Alasdair1

Thats what my mechanic freind says as well. If its the release bearing then it will gradually get worse. and as long as its not a DMF it should be ok. If its a DMF it can be fairly catastrophic if it fails completely. If its the gearbox itself then its going to have to come out and be repaired/replaced anyway. It may be one of these faults that you have to leave and let it get worse to properly diagnose it. Not sure if it will help but try bleeding clutch it can't do any harm. Alasdair

Does sound like a bad release bearing ,unusual but not impossible to fail after 20k unless the person who replaced clutch just replaced clutch disk for a cheaper option or used cheap parts. Either way if its gearbox or clutch/bearing the box will have to come out to check. Do you know who did the clutch previously and how long ago as it may be covered if your lucky by waranty? Can't think of any way to inspect without removal or anything else that may be causing rattle. Alasdair

Had a quick look on line and some say solid but some say DMF. Perhaps someone on here will confirm what is fitted. I am prretty sure its solid but not 100% Tried the sachs online catalogue but couldn't access the flywheel section. Alasdair

I think your correct with a solid flywheel but might be worth checking. Whats the engine code for the 1.4tdi pd that you have. If its solid then may be gearbox noise or a bad release bearing.

Glad to here it and hopefully you wont see the AA for years. Weird how a sensor can affect the car and not ping up fault codes. Suppose its similar to old cars with a stuck choke. Alasdair

I would use steel seal. Its supposed to be better for blown head gaskets but a bit more expensive. My local motorfactors sell it and they are pretty good. I used Kseal as thats all I could get on holiday. Turned out the head was cracked in two places between valves. Think K seal is better for cracks rather than HG . Kseal also leaves a residue with little copper particles in the expansion tank which are noticeable if your tryig to sell car. Steel head I think is not noticeable. https://steelseal.co.uk/ Hope it helps

Had a head gasket on my toyota people carrier go. Used Kseal to keep me going as we were using it on holiday. Lasted for a couple of months. Also heard good results from steelhead. Supposedly better than Kseal. Not sure where you are but I did buy an octavia from a garage in Kirkintiloch. Vw specialists and were really decent to deal with. Proper old school garage as well. Father and son were running it at the time (4-5years ago) If its not too far might be worth a call. https://www.thecrossgarageltd.co.uk/ Alasdair

Have had a few fail on cars etc with these symptoms. 1. slow to turn over engine with new battery was coils in motor failing resulting in half speed. 2. Not enaging due to faulty solanoid, 3. Enaged but didn't disengage. Not sure why as it melted it.(father drove 100 miles without realising) 4. simple fix due to bad wiring/earth etc. If its randomly not turning over it could also be ignition switch failing or wiring to motor. Alasdair

Maybe chain has snapped at exactly the right point to avoid valve damage or as engine wasn't running damage was avoided. Long shot I know. Hope its just a new timing kit required. Alasdair

I have always managed to just bleed the caliper that was replaced unless for some reason the brake fluid was allowed to drain out while replacing caliper and got so low it allowed air in to master. Reckon it may be air still in rear pipes somewhere unless its just the new pads etc wearing in. Also check servo is working ok. My sons brakes were feeling odd. Not spongy but not that positive and it was the vaccum hose to the servo that had split. Alasdair

Had the same on mine. Still one small air bubble in rear brake line. I used a pressure bleeding kit. Took a while to get rid of air. If it was done at a garage I would take it back and see if they can bleed it again. I have in the past come accross garages that just gravity bled the brakes which sometimes works but all it takes is a small amount of air. Alasdair

Depends. If the previous owner was say a taxi/delivery etc then start stop all the time. Both my octavia have 130k and no problems. What are the symptoms you are having ie slow engine turnover or it not engaging. Alasdair

May be a worn timing chain if yours has one. My son has a 06 1.2 and it doesnt sound like that. At 64k the chain should be ok but if not regular serviced and correct oil used could have caused wear etc Alasdair

It may be the switch if it works with the drivers side the motor etc should be fine.I would as said swap or check with a meter. I bought a new one for the drivers door recently as it had failed. Probably through water when the windows been left open. The new switch makes a slight click when pressed. Not sure if there is a switch on your drivers side to lock rear windows etc to stop kids opening them. If there is it may be the source of the problem. Alasdair

May be a bad release bearing. I think your correct with solid flywheel but there is I think a chain driven balance shaft on that engine. Not sure if what you are hearing is the chain rattling. Did read that they are prone to wear. How many miles has the new clutch done and do you tow anything? Alasdair

P0172 is fuel too rich. Try a new airfilter but it could be MAF? Might be worth disconnecting MAF,cleaning contacts and reconnecting.

Could be headlight fixing screw or perhaps panel above rad or radiator?

My fluid gets changed gradually when I replace flexi hoses or coroded brake lines. Never bothered changing it completely as had no problems with brakes. Did notice the clutch fluid was well past it when I changed clutch and slave. It was green/brown but the fluid to brake lines is still pretty clear. Bled clutch till fluid was nice and clean again.

Reckon if the belt looks ok an it was fitted by a VW garage it should be upto OEM spec and decent quality. I change mine around 5 years but have gone as much as 6 if the mileage is low for the belt. After that I think the age of the belt would worry me. If it was a DIY job using a cheap belt then it would be another matter. I have come accross a few cheap ones that are ready to go after only three years. Take it easy and you should be ok. Alasdair

Whats your air filter like and has it been changed recently? Had problems a few years ago on an old Volo940. Random no start and it wasn't running right when it did but when I took plugs out they were really black. Checked airfilter and discovered mice had taken up residence in filter houising which wasn't good at all. Eventually had to take whole inlet system apart to clear all the crap that had been sucked in. Glad you fitted NGK and not Champion or some other cheaper make. Hope the coolant sensor cures the problem. Might be worth a bottle of injector cleaner as well. It should help get rid of the soot. Alasdair.

I've have an 08 and a 12 plate octavia which yes I have had problems but mainly wear and tear and age related like bushes/ball joints brakes shocks etc. Electricly had one dash fault two rear wiper motors and a couple of ABS sensors which were due to failing bearings and wouldn't come out. Apart from that generally trouble free. Skoda fabia mk1 06 the same, bearing bushes ball joints and clutch. Seat Altea xl the same again, mechanicly good but electrics not so with age. I find the paintwork/rust is the main problem on the Ocatvias around sills and front wings but they are getting old and we get a lot of salt in winter. The Fabia is so far pretty rust free. Dealers are expensive and seem to find more to repair than is required. I service and repair myself and generally not too bad to work on. You need a few random extra special tools etc but most other makes of car do as well. Alasdair

I do the folowing before I attempt anything under the car especially suspension etc. I have been using RP90 penetrating oil from toolatation and AC90 which is the euqivalent of wd40. For stubborn rusty bolts I spray with AC90 and leave for about 1/2 hour then use RP90 and let it soak in for 12-24hrs then repeat process over a day or two. A bit of heat and a spray of RP90 when still hot works very well especially when trying to replace flexi brake hoses with a seized union. I'm a great believer of take it slow and its less likely to break. All my cars are old so no stranger to 1/3 turn to loosen 1/4 turn back then more AC90 and repeat till it comes out. Alasdair

Did read on here somewhere similar problems with a 1.4. They also had split servo hose but the car still kept cutting out after replacement. I think they replaced engine ecu temperature sensor as the car seemed to be stuck in cold start mode as plugs were very sooty. The other suggestions were blocked breather hose and to check exhaust (pre lamda) for leaks. Tunned out to be the ECU engine temp sensor Took a few trips for the ECU to learn They had no stored fault codes either At least you are with the AA Alasdair

I would start spraying penetrating oil/wd40 every day for a good while before attempting it. It will give any seized/rusty bolts a chance to free off. I also use a bit of heat on really tight ones. I bought a mini Vortex blowtorch which I use with MAP gas (plumbers bottle). I have the larger one but the small one is ideal for targeting small areas. I also have a plumbers heat pad that I put behind to protect plastic/wiring/brake lines etc. Not sure if there are any bolts that go into rear chassis. They can be tricky to get wd40 to the nuts welded inside.

I would have thought that if the axle is bent it may be weakend and should be replaced, I did read in a work shop manual that straightening or welding not allowed. Don't think there are shims but have you checked the bushes. If they are worn it might be why its out of alignment. Not sure if worn shocks mounting would cause it but might be worth a look. Would think the main problem would be removing the old one as being a MK1 its been on for a good few years. On the MK2 there are concentric bolts to adjust the rear alignment. Alasdair