OccyVRS

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.

Just stick with the sticker. I wouldn't bother putting the plate into any sites. Stick with what Skoda recommended, unless the car is heavily tuned.

I’m interested to know how long we think a modern car will be able to sit for, before the battery starts to get a bit low? For context, I have a 2020 Octavia. The battery is just under a year old. Start/Stop is nearly always deactivated and the battery was at (I assume) a full state of charge. I last drove the car 10 days ago (2hr motorway journey) and it has sat on the driveway since. By the time I drive it again (I’m busy with work) it will be the end of the week - just over two weeks since it was last driven. I’ve been in it once, to unplug my CarPlay adapter and rescue my sunglasses. I’m interested to know two things. A) I’d like to know how long can the car reasonably sit for, before the battery starts to get low? And B) how long can the car sit for before damage to the battery starts to occur (due to discharge)? Bearing in mind, it’s summer now, not winter. I would hope to see what, three weeks before it gets low, and a month plus before damage starts to occur? Is it worth plugging it in to a charger, or for two weeks is that overkill? I know I should probably charge it, but the engine bay has no suitable ground, and I haven't got time to find one. I also don't fancy confusing the car by charging it with the negative connected to the battery, as for only two weeks this seems overkill? @nta16

It depends on the use. I have a Halfords charger (can't have been more than £40), but I only use it once a year. I've never actually used it on my Octavia! By the sounds of it, OP would use it far more regularly, so the cost of something a bit nicer starts to justify itself. Apple is made in China, and the quality of their stuff is superb. FWIW, and I can't believe I'm saying this, I do sort of agree. I'm not saying OP is like this, but the vast, vast majority of people just want to get in the car and go. If they have to charge the battery in their car, then having a nice charger that does everything for you probably takes the sting out of it a little bit - even if it was more expensive. I don't really think much about my battery (although the car has sat for two weeks without being driven, so when I next turn it on I will take it for a longer spin), but I'd get a more expensive charger if I were to leave it more often.

Look at the sticker - what does it say? My 2020 vRS (EA888.3) wants 0W-20, but FL Superb 280s (with the EA888.4Evo) want 0W-30. I debated going up to 5W-30 or 0W-30 but decided against it as there are differences that mean the engine is tuned to run on XYZ viscosity (albeit for emissions purposes).

Nothing wrong with putting a higher rating on a car - I'd just avoid going lower. The cars (MQB) are developed with Bridgestone, apparently, but that doesn't mean they're any good. My personal leaderboard, that I would choose from - 1) Michelin 2) Continental 3) Goodyear 4) Falken 5) Avon 6) Pirelli 7) Bridgestone 8) Everything else I've had good experiences with Maxxis too, actually. I tend not to keep anything spare anymore - I did for a good two/three years, and then realised that if I ripped the budget tyre off, there wasn't really a scenario in which a good 225/40R18 wouldn't be available.

Can't say I blame you. Do you cover the seat too? I trust their overalls even less.

I originally said if you email (their email) and speak to... I edited it as I wondered if that was why. I promise I'm not a spammer! 😂

I've replied, just waiting for my post to be approved for some reason.

I use skoda-parts.com for everything. Absolutely top service. If you email them, ask to speak with Jan Vorlik - he's their UK representative, and is ridiculously helpful. I used to use SEAT Direct Parts and Cox Brothers when I had my Leon, however there isn't really a UK alternative for Skoda (that is as well stocked). Skoda-parts.com get the stuff straight from the factory and also offer a few options (like genuine OE, OEM, aftermarket, etc). They're VAT registered so you pay what you see (I've ordered a £300 brake calliper from them) and although the postage can be a bit steep, it's not bad at all and the part is usually a good 30% cheaper than in the UK. I'm in no way affiliated with them - just a happy customer from many orders. They send the stuff with FedEx - usually takes about a week and a half to land at the door.

Rather than looking at the merits of the cars from a family perspective, let me offer some thoughts on the performance side of things. They are very different cars. The 1.5 is going nowhere fast, whereas the vRS is quite quick. It's nothing special, but it's just a bit more than average, whereas the 1.5 is just another car. If it's a 245 then it'll have a limited slip differential and big brakes - if not, then it'll still have big brakes at the front, but no diff and slightly less power. Either way, a 245bhp 2.0 and a 150bhp 1.5 aren't really comparable engines. Going manual is an interesting choice - it removes the aspect of DSG servicing but, if I'm honest, doesn't suit the car very well. I think if you want a manual, then something like a GTI or ST is more up your street. You won't be able to put anything smaller than a 17" wheel on the vRS, however the 18s are perfectly reasonable. I can't say I've thought about ride quality for more than two seconds, but I am a lot younger than most on here! With regard to trips to France, something that hasn't been mentioned on here is the ability of the vRS to do a better job. Let me explain. I've done similar journeys in a few cars (Scotland, France, even Italy) and found there are some issues with using a smaller engine. When empty all of the cars are very good (okay, the vRS is significantly better at overtaking, but my 150ps Leon wasn't bad at all, and even the old 1.4 A3 did the job). The issue came when the cars were loaded - either with people, or stuff. In the Skoda, I can't tell a difference. I can have four people and all their junk, and still be able to pass anyone I wish. The Leon... wasn't fantastic. Pulling out of short slip roads on the A1 was a bit of a challenge. It was doable, but it wasn't brilliant. That said, the Leon was a 2016 hatchback and quite a bit lighter than an Octavia. I would imagine the 1.5 Octavia to be similar to the Audi which, when heavy, was a bit of a job to get moving. Of course, still like fuel costs, running costs, maintenance costs - you know about. the 1.5 is newer, has more tech, will be cheaper to run and will be more comfortable. But it's just a car. The vRS is older, has less stuff (depends what you get - my 2020 has ACC, digital dash and everything I could want from a newer car, whilst still having buttons for the a/c) and will cost more, but is significantly better to drive in every aspect. If I'm honest, have you driven both? if it was between say, a 1.4 or 1.8 Leon I could understand, but if you want the drive of a 2.0 vRS then the 1.4 just isn't in the picture. Similarly, if you want the tech, modernity and comfort of the 1.5 then the vRS also shouldn't be in the picture. My vRS is the best car I've driven. It's nowhere near the fastest, largest, cheapest, best to drive, etc, but it just does such a good job of everything, it's unbelievable.

Understeer = probably controllable by most decent drivers Oversteer = probably a crash

I'd assume DPF, as air filters and GPF's aren't really candidates for cleaning. That said, PDF is written twice, so maybe OP has lost a file somewhere in the exhaust system? You never know. https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/dpf-replacement-tutorial.521165/https://forums.tdiclub.com/index.php?threads/dpf-replacement-tutorial.521165/

Of the two, I'd get a T-Roc. I think they look better and have a nicer interior. I've driven a T-Roc R (not really a comparison) and it was nice. I've also driven an Arona FR and it was the worst car I've ever driven. I prefer my old VW Fox, and I could see the road through the floor. If it were me, I'd get a Formentor. I've driven one as a courtesy car and thought it drove quite nicely. They also look fantastic.

Have a look on decent threads. F47 is common, although I used F48.

I think you’re wasting your breath. Could also be this - https://www.vwvortex.com/threads/psa-us-golf-gtis-have-alarm-disabled-from-factory.7398842/

With the amount of electrics in a modern car, the battery gets drained faster, even though it is considerably beefier than those a few decades ago. The best option, really, is to buy a quality battery charger and hook it up for a few hours every weekend (CTEK do some good ones). Any decent charger can charge all types of battery, be it AGM, EFB, Lead Acid, or whatever. I would also try and take the car for a proper run every now and again - running it for short journeys around town will kill it early. For now, regarding the battery, it’s a fairly simple process - Go to a garage and get the battery drop tested. They will be able to remove the top cover (it looks like four little plastic clips) and get at the part number. If it’s end of life, you’ll have to cross the bridge of getting a new one coded in, by somewhere that knows what they’re doing - probably either Skoda, or a VAG Indie, to avoid any issues. If it’s not EOL then you can charge it up and go on your way - for now, anyway.