SouthernComfort

Exactly - that's how I use mine. FWIW I find the amount of negative and cynical comments around assistance systems a bit disappointing. 6 things stick in my mind, and I look at it in this context: - The systems in my car are there for the benefit of others on the road, not just me. - If I were to lose consciousness behind the wheel, then LA and Auto Braking might lessen or even avoid possible disaster. Happened to a driver in my part of the world recently; heart attack, lost control, carnage. His earlier model car didn't have assistance systems much to the misfortune of others involved. - I mentioned previously that a friend of mine had a momentary lapse due to fatigue and the LA system in her car DID come to the rescue. - Modern assistance systems are just an updated safety contingency plan complementing seat belts, air bags and crumple zones. I'm happy to park my pride if it means modern tech will help out if I can't, even after 50 yrs of unblemished driving experience. - The incidence of alcohol and/or drug impaired drivers on the road is a perennial problem. I just hope those idiots behind the wheel haven't turned their systems OFF... - Q. Would I be happy if the pilot of the A320 I'd just boarded announced that he preferred to fly 'old school' and turn the computers off? As for Stop/Start, who cares? Lane Keeping Assist & Auto Braking, thank you!

Can understand your instinctive apprehension concerning 'dealing with dealers'. I also think you'll be fine, they are more likely to offer you warranty service properly rather than risk reputation. Just keep everything documented and in the unlikely event that you need to escalate, you should do so with the service manager first, then the dealer principal, then if necessary with Skoda Aus failing that. I doubt you'll need to do any of that, should be a straight forward warranty fix.

I used to drive with AC off in all but very hot conditions as I prefer fresh air, including open window. I worked out after years of doing this that the AC systems in my cars were suffering by only sporadic or seasonal use and required compressor servicing & regassing too often for my liking. In my last two cars I started leaving climate/AC on full time and it had no measurable impact on fuel economy. In the current Octavia I leave it on a set temp and I'm returning equal or better consumption figures than Skoda claim. Happy days. Nothing to be saved by turning AC off, and I still have a window / roof open occasionally (naughty, I know ). Petrol only, no hybrid/electric/battery etc. in my little cruiser.

Garmin Mini 2.

Not so necessary on very short runs but it's more about speed and revs than duration of trip. If a relatively short trip is getting the engine/turbo hot and the turbo is working hard (e.g. if you're driving in very hilly areas, as I often do), then just do it - it's a good habit to let the oil and turbo cool down with that few seconds of idling, can't do any harm. The amount of extra fuel consumed would be next to nothing.

The Stop/Start system doesn't know whether you're stopped at lights, in a traffic jam, or parking at the end of your run - it isn't 'engineered' to keep running to enable the engine to cool, it only engages its brain to restart for powering up a/c to maintain set cabin temp. Yes, the manufacturers are only interested in fuel efficiency, not in the health of your turbo, oil consumption or battery. Mate, I can only urge that once you've completed your 10hr run in 30-40c ambient, stick her in Park, foot off the brake and let her idle for 30secs, it's not long out your life, but your turbo will thank you long term. Following my younger days in Holden, Falcon & Valiant V8 iron block dinosaurs, I've only had turbo engines for the last 30 years, everything from 4litre V6's to the baby 1.4 4cyl today. Never had a turbo fail, or need cleaning/servicing, I know of many who have with painful bills as a result.

Hmmm, perhaps a little clumsy. What I really meant was exhaust induced pressure. So yes, the pressure that builds up isn't compressed exhaust gasses, but rather the output (intake pressure) resulting from exhaust gasses starting the process off in spinning the turbo. Idling can also help oil longevity and keep the turbo cleaner. Idling the engine for a few seconds will cool oil in the bearing shaft preventing the turbine burning it off or coking up.

Doubt that will happen. As a driver of an early turbo diesel 4x4 for very many years (no dump valve), the practice became established. In more recent times I've had a couple of modern small petrol turbo's including this one, but the habit is still there. I'm not entirely sure we have a dump valve per se in these VAG engines, but rather a recirculating by-pass or diverter valve, which may explain the absence of that irritating sound of excess pressure being vented to the atmosphere. I haven't had the inclination to delve deeper into these little machines, but that's my suspicion. Anyway, changing what can only be described as a harmless procedure that may even help to mitigate the impact of a leaking or otherwise failing Dump or Diverter valve can only be a good thing. Each to his own, live and let live, etc.....

Yes, but old school habits die hard 😉

On urban low speed running it's not so important. By the time you have shunted into your garage or a parking space at little more than idle, that would be enough. Still not a bad practice though, I'm so entrenched in the habit I do it without thinking!

Yes, it's the fan. Small capacity engine turbos have been around for quite some time, by and large they're very efficient. If you've done a fairly fast run it's best to let the engine idle for around 30 secs or so before switching off to help the turbo and engine cool down. It will allow coolant and oil to continue flowing at a reduced temperature and relieve exhaust pressure built up by the turbo avoiding damage to both turbo and engine.

Yep, I wouldn't be turning temps up either!! Where I'm sitting we're at 34C right now, next couple of weeks forecast is to get hotter, it's why we have a/c. The opinions of others may be interesting, but driving to the conditions in ones own region determines best practice. Preserving a piece of plastic under the hood isn't a priority for us at this time of year.

Many people remove their engine cover in this country, for summer use especially. I'm of the opinion they have little more than aesthetic value, maybe a bit of sound deadening effect at best. They DO trap heat i.e. removing it won't help the engine to 'breath' per se, but without it you will get better (cooling) airflow around the motor. So, it depends on the conditions in your local environment, if you're regularly driving in extreme high temps it's worth leaving it off.

I'd suggest just fronting up to the dealer, they are the authorised warranty repairer. Once your concern is logged you have a path to follow. If you do get a response from Skoda they'll likely refer you to the dealer anyway. If you have no joy getting a satisfactory resolution from the dealer, then approach Skoda direct. Keep a detailed log (dates, times, names etc) of all your interactions.

It's always fascinating to learn about the variations between markets, including warranties. Sibling rivalry is alive and well down under, VW has been deeply entrenched here since the 1940's, whereas Skoda only made its debut in 2007. Skoda is continually competing for market share against VW (who offer a 5yr warranty) and although VW and Skoda new car pricing is virtually level pegging these days (on equivalent models), the longer warranty is Skoda's trump card. They're also up against giants Kia & Hyundai who also offer 7yrs. I guess the customer wins, 7yrs / unlimited km warranty is an industry best at the moment. It's one of the reasons I chose Octavia to replace my Golf.

Maybe your dealer was offering some sort of 'courtesy' service to check your fluid levels, but it's not the norm. 15k or 12 months are entirely appropriate service intervals, otherwise just check the fluid levels yourself regularly. Some vehicles may use a little oil in the running-in stage, most won't. Mine hasn't used a drop since new, now at 3,200km. Don't over worry about this stuff, and as I mentioned previously the manufacturer is warranting these cars for 7 years during which time they won't risk component failures at their expense by miscalculated service intervals.

Unless you're doing excessive mileage, or constantly operating in extreme conditions, my suggestion is stick to the 15k km / 12 months as prescribed for the warranty. They are warranting your car for 7 yrs, so it's reasonable to assume the car won't be 'under-serviced' at those intervals. It's not likely that intermediate oil changes would get logged in the Skoda electronic service record.

"Kinda feels like throwing solutions until something sticks but at least I feel heard." An all too common approach by dealers. No idea, just start replacing bits hoping they hit the jackpot! Good luck with it mate, I hope there's some light at the end of the tunnel.

For anyone interested in Garmin, I have the Garmin Dash Cam Mini 2. It's one of the most compact units on the market (probably THE most compact). Tucks very neatly behind the mirror and works from the mirror port with a very short cable. 1080p camera, has many functions including voice control.

If you're talking about the cheap copies from a well known online shop, I did buy them when mine were lost. The colour shade is different and the size slightly smaller, although they are a tighter fit. In fact I also bought a set of chrome ones at the same time but they do nothing for the car's appearance. I just wanted a couple of OEM ones, the dealer won't be charging for them.

Hi Kreeker, just wondering how you got on, any joy fixing the gremlins yet? Had mine in this week at Pen Skoda for its first service, no complaints, they seemed pretty attentive. Had lost 2 of the plastic wheel nut caps and when I mentioned it they promised to get hold of a couple and mail then to me - hopefully they'll follow through...

Mine is the 1.4tsi 8sp auto with only 3,000km up so far. I also drive sedately now my boy-racer days are behind me. However, a long highway run at 100kph will return av. 5l/100, city 7l/100 if all on fairly level terrain. Accelerate up a steep hill and get maybe 12l/100. So terrain is very instrumental to consumption. I live in a very hilly area which pulls up to twice as much fuel as when I drive in a flat area. I leave s/s on, but 'feather' the brake pedal to keep it running at red lights if they're about to change. The 2.0 engine will drink a little more, for your model Skoda claims 9.3l/100 urban, 5.4l/100 highway, 6.8l/100 combined. We all know that claimed figures should be taken with a grain of salt, nevertheless all the factors influencing consumption in real life will be the same. If mostly urban driving, maybe with a few regular hills, it wouldn't surprise me that your av. would show around 11l/100.

Just a curiosity from this side of the planet, but what is the purpose of the arrows? Do they indicate an upcoming bend perhaps? I can see how they'd be picked up by lane assist though.

Adaptive Lane Assist is a great feature, keeps the car dead centre in the lane. I only use ACC and ALA when on long distance highways / freeways, otherwise I stick with standard LA.

The threshold is 60kph (37mph) according to the manual.