McRob

Thank you, Ords - that looks like it might be very useful ! If it enables me to change the filter, I will make a video of my own and post it on here, so that other owners of my model may get the benefit.

Hi folks, My Octavia saloon (1ltr) needs a new air filter, I think - so I bought one. However, I can not seem to be able to remove the filter box lid for the existing filter... ! i have undone several T25 Torx screws, which screw in from the underside, but no idea how the cover is supposed to lift up- I do not want to snap it ! Any ideas, please ? Thanks in anticipation...

Cheers again, Warrior193

Oh, another stupid question: does anyone know if the oil filter should be a short stubby one or a long one, please ? I have been sold a short Mann filter, but I have no way to deternine which filter is used for my particular model of engine, without actually removing the filter first... so I'll be stuffed if I have been sold the wrong one ! Thanks again, anybody?!

Cheers again Evolution13 :-) I tried this the other day, but sadly, it made no difference. I jacked the car up, removed the wheel and checked that the handbrake cable is not sticking; it seems to move OK between on and off positions. I did find that there are a couple of little spring-loaded piston-thingies, one of which seemed to be stuck, so I released that... but I could not figure out how to remove the caliper ?! The damned brake is still sticking. At this rate, a garage might have been cheaper for me ! I'm so rubbish at this :-( Thank you for your assistance and patience.

Oh yes: I bought a Haynes e-manual for my car the other day... but it seems to be fairly useless for some things. For example, it does not show me how to change the oil, what the relevant fixings sizes are, etc. Again, any supportive suggestions would be really great, please ! Has anyone found a source for a r-e-a-l Haynes manual for this car (i.e. one made from paper and cardboard, which will not run out on me !) ?

Thanks again Warrior193. I used an infra-red thermometer on all 4 brakes when I returned home today, and the nearside rear brake is definitely hotter than all the rest (about 34 degrees C, compaared with about 22C for the other 3); there is also scoring, as per my previous comments. The car is still ripping through fuel ! :-( Not fun. I have found a couple of videos which try to suggest how to remove the rear caliper, but none is clear enough to show me exactly how it is done... nor which size spanner or Allen socket to use... nor where... Can any of you very kind folks please suggest how to unstick this rear caliper or recomment a good video for this. I am absolutely determined to fix this myself !! ? Apparenty, it's a bit more complex than the front one? Oh, how I wish that I was not so ignorant about car service... Sorry, guys ! (Somewhere to live was more important than something to drive... and most of my cars were company vehicles anyway... hence why I am a greenhorn!). Thanks again, folks.

Since your cup holder doesn't close, does it have some kind of a spring mechanism ? If so, I suggest trying a hardware shop for a new spring. (I worked in one for 6 years, and I got this kind of enquiry every other day !) Good luck :-)

Oh, the air filter was prolly done a couple of years ago, Evolution 13, so overdue for a replacement. My car model is as follows, BTW: Skoda Octavia (2017 - 2018) - III (5E) - 1.0 TSI Petrol (CHZD)

Hi Evolution13, thanks for assisting. My car has done just over 45K miles; I think that it had run about 6K when I bought it, if memory serves. Yes, the spark plugs did occur to me; the car hasn't been serviced for a couple of years, since the last service cost me about £700, including a change of rear brake pads and shoes. This huge fuel usage seemed to happen suddenly after I put in the fuel from the independent garage, where I had never been (the Asda fuel replaced that, and I have never had a problem with their fuel, which I have used often; apologies for me confusing folks !). It got better, but now it is using a lot of fuel again. However, today I purchased some copper grease and I'll have a go at freeing up the rear nearside brake to stop the occasional squeaking (and hopefully, the scoring of the brake disk). I have axle stands, so I'll check both back brakes at the same time - if I could just be sure where to position the axle stands without wrecking my car ! Any recommendations of any good videos which might help me with this, please ? Much appreciated !

Thanks for your feedback, Warrior193. Yes, it does seem like the brake pads are sticky or similar. I jacked up the wheel which has the severely scored brake disks, released the habdndbrake and tried to spin the wheel; it's a bit gringy, to say the least ! No sign of any warning lights at all.

There is no badge to say TSI, Warrior193, so apologies that I can't confirm; I guess that this info is also on the V5 ? All that I do know is that it's a 67 plate from 2017 with a 1ltr petrol engine, which I run on standard unleaded. Sorry, I am so rubbish at this ! I have never done cars, so my experience is very little indeed, sadly. Apologies for any frustration which this will cause to all parties. Thank you for your suggestions; I will give that handbrake idea a go. I have tried some sudden braking on the flat; not sure if it actually helped or not, though. No noticable reduction in actual engine performance during especially my first, high fuel-usage test. However, the engine did seem to have a bit more "oomph" during my 2nd (longer, farther) test run up to Largs, after I had topped up the tank with fuel from a frequently-used garage (Asda) and added the fuel additives. However, this extra "oomph" could be my imagination !

A Hi Warrior193, Thank you for your message :-) It might take a little while to find my V5 document, so I will ask my questions in the meantime; hope that's OK ? My fuel consumption suddenly rose to using about 3/8 of a tank of fuel, having driven only around, 50-60 miles, in a primarily very flat area; this was after a fill of 5/8 of a tank,using petrol from an independent garage which I have never used before. Possibly dodgy fuel, maybe clogging up the injectors a bit, I thought, so I got an injectors-cleaning compound and a lubricating agent, which was added when I refilled the tank with the used-up 3/8 of petrol. This seemed to cure the fuel consumption issue, (at least temporarily), since I took a trip a of about 50-60 miles or so, (after adding the additives), which caused barely any needle deflection for fuel consumption. I would appreciate any comments about what may have caused this issue, please? Following yesterday's test run, I have done another test run of probably round 25 miles, flat, which has used around 1/8 of a tank of fuel... so still not good. This has now become accompanied by a squeak at the back of my car, which is more noticeable when I (slowly) turn corners. However, the squeaking ceases when I apply the brakes. I am thinking something amiss with the brakes themselves, and I noticed scoring of the brake disk on the nearside left brake disk. The squeaking seemed to first appear during my first test run up to Largs from near Ayr, but it is more noticeable now ! The brakes were replaced about a year and a bit ago; there seems to be only a small lip on the disk, this far - but it is looking rather scored. Any and all feedback would be much appreciated Thanks in advance ! Kind regards, McRob P.S. Apologies for my long first message...

Hi folks, I am having a few probs with my Octavia saloon - hoping that one (or more) of you nice folks could please offer some assistance ? I am an old (62) full-time student, with practically zero knowledge of cars (and not a lot of money for this), so trying to avoid garage bills if at all possible... ?! Ready to ask some questions when I get the go-ahead. Any and all guidance and advice very gratefully received ! Thanks in anticipation. Rob H

Hi Ords - thanks for your very helpful and fast feedback ! That's definitely going to help a whole lot :-) My Skoda is a 997cc petrol model.

Hi folks 🙂 Apologies, this is a bit of a long post, so please bear with me ? Could someone please post a photo or a video to show me how to fix the "pathetic rear wash/wipe" (perfect description!) of my 2017 Mk 3 Octavia saloon? The member called Silver1011 kindly posted a couple of photos, but these do not seem to be visible for me... When I operate the rear wash/wipe, I can hear (what I believe to be) the rear water pump (if there is one at the rear ?), but there is no water whatsoever at the back. The front wash/wipe works very efficiently, and there is plenty of fluid in the reservoir. I hateto think that my car is being rusted away from inside the chassis somewhere. It's a pain in the what-not when I have to stop in a lay-by and clean the rear windscreen... More than that, though, I want to be safe and see what I need to see (and not be pulled over by the cops for having a dirty rear windscreen...). Also: Could someone please tell me if there is a recent (i.e. 2017>) Haynes manual for my car ? I can't seem to find one that recent... I know that there is an online version, but I much prefer an actual physical book... it doesn't smash when you drop it on the ground ! Lastly: My local Skoda dealership is asking for £660 to replace the cam belt. This has now exceeded the statutory 5 years, so it needs done. I think that this kind of repair will either work, or it won't. Has anyone on this site had their cam belt repaired by a non-dealership garage, and was it OK - or did you need to buy a new engine ? My trusted independent garage have offered to do it for abour £480, if memory serves... so I wonder why my local Skoda dealership is asking £660 for basically the same work (as far as I am concerned). Anyone care to pitch in, please ? My local dealership was so incompetent that it took them 3 years - and intervention from their CEO - to figure out how to stop sending me letters and emails and texts and phone calls, pestering me to join them at their sales events... year after year... so I definitely would not trust them to do anything as critical as replacing a cam belt! Thanks in anticipation, for any and all help ! :-)