nta16

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Yes I think it needs ideas from outside of the motor industry with more original thoughts and without looking for whatever is dirt cheap to use and already tied in with commercially mutually beneficial existing arrangements. Sorry but you'll never convince me that the motor trade has made much effort to make changes but has put a lot of money and effort into making sure they don't have to. So we deal with what we have, joyfully - or otherwise. 🤣

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Below +5c generally is when the winter setting is used on a battery charger if it has that setting. 16km (10m) may be barely enough as a journey to get the engine warmed, the coolant temperature gauges are often biased to show 90c even when a bit above or below this and it is more important to have the oil temperature at 90c or above for a while which might depend on the type of journey the 16km was. You probably need to do longer journeys to help find and clear things. Clean new spark plugs can often make a good improvement even when the existing plugs look fine same for HT leads. Sorry I cannot think what an "ignition cassette" might be (at the moment perhaps at 3am tomorrow). Anything not right with the ignition system could affect the starting, idle and running. Once you have checked/changed the air filter, cleaned the MAF and throttle perhaps, fitted the new plugs and leads and if the car is up to it you might want to take the car on a couple of sensibly done blowout (Italian tune-up) runs with perhaps a tankful or two of something like Shell V-Power for its additives cleaning package.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. As above where do you get the clean fluid from where you're certain it's clean and without (too much) moisture other than a unopened new bottle, then Amsoil have - "In ideal conditions, an unopened bottle of brake fluid lasts about two years. It’s best to use a new bottle of brake fluid every time." I've had personal experience of testing equipment being faulty and the tester not doing the test correctly (me) and relying on someone else saying they checked properly when they haven't so I judge the value of a test or testing perhaps with more scepticism than I should but it's each to their own.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. That's the thing the testing isn't really practical for your average user with one or two vehicles. If you open a fresh bottle of fluid you really want to use it up or you then need to store it appropriately and I'm not sure of the suitability of the opened sales bottle, just putting a bit of cling film over and screwing the top back on might be reasonable but there's more air space and how good is the container. I've just looked it up and the manufacturers give it 12 months from opening. Depending on the vehicle perhaps that's my thinking too, when I was doing a fluid change I like to include a very thorough flush through too, luckily the systems were very low capacity so one litre was very generous for flushing and filling. How ridiculous really that in the 21st century we're still farting about with such a nasty fluid but of course it's cheap for the motor trade and plenty of profit.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. 12.8v is good but after the car has been parked up for a few hours take another battery reading now to see what you get to at least tell you the state of charge and what's been held (allowing for short run usage). This does not tell you the battery's state of health but in cold weather you do want a good state of charge too.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Yeah, well, they had to give the VW badge owners something for their "prestige marque" badge. From 80s onwards I've always though of VWs as overweight, I never understood what the kids saw in Mk2 Golfs by the time they could afford them.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. You probably already know for keeping hatch and door seals you can use AutoGlym Bumper & Trim Gel or silicone oil, applied with a 35mm cube of sponge, or use a silicone spray or GT-85. The GT85 can also be used for the jobs WD-40 is supposed to but the GT85 does them better has PTFE and smells nice, use the WD-40 on garden tools left in the shed over winter. Or if you want to be all VW stuff like one from Krytox range or as they used to recommend a product called Gummi Pflege, which I discovered was just German for Rubber Care.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. If the issues does seem to have come from power washing then you might return a favour by letting Danderhall Cars know this can happen for future reference. I remembered it was something to do with flaps but couldn't their location, and now the next time someone asks I'll remember it's flaps - but not the location. 🥴

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. But how do you test the tester, my concern would be that some electronic stuff can be poor quality or the quality control from manufacturer is poor so you might be in a lottery of getting one that is faulty/inaccurate, unreliable, or soon becomes so or worst a lottery of getting one that isn't. Years back I was bought a cheap multimeter that I rarely used, Sod's Law just out of warranty it went haywire, it's replacement as another present sometime later was the same (perhaps a different label but IIRC both were Draper) and it went the same way. Whether the lack of regular use contributed to the lack of longevity I don't know. I was bought a third as a present, this time up in price by a multiple but not into expensive. This one is longer lasting at least. I was asked to take it over to a mate's (he actually bought it as the present) to compare it against the two existing cheaper meters he had plus the newer one he'd just bought. All four showed different readings, mine which I think reads optimistically read slightly higher than his first two but all three were close in readings and his new one read under the other three by a bigger margin.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. 🤣 🤣 I was using the Search here, top of page, and getting my panties really scrunched. Having put that I often have problems with our Master Google (that helps to rewrite history by ignorance and helps others to get away with it too, but that's the internet and social media generally). 'How many fingers, Winston?' 'Four! Stop it, stop it! How can you go on? Four! Four!' 'How many fingers, Winston?' 'Five! Five! Five!'

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Yes the damage was done before you got the car, once the battery has gone too far down it's life and performance is limited, the Dealer should have tested the battery's state of charge and state of health before handing the car over to - but the motor trade doesn't always have the most honest and moral people owning and running Dealerships and garages even if most of the staff want to be. Again the start/stop not being active is a sign that the battery possibly isn't at it's best but by the time it's got to that stage it also is a bit later than is best to recharge the battery so the recharging should be done ASAP then, For an old fella like me it's hard to fully understand how some car owners put that the car's not been starting as it should for a couple of weeks and then they have other problems and at no point has the battery been checked. Modern cars are still basically very ancient technologies so the basic checks are the same as they've been since almost their origin and before you had to fight with their computer systems - difference is now with the computers and their programs the 12v car battery is even more important and it was always very important (much more so than most owners/drivers realize hence being the number one cause of breakdown callouts).

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I can't say for certain if that is wrong but other than for the benefit of VW's statistics I've not seen evidence that 'coding' is absolutely required if the replacement battery is the same type and ah but there seems to be a lot of people who say the computer programs will catch up with the change of battery requirements just by the car being driven. It may be in these circumstances that 'coding' will speed up any 'learning' or change for the computer programs to grasp and if you have the facilities, which the mobile fitted should have, then you might as well 'code' in the new battery - more than the factory fully bothered with on my wife's 2015 Fabia as it serial number was the same as many others have quoted of all 1s.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. It's your brakes. Most are very concerned to get the engine oil changed thinking the engine is more important than brakes (? !! ?). As with the other fluids (engine oil, gearbox oil, coolant) they may need changing a lot before or perhaps a bit (or lot?) after any schedules, you could do analysts but then you need to know how accurate the testing is and to remember regularly to do the testing. I'd sooner have the brake fluid in good condition than the engine oil (and I'd sooner the engine oil is in good condition). It's only because it's so cheap that the motor trade hasn't come up with something better than the brake fluid they use, cars have such ancient technologies. Same with tyres which are part of the braking system (and steering and suspension) some people seem a lot less concerned about them than the engine, or it's oil, you should always be more concerned about how well a vehicle stops than how well it goes (over than steering and suspension). My 1973 Driver's Handbook had to change the brake fluid every 18 months. Do whichever system you want for when to change the brake fluid but better sooner rather than later.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. True but what are the words to use in the Search, I was looking as you posted but have given up now as I just can't think of the magic words or phrasing to get to the threads I know I've seen. I find this with searches, sometimes I can find what I want other times not at all, even if I've posted so know it's there. 😄

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Thanks for reporting back. Do bear in mind your new battery is still just a store (or like a bank account) you can still empty or over deplete it so if you still do short journeys you might want to consider buying an appropriate battery charger and maintainer and not to let the battery get so low for so long, £187 should jog your memory. Try not to let the battery get as low as the start/stop won't operate because that has already worn the battery more than you want, recharge the battery before this and definitely as soon as this happens, You could use an appropriate battery charge and maintainer to fully recharge the battery at the time you might fit and remove winter tyres and after very hot (or extreme) summer weather, so three times a year plus at any other times if required. If the battery hasn't been 'recoded' I'd suggest you get in as many reasonable length journeys as you can before driving to the Alps so that the car's computer(s) know there a different state of battery health and charge. Personally even though the battery is new I'd still charge it on an appropriate charger and maintainer just before starting my journey to the Alps to be sure I have the battery ready as it can be for any unexpected use or over-use and for the cold weather. Not only does the cold weather normally cause greater use of the battery even a new battery doesn't do as well in cold temperatures and the cold put more strain on starting the car. Good luck, see if you can get 5, 6 or 7+ years out of your new battery and no more concerns about start/stop being active (and the possibility of lots of other unexpected issues from having the car battery in too low state of charge even if the car still starts and the lights seem bright enough).

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. PY21W - offset pins

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I actually remembered to test the horn with the ignition off whilst my wife went to pay for the petrol at a petrol station, the interior lights had gone out but the car was unlocked as I was in the passenger seat, the horn sounded. Thanks and good luck.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Sorry I didn't get a reasonable chance to test the horn on my wife's car with the ignition off, I'll try later just out of curiosity now and let you know. If you've got a good garage that you can trust you're ahead of the game. Plugging in a scan tool or error code reader just looking for error codes can often come up with no errors, as I put it's a diagnostics tool but not the only one, and not always the most appropriate one. An electrical problem like this is best approached as such but I'm sure an auto-electrician would also do a scan to see if anything else comes up in case it's related. Now you see why I put about not taking my terminology as gospel as I have a faithful troll that seems to hang on my every post without reading them properly or in context, that's without him sometimes being wrong, bi-directional scan tool is a term used by others not one I invented. 😁 Modern cars have lots of downsides, especially the VW computer programs, but this could just be a basic problem that would also be on a car from past decades. I'd be very interested to know how this is sorted as my wife has a 2015 Fabia but it's also good to have a solution for all others in the future. Cheers.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Shame, but at least you don't have the normal weak link of buying from somewhere that does the minimum to get the car sold and argues the toss about any remedial or warranty work. You might find a difference between VW and Honda quality but you seem the type to keep on top of things so that will help.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Just a quick thought, though I'm not sure it would explain the clicking, being used to old cars I've only just thought of this, I'll ask anyway, when you're trying the horn you have got the ignition turned on?

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. No I'm not techy either, so don't take my terminology as gospel but just as to give you the idea of what I mean. You've probably seen and heard of these things you plug in for the cars computers to perhaps give out the error codes for issues on the car. Some are just basic scan tool error code readers, they show the error codes the car gives them. These scan tool error code readers should be used as a diagnostics tool to help find what is wrong, rather than as an absolute answer as many think they give (and sometimes it might be the answer). Going up a couple of levels from there are scan tools that not only give a lot more information but can also act on the car, say get a cooling fan to switch on or one headlight, etc., as part of a diagnostics or just to test an individual part is able to be activated. Getting a headlight bulb out can be half a day's (DIY at least) work on some cars so if it lights up it's not the bulb or direct connections at least at fault. You did put about the clicking in your opening post and I did question relay as possibility but Warrior193 has given you a better reply. Relays aren't listed in the Owner's Manual and I've never looked at them, you need the guys good on electrics here. One thing good, I have just checked for you and the fuse box in my wife's car has the same hole in the fuse box as yours, but the 15 amp fuse at F44 (Cigarette lighter, 12-volt power socket) below the hole is the darker blue same as the other two 15 amp fuses at F27 and F49 doesn't really mean anything other than perhaps that fuse has been changed.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Some people won't change anything until it falls apart even if it plays up or fails. Basics like servicing and maintenance have often been overlooked and for sorting issues especially now there's the sexy scan tools and perceived solutions at the push of a button. Problem is when timely changes are made to some items the difference isn't great or not noticeable at all as a preventative measure it's only when things have deteriorated enough to be noticeable that the replacement working properly seems work the effort to many. Until recently I had a very basic 49 year old BL car as a daily and just about all the basics that applied to that apply to the models here but convincing people with what they think of as modern (ICE, really 🤣 ) and sophisticated cars that the basics still need attending to and checking before moving on is difficult.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Good news and well done on and to Danderhall Cars. If they were round here they'd be swamped with work, you'd need to know someone that goes there to give you there space to get in. If Danderhall Cars deal in Skodas and need more work you could perhaps put a thread in the Scotland Dealership section as it's good to get recommendation from good work at good garages.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Sorry I thought it was both. In that case, perhaps cheap plastic replacements at full previous cost of course, storage during that extreme weather, all a bit odd. Unless you try them on some else's car and try their wheel covers on your nuts if you'll pardon the expression. Watch what mastic/sealant you use, I used some on some plastic hub covers and then broken a couple of the plastic tangs getting them off at tyre change. I normally use bluetac on car bits (it's amazingly strong, you can lifts weights with it after it's set for a bout 6 months) and it's gone through a winter and a half on my neighbour's rear wiper blade and arm now so far, but it'd be no good for those covers as you'd probably have to chisel 'em off. I suppose you threw away the old covers, yeah I do that when Sod's Law applies.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Also, just remembered, if you read the Owner's Manual at start of ownership (or better still before buying) and refer to it when required then you will know more about your car than many long term owners. If you do not have the paper printed copy then you can download a pdf copy from the following link using your VIN or model and (part) year of build. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models