Former

Another thought, not sure if it has been mentioned before, check the cabin filter isn't damp, (unusually) very easy to do on a Mk3 hopefully same for the Mk4 but I can't remember. Obviously if it is damp you ned to find out why.

If you're using a glass cleaner (or Autoglym Fast Glass glass/hard surface cleaner) you shouldn't need to use Autoglym Car Glass Polish as well, one or the other. As with all cleaning and polishing the secret is not to use already dirty cloths, pads or microfibre cloths (same with synthetic or real chamois). A lot of people use something already dirty to 'clean' the inside (and out) of windows ultimately making matters worse. I very occasionally (when I'm asked/told to clean the inside of the screen ) use Autoglym Fast Glass on the inside of windscreen and very, very occasionally (rarely) use Autoglym Car Glass Polish on the outside of the screen, also using it on the wiper blade 'rubbers; (elements) (a job made a bit of a PITA by VW with the need for their their 'service position'). For the outside of the rear window and its wiper (arm, blade and 'rubber' element) I use a cleaner/polish others don't believe in, been using it very successfully for many years on this car and others, and same stuff when very, very rarely I cleaned the inside of the Fabia's hatch window glass.

@Gonzini if you've not already read it see my post of 24 December. I've only used Rain-X anti-fog in the 1990s on my mother-in-law's VW Golf and I didn't find it any good at the time but have always been a fan of the exterior rain repellent, Rain-X at that time (mainly for making the windscreen and headlights (glass lenses) easier to clean on the old cars I had with more upright windscreens that caught all the bugs but took more speed to get the rain water spreading off the screen. I think the German marques have liked their fantastic plastics on interiors (and engines) for many decades that give off gawd knows what for many years, plus the more modern cars have so much glass on them and as someone else put are more sealed now. I've never thought a lot of the airflow inside modern cars so prefer having the window(s) down a bit at least when possible. Plus the weather is different now to even 10 years ago.

You want one or both front windows fully down, if not one or both half, third, quarter down depending on what the weather is and which way things are blowing. For the one-touch (automatic) drop window setting see your Owner's Manual' for operation and perhaps setting, you might have to anticipate it a bit, like when the older of us had to park the windscreen wipers, but you soon learn to allow for the delay. When you had cars without air-con dropping the windows was the air-con, often known as 4/60 air-con - drop four windows and drive at 60 mph. VWŠkoda Owner's Manuals. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

Hi, welcome. You might be better looking in and/or asking in the Octavia Mk3 forum. Note VWŠkoda information in 'Owner's Manuals' and possibly elsewhere on fuse locations isn't always accurate, like all sources of information (internet) and databases there can be errors and omissions. 'Skoda Octavia Mk3 (2013 - 2020)' forum - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/235-skoda-octavia-mk3-2013-2020/ HTH.

We started with one Pingi bag but I reverse the information instructions on the bag (my mid often does this, left/right, up/down) and I put the bag in the micro wave when it was dry and melted the bag so when I opened the microwave door I spilled loads of tiny balls off the plate onto the floor. So when I replaced it I bought two instead of one, more effective with two in the Fabia. A neighbours uses a pair of cleaned old socks to hols cat litter and puts that in their car, I don't think it works and the damps socks give the car a musty smell that they seem to have got so used to they don't notice it, but I do. I dried the socks and cat litter out, sprayed the car interior with air freshener and it was better but the socks still had a slight pong. I have difficulty persuading him that often internet wisdom, Facebook, internet reviews and not always to be trusted and like many that Amazon isn't the only supplier in the world (and often not the lowest priced provider). At least he's not as bad as another neighbour that spends no end on Temu and usually get crap products.

Hi, welcome. You might be better looking and/or asking in one of the Fabia forums. HTH. Fabia Projects - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/205-fabia-projects/ Skoda Fabia Mk2 (2007-2014) - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/113-skoda-fabia-mk2-2007-2014/

There seems to be various cheap orange ones from China about, various looking quality to them (Vika labelled one looks particularly poor) how good any are and how long they last I've no idea, being Chinese and cheap perhaps you buy two and if they fit well you have the replacement in stock for when the first needs replacing, perhaps they last well I'd have thought it might depend on how long the seal lasts. You might need to specific your engine code (number). Others might know of better supply of these. I got a Febi labelled version of the one right for my neighbour's 1992 Merc 190E and I can't say I was that impressed with it but it'll probably last a good few years especially if the mech is lubricated very occasionally. All that crap inside your original oil filler cap doesn't look good, how old is your engine oil and how often does it get changed.

ETA: just thought I didn't put another thing to try, if you haven't already tried this - don't try engaging reverse if graunching starts instead put lever in neutral, lift off clutch pedal fully for a second then fully depress the clutch pedal again and try engagement again or a double dip the clutch pedal quickly then try gear engagement again.

Try engaging another gear before reverse (with clutch pedal fully depressed) or letting the car roll a little then trying again to see if alignment gets better and smoother engagement, if there's graunching at the start of engagement I'd normally stop trying to engage gear at that time and way. Have a look in the forum threads as I think this subject has come up before but I can't remember the outcome(s) and IIRC was more about 1st gear but could well have remembered wrong. Do check that your clutch pedal can fully depress and you haven't got something like loose, rolled, over-mat or lipstick or battery or something there preventing fully depression. To me, reading this on a forum the issue/fault as described sounds like it might be either with or because of the gearbox, clutch or driver or possibly a combination or permutation of two or three. If it's the clutch it would probably progress to being highlighted in other gears and in other ways. What is the history of the car was it ever driven by someone who slips the clutch or drives with their foot on, or "hovering over" the clutch pedal, or used in an area with lots of step slopes and/or hills or car used for towing something.

Is the noise from when the car engine and/or ambient temperature are cold or very cold and/or when the idle engine revs are higher? In a 2020 car it shouldn't be a gear oil problem (unless for some reason the oil level has got low). To avoid this happening you do need the engine revs to be at low idle and not trying to engage gear when not fully stopped (handbrake fully on or car held still with firm foot brake application). Some people find engaging another gear, with clutch fully depressed, before engaging reverse or first helps, possibly the delay allows engine revs to drop enough. With engaging first gear I have sometimes found I need to let the car move (roll back or forward slightly) to get the gear fully aligned, never getting a graunch as you can feel if the manual gear lever is awkward with engagement very early. The 5-speed manual gearbox in my wife's 2015 VWŠkoda Fabia has never felt the best but is more than adequate, (improved a bit when I changed to fresh new better quality gearbox oil after 6 years from factory fill) I've never believe the "German engineering quality" guff, certainly not for cars from this century.

To be fair on my wife's 2015 Mk3 there is not any warning light to show the heated mirrors are on and as the mirrors only fold in manually once you have the door mirrors set you rarely use the combined switch. Personally I have never seen the need for heated mirrors where we live in the UK at least, scraping or wiping snow, frost or rain off the mirrors at the same time as doing so on the windscreen and windows has been sufficient But being an older driver I am used to not having buttons and car features for convenience which I think can make many modern drivers too lazy and too remote from the environment they drive in. In the UK when it first snows heavy you can see cars driving around with only the snow cleared by the wipers, lights and number plates still covered in snow (which is illegal) and still drying in a way as if the roads are clear and dry, they have stopped (or never did) thinking for themselves and relying on the car to do everything for them even if the items do not exist or capable or fully capable to overcome the physics of the real world. An example of first working day after Xmas break in UK. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/529014-its-that-time-of-year-again-time-to-avoid-flat-batteries/

I was going to put if you have not already done so best to look at and/or ask in those forums. Tyres & Wheels - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/213-tyres-wheels/ Skoda Superb Mk3 (2015 - 2023) - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/299-skoda-superb-mk3-2015-2023/ For decades now even if you buy a glorified shopping-trolley car it will have fashion oversized wheels and tyres on it so a big car called sportline will have even more oversized wheels and tyres, even with 190PS and whatever torque it has you don't even need 17" (and not as wide) wheels and tyres but fashion and willy-waving dictates "fillin' the arches" (not so good in snow and deep mud). Comfort will also depend on the design, make, composition and compounds of the tyres you chose as well as size. Also you need to consider and check the suspension system is in good condition and working reasonably. Good luck.

One time when I drove my wife's car in say March I noticed the mirrors were on the heater seating so I turned them off, seems they might have been left on from possibly sometime in the January. 😁

You might be better looking and/or asking in the Superb Mk3 forum. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/299-skoda-superb-mk3-2015-2023/ Otherwise you might have to remove one to measure it unless someone with a full parts list sees your post. Good luck.

Hi, welcome. The term grinding noise doesn't make it sound good but It might just be one of the noises the car makes but in case not, if possible, a video with good audio of the noise might help to identify the noise. Again if possible rather than a recording from inside the car if you could video from in front of the engine bay with the bonnet up and someone else starting the car might make the audio better (subject to other background noise). Have you had the car long, do you know if it has been regularly serviced in a timely manner. Time of year for car batteries to be in a low state of charge taking away starting power perhaps, have you checked the battery and battery terminal connections. Let us know how you get on.

Hi, welcome. If the heater motor was very noisy then very possibly it's broke but always best to check, if you can get at the motor wiring you could test the blower motor directly connected to the battery terminals with a made-up lead as this would confirm and eliminate the fuse, fuse-holder, most of the wiring, connections and switch. For cutting down on windscreen and windows misting you could use dehumidifying bags, scrape or clear all of the windscreen (and window(s)) on the outside, clear the inside of the windows with a clean damp synthetic chamois, put the windows down to balance inside and out. Don't have wet or damp items in the car (clothes, towels, boots etc.), air grill(es) open to get outside air in. Not fun in the Highlands I know but needs must. Let us know how you get on.

Hi, welcome. You might get quicker answers and info by looking in and/or asking in the Fabia Mk2 forum. - 'Skoda Fabia Mk2 (2007-2014)' forum - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/113-skoda-fabia-mk2-2007-2014/ HTH.

Well it's that time of year again when car 12v batteries are allowed to go too low in charge or flat causing hassle and difficulties and delays because the same thing has happened to many others, don't be in those statistics, prevention is better, and less costly and hassle, than the cure. Good luck.

Hi, welcome. A video of the noise might be handy. At seeing the words dual mass flywheel that would be my first thought but that might just be my bias. You might get quicker better responses from looking in and/or asking in the 'Škoda Yeti' forums, link to follow. If you have parked the car up do take the opportunity to fully recharge the car's 12v battery with an appropriate battery charger otherwise you could get another problem with the car and the breakdown services, lots of garages, mechanics and auto-electricians will already be busy with cars where the owners have let the car's battery go flat over the Xmas break. Also if you want to add more details to your name-thingy then those viewing on computers will see the details each post which can often be helpful, mine below only as an example. - 'Škoda Yeti' forums - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/forum/170-škoda-yeti/ Good luck.

Burning smell and smoke from around the engine is information not originally given, if it's not an oil leak it could be a leak of fumes, electrical, something rubbing or other, I forget what is was last time someone put this. If parking up do take the opportunity to fully recharge the battery with an appropriate battery charger otherwise you get another problem with the car and the breakdown services, lots of garages, mechanics and auto-electricians will already be busy with cars where the owners have let the car's battery go flat over the Xmas break.

You are young, a 2015 Ford Ka is only tiny and stripped-down car compared with the huge monsters of 2024, the newer cars are even more remote for the driver to feel the car and the road and the car's computers takeover too much control from the driver often, the computer programs and sensors often make errors and have "glitches" and can not yet know what a good driver knows about the road and driving conditions. You still need all your driving skills that you first learnt. Do not fully trust or always follow what the 2024 car tells or advises you. Gear selection is more set up for making mpg figures look good for marketing rather than engine or driving conditions ahead that it can't see or predict (yet?). Wheels and tyres are oversized, even for the bloated overweight modern cars, as a matter of decades old fashion rather than practicality. I find front and lane "assist" to be very unreliable in the cars I've driven with them. Don't worry about driving slow modern cars in my opinion are boring at high speeds anyway (and yes I have travelled and sometimes driven in some very quick and fast modern cars, on roads and closed-tracks). Until a couple of years ago the following was my one and only everyday car used all year round, small and striped-down from new, you had to lift the bonnet to turn the heater on or off, the single door mirror was only heated by solar gain. 😁 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GWowHiIktA

Hi, welcome. Sorry I've no idea but I'm sure others will be along that do. Just a small point, your name badge thingy shows "Skoda Octavia 1.9 TDI" you may own both if so you can put more than one in the details for future post and threads here.

That depends on how accurate the error code reading is and whether Gaz's post about the engine type and belt, which I've not read either of, is relevant, if so then possibly very unwise to use the engine. As far as I can see you are only reporting that error code reading and just the preheater warning light coming back on the car might be driveable but I'm not a mechanic or expert in anything, it's not my car and I don't drive it, I don't know the history of the car and obvious can't see, hear, touch, smell it in the metal. If you want to be safe it might be best to wait for your mate and get a full scan tool report and hopefully diagnosis (after the other stuff, as much as possible, I've put has been checked if it was me). Full and proper timely servicing, maintenance and repairs of the whole car is important and particularly a diesel engine (to borrow and alter an old computer term, SISO, to cut down on the **** going in and coming out) but even then things wear, go faulty, break or get broken.

The thing with a cleaner is that the next time the car is used the glass is less clean, or even sitting not used. I have no proof, other than using 20-50+ year old cars as dallies for 30+ years, that more modern cars have so much more glass on them, being bigger bloated vehicles, and the fantastic-plastics used in them give off more stuff to scum-up the windscreens more and and for more years into the life of the car, all part of the changes to life, manufacturers profits and executives wages, bonuses and pensions have to come from somewhere. 😁