nta16

Yes, you just brought it up. 😁

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. When I replaced both bulbs on my neighbour's 2005 Kia last year the first side was a lot more awkward than the other for no good reason, I used an old kitchen spatula to lift the holder away from the wing as I pushed on the light lens at the same time to get the locating tang to bend enough to spring one end of the unit out. Got both out but I had to re-glue the lens cover to the first side as I pushed one end of the lens off the base so put mind over muscle. I always clean around the area to break any crud/muck seal that might have built up and give a little spray of GT85 as a lubricant for sliding.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I was thinking at least one mug of tea and at least two pees, but for us old uns that'd be nowhere near long enough. It's a car so leave it whilst you do anything more interesting and better (that's almost everything to me) but then you'd never come back to it so limit it perhaps to overnight just to be practical.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Yes a good soaking is best and approached from all angles possible, I often preferred the use of the drip can as it could be more direct to an area. Also you can prepare the area to help with the success by cleaning off layers of whatever crud, grease, paint, etc. so that the penetrating releasing fluid has more opportunity to soak into where it's needed, but often that's far too much effort and thought for some. After the fluid has been left to soak in for as long as possible I also like to try to tighten before loosening, many say that's a waste of time but I think that can sometimes be the bit that can crack the crud seal of 'whatever' that even if it doesn't loosen the fitting may allow the second soaking, and leave as long as possible, to work. Let the chemical and tools do the hard work. Professionals are often in a rush so have to use strength of arm, for those not being paid that's often more about vanity and ego, no problem as long as they don't bust your fitting.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. If you've been using the car regularly since the alternator problem started I would also now check the state of charge of the battery. Even though it is a new battery it is still just an energy store so if a lot more has been taken out from it than is put back in it will be discharged to some extent, the fact that it is new has benefits though. To check will only take a few minutes at most and is easy, after the car has been sitting for a few hours, or better still the next morning or day from it being driven, do not start the engine, put the headlights on for say 20-30 seconds then switch them off and take a reading, you can then see if and what recharging might be required, if any. in the UK at least, we are now into cooler weather and less daylight and with even less daylight and more cold to come I think it is best to have the car battery prepared sooner rather than later then you can forget about it in normal circumstances.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Tyre size is wheel width (16"), tyre width (205mm) and sidewall height (as a percentage ratio of tyre width, 55%) so it's these three dimensions that count as tyre size rather than just wheel width size of them for this subject.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Totally agree with not using WD-40 (but it can be a useful jack-of-all-master-of-none spray if nothing better is available for emergency use). PlusGas I don't find to be as good now it's brewed by someone else (black cans) as it used to be but that might be false nostalgia (Rapideze was my go to decades back). My current favourite as a penetrating releasing fluid and lubricant (smells nice too) is something I first used in the 1980s (along with LPS) as a lubricant - GT85. (Again sadly GT85, as with PlusGas, is no longer a British company.) Whether using GT85, PlusGas, WD-40 or other, reading and following the instructions is need along with often two items in short supply or out of stock with many, time and patience, waiting to allow the fluid to soak well in, possibly overnight, then if the first application and waiting doesn't work applying a second and leaving to soak in. This is why many resort to using heat which is fine if it's sufficiently available and suitable but it isn't always available for some/many.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. For whatever reasons my wife's 2015 SE hatchback has rear seats with split back rest but single bench base that doesn't lift. It looks like the (2015) estate was more versatile.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. @georgerendle you could try contacting Hardrace. - https://www.hardrace-europe.com/

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything Can't moan at £25 for new wheels and £45 for tyre, I previously read your post as £25 for new wheel and tyre. Different vehicles, uses and expectations, I had the EcoContact 6 on a very old and much lighter car than the more modern heavy (or over heavy German) cars and gave them quite light use. I think you might find you find you're down to the rain marks before you expect but different sized tyre on a different vehicle in different circumstances might be different. Do bear in mind tyres have changed in the last 10 years or so and particularly the last few years even if you buy the same make and model of tyre it can be different, as many have found. In my use the Eco 6 weren't a bad tyre but not particularly sporty and more wear than I expected and I'm not one to expect 30, 40 or 50,000 miles out of tyres, previously I'd give a set of (four) tyres up to a 1,000 miles use to see if they suited and if not change them, sadly those days are long gone. Just noticed XL marking, no idea if that had any influence on price or why they were available. Interesting thread, be interesting to see how it develops.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. In case you found the info elsewhere and for other readers, for future reference the info about the SD card slot is in the infotainment 'Owner's Manual' and id you don't have the paper printed book you can download a PDF copy (along with the 'Operating Instructions (Driver's Handbook) on the following link. - https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models And limited software updates from the 'update portal'. - https://updateportal.skoda-auto.com/

If the EcoContact 6 is the new tyres they may not remain with you too long. I had a different size of EcoContact 6 tyres and there were nice and comfortable feeling with smooth dry braking but certainly not a sporty type of tyre. I saw lots of moans as many bought them not realising they start at 6.5mm. I didn't do enough miles on them to say what the wear rate might be but I think it would be high for the type of tyre - but then it depends on what you're used to and how you drive, I was quite easy on them and still had more used than I expected.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Someone already has. 😄 I can only comment on the model my wife has as that's the only one I know but I'd just look at the appropriate Driver's Handbook for whatever model or year or part-year to see if I was looking at another car. I knew within 0.792 second that the rear seat cushion didn't lift on my wife's model of hatchback and even if it did I could see within 0.923 second it didn't matter if it did as the backrest hinge was single point of pivot and too high to have the arc of the bottom of the backrest to go level with the boot floor. I'm not an engineer or mechanic but I do have some little brainpower and experience of cars. 🙃 I could make an assumption about the estate version but I don't know them and find the Driver's Handbook info incomplete, unless I missed something.

@cussy more than just you views this thread so if you want I'll certainly not reply to you any more, I was trying to help you with the limited information you gave but if you can't accept it or don't want it fine, no problem. if you didn't like my humour that's fair enough, I didn't mind your mild bit of name calling, I wish you the best and hope you get your volume issue sorted.

And what point is it a MoT advisory or not. There use to be an open link to the testers' book but I lost it or it no longer is open, just the one on gov.uk but that's more yay or nay to fail. IIRC it used to be a severe leak for a fail, Somewhere on this site I saw where misting was a quoted advisory with the relevant number but of course I can't find it now.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I don't know, the German apprentice engineer to Chinese to English translations of the 'Operating Instructions' have me foxed or it might just be me not catching on. On the estate version you can remove the seat base cushions from the vehicle and fold the backrest(s) forward, whether this allows the backrest(s) to lie flat so that the back of the backrest(s) lie level with the boot floor I don't know. With my wife's SE model of hatchback the full width rear seat base cushion doesn't appeal to move so when the split backrests are folded forward they're not level with the boot floor (unless I've missed something). (The plastic clip on the body interior side panel is handy to keep the seatbelt and its buckle out of the way is very handy though.) This from the 05.2015 'Operating Instructions' book for my wife's model, see what you make of it. -

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Are you sure you're not clowning around with the infotainment. 😉 You either think I'm a stuck record or see a theme in what I'm suggesting. When all else fails RtFM. 😉 https://digital-manual.skoda-auto.com/w/en_GB/show/44d102a86d54031bac1445256ab3e90b_3_en_GB?ct=44d102a86d54031bac1445256ab3e90b_3_en_GB#titled712663e36257 Software updates. - https://updateportal.skoda-auto.com/ My shoes are wide size but not extra long.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. @Fab1493 FYI - the front dampers were replaced last year on my wife's car as a "distress purchase" as the original set failed the MoT, I never said them so had to take their word for it and my wife needs the car so another £415 against VW quality. This year she had an independent garage do the service and pre-MoT check and they said the front dampers were leaking and would fail the MoT. So as the dampers have a 2-year warranty I contacted the Dealership to have them replaced under warranty and free MoT. Come the Mot at the Dealership and apparently the dampers aren't leaking but misting which is acceptable and funnily enough it wasn't even noted as an advisory as I discovered it can be elsewhere. I expect the situation would remain the same next year at the Dealership for MoT as the dampers would still be under warranty.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything No you don't want any Porsche stickers as you'd then have to wear sunglasses (shades / bans?) all the time even when it's dark and grey. Nothing wrong with buying low priced but you want good quality brakes and tyres on a road car as traffic is two-ways on public roads and interesting British roads are quite narrow where the steering wheel, brakes and gears are used. Track stuff is a different matter. Keeping the principle of getting the the braking and handling sorted before engine is good, so standard tyres won't best suit the car if it's being taken too much above standard not much fun on the road and they'll soon disappear on a track, Dealers are not known for fitting the most appropriate tyres but usually what they about or can get cheap, might still be a good tyre but not necessarily appropriate for what you intend but I'd guess you've still got a bargain for the wheels alone. Love the photo of the Brembo, appropriate for the more humble product perhaps, I remember years ago being told the (lesser) Brembo discs (rotors) were of unreliable quality at that time, never buy on a brand name only. I saw you put up a photo of a grey estate (barely a, station wagon) rather than a saloon (sedan) is this another car? I didn't know what "kick rocks" was but could guess and looking it up it's more polite than the usual British version. 😄

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Have a look at the Owner's Manuals (link below) as the one for my wife's car is as clear as mud on the subject (and other subjects) it looks like the estate has some bits of the rear seats are removable but as my wife's car is a hatch I'm not sure which on the estate. On my wife's 2015 (2016MY) hatch the split rear seat squabs (backrests) fold down on the seat cushions (what you sit on) so are not flat or level to boot floor level. Owner's Manual PDFs -https://manual.skoda-auto.com/004/en-com/Models

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I'm not sure if that sounds like the battery or just the battery but on a 21 year old car other components and parts could be tired and making the battery work harder. A good battery fully charged, or a new battery if you need it, will help with any electrics and fault diagnostics and a poor battery or in poor condition will often hinder the electrics and fault diagnostics. Your current battery I noted was towards the bottom of the list if you're going to keep the car any length of time it'd probably pay you to buy a better battery to replace it. Even a new battery needs all connections, cables, wires, including all earths in good condition, clean, secure and protected. It depends on what you have on the car electric wise and how you use the items and the car but I'd expect very many years of battery life on a 2001 car, unless the charging or other parts was faulty or not in good condition. Good luck.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I like plain black but I don't think you need worry about a sleeper appearance as I know nothing about fashion or Porkers but even I thought they looked a bit like those on the Poorchas. Why hide your work it's obvious they're not standard. And you've hit on one of the reasons, apart from fashion, why wheels got bigger to fit bigger brakes as cars got bigger, fatter, heavier, quicker, faster, sophist iced braking and driver aids. I might have misunderstood, I very often do, I think Lofty meant something like the callipers are a bit like budgie-smugglers instead of the comfort fit covering more. The pads and the tyres are more important than the disc groove and it's pattern but you'll certainly have plenty of cooling area depending on how much heat or cooling the pads like best. What wheels and tyres did you get for £25 new, very interesting? ETA: Are the discs coated and Alex are you Canadian or American at all?

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. Fair enough then all sounds like it could be OK. With the 120 miles how much of a clear out it is depends on how it's driven. 120 miles at the legal speed on a motorway where you're in top gear so low revs gives some systems some exercise but most are at a gentle groove. But this and your 10 mile or 20 mile shouldn't be that bad for the car, certainly not compared to how lots of similar cars are used. I'd have thought, but without evidence, that it'd be more likely other than the cat. Personally as I put I'd just change the air filter and plugs asap because my wife would worry and I'd delete the error code and have her drive the car and see if it comes back before the next "service" but for you as it's been going on months and your car is still running fine and it takes 500-1,000 miles hopefully by then you'll be at your October service. I don't know what you're using to reset the code but do check before you use it each time that you have the latest software installed on it. From the very little I know and limited experience it seems to me the basic code readers do appear to be just that and different tools show can show more information and different programs are more successful at clearing some codes than others. Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Probably a wise move on your part as the Dealership might also break a tab or two but they'll not admit to it. Wonder how much they'll charge for such a job. I'm sure it's one of those very easy jobs, until it isn't. 😄 If I can I like to brush clean any fittings as it's amazing how a speck of grit or muck can seal the fixing, until you apply a little extra force then the plastic breaks, I then spray a little GT85 (with PTFE and a nice smell) to lubricate the release and reinstall. I can't undo the plastic wire connectors under the bonnet, my fingers are just too small and fat and I've just not got the knack, or the eyes, always seem to be black plastic against black plastic against a background of black.

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything. I've never done it but it looks to be a right PITA. Tabs are up top behind mirror glass so it looks like mirror out to expose them. Painted plastic cover and plastic holding tabs I'd guess would want some masking tape and the use of some plastic or non-scratching tools. Last time I touched a similar door mirror the glass broke as it was stuck to the holder and some of the multitude of thin plastic holding arms broke off too. I can't remember what I done but probably repaired it with my favourite of Blu Tack (or white), which has been holding my neighbour's rear wiper blade to the arm for about 18 months now and held a badge on the front of my car for over a dozen years, used over winters and always parked outside and other uses on cars and home.