OccyVRS

Very slightly stretched tyres reduce sidewall/carcass flex (shoulder roll) and can marginally improve handling in that respect. Many prefer an increased contact patch, however, and in most cases a stretched tyre is for... idiots.

Yeah, the aforementioned @travs had a similar experience with his intercooler fitting - bit of a steer and they were away. Most of these blokes are ex-VAG anyway. As far as I'm concerned, if they use the stuff I want them to, update the service log properly and do a far better job than any main dealer, what's not to like? Okay, the admin side is a bit lacking and someones dog had been driving the last courtesy car, but I'll take it. I normally give any place working on the car a printed list of whatever is being done, along with some Fox's (other brands are available).

If it says 'mit silikat' then you've got one with a bag. If it's not marked with this, you don't! The tank is double walled so it can be tricky to see inside - for a while it tended to be later models that didn't have them, but there doesn't really seem to be a pattern - be it Skoda, SEAT, Cupra or whatever. The silica is intended to act as a corrosion inhibitor (think all those pretty aluminium matrix components rusting), however the bag is prone to bursting after prolonged heat cycles. The little beads swell up, the bag goes boom and then the aforementioned beads work their magic and block up your heater matrix - not a cheap fix. The easiest thing to do is replace the coolant bottle/reservoir/tank with a non silica bag variant, and put some fresh coolant in. You'll ideally want to change the coolant type (can't remember what to) to suit. A quick google will pull up many threads on this. I've been lucky with my cars, but a mate had the bag in his. He chose to get the garage to replace the bottle at his next service. VW do often know best, and it's a good idea not to fiddle, but in some instances their design is... flawed. It's like the recommendation that the DQ381 gearbox be serviced at 80k, rather than 40k like every other DSG box - not everything VAG say should be taken as gospel. Ultimately, they want you in an ID.7 as soon as possible.

I can dream of somewhere like that... my local dealer was the one that sold me the crashed car! I found a good indie about midway from university and home - I announced this discovery to @travs, who has promptly filled up their diary. I think I'll make the trip to see them for the next job I have - I've been looking at reviews of Skoda dealers for an hours radius around me, and they all seem terrible. It's only a small job, but I'm not sure I can be bothered with anyone else. 'bit naff for admin but their work looks second to none' - same as most good VAG indies.

However, it does go both ways. As mentioned, I've had some absolutely abysmal experiences with dealers. My car is a 2020 - I tend to avoid main dealers unless there is something specific (like infotainment). Aside from Meadens in Brockenhurst, I've just had too many bad experiences. From being sold a crash damaged car, to one cross threading a wheel bolt and then a master tech at another trying to tell me the knocking sound was just wear and tear (it was a fist-sized rock lodged in the subframe), I just have zero faith in them. I need some work done, and am struggling a bit. My usual Indie has rather long wait times and I'm a good 2.5 hours from Brockenhurst (not that their wait times will be any better). Everywhere around me looks woeful, with the exception of one place that I'm still not 100% about. Several times bitten, infinitely shy. I've had awful luck since passing my test, so I check and double check everything three times over.

I've had the front subframe aligned, however I've discovered/realised that apparently most of these bolts are torque to yield, aka stretch bolts, which want replacing any time they're undone. From memory I had the alignment done by an independent place at some point, followed by Skoda in February this year (first place reported loosening the bolts and the subframe shifting back into place). Is anyone able to offer any thoughts on this re the bolts? 🙂

I only go to Indies, but if I ever need a dealer I'm genuinely not sure where I'll go. I've moved home from university now, and while my local dealer at home is the one that sold me the car, they also sold me the crash damaged Leon before it and lied to me, numerous times, about multiple things. Meadens Brockenhurst are the only main dealer I've ever had a positive experience with and I've dealt with quite a few. Their wait times are probably so long because they've only got a small workshop (full of horses, lol) and they've got a good reputation. I agree with @logiclee - very logical. Delete everything that's currently paired, reset the entire system (make a note of any settings you have) and try again. As an aside, I've got fed up with the cable in my car and have just bought a Quadlock CarPlay/AA adapter - it's worked flawlessly itself, although my infotainment system (MIB2.5) did freeze entirely last night. These systems are just crap - when using a cable, mine would disconnect every few days, for no reason at all. My Leon used to freeze when it was cold, literally. Often the cold weather would trigger the TPMS warning (no idea why) and I would have to wait until the screen had thawed before I could reset it. The Quadlock adapter is really small, so it plugs into the USB port by the shifter, with no need for a cable - I'm not sure what the Superb layout is, but it was the only adapter I could find that would fit nicely and wouldn't catch fire.

TLDR - you should really do something about it at some point, but if you don’t care how it looks, I wouldn’t rush. It would be nice to seal it before winter, although mine lasted the salty roads for a year with no issues. If repainting it, you’ll need to prep the surface beforehand. I was of the opinion that mine wanted sandblasting, which after taking off the car and sending away, wasn’t worth it. Wait until the other side goes!

You'll gain far more grip from sticking on some Pilot Sport 5s than you will going up to a 245 or so - that extra 10mm won't make any difference unless you're on a track and running semi slicks at the ragged edge.

If that's the case then I stick with what I first said. There is the obvious solution though - use a permanent live, and put the camera on parking mode. When you're in a car park, leave it plugged in, but when you're at home, just pull the camera off the mount. We have four cars and only three cameras, so frequently chop and change. I remember, in my old car, I went away for the weekend and had to park on a very busy main road. I was worried about someone taking my mirror off, so I plugged the dashcam into a big 10,000mah power bank and left it on parking mode. Two days later it was still kicking, and had caught someone putting a flyer under my wipers.

Brockenhurst Skoda (Meadens) are very good - I'd rather go to them than Winchester or anywhere Richmond related.

The dash cam will be perfectly fine on a permanent feed, but you'd need to set it on parking mode (accelerometer) otherwise it'll drain the battery. I personally think it's a bit of a pointless feature, unless someone backs into the front of your car. That said, while I know EVs have a 12V battery, I'm not sure if it's a separate thing, or part of the main high voltage circuit. If it is, then leaving it on permanent live won't be an issue. You can even look into the newer ones that can be checked 24/7 from your phone, etc. My girlfriend didn't drive her car for about four months, and the dash cam on parking mode didn't drain the battery - even on the crappy Fiat 500 battery. That said, I would exercise caution - however given that it's an EV, I think this is a non issue. I mean yes, but there comes a point where common sense has to prevail. Where does the line stop? In theory, you'd need to declare non-standard brake pads if you fit anything other than OE VW stamped items. I mean, should those that run 0W-30 instead of 0W-20 also declare this? I'm being silly, but you get my point. Technically anything that isn't 'as factory' is a modification - be it Bosch wipers instead of Valeo, Michelins instead of Bridgestone (?) or whatever else.

I've never heard of anyone telling their insurance about a hardwired dash cam. Best bet, really, is to use a multimeter. Traditionally, you'd have either ignition live, engine live or permanent. As things are different in this case, I would use a combination of the owners manual and a multimeter - you're looking for something like the rear wiper, etc. From what I can see, F20, F25, F38 ,F39, F66 and F67 should be contenders. F28 is the only one you should not touch. In my Octavia I used the empty Blind Spot Assist slot, as my car doesn't have it. If you have such a blank slot, use that - search a recent thread on dash cam fuse directions, by the way.

I thought the Superb and Passat shared the A6 platform - turns out they don’t. I’ll stick to the Octavia forum.

All four corners need new brakes. The rears are really not good (as I said, around 1/3 of the surface is being used) and the front may as well be done since you’ve got an issue and they’re not in the best of condition anyway. The excessive wear is indicative of an alignment issue - I suspect to do with the worn bushes. Garages tend to try and make money, but I’ve yet to find a dishonest, reputable VAG specialist. They’re too busy doing exhausts on RS6s to need an extra £100 putting premium air in my tyres. @Alasdair1 Ben at EightySix Automotive in Elgin is rather good. SVS in Dundee is also very good (VAG specialist) but they are a trek. There is meant to be a VAG place in Perth but haven’t had any experience with them.

I’ve got an old 380mm Porsche rear disc I use for metal work. Be careful with FB - you don’t want someone finding the same issue you had with them, and returning them through your front window.

OP would want the BRAGA wheels then, really, as 245s on an 8J is the realistic maximum. I’m maybe correct that the widest 18” on the MQB platform is 7.5J but, of course, that is assuming I engage my brain and realise the Superb isn’t MQB. Whoops.

Are you able to return them if you apply some brake cleaner and love? If not, I’d put them on eBay to try and recoup some cost. I learned not to trust the part finders when I had my Leon. No place could tell me for sure if I had 312mm or 288mm front discs, and it was the same story for the rears. I tend to phone up the dealer parts lot for the part number, and then act on that once I’ve checked on forums.

I agree, but going up to a more expensive tyre width isn’t really the same thing, I’d argue. Then again, is there even an option to tell the insurance specifically about wider tyres? I know several people that regularly drive on wider semi slicks on the road - two have been in smashes and had no issues. The only issue I can see is that I don’t think any Superb is approved to run on 245s.

Halfords are only good for masking tape, wipers and cleaning cloths. Not that you should be, but I wouldn’t let them change a wiper on my car. The majority of them (not all!) are poorly trained and don’t care - there are far better alternatives for both labour and parts. You want to get something from TRW/ATE on AutoDoc, ECP or the like.

Of course, but there is no clear intent to defraud (in this instance, it appeared to be quite the opposite). I’m not a far nicer person - when it comes to cars I don’t trust people as far as I can throw them. I just go on what I can see!

Just to add my 2p - going up to a 245 section on the OE 18" wheel isn't advised. My understanding is that 18" MQB wheels are all 7.5J - the widest you should be putting on that is 235. @Carlston will know for sure (just because you've shelved the idea doesn't mean others won't find this thread in the future!). I'm surprised the insurance company care - it's nothing to do with an MOT, and as long as they're Superb type approved (or whatever the term is, Carlston will say) there should be no issues, unless you're changing wheels. Even then, I was only charged a £10 admin fee to change my wheels when I was 19, so your insurance should be fine. Weird.

@Wasdom_Kung No offence to those already replying here, but I've absolutely no idea what you're about... This is a very common issue. It occurs on the GTI, S3, Cupra and R too, but it is most commonly the manual handbrake 310mm red painted calipers (exclusively on the vRS 245). My car is a 2020. The caliper was completely bare when I bought the car, and I had it replaced by the dealership. Fast forward a year, and I've just had the other side replaced as it was starting to go too. It has absolutely zero effect on the operation of the caliper and, again, is very common. I have attached two photos - one of the caliper shortly after I bought the car from Skoda, and one of the caliper from the other side, which I recently sold on eBay. I only replaced them for aesthetic purposes - the other side had been flaking since October, and is now happily on someone's PFL Cupra 280. Your caliper is NOT a throwaway - there is nothing wrong with it. The OE part number for the OSR caliper is 5F0615424, and the NSR is 5F0615243. They are £380 from Skoda UK, or £280 from skoda-parts.com. You will find that the carrier is fine - it is just the caliper that has peeled. You can get OEM TRW versions for a lot less, but I am not entirely sure if they are the exact same colour - it depends how much you care. They are cast iron - you don't see alloy until you sextuple the number of pistons. You won't be able to find a place that can colour match them exactly - I tried. The only real option is to either replace the caliper, or get all four powered coated in XYZ red colour. Just repainting it isn't really a solution, as the surface is pretty rubbish underneath. Surface rust will occur, eventually, but it's nothing a wire wheel can't remove. Yes, after fifteen years you may run into issues, but the engine will have blown up by then. The run of calipers were either not prepped properly, or the finish was cured incorrectly, as that is what causes the issue. The paint will bubble, blister and then peel - sometimes in small flecks and sometimes in large chunks. The fact it has peeled away along the casting/mould mark is expected. Rather amusingly, you will often find that listings for 245s are photographed from suspicious rear angles, or don't include close ups of the rear wheels/brakes. Here are a couple I found for sale, all with peeling rear calipers - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202506093321640?sort=relevance&searchId=bc1765b7-b169-414f-b3ec-d22827937f6d&aggregatedTrim=vRS&body-type=&colour=&fuel-type=&make=SKODA&model=Octavia&postcode=CR0%208PN&transmission=&year-from=2017&year-to=2019&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202507094312583?sort=relevance&searchId=bc1765b7-b169-414f-b3ec-d22827937f6d&aggregatedTrim=vRS&body-type=&colour=&fuel-type=&make=SKODA&model=Octavia&postcode=CR0%208PN&transmission=&year-from=2017&year-to=2019&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202506063235795?sort=relevance&twcs=true&searchId=bc1765b7-b169-414f-b3ec-d22827937f6d&aggregatedTrim=vRS&body-type=&colour=&fuel-type=&make=SKODA&model=Octavia&postcode=CR0%208PN&transmission=&year-from=2017&year-to=2019&advertising-location=at_cars&fromsra Relax. The car is perfectly safe to drive and nothing is wrong with the caliper. If you choose to replace or refurb it, it will be for aesthetic purposes only. There is nothing to worry about.

It's the same story everywhere. I've found quite a good place near Guildford, although it's a hour hour from me. Previous to that, when I was at uni, I would travel an hour down to Bournemouth. It's not that I don't trust most places but, I just don't. Then again, I'd probably trust a random garage more than a main dealer - they've been absolutely shocking.

https://forums.ross-tech.com/index.php?threads/39563/ There are numerous posts on various forums about it - not something you can see on the cluster, but it is there. I mean, the cars also store how many launches they do - debate on whether it is limited, but it definitely stores it.