ArisaigDavid

I had a new nsf spring fitted at a trusted independent a year ago, when I noticed that the gap between the tyre top and the wheel arch was much less than on the other side. It turned out to be broken, but they assured me that there was no need to replace the one on the other side. A couple of weeks ago the car failed its MOT because the osf and nsr springs were both "cracked" - they replaced both of them, assuring me that the fourth original spring (osr) didn't need replacing. Funnily enough the nasty rattle from the rear right of the car ever time I went over a bump in the road, and which I had asked them to investigate, magically disappeared without them ever having heard it! I don't know, and didn't ask, whether the springs were genuine Skoda or not, but if it helps the part numbers were KIL25117 for the front and KIL65125 for the rear. Prices were £78.89 and £59.87 respectively, plus labour and VAT. It is a worry that in 42 years of motorbikes and cars before the Skoda I have never needed a new spring on anything, yet this car has needed three in the space of a year (and how long will the fourth last?) on the same roads on which I have driven each of my two previous cars for more years and more miles. I don't know if this helps anyone - I hope so.

Dear toot, I am sorry to have upset you so comprehensively with my simple observations. The original poster lives in Madrid, so I am not sure what relevance Perth or timber lorries have to anything. Perhaps you should post a few more service schedules to calm yourself down?

As far as I can tell, pulling back on the gear lever only puts the gearbox into sport mode. The ideal arrangement would be if that put the suspension into sport mode as well, so that when you are tooling up the motorway in comfort mode and some loon up ahead creates an incident you can instantly put the whole car into general avoidance mode - trying to make a fast lane-change in the softest suspension setting means you'll be wallowing all over the place regardless of how sporty your gearbox setting is. That's what has stopped me from ever using comfort mode at all.

I got a bag-free replacement tank posted out to me by Autohaus in Edinburgh, for fitting by my local independent, two and a half years ago. The part only cost £25 + VAT, so no big deal.

This is correct. Mine steer in bends in "auto", but not in "on".

This seems to be getting a bit argumentative, so if you'll allow me to add my two-penniesworth ? The logic, informed by years of reading, has been that low rear tyre grip can lead to oversteer, which requires considerable skill to deal with, whereas low front tyre grip should just produce understeer - in that situation an ordinary, relatively unskilled driver will automatically back off the throttle and the car will probably come back into line. Putting the best tyres on the back, then, is thought to be the safest option for most people. I'm not prepared to find out which category I belong to, so I have four good tyres. I know I'm a simpleton, so no criticism of these statements is necessary.

How very technical - it was just a way to introduce what I hoped was a slightly exciting story.

I had the car in for a service yesterday, and one of the things they did was to fit new rear brake pads. I've no idea what make they are, but I can report that they work a treat. Coming home from Fort William in the dark, I momentarily glanced at the infotainment screen to press play for the CD and when I looked back up there was a red deer stag right in front of me, in the process of crossing the road. It was bleeding enormous, with more antler than your average Scottish baronial chandelier, and I can happily report that the brakes worked and that ABS really does let you steer whilst emergency braking - the car lost about 50mph in an instant and the somewhat worried-looking deer put on about the same amount. The automatic emergency braking system appeared oblivious to the whole thing, so clearly my reactions are faster than a speeding electron !

Having started the discussion about the alarm back-up battery back in March, the car was in for a service yesterday at the independent garage I use (and trust) and I asked them to see if this battery needs to be replaced. They did a good close inspection and reported that the battery appears to be welded into the alarm itself, and can't be replaced. I have now officially ceased to be concerned about it - life's too short !

I've just been out to check the button on my 2016 hatch, and it's red like it's always been. However, in daylight it looks white until I shade it with cupped hands and then it is clearly red - could it be that simple?

For what it's worth, I have summer tyres in the summer, winter tyres in the winter, and a full-size spare wheel with a 235/45 18 non-directional Michelin Pilot Alpin winter tyre in the boot. My logic, correct or otherwise, is that the delicate sensibilities of the Haldex (or front diff, on FWD) will be less offended by the grip difference between one winter tyre and three summers in the summer than they would have been by one summer tyre and three winters in the winter

Roottoot will correct me if I'm wrong, because he's very knowledgeable about all servicing matters, but I'm almost certain that the brake fluid gets changed at year 3, then every 2 years after that.

I relate this tale in case it helps anyone either in, or about to put themselves in, my position. I have been buying summer and winter tyres on mail order from Camskill in Cumbria for the last 11 years, and getting them fitted/swapped over at my "local" branch of National Tyres and Autocare every spring and autumn, and been very pleased with them (apart from an inability to ever get all four to the same pressure). Yesterday lunchtime I phoned them to check that they could fit me in again, and was told "no problem, any time after 2pm". I got my winter tyres from the shed into the boot and drove the 35 miles to the depot, to be told "we don't do that any more", claiming that the company had told them that afternoon. It seems they will now only fit/swap over tyres which have been purchased from them. I imagine this decision is a result of their takeover by Halfords, but it seemed wrong that what might be considered a verbal contract on the phone counts for nothing in their world. So, if any of you are in this position, perhaps you should start looking for an alternative fitter well in advance of needing one. I hope this helps.

If you put the wheel in the other way up, the only thing touching the metalwork will be the tyre itself and you won't need a screw to hold it in place. The other benefit is that it will be an awful lot easier to grab the spokes and heave the wheel out when necessary. Your Skoda dealer will be able to supply a jack and wrench, although probably not at the lowest price1

I've finally sussed it! If the Kessy key is in my pocket I can wave my arms about all I like through the open window and nothing happens, but if I put it out of range in the porch and do the same thing, the alarm and indicators go crazy. Thanks to one and all for the suggestions.

I've just been nosing through the owners manual, like you do, when I came across the section on the anti-theft alarm system on p.57/58, which states that it has its own power source, and that the power source has a working life of 5 years. That's the first I'd heard of it, so I lowered the driver's window and locked the car on the door handle. I then reached in and waved my arm about - nothing. I reached in further, pulled the bonnet release, walked round to the front of the car, opened the bonnet and slammed it shut again - nothing. Am I missing something obvious, or has my "power source" failed because it's more than 5 years old? Has anyone else heard anything about this, or had to have it replaced. If it has a defined life span, you would have expected it to be a service item, if only on an advisory basis. Thanks in advance for any enlightenment.

I seem to provide more in the way of apologies to this forum than useful information, and you are undoubtedly correct in what you say. SurreyJohn had it right about P7s and cold rain. Some time ago I suffered a slightly nervous side-slip from P7s on a wet bend with a lorry coming the other way - not what I bought a £38k AWD car to experience, so I got rid of them with almost 5mm of tread on and have used better tyres ever since because, ultimately, not crashing is more important than anything else. To be honest, the P7s were only there because that's what the car came with. I am using 98Y Michelin PS4 for the summer and, currently, 98V Goodyear Ultragrip Performance+ for the winter (I know, I should have checked that before I wrote my last contribution, but V was the highest available and I checked with my insurer first). Both feel far more capable, and with no obvious differences in noise or comfort between them or compared with the Pirellis. I can only blame my confusion yesterday on the fact that I had just finished failing to renew my photo driving licence. A brown envelope came through the door on Christmas Eve with "Tax it or lose it" printed on it. Panicking at the thought of my car being crushed when I had taxed it just two weeks earlier, I tore open the envelope to discover that, along with a whole selection of other threats, it was a 'reminder' to renew my driving licence. Now, the letter said that I had two options. Option 1 was to apply online, and they would use my passport photo (taken 3 years ago) to replace my driving licence photo (taken 10 years ago). I look exactly the same in both photos, for better or worse, but if that's what makes them happy..... After much concentration filling out electronic forms, the DVLA decided that my information was incorrect and that I couldn't proceed. OK, option 2 then - apply in person at a participating Post Office branch, even though that would involve being in an indoor public space with no mask on while I had my picture taken. I got on to the Post Office website, to find that my nearest participating Post Office is in Oban - a 170 mile round trip! No chance, but what was I to do? I then spot a sentence on the back of the letter saying that I can get Form D1 - brilliant but, you guessed it, only online or from a participating Post Office! I finally managed to request Form D1 online, and it will apparently arrive in 7-10 days. I don't know why they couldn't have put Form D1 in the envelope in the first place. If anyone is remotely interested I will keep you informed as to progress. I am definitely right about the noise rating on tyre labels, though.

It's worth repeating that the noise level is measured from outside the car, and doesn't necessarily mean louder or quieter inside. Also, fitting a tyre with a lower speed rating than that specified by the car's manufacturer gives your insurer a convenient get-out in the event of a claim.

Is that still the case now, or have VAG replacement items been improved in the meantime?

Sorry, I'm not having a go at you as such. It's just that there was a guy on here up until maybe a year ago who posted so many pictures of his fuel consumption display that pretty much everybody on here got sick to death of him, and questions like yours seem like summoning the devil again. No offence intended to you!

This is all looking horribly familiar - please, please NOOOOO !

Several from the above list seem to be available from Camskill's website right now.

I was not offended or provoked at all, and I am very sorry to have given you that impression. With liquid nitrogen and laptops, your burglars must be considerably less stupid than me - my level of technical prowess is such that just starting the computer to write these messages stretches my limits! I come from a time when you could open a car, start it and drive off simply by turning an old-fashioned key in a lock, and never had a car stolen even though they were often more attractive to the baddies of the day than a Superb is now. I now have a key which needs an expensive new battery every year, which requires two sensors in the door handle (one to unlock, and another to lock), which will open the boot for you when you don't want it to (as in original post) and incorporates, in case of failure, a manual key inside it for opening the door via the hidden keyhole, even though you still won't be able to start the engine with it! And even if the key hasn't failed, there is a chance that the electronic engine start button will fail instead. And now we need a Faraday bag too - isn't progress marvellous! Anyway, rant over and it's been nice talking to you. Best wishes.

Presumably, then, you don't need to bother locking your car at all? It would also be interesting to know how many Superbs there are in your country - 4 might be all of them!

Glad to help. The thing with the WH Smith box is that, although it is bulkier in your pocket than just the key, it is as small a box as the key will fit into with a touch of anti-rattle padding, it allows the key to transmit its signal and, once you've removed the tab from which it hangs on the rack in the shop, it has rounded edges and corners so it doesn't wear a hole in your trouser pocket lining. I eventually had to use a bit of sticky insulating tape to make sure it stays closed, but the only time you have to get the key out is to change its battery. You also get 100 free drawing pins, or small paper clips if you prefer - the boxes are the same size.