NeilP

To drive or not to drive? We're going to London tomorrow to see a show. I was going to do as we normally do and drive the 50 miles or so to Osterley, park up and tube in, but this morning my wife experienced an "engine management" glitch with our very low mileage 2011 Octavia SE MPI 1.6, which has behaived impeccibly since we bougt it new all those years ago. WHat happened is this: She drove it a short distance to the shops, parked up and did the shopping. When starting the engine on her return the TCS warning light stayed on and (in her words) the engine was very juddery when idling. She turned the engine off and re-started it (almost straight away) and had the same issue. She drove it home, feeling juddery, and with the TCS warning light on all of the time, but also with the Exhaust Control Sytem warning light coming on intermittently. She got home fine and after she told me about it we went out and started the car up - it had maybe been off for five or ten minutes at this stage. No warning lights, no engine judder. So I took it out for a long drive. Still no lights/judder. So I took it for a stop/start slow drive around town. Still no lights/judder. So... I'm not really sure what to do. I took it to a local garage but they said without the problem showing itself they could really do much.... Any ideas? In particular: Would you risk driving it to London tomorrow or pay through the nose to go on the train instead? I've got breakdown cover, but it's only roadside assistance. Thanks in advance for any views...

Newbie, first post on here, so please be gentle My trusty 2011 Octavia has developed an alarm fault over the past few days. The movement sensor is being triggered by the slightest flow of traffic past our drive, but (luckily for our neighbours) the alarm isn't sounding; the hazzards just flash. Turning off the internal sensor and towing protection monitor before locking stops the problem (wish I had known that at 03:00, 05:10, 05:56, 06:14.... Yawn!) T'internet suggests that this may be a relatively common problem with this make/model/age and that it may require a replacement alarm module? Can anyone with experience of this shed any light on it, please? Am I thinking along the right lines? The DIY replacements I've seen are (probably) a little beyond me, but I'm happy to pay to get it replaced, providing I don't have to sell a kidney, so also looking for advice for someone who could do it in the Swindon area and what approximate costs ought to be (so I don't get ripped off.) Many thanks in advance!