J.R.

Dead serious, it was a discussion about economics and business in the vehicle sector. A pleasant break from politics while it lasted.

Are the fixings not there in the roof structure and just needing precise measured drilling to reveal them like on other models like the Octavia? If so then dependant on your level of confidence and competence a breakers yard or Ebay would yield OE roof rails.

I did! It cost a fair bit but was definitely worth it, what was really annoying me is that after having taken steps to reduce the excessive EGR and subsequent DPF sooting up to find that the DPF would regen at a very low mileage from a calculated soot level of 23g or whatever it was when the actual measured value was 3g 😒

Not enough! Look underneath and you will see that having the rear differential puts paid to any ideas of lowering the spare wheel well. Why do you call it a dummy spare wheel well?

And well deserved.

Is your diff now running silently and no other issues Dellbert? - You still havn't said.

So I was correct, you hadn't driven it and you still have not said how it is now that you have. Asking if anyone has had success could mean you haven't.

I would buy, beg steal or borrow a compression tester. It won't show full compression with slipped timing but if it shows any on all 4 cylinders then you have dodged a bullet and the car is economically repairable.

The last bit cant be correct, it is not a module and does not communicate with others. The ecu or instrument binnacle yes, many people have changed their light switches usually to get the auto feature but no-one has reported what you say.

You did not use the past tense so I thought the test drive was the next morning, how is the car driving ?

Why not start with your experience?

I replaced both of mine with cheapy Ebay bearings, one became noisy again after 6 months, replaced again with a cheapy and noise has gone again so it was definitely the bearing. I cannot detect any problem with the bearing on the bench it runs just like the new one it replaced, the original ones showered their ball bearings everywhere when removed.

It sounds like the smaller bearing has gone and as you have driven 47K miles since the Haldex was serviced it wont be due to them mixing up the drain holes, it also means that its not going to go bang and will just get progressively louder. I cant see that you have any claim against Skoda for a noisy bearing on a 6.5 years old vehicle with 120000 miles. It's an easy and cheap repair for the very few people that are undertaking it, otherwise its a very profitable one for the dealers.

Every day is a learning day, I agree F1Larry that a 10 amp fuse sounds high for a non clutched unit but the fuse may be for the Climatronic or heater controller with all the associated flaps. Non clutch units (on the majority but not the 100% I thought) have 2 wires leading to the modulating valve, they are not working all the time but do circulate a small amount of refrigerant all the time which would lubricate seals if there is any substance to the old wives tale. My apologies, I frequently make the mistake of thinking the smaller Skoda vehicles have the same systems as the mid to large ones, its always Pete who politely puts me right and I am grateful to.

Powder coating requires stripping back to bare alloy.

That is because it does not exist and also the reason that the common wisdom quoted is no longer valid if it ever was.

Looks like one of the protection caps that a diesel filter has in the packaging which get removed when fitted.

Wrong assumption. Changing (or probably not!) brake fluid at 2 years is a pish take.

+ 1 👍

Check alignment of cams at TDC then do a compression test to confirm the worst case, no need to pay a garage a fortune to tell you that the car needs head off, new valves, piston & bore inspection and a new timing chain, tensioner & guides when you can do all that yourself and wont be putting yourself in a ransom situation where they have your car stripped down.

Ouch! That takes me back 😒

The significance being that its a garage where you are an unknown new customer and too far away for you to tow the car back to. I think given the circumstances and the distance you have no choice but to accept that they were working in good faith and had unknowingly accepted an already damaged smoking gun into their workshops.

If you were away but not the vehicle then you would not have heard & felt the indications.

The cam timing had jumped initially and the retarded valve operation created a noisy exhaust which was possibly misdiagnosed but it is possible that the intense heat could have damaged the catastrophic convertor. The cam timing sensor was replaced in error as the problem was actually slipped timing, I have some sympathy here as most garages would replace the sensor first to rule it out and its a cheap easy repair if it was faulty. You took the car back and the timing has slipped further after the vehicle creeped on the handbrake while parked in gear. You now have an undriveable vehicle. How much if any of this is the responsability of the repairing garage is difficult to say. Can you explain what you meant by "While away from home" you and the car or just yourself?

They are leading shoes when facing downhill and trailing shoes when facing uphill.