Former

Does anyone know if the factory fitted or 'Skoda' supplied replacement dampers aren't that good and best replaced with non-original equipment dampers or other makes of dampers, not looking for upgrades just good quality. Are the Dealership 'Skoda' replacement dampers best avoided because there are better alternatives the Dealership can offer?

Fine by me but it's up to Spudskoda and then I wonder if someone would say its (forget the word, like spamming(?)) having the same thread subject in three different threads. I'm never against cross-referencing information, I often do it with hyperlinks then the reader can decide if they want to go there.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Now you have the general overall information you might be best putting up a thread in the appropriate Superb section and see what other 4x4 owners find to be a quiet and/or recommended tyre. Bear in mind a tyre that was great bought two years ago could have changed in it's build (or model) and you can get varations from just production too Hope I've got the correct model for a quick look here too (with all the previous proviso from my last post. - https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyres_For/Skoda/Superb-II-4x4-2.0tdi.htm

@D.FYLAKTOS do these relays relate to the heater/fresh air blower motor then, with or without air-con?

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Hi, welcome. Until someone better gets here my general thoughts. Poor electrical connections sounds likely, don't forget any earths, check wires and connections, including the fuse and it's connections (I do not think or know if there is a relay). Does the fan stop at particular circumstances - hot - cold, immediately - after a time, dry -wet conditions, car running - not running, car being driven - parked up. If so try to replicate these conditions whilst doing your visual and electrical test (multimeter) by wiggling, apply heat or cold, obviously you need to be careful about replicating wet. You want all connections to be clean, secure and protected and wires at least secure and protected. Disconnect the connectors give them a good visual inspection, clean them with electrical contact cleaner and apply tests to pins and sockets, apply a protectant if you have it before reconnecting the connectors. Check the fuse and it's connections. Wires again a good visual inspection, as much as possible unclip from clips and check all around wires, look for anywhere the wires might rub through on anything (perhaps if routed incorrectly or the wire or something else is not clipped when it should be or fixed or routed wrong). That is me out of ideas.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. @SurreyJohn I agree with you. But the link for the German motoring magazine appears to just be Mr. Triceps of Tyre Reviews. Personally I don't think his testing is over closely related to really world road UK driving and I don't know if the track has the same sort of surface materials as a typical UK road (or the potholes) - but I could be wrong. Perhaps his tests are a reasonable guide or reasonable rough guide particularly if you have the same car as he tests with. Also the public reviews on his site do need to be studied for same vehicle and driving style and allow for it mostly being subjective, and the same tyre's use and wear will vary a lot with the car owners.. Tyres are a lot more complex car component than most people realise so in practice you do have to deal with generalisations unless you have the resources of things like a tyre company or wealthy race team. In the end its all a bit of a gamble and you just try to increase your odds before buying but often you don't really know until you get close to replacing the tyre again and often by that time the same tyre has changed in some way so you start over.

Sorry, right. No not this video, I've been following this chap as he makes videos of the simpler stuff that will help and may be of interest to those that don't know too much about driver maintenance on their cars, like myself. I've had three lifetimes of bad, ****-poor and abysmal car parts I could have done loads of videos without any set ups but many would have thought they must have been faked. Even some decent or reasonable manufacturers or suppliers would take some convincing it was their product at fault and not me, the installation or my vehicle. I've had 1 in 5,000s, 2 in 20,000 and 20 years on low volume production stuff but most often with other manufactures or suppliers just the usual "you're the first . . .". 😒

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I'd forgotten about that, thanks, plus aren't the tests done on new or not too used tyres, I forget as I too thought it's quite meaningless to the consumer and it must go back a few years now. .

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Swings and roundabouts - still best to fit and test otherwise those in the motor trade or selling the struts would say you didn't fit to see. Are your arms/chest/shoulders energy measurement calibrate to be dead-on balls accurate? - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzfQ0NFNF3g

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. The fit was fine, correct part, first test on opening found the issue - even you wouldn't have seen anything wrong without testing. The point of the video was to show how to find the part number to order the replacement then how easy it is to remove the existing struts and fit the new struts. But it's instructional and useful to know that despite doing things right you can get shoddy goods and very poor service to balls things up for you and then the hassle of trying to get your money back and find somewhere with struts that work as they should and a seller that isn't unresponsive if they don't. Not something you should have to think about but that's how it is.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. One - but it does depend on the colour of the car. Any clean black item makes what's around it look better and cleaner, note the rear tyre and bumper on the white car compared with the front tyre and bumper. Large black items like tyres, bumpers, roofs if black and clean really standout even if they're fully noticeable as such. I didn't get a chance to clean my wife's Fabia today (would have been about second or third time this year if I had) so I just cleaned the tyres, wheels - always noticeable, lights, number plates, windows (except windscreen) and door mirrors and lights as all these are bright and reflective areas so look good clean. From a distance the car looks clean, it is not as the paintwork is very dusty and a bit dirty but luckily blue is good for not showing the dirt too much. Also a safety thing, see and be seen to clean the lights, door mirrors and lights and number plates, along with the windows but they're not usually very dirty being on the side and rear has a wiper.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. There's a video of a set that open the large tailgate so violently that you watch the rear suspension lift, if unrestrained or not replaced I'd guess eventually there'd eventually be some stress damaged on something, and the seller doesn't respond or reply to the buyer, I think eBay sorted it but I could wrong (about all). .

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I don't know if things have changed with the tyre label testing but when it first came out you needed to take the test results label with a pinch of salt, a tyre I had on previously had below average ratings yet it was the best tyre I ever had on the car, the replacement tyre scored higher on the labelling (not that I took too much notice of that) but was lower ratings than the previous tyre in my experience of driving the car with them fitted. Perhaps things have changed and improved with the label ratings but roottoot's post doesn't suggest so. Tyres not designed for sports style driving or those designed not to wear the tread too much generally to me are often nosier. Comfort tyres of a good make tend to be comfortable and less nosier but you'd have to check with drivers of your model and style of driving in the same size as you want. Even a tyre of the same make and model may vary within the range of sizes. We're just about to change tyres that are only just 5 years old (fitted 4.5 years ago) still with plenty of tread left but splitting on the sidewalls, the car sits outside and the tyres only run 32k-miles, not a good combination, so we don't need to worry about very hard wearing tread too much.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Hi Jim, is the red ! by itself or in shape? Do any other warning lights show at the time or are on when they should be off? Have you got a copy of the Driver's Handbook to look at to see what the dash warnings are? Could it be brakes - fluid low, handbrake light, pads low - can't think of anything else just now.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. That's what's needed a good recommendation. Unfortunately some thinking is required before ordering, it shouldn't need to be but that's how it is now. After the race to the bottom to get the cheapest made products from China the quality of some parts and the quality and attitude of the sellers and the information they have and give has sometimes dropped to very low or abysmal.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. So I have to highlight all the bits rather than you see them for yourself. Yes I know about energy stored, so how much would you need to rush a battery "rapid charging" to get it done before on battery reconnection there wouldn't be all these warnings lights and desperately important settings forgotten(?). There are probably errors logged in your car for loads of reasons but they don't bring up warnings and if not cleared can be cleared at next use of a scan tool, do you need to be told the battery was disconnected by errors and worry about it, what about the other errors that could have been logged that you don't see and may have been deleted, do you need to know every time the car or one of its computer's has a brain-fart. Having read the 'Operator's Manual' for my wife's Fabia it seems more likely to me that the book is written by a trainee Germain engineer translated to Chinese before translated to English, if written by proper writers and proof-readers then they must be at my level of skill! Believe it or not I can read (to some sort of level) and have seen technical publications and can notice mistakes sometimes, you are very condescending towards me but I let it go. You know you know and know I don't know so no point us exchanging posts. And just to complete the set and close out, perhaps of interest to others, plus never go to bed on an argument. 😊

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Get them from the wrong place and you can have problems, especially if they ignore you as a customer with a problem on an item they supplied - though I've no personal experience of this with struts.

Graham, I think you have been twisted by my No. 1 fan, you know the very creepy and unsettling sort of fan. 😬 I can't reason with him and believe me I have tried, I've answered his questions but he'd not answer when I asked a question of him - but enough of that. Let me try again with you. I wasn't making out anything was gospel but you wouldn't accept anything I and another was putting which is up to you but you were asking and we were try to tell. They wouldn't have been facing "loads of warning lights and error messages and not known how to reset everything and had to get their local dealer / service dept involved at great cost." And I agree a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Let's start with disconnecting the battery, you will agree (I hope!) that disconnecting the battery with it in the car is no different to the battery or the car's computers to disconnecting it and removing it, the battery and car's computers don't know any difference, you don't have to take the battery out of the car but you can if you want to. - Now when the battery is disconnected the following is a list of what the Driver's Handbook says needs resetting but you may find other Superb owners can tell you that not all on the list actually needs resetting. But funnily enough anyway they still recommend you have the vehicle checked by a specialist garage, perhaps that's a free(?!) check they offer(?), wonder if they'd ever find additional work. - On my wife's 2015 Fabia Mk3 only the time of day clock needed resetting despite the following list from her 'Operator's Manual' (no doubt the petrol mileage info was lost but I never look at that) - All, except for the last insert, are from the (05. 2013) Superb Manual. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models I don't know if that satisfies anything for you, if you want to know why I put about taking the battery off the car you can direct message me (or whatever it's called) and I'll be happy to explain whether you'd like it or accept it is a different matter, anything we put through this site is recorded on the site so we're both safe. On a very serious note, a photo that's 8 years out of date is very out of date, good job this isn't a dating site as I'd think you were being a bit deceitful and withholding 😉 - not that I'd know whether it's swipe where for what.

You and he are missing the point YOU have taken on what HE described me as , I have never made out I'm an expert, I put my reason for removing the battery at the very start, there are other reasons to it, that was before you let it be known of your background, and I later put about the memory settings. If I'm confident in my experience that is only because I have that experience, I try to help others that might not know or don't have that experience not argue with those that actual know, or those that think they already know all. I'm not sure how I should take what you've put the right way but hopefully this is it, whether it's what you want or it satisfies you I very much doubt. I have absolutely no doubt your general knowledge of the subject is well beyond mine but as you've put you've been out of looking after your own car for a while. Do me a favour and please point out where what has been put by my stalking troll is correct as unlike others I don't mind to be told where I've made mistakes. To stop trolls and prevent fooling people like yourself I'll try to put my tagline as the opening line of my posts, I don't want anyone thinking I'm going to introduce them to a Nigerian General with a great investment opportunity, sorry but I can't take these accusations too seriously. 😁 I probably made the mistake of joking about you not being able to undo the battery monitor connector, even though I'm sure I put I struggled to do the same, I thought you'd see it as the joke it was. Never mind we'll go our separate ways with no one really hurt. If you want to join following me and point out all the mistakes I make that's fine by me but please don't deliberately misunderstand as that vacancy is already taken. 😉 I will compliment you if that's a recent photo as you look younger than 73.

I can't think why I'd ever put that I've never changed a wheel for 9 years, though I can imagine it deliberately being misread (or my unintentional poor typing/grammar in a post). There's loads of evidence on the internet that I've reluctantly had to work on my cars, I'm not saying I was very good at it (but sometimes above the level of paid professional mechanics) or that it was to any real technical level but I have done it. I've even worked on other people's cars to a good enough level to get through an MoT at least. See my tagline though. I stopped working on my cars decades back - but then I had to start again, again I can imagine deliberate misreading (or my unintentional poor typing/grammar in a post). I can think of only once in my 45 years of owning and driving cars that I've needed to recharge a battery using a battery charger on a car that I've owned. I have removed the batteries of friends and neighbours cars to take them away for a long, low, slow charge at my home using my chargers and electric and I've used white tissue paper to better see the oil and marking on a dipstick - you may troll and stalk me but thank gawd you not been at my side all my life. Now give it a rest please.

Just seeing another side and a wider view. Possibly the OP in a different manner, bored no, boring you decide, oh you have. (I did like the remembering of keep up dear though.) I don't mind justifying myself to you as you put things so well. Love and kisses as always. 😄

I think the troll is more after a pile on, a small gang of the like (small)minded, bullies are usually very cowardly. I don't need to wait for play time or go behind a bike shed, I'm here and now but I'd sooner be left alone or at least not picked on. Obviously I'm the one that will get the blame as I'm not the weaker - so I walk away. 🙃

My stalking troll has once again not read what I've put or deliberately chosen to misunderstand. I have previously tried to give answers to all his questions to me be he didn't reply when I asked a question of him so I thought I'd not put up with this one-sided attitude and ignored all his posts at and about me but just as explanation now. I didn't put I've only once charged a car battery, I've done quite a few for neighbours and friends (some of who were also neighbours). I've removed lots of wheels, it was the bloody silly VW bolts instead of studs that gave me sciatica, last time was a couple of weeks ago, all four on the vehicle. I really wish I hadn't worked on my cars since my 30s unfortunately again I was working on my car only a few weeks ago. I can have views on VCDS and other diagnostic systems without owning them, obviously not to the same depth but I've never said I've owned or used these machines, I don't need to own these to say I don't like what I've seen and know of them, I can say I don't like anything I want to, I have used my neighbour's scan tool because it's a good tool and I have free access to it. My stalking troll obviously isn't as diligent as he used to be, I've obviously been losing my power of attraction for him which is good in one way but may mean others are having to put up with it, or ignore it, in my place. If only I wasn't so attractive. 🤣

@Mkcheznous you are right to check and cross reference any information you get, particularly off t'interweb. My experience is that many (most?) databases have errors and omissions even from manufacturers (possibly not so much from factories now). Ebay sellers seem to copy vehicle checks or get the information from the same or similar source(s) so errors and omissions are copied and/or repeated. In the past I've ordered parts that I know will fit my car despite the seller's vehicle check saying they won't fit and have seen part code numbers that might fit but wouldn't be suitable for particular application. Tailgate struts with the correct part number should be an easy order and fit from good suppliers giving good information or an easy to use site or system unfortunately not all are capable of this, including many very large manufacturers so you get pushed into over-thinking when it shouldn't be required. You can get the struts with different heads, length, stroke, rod diameter, rod/body end type, extended length, force range, then you'd measure ball end centres, you may want these if overloading the boot, bonnet lid or where ever you are using them. 😁

Yes I know, have a quick reread of what I put. Prices have dropped no end over the years. Here is just one example of OBDEleven, "next generation device", "Pro pack", "Officially licensed by Volkswagen Group (VAG)" (unit is above what is normally required) . - https://obdeleven.com/en/home/62-pro-pack-0758277987813.html Uhm, probably on your car and your use. 😄 IF you put your mind to it and expanded the reasons for possibly doing so you'd work out why this could be so. Of course you can charge the battery on the car, and still connected, there are reasons why often it's better not to do so, particularly for those of a more modern mindset and experience. There are more than just you reading these posts and they may think the car does it all for them and when it doesn't then it must be the car or more likely the battery at fault so go to the possibly unnecessary expense of changing the battery well before its time. Normally you shouldn't need to charge the battery, I can think of only once in my 45 years of owning and driving cars that I've needed to recharge a battery using a battery charger on a car that I've owned and that was my fault for flattening the battery by doing something wrong but I'm an old person and understand the importance of the car battery and had cars that would now be old and very old (vintage!) the more modern and latest cars have so much more reliance on the battery and charging system You are taking a very narrow view on this. Other reports on here and elsewhere and with the breakdowns services (and possibly you and your vehicle) prove otherwise - facts (plural). 😉