OccyVRS

Look at the price and you'll see why I'm holding off - https://www.skoda-parts.com/spare-part/5f0615423-brake-caliper-rear-left-skoda-39953.html If anyone has any suggestions, I'm open to them - I loathe to see calipers painted with some masking tape over the disc.

I'm not sure about the brake lines, but I can confirm that both rear calipers on my 2020 vRS 245 were/are exactly the same. One was replaced by Skoda (well, I made them) as it looked horrendous and the other is pending replacement when I can be bothered. Annoyingly it started flaking a few months after I bought the car, and I don't have the energy to go back to them. Both front calipers are absolutely fine, and seeing as they do 70% of the work and generate 70% of the heat, I'm not too sure how this is possible. The flaking looks pretty naff and it's not fixable by clear coating as it's large chunks that are lifting - it'll need to be repainted (or replaced). It's held up okay for the last 6 months, but I suspect come the first track day this year, it'll give up. If you google GTI/vRS caliper colour, you'll see it's a very common issue. Interesting you mention about the car only covering 20k - mine is pristine and quite low mileage for its age, and it's just about to cross 40k! Having done 20k means it's only done about 4k per year - that's quite a lot of time with the handbrake (rear calipers) engaged.

The warping of a 340x30mm disc brake takes some serious braking. Seeing as they're new, the warping in this instance is likely the uneven build up of material, that occurred during the bedding in process. I highly doubt the metal is actually warped - VBT are normally rather good. Both the mountain surface and piston questions are fair, but I still think they would be rubbing as the entire circumference of the disc passed through the caliper.

Haha @Warrior193 the photo is from Google! I did say that at the bottom, but it was maybe cut off, apologies. If mine was that bad I think the silica bag would be the least of my worries. I was just curious as the car is going for some work soon, and getting it changed then (if needed) would kill two birds with one stone. That could never be my engine bay! Whenever I wash the car, I always get a damp cloth and just go over the whole bay. I don't give a damn what it looks like, but having a clean engine helps me see if there are ever any leaks/split hoses/issues.

Now that I take my attention away from some other forums and think about it, I'm not sure. The change of coolant colour is usually due to either gunky old coolant, or some form of corrosion inside the system. That said, every 'coolant bag burst' post I've seen has the coolant being a bit of a dodgy colour. Someone else will come along and offer further.

You might need to deploy some detective skills - Kopacek (formerly SuperSkoda) don't seem to have any RS red paint anymore, and wouldn't ship aerosol anyway.

For your uses, I think OBD11 will be perfect. VCDS is a more capable tool, but it's far more expensive and geared more towards professionals. OBD11 is cheaper, more straightforward and I suspect more than enough for your needs. You'll need the Pro version to be able to do adaptations IIRC, although you can upgrade from Basic to Pro (@varaderoguy). https://forum.obdeleven.com/thread/4252/coding-new-battery

Thank you. I'll start with a cloth and maybe a soft scrubbing pad thing and see what happens.

I've been reminded about this. I'm looking for a bottom line answer - is the only 'Mit Silikat' marking on coolant reservoirs like this photo? I.E. this is the only location of the marking, and it's not different on some cars. It's is double walled so I can't really see inside properly (photo from google) and I don't trust it! Mine is a 2020 vRS 245 - I thought that the later G12 EVO cars had done away with the silica bag, but apparently not.

Ah, you've just posted one. I was thinking more like this here. That colour looks like the bag might have burst - it's a bit too orange and I'd hope on a 2020 car you don't have any rust yet. If you shine a light into the tank, is it still the same colour? Any visible bits inside?

AFAIK when the silicone bag goes, the coolant will turn a rusty brown colour (quick google shows the colour of the bag). You should be able to see the silica bag if the reservoir is marked 'Mit Silikat', unless it is a double walled tank. Have you got a photo of the this gundge? Can you check the oil cap for anything similar? White gunk sounds like something is allowing something to mix with the coolant... I'd be tempted to deal with the bag, flush the coolant and see how it goes.

My exhaust tips aren't awful, but they've seen better days. I want to polish them up, before deciding whether to stick with the chrome or get some black tips (am thinking about either OE black versions, or get them Cerakoted in a dark gunmetal colour). I've polished a fair few tips with 00/0000 steel wool and Autosol, however these were all 'real' exhaust tips, with a bit of chrome on them. The tips on my vRS are purely cosmetic tips (although they are chromed metal rather than plastic or anything), however do we know if this polishing method still works? I don't see why it wouldn't, but the tips aren't cheap and I don't want to take the chroming off.

Rear view mirror, with the rain sensor. My guess is the whole unit, with trim, which won't be cheap wherever you get it from (unless a breaker?)

You will be able to find everything here, depending on if you need one with a rain/light sensor, camera unit, etc - https://www.skoda-parts.com/online-store.html The dealer should give you the part number - at least, every dealer I've ever phoned up has happily provided a list of part numbers, whether they're supplying them or not. Give Caffyns Skoda in Tunbridge Wells a ring - don't trust them to sharpen your pencil, but the parts manager Darren is brilliant.

The good Highlands and Islands postage… I get faster internet in Lossiemouth than I do in London… utter scam!

Out of interest, does anyone know if the ACC also changes? I'm due to head over to France soon, and wondered if the car would swap for me (I.E. in RHD it won't let you undertake, which won't be brilliant in France as you pass everyone on the right).

Here we go again... When buying a used car I change the tyres immediately, however this is generally due to them being main dealer cars with very new but rubbish/unmatched tyres on them. If they were good condition, high quality tyres I'd probably run them for a bit, but if there was anything suspect with them I'd change them. I also check the alloys for any obvious repairs, etc, however as @chills says, if the car is in good condition then it is unlikely to have any real issues as far as the wheels are concerned. That said, I haven't bought a car with more than 20k on it, so maybe if it's a bit older I would consider getting them checked. The issue with secondhand wheels is that someone is selling them for a reason. Maybe they're just surplus to requirements, maybe they upgraded or maybe there are other reasons - the point is, you don't know. As has been discussed on another post, second hand tyres aren't worth it. It takes a lot to buckle an OE wheel - it doesn't take a lot to mess with a tyre. That's not to mention that wheels are (generally) good for immense numbers of miles, heat cycles, etc. Tyres are not. I'm in the position that I can afford to buy quality brand new tyres for my car. If I wasn't able to afford them, as has been said on other posts, I would reconsider my ownership of the car. My road tax is very nearly the price of two decent tyres - how could I possibly justify the potential compromise on safety, for such a small price. TLDR - used wheels, within reason, are generally safe bets. OP will be getting them stripped/inspected which is even better. I personally wouldn't use second-hand wheels that I don't know the history of, but that's just me. There are so many people on this forum that rant on about used tyres. If they want to do that then that's fine - but why don't they also use part-worn windscreen wipers, part-knackered batteries and part-used engine oil. It is exactly the same principle. Sure, people have used part-worn tyres for years! People have also ridden mountain bikes for years without proper equipment - until one day you go into a tree and end up in a wheelchair. When I'm in the outside lane, doing exactly the speed limit, with the car full, my girlfriend next to me, in heavy rain at night, I take comfort knowing that my brand new Michelin PS5s will offer me the very best chance in stopping and resisting aquaplaning. If you want to mess around with part-worn tyres, then that's up to you. I'm the sort of person that puts a new purchase up on the ramp and spends several hours checks over the condition of everything, just to be sure. Every few weeks, I'll go around the car quickly and check that everything is as it should be, just to be sure. I carry a first aid kid, LED road flare and other safety items too in the boot, just to be sure. Driving is dangerous enough without having my car trying to kill me too.

You'll get to a solution, believe me. I remember my parents had endless issues with their A3 for several years (the horn, wipers, locking would randomly stop working) and the issue was eventually traced to an incorrectly coded in battery. I wouldn't go to anywhere other than a VAG specialist, whether it's for a new turbo or an oil change. Just because they know how to sort cars doesn't mean they care about sorting them. Do others a favour and please update this thread with an update or solution once you've been to see them! It's always nice to have a complete issue, for when people find this thread in fifteen years time.

Yes - a company like that is a good port of call. I think we/I thought you were on about a breaker up north with a few blurry photos on eBay. They're good for some things, but not wheels. Something like this is very smart - https://premiumwheels.de/en/17-Zoll-Felgen-original-VW-Tiguan-II-2-Galway-5NA601025AL-Al/171738500 I did also see 16 inch wheels for something Skoda SUV-y. It might just be something you have to wait a little bit for (drop them a line).

Personally I think it has absolutely nothing to do with your driving style. If the car was thirty years old then sure, but it's a 2020 with 23k on the clock - you have to try pretty hard to upset it. Certainly, I had a hire Golf for a month or so a few Xmas' ago and failed to do anything to it, despite trying my hardest. I see you're up near Birmingham - perhaps someone can suggest a reputable VAG specialist for you to go and see? I've found these that all seem to be worth their salt - https://www.centralaudivw.co.uk https://vagtechnic.uk http://www.autotechnikltd.co.uk Local garages are always a bit hit and miss. Certainly, being on my own at uni with several malfunctioning cars taught me how to find somewhere decent to get honest and decent help. What was it the SEAT Master Tech said to me after two hours of diagnostics? The knocking from the front was 'just wear and tear' on a 2018 car. What did the VAG specialist find? A rock, jammed in the subframe. There's a reason people on here call dealers 'stealers'.

There are two sides to the coin. What's better, banged up OE alloys, or a set of Romac wheels? I know what my money would be on. I personally wouldn't be keen on salvage/reclamation wheels as these can have issues that you can't see with the naked eye. It's not so much about obvious cracks and poor repairs as it is any micro-cracks or defects that have occurred as a result of the age. Lightly worn OE wheels are another story however - wheels that are a few years old with kerb marks are likely a decent bet. I personally wouldn't cheap out on wheels, but I'm also the kind of person to put on the best tyres possible and wait until the engine oil is hot before accelerating with any intent. Something like Bola are probably worth looking at, although as with all of these they'll need spigot rings and they aren't really the best. On my vRS I'd only run Revo or Racingline - something reliable with a 57.1mm CB from factory. That said, anything from TD, OZ, Rotiform, etc are fine too - I just have this thing against spigot rings. On a Karoq, I could probably be persuaded to stick on some options from Bola or the like, although this is assuming the car isn't towing anything, blah blah. There is a reason why OE wheels cost so much compared to aftermarket stuff. That said, 17 inch shouldn't be too bad. If you don't care about getting current Skoda wheels, you should be able to pick up some 17" SEAT wheels for a reasonable price.

You've got to start tagging me when you update a post! I keep missing things🤣 I would suggest the failure rate is simply due to the nature of the application - I would presume more people are putting more load through DQ381 boxes.

Only read the last few posts in this thread, so apologies if I've missed something. These codes - U01000, U112100 and U111200 - I assume they came back after being cleared? Was this all of the codes? These are ECM/PCM/Databus codes (Engine Control Module, Powertrain Control Module and the databus connection between such modules) so could very well have been stored, although I would hope both garages would clear this. Personally, I'd start trying to figure out why the EPC light is on. If there's an issue with something there, this could very easily cause the car to not give you the front assist. Certainly, I think the front assist being unavailable is a symptom of whatever else is going on, rather than being the cause. The misfiring could easily cause the EPC light, which could maybe cause the front assist issue, but a) if it was all cleared then it shouldn't come back and b) the EPC light/front assist doesn't explain the U fault codes. Did you get the battery tested? That's the only thing I can think of that would throw up this combination of faults, although usually there will be some sort of DTC (diagnostic trouble code) that mentions low voltage. What exactly did the garage and Skoda say about the misfire, etc?

Most VAG stuff is between ET45 and ET50 and will all be the same PCD, centre bore, etc. Just like on a recent post about part-worn tyres, there is a strong argument against used wheels. If they're in good condition then sure, get them checked and whack them on. If they're needed decent refurbishment then maybe think again - you've no idea their history.

The issue with the sealed for life boxes is that service kits exist! That's not to mention the change from mineral to synthetic. The dealer service advisors wouldn't know a service interval if it came and smacked them in the head. It's not their fault, but they are utterly useless. VW claim the service isn't needed as the oil isn't contaminated by anything. I've seen the oil on a DQ200 after it had just crossed about 105,000 miles. Trust me, it needed changing. BTW - if the DQ250 box wants changing at 40k, how come the DQ381 doesn't? I refuse to believe that the clutches or filters are somehow superior, not to mention I suspect most 381 boxes have a harder life than 250s. Let's not forget, good cars or not, this is the company that has paid out over 30 billion for cheating emissions tests. I'm not saying I don't trust them, but at the end of the day people will service their cars how they want to - be it early preventative, or the bare minimum.