jandj

I know from previous experience with other cars that servicing by dealers can be very poor, mediocre - or sometimes very good! My first Octavia service will be due in a few months and I want to use the best dealer that I can. Is anyone able to specially recommend (or not recommend) any dealers in say a 30 miles radius of Swindon? Thanks guys John

I have a 2003 Octavia 1.9 TDi with Variable service engine. My driving is a mix of cross country and in-town with what might be called 'normal' driving style (i.e. not flat out all the time and keeping withing speed limits). I understand that the time for first servicing will possibly be something between 20,00 and 30,000 miles. But what has been the practical experience of other users? Also, I put in half a litre of oil at about 9,000 miles, and at current 18,000 miles the level is still OK. Is this excellent low consumption typical? The experience of others would be welcome. John

Thanks for all your responses. Reckon I'll go back and pester the dealer. Thanks guys! John

The clutch on my 12-months old Octavia Elegance 1.9 TDI is very heavy, and is extremely tiring to use in traffic. It gets progressively heavier the farther you have to push it. My dealer has said that no adjustment can be made. I find this hard to accept as in none of my many previous cars has clutch resistance been a problem. A different dealer said that the gearbox and clutch for the diesels were different from the petrol versions. I am wondering whether this is a general problem with the diesels, or maybe is this a servo fault correctable under warranty. Has any one else had this problem, or can advise? Thanks John