Dooge

Thanks Baz, about what I was expecting. Glad you got it sorted.

That's good to know, thanks. So would need a VAG specialist to make it work properly. From eBay pics I can see where the part number is on the motor, we couldn't find it whilst underneath. I got another code from the casing which I suspect is probably just for the casing and may be used for multiple racks I'd guess. I'm reluctant to buy second hand to use, but have found a refurb place which supply a Skoda Octavia rack for £300, another user on here has used them but didn't put alot of info up as to what rack he had. Once I have a part number Ill contact them and see if they have one in stock. Short of that I'll probably buy a 2nd hand one to send to them for refurbishment to minimise downtime and labour. I can't justify £2k for a new rack unfortunately 😔

Good to know, thanks. I'm always wary with patent parts, the quality always used to be naff or the fitment was poor. I have had a look and they do both for £300 which would save me £140 from genuine items. They don't appear to have the facelift lights but as mines pre-facelift Im not too worried about having to code or buy adaptors to make them work.

Mine is glossy with a slight sparkle, and is genuine 👍

So you have wired Android Auto but are trying to run it through a Bluetooth adaptor? If that's the case I suspect there's some kind of coding which would get in the way. When I run AA through the cable it also activates my Bluetooth on my phone. No idea if it connects to Bluetooth in any way. Likewise, my phone asks when I plug it into the cable if I want to use AA. Again, I'd suspect my phone sends a signal to the head unit to tell it that the phones connected properly.

If you require springs I have a genuine set from a 2015 VRS petrol estate which you can have, just cover postage. Good time to fit lowering springs if you are going that way though!

I've had a look, guessing they aren't genuine, what's the quality and fitment like?

I've read this thread with interest, I don't have a completely failed rack but I have a clunking lock to lock which the garage have diagnosed as as a failing rack. I looked at PSR Direct/ Lion Automotive as had been quoted over £1600 from TPS. Did you send them yours or did they have one in stock? Is yours a VRS?

Hey all, So long story short, my mechanic has diagnosed that at some point in the near future I will need a new steering rack. To get to this point, approximately 2k miles ago I had a clunking/clicking lock to lock. I attributed this to topmounts. My front shocks were leaking (not just weaping) so I changed: Topmounts Shocks Springs ARB droplinks Outer track rod ends After this, the clunk was more defined and around slight right hand corners at reasonable speed there was an obvious clunk. This led my mechanic to believe it was the offside inner track rod due to knocking when being unweighted slightly. Got it onto the ramp and with no resistance on the front wheels there is an obvious free play in the steering wheel before you get a clunk before you get the rack to engage, albeit less than half an inch. The clunks lock to lock are not noticeable however with no resistance on the tyres. There is NO play in any of the track rods or joints. Wobbled the steering wheel with my mechanics head in the driver's foot well and he could not feel or hear anything from the steering column. But underneath the car he can faintly hear the clunking from the steering rack area. Adjusted the rack preload adjuster which made no adjustment. The only conclusion he could come to is that something in the rack is failing, which doesn't seem uncommon for VAG cars. A quote from TPS was £1658 + VAT. Neither TPS or my local dealer would provide a part number annoyingly but I suspect these are a variable rack unlike stock Octavia's. Questions: -Can anyone provide a part number based on the car/reg? -Can anyone recommend a company who can provide a refurbished rack? -Is there anything else I am missing before I look at changing the rack? Thanks in advance!

It's just a footpump. I also now carry a basic tool kit for just in case situations.

I have 235/45/19 tyres on original VRS Xtreme alloys (stock tyre size is 225/45/19) I figured an 18" was going to be as good as any space saver, but I *think* the lowest I can go for the front of the car is 17" anyway due to size of front caliper. So Skoda being VAG pretty much any VAG space saver in the right size will be ok. If you follow the rules for the sizes above that Carlston posted you should find one from a VW or Seat also as they will use the same part numbers. Audi use a different hub diameter so wouldn't fit generally. I considered getting a full size 18" spare, there would probably be space for this diameter wise but the width of the alloy I think would restrict the boot floor from closing properly, especially with the toolkit in.

Do you mind me asking how much you paid? I have a pre-facelift and both lights are sun damaged with tiny cracks everywhere. I want to replace them but costs from a seemingly legitimate UK site are approx £200-£230 depending on side (Skodapartsdirect) which seems massively expensive.

Once I figured out what size I needed (Thanks to Carlston above) I managed to get a brand new one from Facebook marketplace by looking around for £60 including the full toolkit, mines an 18" spare and fits in the wheel well fine.

My battery on my petrol gave me no warning signs at all that it was about to go, I just came out of work one day and found it wouldn't even crank. Ironically it was similar time of year, just as colder weather starts to drift in. I, like you, only do 5-6k a year. Coding, yes, from what I understand (and I'm often wrong) it's because the cars 'smart charge' and the car 'learns' various things about the battery. Even the Skoda dealership recommended coding.

And the fact that if the shock is toast, everything else around it will be. Not sure if I mentioned it on here or my project thread but EVERYTHING was seized, rusty and didn't want to move. We had to cut off my track rod ends and ARB links. I suspect as a result of everything being new my offside inner track rod has decided to give up and is hopefully being replaced. If I can, I'll change the nearside too so I don't have to worry about tracking twice in a potentially short space of time. Likewise the bottom ball joints are worth considering to replace as well.

I've had B4s on many cars and always been happy with them. Most of these cars have been sportier models with slightly firmer suspension however. The VRS is no difference, with very slight lowering springs (20mm all round) and B4s I would say 10% increase in stiffness. It's barely noticeable over stock however this is comparing it to leaking shocks with almost 90k on so maybe not the best comparison. I believe it was Carlston who informed me that the same part number for the B4s is also used for non VRS models including those with smaller engines. I haven't felt that they are overly soft or bottom out easily so I can only presume the weight difference is negliable. They have had a good shake down of two days of driving country roads around Wales and Warwickshire in August and I was impressed with them. I have never compared the B4 and B6 to see the difference however I would expect a slightly more controlled ride. I'd guess this will be marginal. The way I would see a B4 is OE equivalent, the B6 a slight upgrade.

We have a joint driveway with our neighbour but I rarely get to use it so most of the time I am on the road somewhere. I shall report back on the hairdryer!

Thanks gents. For £18 I can get a hairdryer that runs from the cigarette lighter, I'd need to be careful not to put too much heat too quickly onto the windscreen to stop it cracking but for that cost I might invest in one to see if it's going to help.

Definitely, my wife's previous Ford Fiesta had a heated windscreen and it was brilliant. I even preferred using it in the winter for this reason! It seems it was a rare option on Octavia's in the UK.

I shall have a look, I have tried the microwavable packs in the past that supposedly trap moisture but they never seem to do much. Having owned a few VAGs (MK6 GTi, VRS and my wife has a 2015 Leon estate) I know they all do it. I suspect it's because the seals swell over time and don't allow any breathability but that's a different topic. I'm not worried about heat for me, but im on the verge of investing in a cigarette lighter operated hair dryer for the windscreen 😂 That's the issue, the moisture. Especially down here in the southwest, we seem to get slightly more rain than other areas but even then, most of the UK isn't cold enough to get rid of the moisture.

Thanks Toot, I did wonder if the insulation was just for noise or if there was a heat element to it. I leave for work at 5.30am to be in for 6 on an early shift so when it's freezing and the windscreen is full of condensation and I can't get any heat into the car it's frustrating. I just end up spending tons on kitchen roll to get rid of the condensation. That's a separate problem which again seems common with VAG vehicles. If I run the climate control and put anything other than 'low' to get any kind of heat onto the windscreen, the coolant temp won't get above the first line for the entire trip. My understanding of the coolant and oil correlation is that it will then take a long time for oil to warm up. Over an entire winter, that can't be that good for a car consistently? And that behaviour with coolant makes no sense to me, especially when Skoda are sold throughout Europe and in much colder climates, which makes me think the thermostat is weak?

100%, I know waterpumps are a weakness on these engines but it seems to be the higher powered K04 versions that have more failures, more pressure on it maybe. From what I understand the waterpump and thermostat are in the same housing so would need to disturb the waterpump at the minimum. It doesn't overheat and gets up to temp fine in 10+ heat.

That's clever! I did wonder about shaping a big of thin black perspex to cover a little of the lower grill as that's where I think more of the air for the rad pack is coming through, and just attaching it with zipties. I remember friends with diesel Land Rovers doing the same in the winter.

Hey all, Long story short I have debated fitting the bonnet insulation to try and aid with keeping some warmth in the engine bay in the winter of my 2015 petrol VRS DSG. I know it didn't come with it as standard although lower models and diesel VRS' did. I do mainly short journeys (4 miles) for my commute to work with a longer journey every 2 weeks. Last winter Id only just be getting to 80ish degrees oil temp by the time I'm parking up and I wouldn't be able to use my climate control otherwise the coolant temp would not get out of cold start territory, which is obviously no good for the car. I'd find myself deliberately taking a longer journey to give the car more of a chance to warm up. Anything below 5 degrees I'd have this issue. From what I've read this isn't unusual with these cars too. Would the bonnet insulation do anything to assist? Has anyone else done similar? Getting the thermostat and waterpump changed is on the cards at some point but at likely £1k+ as I currently (touch's wood) have no leaks or overheating issues I'm reluctant to pay for purely just in case maintenance. Thanks in advance, Doug

I've seen a few videos of people who have deleted their backboxes, either one side or both. From the odd video I have seen it definitely seems better than a farty sounding res delete but whether or not it drones it another story. I'm sure opening up the stock backboxes any half decent exhaust shop would find a way of making it a bit louder as I'm sure there is plenty of packing in there.