OccyVRS

CarPlay creates its own network and uses that, along with Bluetooth (to establish the initial connection). You can use the car hotspot AND wireless CarPlay, but you can't then connect to the hotspot with the device itself - that's just trying to connect to too many wireless networks. It's the same as trying to connect with CarPlay and the WiFi in your house - the phone just can't do it. For 3, mine does the same thing sometimes - there are settings on the phone to fix this (I can't remember what - auto connect or something). It's likely they were ticked, or unticked, when you first tried it.

Anything CarPlay/AA was post-2016, no?

I normally sit around 95-105 when moving, however when in heavy summer traffic I've seen it get up to 112. Everything is fine though - if I've just hooned it up the A31 and smacked straight into standstill traffic on the M25 in 33 degree heat, I can't say I'm surprised the oil is that warm. That was when the car was putting out just under 350bhp too - it sat very happily for fifteen hours up to Scotland, with rock solid oil and coolant temps. That's my only real complaint with the engine on the vRS/GTI - smaller turbo is fine, but I wish they had a DSG and aux cooler like the more powerful EA888s. I use Castrol C5 - specifically Castrol EDGE 0W-20 LL IV. When I get the Octavia I did the tyres, followed by the brakes all round. This year, I've had the DSG done, along with the LSD, plugs, coolant and other bits. Some of it isn't required at the current mileage, but I prefer to do preventative maintenance. Not actually sure re bumping the Fox, but if I'm completely honest, I didn't care. It was bought for £900 and did a happy 15,000 miles with us as a town car. When we scrapped it for £200, it was actually fixed and driven around for another 18 months. Sadly, now, it looks to be Coke cans.

I don't believe it's a known issue with them, however I'm also not an expert on Goodyear car tyres. See what National Tyres say, and let us know. You've given them normal use, and maintained them more than the average person would. I haven't done my tyre pressures in a few months - I must do that soon. My money now would be on Michelin or Continental. Crossclimate 3 might be worth a look - not sure on your usage but it doesn't sound like SportContact or Pilot Sport are really needed. It's worth saying that tyres aren't impervious to nasty stuff on the roads - I doubt you have, but I suppose you could have driven through spilled acid on the A1 😂 Just be careful in case they try to suggest that.

In all fairness to myself, the Fox came with a knackered battery! It served its purpose well - no frills (okay, air con would have been nice), but was perfectly suited to the use I wanted. In actual fact, it had the most headroom out of any car I’ve owned. I agree though, the occasional top up is all that is required. I’ve done a lot of driving over the last few years (I haven’t been in London) so we’ll see how my use changes. I tend to turn off S/S not for the battery, but because I hate it. I don’t like how it’ll stop the engine a minute after a cold start, and I don’t like how it’ll stop the engine every two seconds in traffic when the oil is at 115 degrees. I can’t help but feel it puts so much strain on the engine, all for not much benefit. Equally, for the battery, the starting process is the most stressful thing it does - surely doing it twenty times in one journey really can’t be good for it… Side note, is there a reason the battery is only charged to 75-80%? I’m aware that fully charging or discharging other (lithium) batteries isn’t good for them (actually, for a LiPo, the theoretical recommendation was between 40% and 80%), however I wasn’t aware lead acid batteries suffered from the same issue?

Things are different now. Manuals used to tell you how to change the steering rack - now they tell you not to drink the contents of the battery. Armed with a workshop manual and a knack for doing things, I’ve learned most of the stuff on my cars myself. Most people aren’t that mechanically minded these days though, so it’s more difficult. If people are willing to get underneath their car and spend some hours on Google, then they are welcome on forums like this. If they’re uninterested in learning, figuring it out themselves or simply want an easy answer, then I’m personally not so sure. I am/was a humanities student. I’ve had no training on anything, really, and I get on alright.

I would be reaching out to Goodyear. Those tyres were made in mid-May of 2023. I would not expect premium two year old tyres to have cracking like that. While I don’t disagree with the above, I run Pilot Sport 5s (UHP summer tyre) all year round. The tyres on the front of my car are from early 2024, and have no issues. Bearing in mind, they’ve been rim deep in snow a few times. They’ve also had some very hard driving, with multiple tyre-squealing and 350bhp FWD launch-controlling occasions. UV does cause cracking and degradation of the rubber, but realistically this is over a period closer to ten years than two IMO. Loading, pressure and temperature do have an impact, but again, unless they were significantly overloaded or under/overfilled, I doubt that would cause this. FYI, I did some maths on the Octavia a few months ago in response to a post, and worked out that it is realistically impossible to overload (with respect to tyre ratings) a Skoda Octavia vRS fitted with the correct tyres, before the boot floor collapses. Certainly, unless you live in Shetland and carry cinder blocks around, I’m not convinced, especially as you’re in balmy Cambridge. While winter tyres are nice to have, you don’t need them in Southern England. The Eagle F1 is a UHP tyre, but it’s not a Pilot Cup 2. Out of interest, how many miles do you do a year? With what sort of use? Unless those tyres have had really hard use, I don’t think their condition is right. I only ask as those tyres look in worse condition than my Pilot Sport 4s after 16,000 miles, and those were a really soft compound. The sidewalls look as expected, but the edge of the blocks and the rubber around the cracks look quite tired IMO.

Let’s be honest - whether it’s 0W-30 or 5W-30, it won’t kill it. The same with my car - it’s meant for 0W-20, parts are optimised for 0W-20, yet so many people run it on 5W-30 or even 5W-40 (okay, they’re mainly heavily tuned GTIs in the US, but same thing). I plan to keep my car for a while, hence why I’m keen to make sure it has the right oil. If you plan to ditch your car before it hits 60,000 miles, ultimately, put something VW in and call it a day. Oil choice between a 0W-20 and 0W-30 is only going to matter north of 100k miles, or if the car is heavily tuned, in my opinion.

The solution I've just used - Find your workshop manual here - https://easymanuals.com Engine code, oil type, sorted. I already had my manual saved on a thumb drive from last year, however I don't think it was too expensive. £20 maybe? It's the proper 25,000 whatever page workshop manual, but take your time and you'll find it near the start.

Skoda Service Manual to the rescue. I completely forgot I had a copy that I used when refitting the dashboard last year. DKTB engine code - VW 508 00. Result.

He is saying that for his DNFE, it wants 0W-30! For your CJXA, not sure. As mentioned, I think we have found the answer - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/534258-engine-oil/#comment-5960830 For variable servicing, your car takes VW 504 00. Just as was said - 🙂

Fixed servicing is when you car has to have a service at 10k miles. Variable is when the car determines when it needs servicing or after 12 months, whichever is sooner. Yours is normal (variable), therefore it's 504 00/5W-30. Either way, go back to your own post! This is for my Octavia 😂

Yours does say - VW 504 000

In this case, I don't think it actually matters. Whether it's a 2017 or a 2018, it's not a GPF car.

Do you have a link to the manual that shows what oil is suitable for what engine? I've looked at 2018 and 2019 manuals and can't find it. I agree - hence why I'd like to find out, for definite. If I'm honest, at this point, it's more about me than it is the car. I just find it incredible that, ultimately, I am forced to email/call up a random dealer service department and ask them. I know that all 245s (Mk3) want 0W-20, however in reality this is based on stuff I've read online, and the word of strangers. Yes, I know the info here is reputable and yes, I know I am 99% sure it wants 0W-20, but a part of me just wants to see it written somewhere in the engine bay. Do I need to find someone with access to Erwin (or pay myself) in order to see service records and hope I can see the oil used? It cannot be this difficult.

The reason he is asking is that there are sometimes overlaps. For example, my car has a 2020 build date, yet parts sites don't understand that a 2020 can be a Mk3.5 - they all assume it's a Mk4, which mine isn't. This is not to mention that when I say I have a 2020 vRS, people assume it is a Mk4. If it were a 17 plate then it could very possibly be a 2016 car (and vice versa, a 67 plate could be a 2018 car). Okay, in this case it's not as important, however the GPF came in a year later in 2019, and thus a 68 plate may or may not have one, and a 2019 plate may or may not have one. You get my drift.

Not quite - I know exactly what oil my car uses, however after reading your post I was curious about how I know this, and where it could be found. As I said on your post, I can't find any info under the bonnet, or in the handbook. I think it's a phone call to Skoda, which isn't great as half the time they're clueless. How come he gets a manual with oil specifications! Mine has nothing, except what I can use to top it up by 0.5L with, if needed - which is useless.

After seeing a post on the Superb forum, I wanted to ask a question here. I have a 2020 Mk3.5 vRS 245. If I wanted to find a definitive answer on what engine oil it needs, where would I find it? There is no sticker anywhere in the engine bay, and the handbook makes no reference to specific oils (2019/07). I know it’s 508 000/0W-20, but where could I actually find this information? It’s more a question for helping others, as the only solution I can see would be to phone Škoda?

Worst case, ring up your local friendly Skoda dealer and ask the parts/service lot. The sticker should be under the bonnet, on top of the grille/bumper trim, however my Octavia doesn't have a sticker there either!

Yes - seemingly charging above 15V is not good for an AGM battery. it's also worth noting that (from my understanding), technically you desulphate a battery every time you charge it. I believe it's just the one battery in the BMW, but I will definitely check. Amazon isn't the only supplier, and normally I loathe to buy big bits from them - however the Halfords near me have nothing suitable and Amazon just so happened to be the cheapest/easiest with regard to price and postage. I always prefer to go independent and have an item in my hand - however needs must, and I don't have the time this week to be hunting around decrepit auto parts stores for a decent charger! I have a fancy ratchet/clip set of connectors for 12V batteries - I used to use car batteries to supply power for model jet engines. I was in a pinch for replacing the battery, and a genuine 000 915 089 AC battery (with the VW stamp, made by Moll) was a hair over £300 IIRC, with the total bill being nearly £400 after Skoda had fitted it. It wasn't the best solution, but I didn't really have another choice at the time! It might be slightly larger than yours, however I live in London - so when going about the process of charging the car on the driveway at the front, there are numerous blast doors and risk assessment criteria that must be checked before one can leave the kitchen window open with a charging cable poking out of it 😂 I remember my parents test drove the then new 2012 model - it was the A3 8V and had the pop up screen in the centre console... pretty cool stuff. Dad hated it though, and promptly went and bought the newest old shape he could! I think a lot has changed since then, with regard to electronics. That car was by no means a low spec - in fact, almost every option was ticked (fully electric, heated and cooled, adjustable lumbar leather seats, cream leather interior, full Bose system, surround sensors, etc). Compared to the BMW though, it is stone age - stuff like the digital dash, surround cameras, KESSY (or whatever the BMW version is) and active grille all drain the battery far more than anything on the old Audi did. Even on my Octavia, if I go and open the car to get something from it, the digil dash and infotainment will wake up for ten minutes or so - that has to be like running two laptops. I miss my first car, a 2007 VW Fox. it needed either a battery booster or bump start most of the time, leaked fluids everywhere (power steering, coolant and sometimes petrol) and was missing half the interior, but it was so much simpler!

I'll let others jump on this thread, but it's a common question. You can see I had the same debate here. The only thing I'll say is please avoid replica wheels. They are cheap, heavy and often are prone to failures (be it structural or finish). I've seen two people go into a pothole (well, a bomb crater). The first, with OE Audi wheels, suffered two punctures and a buckled wheel. The second, in a Leon with aftermarket wheels, suffered two blowouts and two cracked wheels. A set of 18" Gemini wheels will serve you well, however if you want a nice look, then options from Racingline, Revo, Team Dynamics and a few more offer 18x7.5/8J wheels in 5x112 PCD with a 57.1mm CB, so no spigot rings are required. Revo and Racingline are nice, as they even use the factory hardware (bolts, lockers, etc). The cheapest brand worth looking at are Bola. They are heavy, but reasonably solid. There is a reason genuine OE wheels are so expensive, and why replica wheels are so cheap. You want to be looking, if upgrading, at flow-formed wheels, rather than cast. At the very least, low pressure casting is preferable (however many companies say they do low pressure casting, even if they don't). Googling Xtreme replicas, I can see some 'OMI' wheels. They don't seem the worst things in the world, but I wouldn't run those on my car. You get what you pay for, and I just wouldn't be comfortable running £130-a-piece wheels. A 225/40R18 is the direct match for a 225/35R19. I would be tempted to stick with this. A 235 won't offer any more grip, it won't offer that much protection, and it will be a lot more expensive (225/40R18 is a very common size). Your best bet, IMO, would be to pick up some nice condition 18" OE Gemini wheels, and then sell the 19s. You can sell the car with with 18s on it and, if you're that keen to go for the Xtreme look, can even get them refurbed in a gloss black/diamond cut finish. Like this.

I decided to go ahead and pick up the CTEK CT5 Start/Stop charger. The Halfords one has seen some use, and frankly, I think my girlfriend could do with having it. It's not so much that the charger 'can't do' AGM batteries, but rather the desulphation mode (basically large pulses of current) that most chargers have on every cycle, aren't great for AGM batteries. That said, it claims it is for LiFe4Po batteries and Lead Acid, and doesn't actually mention AGM. The EFB+ in my car is just a fancy LA, mind. I don't intend to use it on my car very often - although, of course, in a scenario like this, it's probably quite handy to have. The BMW belongs to my dad, and I've no interest in giving him a charger that might affect his battery negatively. Given the price of a new battery, I don't think £79 is an unreasonable amount to spend on a charger - especially if it will see use for 24-48 hours every month. When I walk into the garage, I can hear his car doing things, so I've no idea if the sensors are active or what. I know if the engine is hot when it is parked, the grille is open, but then once it is cooler, the grille shuts. All of that must drain the battery! It's coming tomorrow with Amazon, so I'm going to just plug it in and leave it. My car is a Mk3.5 (it is a 2020, but the manual for it seems to be 2019/07) however the process with regard to positive terminal on battery, then the earthing point for the negative, seems to be the exact same. Of course, this keeps the cars electronics in the loop, so it knows what is going on. Dad's car is in the garage so can be left until done, however the other two live on the driveway. If I plug my car in, and by say, 9pm it still isn't fully charged, surely I'm able to just disconnect it (unplug from wall, disconnect negative then positive)? I also saw adapters that enable the battery to be charged via the 12V socket in the car. I didn't pick one up, but I thought it was an interesting idea. Thanks again for the help - I understand batteries to some degree (I used to make my own LiPo batteries), however Lead Acid/AGM batteries and cars, are not something I've had endless experience with. It does all seem a bit of a faff, but balancing an £80 charger and fifteen minutes of time in exchange for a healthy car and lack of a £300+ battery replacement bill seems to be a reasonable trade. As a family, we used to only have one car - a 2011 A3 Sportback. I was in school, dad would work in town, so only mum needed a car. We bought it new in 2011, and dad only got rid of it over Easter. In the whole fourteen years of ownership, the battery went once. I'm wondering if new(er) cars are more prone to battery issues, due to the electronics in them? Certainly, I don't remember old(er) cars having as many battery-related problems.

For those reading this - if your car has an AGM battery (like the BMW does) then you will need a charger without a desulphation mode - this can damage an AGM batter (and isn't great for an EFB battery either). I'm saying this as the most popular CTEK charger, the MXS 5.0, charges at above 15V at various parts of the cycle, which isn't great. The CTEK CT5 (that I'm about to buy) doesn't have a desulphation mode, and charges below 15V. https://www.ctek.com/uk/battery-chargers-12v-24v/ct5-start-stop-uk?srsltid=AfmBOor6LTCZI083FGI6Z_N-ZvKD1bFGvF1Uhd_bhOf3fIvYG2PVwJ3m

Thank you, Nigel - I appreciate it! That's much in line with what I was thinking. Of course, one interesting thing I've realised is that the age of the car, really, doesn't matter much. An older car will have a smaller battery, but will have about two electrical things in it. A new car will have a much larger battery (start/stop aside), but will also have seventeen computers running 24/7. I would imagine with KESSY and the like, this will be even worse. The other consideration is that the alternator on a new(er) car doesn't seem to charge the battery all of the time when the car is moving. It sticks to around 80% as you say, but there are other variables too. I'd never had a battery go until the Octavia died last September, and it was an utter nightmare finding a new one and getting it coded in before a trip - not to mention the cost. Thank you for the information regarding the earthing point - I'm not sure why I didn't remember this. As you say, I should read the manual! From memory, I have the following charger. It will do the job, however I might take a walk to Halfords tonight and see what CTEK stuff they have - we're finding the BMW sits in the garage for longer periods, and with it being KESSY it might make sense to charge it between uses. A few hours (say five or six) will suffice, surely?

FYI, there are reasons people choose different oils. Let's take 5W-30. Simply put, the 5W part is the viscosity of the oil when cold, and the 30 part is the viscosity of it when hot. 0W is thinner when cold than 5W - modern Euro engines don't tend to do well with heavy, thick oils at a cold start. However, whether it's 0W or 5W in the UK won't really make much difference. The 30 part, the weight when hot, is more important. For example, my vRS runs on 20 weight, whereas most people like 30 or 40 weight. The thicker the oil is at temperature, the more protection it provides. In theory. The thinner oils are, really, used to help with emissions - thinner oils are more economical. So, who cares about emissions, let's just put a heavy weight in to protect the engine. The issue with this, however, is that it's not so simple. VW aren't stupid, and the engines have been adapted to run on this thinner oil - stuff like the variable oil pump has been optimised to run on the 20 weight at operating temp, and tolerances are also optimised. Sure, 30 weight offers better protection in the crankcase, but at what cost to the tighter tolerance bearings, etc? In reality, a thinner oil allows for a higher flow, which makes maintaining pressure easier. Less thick oil or more thin oil - same thing, really. My car is/was tuned and does get driven hard. I debated long and hard (just ask @Ootohere) about going to 0W-30, but decided in the end to just stick with what Skoda recommend. I even reached out to several (respected) VAG tuning places and they all said to stick with the recommendation from the manufacturer. The difference in protection might mean my engine has issues at 150,000 miles versus 165,000 miles - but I won't have it then. Sure, the difference in oil might make a difference (for better or for worse) but I don't believe going from 0W-20 to 0W-30 is going to make any huge difference. People use thicker oils as 'thinner oils are rubbish and offer no protection - it's all emissions crap'. Not all of this is untrue, but without being on the design team at VW and knowing exactly what changes were made to run on 0W-20, 0W-30, or whatever, I would just stick with the sticker. VW seem to have learned from this, as the earlier EA888.3 ran on 5W-30 and now the EA888.4 Evo runs on 0W-30, however I'm not losing any more sleep over it. [disclaimer for all the... people... on here - as mentioned above, many things are a generalisation. Talking about viscosity grades and centistokes probably isn't going to help OP.] Oh. Get VW spec too. There is a difference between an oil being suitable for the specification and being approved for the specification.