Axle_of_weasels

You asked a question, and I answered. I was in a bit of a rush at the time. OK, so this is a bit less lame, then. It is an algorithm that scores different conditions. So, when the oil is really hot, it accumulates points at a higher rate. Possibly, high load/accelerator values add to the rate at which points are added, although with the oil temperature already there, I'm not at all sure that is necessary. Possibly, you add points for every cold start, as there will be a tendency to accumulate crud and moisture. The moisture points, if any, would be cancelled on the next extended hot run. These points are then used to predict oil life and when you reach some threshold, the oil is over. Given the variability in all of this, you'd probably need a margin, but with the lack of transparency, most people won't have the evidence to complain, provided it is more or less right, most of the time, and tends towards the conservative side. As big an issue is the oil specification. IIRC, it dates from the late 90s, when some of the tricks used in current Oil Design weren't in common use, and while that isn't necessarily a problem, it does mean that the scoring isn't necessarily as accurate for today's oils as it was for the oils of the day. Originally, only two or three oil companies were in the program of oil development to the new spec., and there was then some dropping out, which I think only left one or two companies in, at introduction. Since then, oil technology has come along to the point where most oil producers could produce to the variable life specs, even if some don't feel that the economics are attractive.

Yes.

In theory, yes, but the temp rise could be -0.1 C and that still represent damage. And, if the temperature did go up ~10 C, but the engine hadn't yet got up to temperature, would it detect that? And, if something changed the engine cooling (failed thermostat/edge of tolerance thermostat, blocked radiator, etc) that would probably throw up deceptive codes. And, if the oil viscosity was even slightly different (or antifreeze conc changed slightly) then cooling would change more than the minute amount that a small bit of friction would cause. (Or, old oil...or a different brand of oil, or, in some cases, a mix of oils) To summarise: that's not how it works.

I'm guessing Beryl is a car 😁 With all this seemingly random stuff, I have to suspect electrics, probably an intermittent earth somewhere. Now, probably the best thing would be if someone with a vag scanner (ooh, err, missus!) could check for odd error codes. Now one problem is that you may get stored codes, you may only get codes when the fault is 'live'. If your 'pervert' friend is both willing to put a bit more time in, and you can get the car to him at a time when you've got the Christmas tree lights, you may be able to get a bit further, but there are a couple of problems: You have to be able to get from 'codes' to 'likely faults', and that's not necessarily trivial. Also, you are making quite large assumptions about your friend's willingness to get further involved. My suspicion is that you'll end up at either a garage or an auto electrician, so you might consider short-circuit the whole 'relying on friends' thing, if you think that's inevitable. One slightly cunning plan might be to try and get it MoT'd. If the lights are on, it will fail, and they'll give you an opinion on what needs doing, if it doesn't fail, you might want to sell it with 12 month's MoT, but that depends on lots of things.

Replace a single shock? That part price is a bit high, but there is quite a difference between the price for a standard pattern shock (probably what you've got) and a performance brand. In any case, changing a single shock is often not recommended, as short of, say, impact damage, if the conditions have caused one to go, the other is probably about to go. Price for pads doesn't sound too bad, but you can get some 'el cheapo' pads that are really bad, and you won't know 'till they fail, if they fail. And the pads are different prices at the two ends of the vehicle. CV Boot price doesn't sound too bad, only a bit bad, a bit high...but, but, but: You can get specific repair boots that fit over the top of the existing, damaged, part, and while the price of those is higher, they reduce the amount of labour (only a valid solution if you haven't got too much grit in by driving around for too long) Hub carrier labour price doesn't sound too bad, but the part price does sound too high....but if they've gone for 'new, genuine Skoda' (why?) that might be about right. Here's the biggy, though. If this stuff is all at one end of the car, its as if they've charged you for taking the suspension to pieces and reassemble several times, and they only have to do it once. (And, you should ignore the 'repair boot' thing, if you've got to take that corner of the suspension to pieces for something else.)

Well... When you say 'these wheels', there is no 'these' there. I think you intended a link, You need the diameter, Whatever diameter you think is appropriate. you need to get tyres of the right sidewall height to get the right rolling radius. Conventionally, people go for roughly the same RR as standard, so the speedo reading is unaffected. You need the 'J' dimension (inches, between the two fitting positions on the rim). This determines how wide a tyre fits. Usually, it is best to use something that was an original fitment to the car, as going too narrow reduces grip, and going too wide can induce sudden breakaway. Then there is the ET. this is the amount that the centre-line of the wheel is inset from the mounting face. You should stick to a value that is used originally on the car. If you go to a seller of wheels, they'll tell you it is all about whether the tyres foul on the bodywork, but this is only part of the story. There are some odd conditions where having wheels too far out can reduce your ability to control the car (split mu surfaces, for example). For that reason, ET should be in the range originally used, or within a few mm. You can find websites that will help you tell whether the wheels will fit (will they fit). A site like will they fit also allows you to check speedo error.

I hadn't heard of that particular Ferodo pad until you mentioned them, and they sound good....actually assuming that fade is no worse than standard they sound close to perfect (only thing I can think of is that, while standard is ok for me in normal use, I cannot left foot brake on them..just don't have the sensitivity..probably no learning to left foot brake for me, then!) I've had previous good experience with Mintex 1144 pads on an old Golf, but when a standard merchant sells a Mintex pad, you often don't know which Mintex pad they are selling. Was intending to try Brembo, but you may well have talked me in to these Ferodos. There is a review here. If you don't mind, where do you get them from?

Simplest USB charging solution is to get a multiway USB adaptor for your lighter socket. It is probably not what you want, though. Second simplest is a multiway lighter socket adapter, and have several USB adaptors. Probably neither of those is really what you want (although, maybe if you have devices that you want to use right now...). I think estates have an additional lighter socket in the boot, and maybe those have parts that you could use, probably in a different place to the estate. My impression is: There are a lot of suppliers and brand names placed on what are essentially the same units (plus or minus some start up screens and logos). That isn't to say that they are all the same; newer ones tend to have more up-to-date processors and more ram. If I was upgrading, it would be to a unit that included DAB, and for some units that is a separate box that you have to buy, so, in that case, you have to factor that cost in too. Oddly, the web sites seem very happy to tell you the cost of the basic unit, but the cost of the add-on box is often hidden. My impression is that none of the Chinese units is as reliable as you'd like. So, the first thing you have to do is be lucky... Second, if you can't be lucky, deal with a decent supplier, one who will give you support in installation, and one who will deal with you decently if something does go wrong. Dealers who have poor user reviews should be avoided, even if the product seems attractively cheap. You don't say what you want to improve about your brakes. You might want a sharper response, you might want the exact opposite. Pad dust might be your main concern. On the other hand, you might just want the extra feeling of confidence that you can abuse them a bit without fade ever becoming a danger. I haven't done anything on the Octavia brakes, but: I've had bad experience with EBC yellows in the past (stopped the car, but the rears became sticky, and were quite expensive to repair (and buy), so, my personal view is to avoid them. You are better off, in my view, with Brembo, Mintex, Pagid, and their 'mild upgrade' type of pads are probably a better place to be. If you go beyond a mild upgrade to 'track' pads, be sure that they are marked/approved to 'Regulation 90', otherwise you'll fail an MoT.

Two comments: -some of the description contains pretty poor spelling mistakes, so I'd imagine is prepared by a Chinese company, or at least one for which English is a (very) foreign language. -It says that it is for Windows XP only. Is that what you have?

It was worse than that: There is a lot of truck traffic across Germany, and some Eastern European truck drivers (judging by their plates/truck branding, which may not be the full story), and some truck drivers seem to want to play some elaborate game, involving pulling out in front of fast cars. On a two lane autobahn, this is really dangerous.

In addition to what langers says, you should probably add the year of the car and the gearbox. Things like the brakes may also come in to question, but only if you are getting adventurous.

So, your problem with the stock wheels is limited to the way they look? As a first approximation, the more tyre sidewall you've got (and therefore the less the diameter of the wheels), the more comfortable the ride. On the other hand, the less crisp will be the handling, and the less good will be the looks of the car. This is a compromise, so only you can say what is right for you. Also, there tends to be more grip as the tyres get wider I would encourage you to have a look in either the manual (or the tyre pressure table, by the fuel filler) to see what wheel/tyre combos the car could have been originally fitted with, and see if one of those size combos is likely to suit you. Most people really want to stick with same rolling radius for the tyres, as doing anything else means the speedo cal will be out, and the car gearing will change (a little). While, as a generalisation, bigger tyres are more expensive than smaller ones (so 18s tend to be more expensive than 17s, which tend to be more expensive than 16s), there is a lot of variability, and commonly used sizes tend to have an advantage that you might not expect. Of course, your insurance will expect to be informed and may demand their pound of flesh.

I have to say that: sounds like an open circuit. Not guaranteed, but it is the most likely thing.

I'm sorry, but that isn't giving people the best chance of helping. does the engine crank at a normal speed? does the engine crank slowly? does the engine not crank at all? those are likely to be three different faults, It is still worth checking the battery voltage, as that's probably involved, but whether via a discharged battery or a bad connection is quite unclear (and it might not be a connection directly on the battery, but in say a fuse box or at a controller module). Do you, by the way, have 'lockdown' and a consequent low level of car usage, currently?

I think - and this is based on older engines, with only 'narrowband' sensors - those voltages are wrong. There will be two wires for the heater (unless the heater gets its return through the exhaust). The heater wires could be of a relatively heavy gauge, which should be a clue. Supply to the sensor will be via a resistor of maybe 1.6 to 2K Ohms back to the ECU. It is probably back to a 3.3 or 5 V supply. The two inputs to the ECU are possibly a little difficult to assess as the impedance is v. high, until the sensor is up to temperature (there will also be a resistor/current source which biases the voltage to somewhere defined, for fault detection purposes). Before the sensor is warmed up, measuring with a DVM is likely to lead to you measuring the fault biasing arrangements, rather than the sensor. What is sensed is the differential voltage across the sensor, and it should walk backwards and forwards either side of the set point.

I'd have said those look ok-ish. The black socket looks as if it is heavy black anodised, and while it looks as if the surface may be scratchable, I wouldn't really have concerns beyond that. The bar itself is fairly long, and it looks as if you could get a fairly high amount of twist action by leaning on that - at that point, something will give and you've got to hope that it will be the right thing. Using it on a rusted solid nut may be a bit fraught. if the nut won't accept the inevitable. In that circumstance, the flats on the nut may be the first to go.

One thing that can go wrong with key fobs is if you touch the battery. you get grease from your fingers on the battery contacts, and there is not enough pressure from the contacts to puncture through the film of grease. If you use a multimeter, the low area of the contacts means they can puncture the grease film. If this is problematic, clean well with alcohol and use gloves. I don't know whether this is what is happening to you, but it is confusing.

Sorry, missed the name change.

I must be missing something here, because earlier you say you've only had the car 1 week, and here you say you bought it in Feb last year. Has it been loaned to someone else, or something, because this seems confusing.

I haven't done this, and my starting point is different from others in this thread, but here is my argument: Unless you are really extreme in your towing you won't be so much rolling as compressing the springs. So, I'd ignore anti-roll bars, unless you have an under/over steer problem. So, I'd start with spring rates, particularly as you have the option of turning up the damping via electrckery (at the very least, trying the electric option to see how it changed things, before making a decision). Now, in terms of getting a bit more spring rate, you can get things called 'helpers' or 'towing helper springs'. These things are rubber/polyurethane, fit inside your existing springs and give you a progressive spring rate. Also, from what I remember, they are relatively cheap and with a bit of faffing about you can fit them yourself. I'd be starting there, and seeing whether you want the 'settings' as well.

Coincidentally, in my secondhand Octy is a Halfords (absolute boggo, nothing special, lowest cost); when it does go, I'll be looking online, probably for a Varta, because I've always had good luck with them or Bosch, and Varta seem to be the same batteries, but cheaper.

Assuming this wasn't a 'trade sale', you should have a warranty on everything, so it is worth complaining, even if only to set down a marker if things subsequently get worse. Batteries do not like being left idle for an extended period; there is a self discharge rate, and even if unconnected will go flat over a period. Usually, even a fully disconnected Lead Acid battery should be re-charged quarterly, and that's obviously more frequent if there is the idle drain of a car to contend with as well. (I'm nervous of mine if it stands for more than a couple of days, but that's a battery of inadequate capacity, getting towards the end of its life. I haven't had a problem, but I'm always a little concerned.) These days, a battery should re-charge fairly quickly, so you probably shouldn't need a really extended run to re-charge it. That said, really short journeys won't do the trick. I find it worthwhile to buy batteries with as long a warranty as I can (not if you know that you are selling the car on, soon). 5 year warranty is available, although long warranties are more difficult to find in stop-start batteries (EFB, AGM).

I'm not really sure what you mean by 'gruntier' - grippier maybe. Gruntier, to me, suggests a higher load rating, where grippier suggests a different compound (usually) that has more grip. Up to a point, you can also get more grip by fitting wider tyres, although with some patterns that may make aquaplaning worse. I don't know what the administrative situation is in New Zealand, but here fitting aftermarket rims is likely to increase the cost of your insurance. Some insurance companies will even refuse to insure something not on the rim pattern that the car was originally supplied with, but that's the extreme approach, and you probably didn't want to be with that insurance company, anyway. You can usually find what tyre sizes a car might have been fitted with originally by checking the tyre pressure tables in either the User manual or in the fuel flap. (BTW, the text in the Octavia flap about Winter tyre pressures seems to be ******. Use the standard pressures, as far as I can tell.) The Primacy isn't even Michelin's ECO tyre. It is more their 'mainstream' option, with something from the Pilot Sport sub-brand (eg PS4) as the more sporting option. Most tyres will have changed a lot over that period. Often these are minor revisions that cause no change to the tyre's designation. The are even some companies who make more major changes without updating the designation (Pirelli, I'm looking at you!). The Prim 4 was released relatively recently, and I wouldn't expect a successor tyre until 12/24 months later, so don't hold your breath. In the UK, 'Summer tyres' are habitually used for 12 months of the year. All season tyres are something else - more like the old M + S tyres. You might be confusing the OP by not making clear which you mean, as these terms might be used differently in NZ. I've currently got 'winters' on my Octavia, and while they aren't bad tyres (I like them, overall), there is quite a trade-off in traction (both) over a set of summer tyres. Having said I like them, I'm sure all seasons would be more suitable for southern UK weather conditions, and more to my taste.

My Mk II has a seven speed gearbox, and I wasn't expecting them to go backwards. but, I didn't know, and that's why there is the question mark in there.

Mostly that sounds like a battery on its last legs. Does it do it if you don't play with the (electrical) toys first? I'd avoid any of the high-current items (power seats, air con, interior ventilation, lights, windows, windscreen wipers) as much as you can, until the car has started and see how that goes. Do you know how old the battery is? It probably wouldn't do any harm to research battery prices. (You are saying, indirectly, it is a Diesel, they do tend to need more 'umph' from the battery to start; it might be worth saying which engine and whether it is stop-start as those might make a difference to the advice...and if it is stop-start, is that still working normally.) Halfords have been known to do a free check up of obvious things like the battery, which could be worthwhile. I'm not sure if this is winter only, but it might be worth asking. How you'd feel about doing this if you had already decided that if the battery needs changing you'd go to, eg, Tayna, is entirely up to you.