OccyVRS

Yes, we've done the journey (600+ mile) in many cars, taking various times do it. I think the record was just under eight hours, however that as done by my dad in 1994 (brand new 2.9 VR6 Golf company car, with two fuel stops and nothing else). That being said, taking fourteen hours to do it, over two days, with ACC and CarPlay, is a much better experience. When buying the Octavia, I had to have cruise control, but I didn't really care if it was smart, dumb or what. Even when I first got it, I couldn't work out what the fuss with ACC was about - then, around two months after buying it, I took it up to Scotland in one day, and I understood! I've done the London-Southampton run probably 100 times over the last four years. From M25/M3, M25/A31, M23/A27, to completely cross country, at all hours and driving styles in various cars, I've decided that it doesn't make much difference how fast you drive. Your speed is governed by external factors, such as traffic, speed cameras or how long it takes at KFC in Cobham. Unless the journey is ten hours long and you're doing 100mph versus 60mph, it's not worth it. I've watched people fly past me doing well over the limit, only to end up fifty feet ahead when we hit a jam. The car is locked, although I've had to leave the bonnet propped open as I felt it was a bit close to the clamps when resting closed. I see the appeal of attaching a permanent connector to the positive, however I don't really expect to be charging it more than once a year - I usually cover plenty of miles.

Yes, and assuming whatever 4G module/SIM/part is backwards compatible. Mine is a 2020 Mk3.5 facelift - I've had that entire trim piece (from the camera to the interior lights) out when I was doing my dashcam. I don't remember seeing anything significant - certainly I don't think it's a 'go to O2 and put a new SIM in' job. The other consideration is that I would imagine it is most useful in a remote area with less people and, likely, less signal. An SMS message may get through to 999, but will a phone call to a call centre? I'm not sure. I might look into it with mine at some point, but I can't say I really care that much.

So if the SOS feature on a car is 3G compatible only (10s of thousands, I think you said), then what? Will those cars become subject to a mandatory recall, before they can be driven? Even if it's a few thousand cars, that will take months for dealers to get around to retrofitting whatever they need (assuming it's a straight swap). Not to mention the other interesting thing - coverage. What if I have a car that is 3G only, and driving around one area I have 3G coverage, but then going to another area I don't?

Good. I was going to say, I went through Auxillis when some muppet ran up the back of me a few years ago, and it was a nightmare. As long as the body shop is VW approved, you'll be fine. Best of luck - it's unfortunate and inconvenient, but such is life.

Are you going through Admiral (either your fault, or paying your excess) or are you going through Auxillis?

@nta16 all plugged in. It's not the best connection to the positive terminal due to the clamp on it, but I don't have the energy to disconnect the battery - it'll do.

I'm seeing OP has a Kodiaq 2.0 TDI SE? Again, I'm not at all suggesting what you're saying is wrong - I know the MCU unit on these boxes is a point of failure, in the same way that the water pump/thermostat is on the 2.0 petrol engines. Any model, from any brand, will have apparently crippling issues - it sounds like you have just been unlucky. If you look here, you can see another thread on it, or something similar. There's something like 60,000 Kodiaq's in the UK, so seeing forum posts with say, fifty of them, isn't bad going. Unfortunately, replacing the MCU is expensive. Doing anything with the DSG is probably the most expensive service thing you'll do with the car. Have you spoken/seen a specialist, or just Skoda? If the car isn't under warranty I'm not sure I'd be going to Skoda - an independent place will probably do the same job, for a bit less and do a better and more thorough service. Equally, are Skoda not offering anything? If VW (Audi?) in the US are doing the job FoC, then surely Skoda UK would at least offer something toward it? You may have to get a bit creative and persuasive. They are good cars - but, like anything, they do have faults. I think you've just been quite unlucky and had it 60,000 miles sooner than others.

Are we talking about 3G or a G3 (Gulfstream III) 😝 4G will be around for a while. It is the basis of most networks, with 5G not being established enough yet. I would expect it to be phased out in the mid 2030s. 3G though, will be gone by the end of the year. EU regs require the SOS function, but as we’re in the land of the free, apparently, doesn’t that mean the older versions will be alright? I can’t say I know what my car is, or if I’m really fussed. A lot of cars use 2G for traffic updates and OTA things, so they’ll be alright for now. No idea when that gets switched off.

Is yours a 7 speed or 6 speed box? 6 speed will be 40,000 miles (DQ250) whereas the 7 speed is 80,000 (DQ381) although most people, myself included, do it every 40k. MCU failure on the DQ381 is an issue, however the reason you've probably seen so many instances of failure is likely because they are such a common box. The DQ381 is used in stuff like Golf GTI/R, vRS, S3 and Cupra, as well as more 'average' models like the Kodiaq, Tiguan, etc - many cars push well north of 400/500bhp, on a stock gearbox, without any issues. I know one that is on 83,000 miles, and his S3 is putting out just under 620nm. I'm not saying you're wrong - I'm just saying that I don't think it's an immensely crippling fault. There is some info here, as well as in other threads. @Ootohere might be able to shed some light on this. FWIW, look at the issues with early Ford Ecoboost engines. Now that is a flaw! For reference, these are the cars that use a DQ381 box - VW Golf 8 GTI 2020+ VW Golf 8 GTI Clubsport 2020+ VW Golf 8 R 2020+ VW Golf 7 & 7.5 2013-2020 VW Passat B8 2015+ VW Arteon 2017+ VW T-Roc 2017+ VW Tiguan II 2016+ VW Jetta / GLI 7 2018+ Audi S3 8Y 2020+ Audi A3 2.0 TSI 8Y 2020+ Audi S3 8V 2013-2020 Audi A3 8V 2013-2020 Audi TT 3 8S 2014+ Audi SQ2 2018+ Cupra Leon IV FW 2020+ SEAT Leon IV FW 2020+ SEAT Leon III Cupra 5F 2014-2020 SEAT Leon III 5F 2015-2020 Cupra Ateca 2018+ Cupra Formentor 2020+ SEAT Ateca 2016+ SEAT Tarraco FR Sport 2.0 TSI 245ps 2021+ Skoda Octavia IV NX 2020+ Skoda Octavia III 5E 2014-2020 Skoda Octavia II 1Z 2004-2013 Skoda Superb III 3V 2015+ Skoda Superb III 3V 2015+ You'll agree, with that many cars, any reasonably uncommon problem is going to seem very common, very quickly.

Blinding flash at the start sounds good to me - the queue to Heaven will be quite long, so I may as well be near the front. The only caveat to that I can think of is, does it require Skoda Connect (or whatever it's called now) to be activated? Mine has never been activated, although I've also never pressed the SOS button. If I press the info button (should bring up the in-game menu and map) or the spanner button (should repair damage to car) I get a voice telling me nothing is set up. Apparently it's a separate thing to the SOS button (I did speak to Skoda at some point, for some reason) so the basic SOS feature should work, however I wonder if their Big Brother status service requires it to be activated...

For the record - I've never spoken to this man before in my life... bit of an aggressive way to speak to a stranger, but each to their own I suppose. My current cannon/lance is on the way out, so will probably use that as the sealant one when I get another. I didn't look very hard because I knew I'd just ask you when I remembered. I'll take credit for the idea - the fact that your execution of said idea is poor, frankly, is beyond the scope of my genius.

Issue aside (have you had the gearbox serviced, as it's due?)... ŠKODA USA doesn't exist..?

I mean when the zombies do come and the ICBMs start flying, they will have the last laugh. Until then though, I'll take my chances. After all, I've seen enough post-apocalyptic movies to know I'd rather be taken out by a missile in my car, than hang around for the world that comes after. Anyway, back to the SOS button 😂

Wagner Tuning Intercooler. Wagner Tuning Boost pipes/hose (turbo to intercooler, intercooler to throttle body). RS3 Brake Ducts. SHW Clubsport discs. HEL braided lines You're welcome 🤭

I use citrus pre wash and then snow foam. I know they're both technically pre-washes, but I used the citrus to break down everything, and then the snow foam to lubricate the car for some action with the detailing brushes. I've yet to find a sealant that I can put down the lance like I did when I used to work for a detailer. It would be nice, as a little spray bottle gets tiring.

Daft question - is the horn(s) accessible at all? I just wonder if you can stuff a rag in/over it until the battery runs out. It won't silence it, but should help. FYI - you'll be able to disable interior monitoring and/or the towing away alarm, but I doubt this can be disabled. I would just remove the battery, put up with it for a bit (can't be more than 30 minutes, surely) and let the thing die completely. I would lock all of the doors with the key, then open the drivers door manually with the key and open the bonnet. If everything dies with the car unlocked, you are only usually able to lock/unlock the drivers door with the key. If it's completely dead, you won't be able to lock the boot/other doors. Even if you were to get an OBD scanner to see the fault, and it was the sensor, you wouldn't be able to fix it would you? The only option sounds like securing the car, dead, and taking it to the dealer in two weeks. Now I'm curious...........

That sort of thing never hurts - it can only help. The automatic call feature I mean - the airbags definitely will hurt. I am a frequent mountain biker (as in, downhill drops in Welsh mountains rather than cross country in the Surrey Hills) and even though I can't remember the last time I rode without friends, both my Apple Watch and Garmin are set up to call home if they detect a crash (be it accelerometer based, heart rate or whatever). It's the same reason I carry around torches, a first aid/basic trauma kit, road flare (whoops) and a few other bits and bobs in the boot. I hope, and expect I'll never need them, but I'd rather carry them and be laughed at by anyone that looks under my boot floor, than be in a position some day that they're needed. I do a lot of travelling up in the North of Scotland. I'm not in Sutherland and the like that often anymore (they are quite remote) but even in places where the emergency services are 30 minutes away or signal is poor (which is a fair bit of the journey up there, actually), something as silly as an Amazon tourniquet or flashing warning beacon could make the difference between being on local news, or national news. To be clear - I'm not one of these EDC/Prepper people - I don't go to the shops with paracord, a penknife and fire starter. I just think it's better to be prepared and not need something, than need it and wish you had it - be it an emergency packet of Haribo, an Amazon trauma kit or a bin bag for when I inevitably spill sauce down myself when out for dinner. I don't carry a spare wheel, though. The car didn't come with one, and if I were to buy one, where would I keep my zombie apocalypse bug-out pack?

@TheUltraRunner what wheels are those? They look very nice. I would argue that PPF makes sense only on a pristine, garaged car. As soon as the car is outside 24/7, my opinion is that the benefit of the PPF starts to wear off, as the wheels, plastics and the like are exposed to the elements anyway. If I were to buy a new/almost new car, I would likely PPF the front end, just to avoid stone chips, and call it a day. It would be different if it were a 911, as above, but in the real world for a daily driver, I think the car is exposed to too many risks to justify PPF or the like. If it's a garaged, weekend car then sure, that's different. Ceramic coating is a different story, but as @travs can confirm, it is not a magic solution (in the same way that PPF is). It's also worth noting that cars tend to come from the factory a little worse for wear (even Porsche!), simply due to the transportation and manufacturing processes. A good top down detail, decontamination and paint correction would be my first port of call, before applying any PPF/Ceramic/etc

I'm assuming since you're able to access a computer, you've filled the washer bottle? By dribble, do you mean a constant dribble, or what looks like the last of what's left in the tube? If both front and rear have failed, then the issue is likely the pump - can you hear it try? Does it sound like it's dying, only make a noise for front or back, etc? It's a £60 part if genuine - have a search on here and you'll find a similar post on the Mk3 section from a few days ago.

I always thought if you pressed the SOS button, Bruce Willis would come and fast rope down from a Blackhawk to rescue you. Turns out it just connects you to a call centre. No bad thing, but I'm not sure it's anything groundbreaking. Then again, if you've rolled it and are injured, it could be one of those things (like What3Words) that will save your life.

"Oooh look at that Marc, dual exit exhaust, AMG grille, 19" wheels and drilled brakes - that must be a 450bhp CLA45S" A200. 160bhp. Ugh. I reckon I'll have the Octavia for another four/five years, I think. It's just crossed 40k and with the use I give it, it will be just topping 100k and 10 years old. That's about as long as I'd run a car that requires some more expensive parts than the average car - especially with the water pump issues, DSG and everything. Certainly, I'd hope to ditch it just before timing chain time. I do runs to the North of Scotland several times a year (in one hop), so I do have a practical use for an utterly reliable car capable of doing longer distances. Mind you, at that point it'll be 2029 or 2030. How many manufacturers will still make mainstream ICE cars? I think the average MQB car be discontinued by then, and the replacements are all electric, or hybrid at the very best. So, maybe I'll keep Occy as a second car ;)

Yeah... I go to Halfords for screen wash and that's about it. I wouldn't trust them to open my fuel cap. I always like to go to an independent place. Especially when swapping tyres from one set of wheels to another, it's always been the independent places that have carefully wrapped up the wheels for the boot.

I share your physical proportions, although I'm 6 1" - the Octavia is the first car that has seats that 'fit' me properly! My dad's 118i, nice though the seats are, simply don't fit me - the bolsters are too tight, and too low. I would suspect a Mk1 GTI is actually smaller/lighter than the Fox - just look at how big a current Polo is, compared to a Mk4/5 Golf. In my view though, nothing can make up for weight with regard to handling on modern cars. The new M5 is an absolute monster, but even with ceramic brakes that can stop the Solar System and the best suspension BMW M has to offer, that 2.4 tons can't be hidden. I've been in one, and while 720bhp is... adequate... it feels like a driving a container ship. I agree too with the DSG, etc - doing 100mph in a 3.0 A6 is like doing 50mph in a Mk1 Golf. Newer cars build up speed so easily, with such little input from the driver. Mine is 245ps stock, however until fairly recently it was up near the 345bhp mark. When I got the insurance renewal, I decided to take it back to stock(ish), as I didn't fancy paying an extra 150% (yep!) just to have power I wouldn't use. At some point it'll return to a more sensible 310-320bhp, but for now 240ish is enough. Correct with the coolant gauge - I can't remember the parameters but it's something like 80-120 degrees, and it still reads 90. Only once it gets above 120 or whatever, does it then rise. #VAG I started a thread about oil yesterday. Bottom line is, stick with what the manufacturer recommends, unless your car is seeing extreme use or is heavily tuned. As an aside, I spoke to several tuning places (one of which runs a 1400bhp Audi R8) and even they said to just stick with (in my case) 0W-20. Actually - mine has a digi dash, and in RS mode you can see the power being used in kW. It's not very helpful (as I can't multiply the power figure by 1.34 when driving), but the gauge progression gives you an idea of what you're using.

You and I both - I can feel my brain shrivelling up. 235/35R19 will be absolutely fine. Going to this size will change the speedo inaccuracy, but we're talking 0.7% (I think it was). You can still do 52 in a 50 - you'll just be doing 50.4mph rather than 50.1mph. 235 is a very common size - if I were to go up to 19" (albeit with a wider wheel) that is the size I would go for. They tend to be cheaper too. Technically a 235 is on the upmost end of what you want to use on a 7.5" wheel, but it'll be fine. Be aware though that the increase in grip... won't.... and if the design of the Xtreme is anything like the 18" Gemini, then going up a width still won't offer any rim protection.

No. IMO a 235/45R19 is too large. You'll have an 8% speedo inaccuracy, meaning at 60mph true you'll be seeing 55mph (when you should be seeing 62mph or so). That is nearing the legal limit of speedo inaccuracy. https://www.willtheyfit.com Will you have issues with clearances? I'm not sure. I know several people that run 245 or even 255 on their Octavia, but that's with an 8.5J wheel and non-standard suspension. A 235 is also the maximum tyre you should ideally put on a 7.5J wheel. https://www.tyres-pneus-online.co.uk/tyre-equivalence-advice.html As a rule of thumb, you can change one thing, but one increment. So, going from a 225 to 235, or a 40 profile to a 45. Your stock profile is 35, so even going to 235/40R19 isn't ideal, let alone a 45 profile. @Carlston will be able to advise more, but IMO a 235/45R19 is not a good idea. That is of course not to mention that, AFAIK, the tyre size is not type approved for the car.