing using VCDS or similar even after replacing bulb. Not sure if the above is correct but worth scanning for codes. Alasdair

Heres a link to KYB europe. https://kyb-europe.com/catalogue/ Alasdair

I fitted KYB shocks and springs on mine. Think I went for heavy duty/bad road version of springs as I carry a fair weight. So far excellent and car sits pretty level even when fully loaded. From memory there are different ones depending if you have sports suspension/estate etc. Look for 12.5mm thickness and the HD ones are a bit longer if I remember. Mine is a 08 1.9tdi Alasdair

Try banging around the ignition switch and raising/lowering steering wheel if it has that option. It may be a bad connection at the chip reader coil. If that doesnt work you could try removing fuses for ABS system. Think they are in fuse box near battery and are strip fuses. They have a tendency to crack but often not noticeable until you remove them . I got my old Seat imobilser deleted as it would stick on randomly although I doubt anyone would bother stealing it. Alasdair

Have a look at Mk1 1.9tdi. Someone on here lowered theirs and drive shafts were too long but think some of the MK1 1.9tdi are shorter and have 108mm Alasdair

Could be the siren battery is flat as well or failed. Low voltage in main battery or siren battery can sometimes confuse alarm and set it off randomly. Hopefully it will settle down once system is back up to charge. My old Octavia thats sitting waiting repair alarm goes off if I let battery get to low. If it doesnt stop I would disconnect battery for charging. Alasdair