OccyVRS

Do you mean ignition live? I used the BSA fuse - I don't have it on my car, but the hot side is still ignition live.

I thought you'd never guess - caught red-handed! I was deliberately trying to come across as a coarse, hypocritical moron - maybe I tried too hard. Next time, I'll try and be a bit more considerate, informed, understanding, educated, patient and self-accountable. @Catzeye please feel free to reply here, or start a new topic for any further help. You can also drop me a DM - if I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to point you toward someone that does. I genuinely apologise for my part in derailing your post - I tried my best not to rise to it! Let's call it here. Nothing of any use is going to come of further engagement. VAQ eLSD - service interval at a maximum of 3 years or 30,000 miles, whichever is sooner.

Oh man, for someone that is attempting to delete their account, you could start a fight in an empty room. You gave a link to something - all I can see is a discussion regarding a 2 year/60k service interval, along with a 3 year interval. I can see nothing about 'lifetime' or '40k not being a lot' so, as above, I'm still not sure where you're getting your information from. The hypocrisy, and irony, is hilarious. You've been rude to me - I've done absolutely nothing, except attempt to educate you to the best of my ability. I realise now this is rather futile - I would have been better off attempting to mop up todays rain. You've also been rude about the entire 216,000-strong forum, which really isn't acceptable. There are decades of information on here, extending far beyond that of any one individual member, and disparaging 5,700,000 posts and the hundreds of thousands of hours behind them and the forum isn't unacceptable. You've also been directly rude to another forum user - who has done nothing wrong but call you out on the rubbish you've been spewing. Unlike you, I'm not a keyboard warrior. After many hours together, I'm only slightly embarrassed to call @travs a friend. To say that he is a disingenious twit, frankly, is a joke. He is one of the sharpest, genuine and patient people I know. I fear however, that you may have worn through his patience. Certainly, you've worn through mine. I doubt the mods will remove any of your posts, though - things aren't like that on here. Oh, and you don't care what anyone thinks, but you're still on here, two days later, writing out more lengthy replies and being rude to people? You claim you're unfollowing the thread, but are back less than four minutes later commenting again? If I may be so bold - you need to get a job or, at the very least, another hobby. @davegr I wish you and your car all the best. While I can't possibly speak for the forum or stafff, I think I speak for a lot of people when I say we hope you don't come back. Just remember, whenever any of your search results come up with Briskoda, to delete them. I'm hoping we can just call it here and move on with our respective weeks in peace. @Gizmo or @Monkhai can we get @Dean to fulfill this persons dreams of account deletion, please?

Wait until the water pump/therm housing goes. It is an issue on the TDIs too, but I don’t think it’s as prevalent. I replaced the coolant union at the back a few weeks ago. It’s prone to cracking and, as you said, gives little evidence due to the proximity to the turbo. I don’t think my car has a “leak” per se, but the coolant levels definitely aren’t 100%. You don’t have a silica bag car do you @JMSkoda94?

Not at all. Please do report back with what you find - if someone finds this thread in seven years time, it's nice to have a happy (or unhappy) ending! Equally, do let me know if I'm wrong - the above is just my understanding and experience of the MQ250 box in my Leon,

1) Why start a new thread? Because this thread was for OP to ask about spec and pricing regarding a car. Yes, servicing (or lack thereof) does come into it, but it doesn't need to become a technical bulletin discussion. 2) I would suggest ditching DuckDuckGo. I typed 'VW front differential service interval' into Google and the relevant VW service bulletin was result number nine. 3) I would suggest doing a bit more targeted research. If you've bought the car and not known about the existence of the front diff, then the research wasn't done very well. 4) The implied level of knowledge would be based on you having done more than twenty minutes of Googling. A simple search of 'VW front differential' would highlight the terms mentioned, such as VAQ. That being said if, as you now tell us, you don't know anything about the differential, perhaps advising members on it being 'lifetime' isn't the best port of call? Seeing as you commented on '40k miles not being terribly high', I assumed you had done your research and had information from an official source. Certainly, I wouldn't be on a public forum dispensing advice on things I didn't understand. That's how mistakes happen, and how people that rely on these forums for information end up damaging their cars. 5) I'm not upset. I've been using this forum for a while and I'm very happy with it. The reason for my annoyance is that, as above, I assumed you'd done your research on the VAQ, hence why you were giving advice and were 'under the impression' by dealers. When I read someone giving out incorrect advice and then questioning where I am getting my information from, that tends to annoy me. 6) You speak for yourself. People such as @Warrior193, @Evolution13 and I agree on many things, but also disagree frequently. That said, we all have experience on the topics we discuss - which is not the case here. When you're stating experiences that aren't correct, that's when disagreements occur. I've given you plenty of links to play with. You've given us vague ascertations from stuff you've read using DuckDuckGo. Try using Ecosia - if you're going to waste your time, you may as well plant some trees in the process. 7) I'm sorry you're dissappointed. Please feel free to look through my recent activity - you'll see that I'm very welcoming to questions and new members (myself not exactly being a seasoned veteran on here). I was welcomed warmly, and I hope that others continue to feel the same. As I said, my lack of content is due to the way you've given incorrect advice, without any backing, and then repeatedly questioned my comments. Writing everything out the way I did, if I'm honest, wasn't for you - it's for the benefit of all those that come across this thread in the future and need the correct advice. Hopefully, though, they're steered towards the correct information. I'm sorry you feel this forum isn't the place for you. I wish you all the best with the forums you are involved in.

The reason I didn’t initially offer more in-depth information is because a) this wasn’t the original topic of the thread and b) the search function does exist. If you want to go more in depth about stuff you don’t understand, simply start a new thread and people will be more than happy to contribute. As with most forums, we try to avoid the hijacking of threads, where possible. As you’ll have read in the forum T&Cs, before starting a post, you’re asked to search for previous threads on the topic. Nobody asked you to be an expert on VAG, but I wasn’t walked through these things - I had to find them out myself by spending a few hours reading up on things, before speaking with dealers and independent places. I don’t know how much you know, and it would be rather time consuming to explain everything about VW in every single post. Certainly, there is a level of implied knowledge. Rather than simply questioning my sources several times, I’d maybe suggest saying “I’ve looked up XYZ, spoken to my local dealer, done my own research and I can’t find any solid information regarding the VAQ. Are you able to let me know where I can find an official source on this?”. Without knowing how much, or how little, you know - it’s very difficult to provide a complete answer. The reason there’s animosity toward you is because you’re extremely critical and questioning, but yet rather vague about your own comments. I’m not sure why this forum has an apparent reputation elsewhere. I fear, as with a new member a few weeks ago, there is an expectation for all to agree. I find Briskoda to have some of the most organic discussions I’ve seen on any forum.

Unfortunately not in the Mk3.5 and older. In the Mk4 there was an option to have a USB-C port, although IIRC it’s on the wrong side for UK use! Mine is hardwired into the fuse box. You could potentially splice into the power supply for the ADAS camera or rain sensor, but I’m not sure I would.

Not sure how I missed this, but hopefully you went for the PS5s. I got around 6k out of my PS4s and my current PS5s are down to about 3.5mm after over 11,000 miles. With the way I drive, that's impressive! They are due a change soon, so I'll probably launch it a few times to get my money's worth from them first!

Difficulty shifting from first to second gear quickly is pretty normal - be it a notchy feel, or it being a bit stuck. This is because there is a large difference in the ratios and the synchros are having to do a lot of work. The reason this problem is cured by waiting a second is because the synchros have time to spin up (matching the speed of the gear with the output shaft), with the drop in engine revs further helping. I suspect the new gearbox is designed more with longevity in mind, with the trade-off being the inability for the synchros to spin up quickly. I wouldn't touch the CDV. It is designed to reduce drivetrain stress - it may improve the feel of the clutch pedal, but will not change the inability to change gear quickly. If you want proof, try rev matching and shifting without the clutch from first to second (only if you are able to do this - you cannot have the transmission under load, or it will be very difficult to do). You will find the same problem with the notchy feel. If it was an issue with the clutch or CDV, then this issue would be across all of the gears.

As long as the service interval is followed (and the filter is changed) you will have no problems. The only DSG issues I have seen are from hard use with constant launches, hard driving and increased power.

You'll only do this once. Sound advice!

Just bear in mind that skoda-parts.com use an algorithm to monitor the site traffic. If the algorithm detects that you're rinsing the site by looking stuff up and never buying anything, it's supposed to ban you. Source - I've spoken to them on many, many occasions.

I'd generally describe someone as reluctant when they question something four times - 'Doesn't Skoda say the diff is "lifetime"?', 'What's the evidence for this?', 'Who is the authority on this?' and 'I was under the impression that the dealers usually say it’s lifetime.' Since this isn't going to be let go, I've spent a good twenty minutes on Google. Something you need to understand is that VWAG, be it Audi, VW, SEAT, Cupra or Skoda, are utterly useless when it comes to service intervals and maintenance schedules. This is something you will find on every single VAG forum. While a phone call or quick search on here, SEATCupra.net or VWVortex.com would have given you the answer you needed, I'll explain it anyway. The reason you've been unable to find any reference to the VAQ LSD is because VAG don't call it that in any documentation. I don't know why, but they don't. VW refer to it as the 'front axle differential lock', while Skoda only refer to it in service items as the 'final drive oil'. This is a bit misleading, as 'final drive oil' is the same term used for Haldex AWD systems, which have a slightly different interval. I'm not going to send you a thirty-something email chain between my friendly Skoda dealer and I (not least because I'm not putting my buiild sheet and VIN on the internet), but that is what I found out. You can choose not to believe me if you want - I'm trying to help. The dealers are absolutely useless. For service departments filled with 'car enthusiasts', they are utterly woeful - I wouldn't go near one if they paid me. They do not understand the VAQ, and most don't even know it exists. As mentioned before, it is an electronically-controlled, hydraulically-actuated multi-plate clutch unit - it uses hydraulic pressure to enage and disengage a clutch that ties the front wheels together. This needs to be looked after properly. If you do find a dealer that knows what they're on about (I haven't yet) then most don't service it properly and won't clean the pump screen/gauze. The following is a section of email between a service advisor and I - 'Please note that the Diff gauze isn’t included in the cost for the Front Diff Lock Oil. As per SKODA’s Workshop Manual, when we perform this operation, only the Haldex Oil and Drain Plug are replaced. The Diff gauze would be an additional cost.' Clearly then, it wouldn't be a proper service according to the Skoda manual. Now, with all of that in mind, we can find a few official sources, outside of the internally-available service information. Again, remember that VAG service information is rubbish - hence why most sensible owners default to what is recommended by specialists. This document mentions 'Front axle differential lock: Change fluid (if equipped)' This document also mentions 'Front Axle Differential Lock if applicable: Every 3 years' This link, under the extended scope inspection, describes 'check/replenish final drive oil', with reference to this being every 3 years, or 30k miles. This graphic shows that the Haldex 4x4 wants doing every 3 years or 30k miles - remember that the VAQ is the exact same Gen5 pump as the AWD system. This document mentions 'Front Axle Differential Lock if applicable: Every 3 years' This service, under any vehicle equipped with a VAQ, also describes 'Front Axle Differential Lock (if equipped) - Change fluid every 3 years' Although not official, if you don't trust AwesomeGTI, you're wasting your time on any VAG forum - 'Every 20,000 miles Recommended Haldex oil + filter interval' and 'Gen 1, 2, 4, 5 and the VAQ front differential'. Link to here. I can't speak for the MQB Evo intervals, as I believe it was only Skoda that reduced the VAQ to 2 years. You question 'time versus mileage' - it is generally assumed that the average person covers 10,000 miles a year - therefore, a service interval of 30,000 miles becomes, according to VW too, 30k or 3 years, whichever is sooner. I've never heard of anyone being told the unit is sealed for life. Even if they are - two things. Firstly, this is likely the words of an inexperienced, bored service advisor - I wouldn't trust them as far as I could throw them. Second, some common sense is required. If we know that the Gen5 Haldex AWD unit needs servicing, then it stands to reason that the Gen5 Haldex VAQ unit also needs servicing. The reason that many places 'might suggest a more agressive service schedule than is... required' is simple - VWAG service information sucks, and the stuff breaks. You can imagine that if an electronically-controlled, hydraulically-actuated multi-plate clutch unit sounds liable to problems, then two seperate manual gearboxes, spliced into one electronically-controlled unit with two concentric input shafts and two clutches is even more liable. That's what a DSG box is. For completeness, and seeing as you mentioned it, we can touch on the DSG intervals. VAG uses several DSG types - the DQ200, DQ250, DQ381, DQ400e, DQ500 and the longitudinal DL501. All of these boxes are 'wet clutch', meaning the clutch plates are submerged in oil, with the exception of the DQ200 which is a 'dry clutch', where the clutch plates spin in air, like a traditional manual setup. All of the 'wet' boxes have filters that can, and should, be changed - even if VAG doesn't do this. The DQ200 has no filter, but does have both a gear oil and MCU (Mechatronic Unit) oil to change, when it is needed. This is often suggested around 100,000 miles. All of the DSG boxes have a recommended service interval of 40,000 miles, except the DQ200 (no interval) and the DQ381 (80,000 miles). This is because the DQ381 is supposed to use a more advanced low friction oil. Whether this actually works or not, I don't know of anyone that leaves it until 80k. I did mine at 40k, and plan to take another view at 60k - I don't cover the miles, but I do drive very hard, so am going off of 40k/4 years. I see you've requested to delete your account. It's a shame, but if you find the forum such hard work, then I don't suppose you will miss it. As you can hopefully see from the above reply, many of us here on Briskoda do have a wealth of knowledge about these cars. I find that, generally, people don't tend to take too kindly to their information being questioned multiple times. Were it new information, then I could understand, but this is a topic that has been discussed many times since 2017, and a simple search will show many links and screenshots by various members over the years. Personally, I found your replies to be a bit standoffish and cynical, although I appreciate this may not have been the intended tone. Oh, and in reply to this 'but all the sources I find are independent and have an interest in making money' - what do you think a main dealer makes more money from, selling cars, or servicing them? I'll let you in on a secret - it's not the first one. If you spend the time, have a search on the various VAG forums and see why stealers are hated so much - they are dishonest, unreliable, often incorrect, careless and vastly overpriced. Buy the car, be it brand-new or approved-used, and run. I hope this helps, whether you view this as a member or guest.

Dumb, maybe, but it happended to me in my 2020 Octavia. That's why TSR is now deactivated. I'm honestly not 100% sure - a very friendly and knowledgeable VAG Indie garage owner did it for me, either with VCDS or ODIS. Have you had a Google? Perhaps @Cairus may be able to point you in the right direction?

I’ll DM you. Nope - I’ve ordered from Kopacek several times. The badges were a good £180, as well as previous orders of floor mats, key tips, etc. There’s no import fees, no added VAT and delivery takes about a week.

I think this was actually me, on a previous account. So, what did we do…? Well, at one point I had the car near 350bhp, with an R600 intake, elbow and pipe, along with some colder NGK plugs, DS2500 pads (and an ECU/TCU map). Insurance prices at renewal meant the map had to come off, followed shortly by the pads as they simply weren’t needed (I only did the fronts - rears aren’t needed). The car has since had some different SuperPro control arms put on, along with RS3 brake ducts and the matching Racingline intake pipe. I’ve yet to fiddle with the exhaust as the only realistic option for a GPF car is a full system, and I’m not really interested in forking that out just yet. I am also keen to lower it with an Eibach Pro kit (20mm front/10mm rear drop), but I’d need to do that in conjunction with some wider, lower offset wheels - that’s the next pending upgrade, along with a visit to Ecotune for a new map. Aesthetically I haven’t done much. @travs and I have given it a nice polish, and I’ve replaced some bits that were a bit tired (rear calipers, interior trim, etc). It’s very recently had a full set of black and colour matched Race Blue badges from Kopacek, which look very tidy. I’ve also been playing around with OBD11, and am keen to do some sound deadening in the near future. Some more pending issues are the brakes (which will need doing before the year is out) and the water pump/therm potentially being on the way out. The car was bought on 28k miles and is now on 43k (I think). In that time it’s also had some PS4 and PS5 tyres, as well as lots of service work. It’s currently a bit of a garage queen, but when it does get driven, it gets driven pretty hard.

Just a little bit confusing - not to mention your apparent reluctance to accept that a multi-plate clutch pack unit isn’t “sealed for life”. All that being said, I’m not sure how independent advice could possibly be considered a money grab @davegr? Most decent VAG indies are booking months in advance, and they’re not exactly gaining anything significant from an £160 fluid change. As Travs said, your VAQ can definitely be a lifetime interval if you want it to be, but that will go against the advice of dealers, specialists and everyone else in the VAG world. I’d be interested to know which dealer(s) told you they were sealed units - as Evo13 said, most places don’t know and have to look up the correct answer. Anyway. As above, preventative maintenance is key. If you plan to keep the car, being kinder to it with oil changes will go a long way - along with regular LSD/DSG servicing too. Do keep in mind too @Catzeye that 40k is around the mileage things start to go wrong. My car is a 2020 and was in really, really good condition when I bought it at 28k miles. In the two years since then, however, it’s wanted the major service, DSG service, LSD service, lower control arms, CV boots + driveshafts, a new battery, new discs and pads all round, continual issues with subframe alignment, an ADAS calibration and, in the near future, possibly needs the water pump doing. I had a hilarious haircut on the car so none of it is really a massive deal (I also knew it would want doing), but along with fun stuff like pads, a CAI, ECU/TCU tune, decent tyres, the constant alignments and electrical repairs (a rodents fault, not the cars) I shudder to think how much ownership has cost me to date. In other words, getting a car on 25k miles may be a few thousand more expensive, but it also may save you money in the long run - especially if it’s not been cared for as well as mine has, for example. My honest advice would be to walk away from this one - there are plenty out there, and you don’t want to be starting ownership on the back foot.

Not really - it’s only an issue if you’re young like me. Not to mention that most of the modifications aren’t significant in affecting a premium - intercooler, etc. You also don’t have to declare absolutely everything… DS2500 pads, RS3 brake ducts and stuff come to mind. This is absolutely correct. It’s the same diff as in the GTI PP and Cupra. It has a pump screen/gauze that must be cleaned. It’s the same story as the DSG - dealers don’t bother to replace the filter, which makes it pointless. 40k on it and only oil changes? Run, run, run away! £300 is a joke. A major service will be £450+, along with £160 for the LSD and whatever else. You can expect to pay £1000+ for OE discs and pads too, which at that mileage may want doing (mine did at 29k). There are plenty more fish in the sea - the oil changes aren’t the end of the world, but it’s indicative of a car that hasn’t been cared for the best. It’s also twice overdue an LSD service. If you’re on a forum admitting it’s “not good” then I think you have your answer! Shame. The manuals are very rare from the Mk3.5 onwards.

Exactly this. Something like an EA855 (2.5 I5) isn’t necessarily designed to be more robust, but it’s designed to take high strain and be as reliable as possible. It’s not designed with economy or cost saving in mind, really. A 1.0 is a small economy engine, so is designed to be built as cheaply as possible - if you try putting more power through it, you’ll just have issues. It’s the same with the DSG, unfortunately. Save your money, and spend the time on something more capable!

Again, absolutely not, under any circumstances - not even close. The only “lifetime” thing from VW is the DQ200 box, and even that has two oils you want to be changing circa 100k. Again, in the previous generation of cars, the VAQ wants doing at a maximum of 30,000 miles or 3 years. In MQB Evo models, this has been reduced to 20,000 miles or 2 years. It’s a similar interval for Haldex AWD systems. You will want the fluid changed, and the pump screen/gauze cleaned. I do mine every year, and have just done the gearbox at 40k - 80k is no good. Ditto with the gearbox, there is a filter to change too, even if the dealer often doesn’t do it.

VWAG - SEAT, Škoda, CUPRA and VW UK. Pick up the phone and give your local dealer a ring, or feel free to search this forum for the numerous posts about it. The only thing VW aren’t really correct on is the DQ381 box - they say the interval is 80k but I don’t know anyone that waits that long.

@Evolution13 will have something from VW. Just Google “VAQ service interval” and every single result will tell you to do it at a maximum of 30,000 miles, or 3 years. As usual, the Skoda dealer you bought the car from is useless. It’s a standard interval for the diff, whether it’s in a vRS, a GTI, a Cupra or anything else. The interval used to be 30k/3 years and is now 20k/2 years for the MQB Evo.

https://www.skoda-parts.com/online-store.html https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/skoda/CZ/OCT/753

Absolutely not!!! The VAQ diff needs to be done every 2 years, or 20,000 miles. The older Mk3 cars were 30k or 3 years, however I do mine every year around 10k miles. The fluid needs changing, and the pump screen needs cleaning. When was it actually done @Catzeye? FWIW, the VAQ LSD is a Haldex-derived system - it uses an electronically controlled, hydraulically actuated clutch pack. You don’t want that going wrong! The DSG cars need the service at 40k, however that’s not an issue here. The manual vRS will have an MQ350 in it - absolutely fine, clutch wise. It’s the same box as in the manual Golf Rs and the like - no issues at all, so long as they’ve been driven properly. 40k is the major service, so I’d make sure that’s done before sale - it’ll be air filter, plugs and the usual.