OccyVRS

For those also finding this post at some point in the future, a non functioning rear washer is usually due to - 1) Faulty washer motor/pump (can you hear it?) 2) Blocked nozzle (remove the nozzle, just pull up - does water come out? If so then unblock nozzle with a pin, stick it in some hot water or vinegar, or just replace it) 3) Blocked pipe (this is a bit harder to rectify, as in theory it can be anywhere in the system. It is likely at the end, so do as above, however if still blocked you'll need to get it looked at) It's a very common issue on all of these cars, has been for a while and likely will be for a few years yet.

PS3 is quite outdated now. Something like the PS5 offers more grip, from a firmer compound that lasts longer. That said, whilst I haven't looked, I highly doubt Michelin make the PS4/5 in 16 inch - which tells you all you need to know! There's a big difference between a UHP (ultra high performance) summer tyre and a ditch finder. You really don't need anything special for your car, IMHO. I would suggest something all seasons-y from Falken, Hankook, Yoko or Toyo. Stuff from other brands will be expensive - 215s are less common and generally quite pricey.

Yep! I've no experience with Nextbase, but I don't doubt they'll do a good job. Somewhere like this might also be worth looking at - I've heard good things.

From what I understand, tuning the engines wasn't the issue - it just put more strain on sometimes flawed components that were already weak. HIPERFLO is some serious stuff, proper race juice.

@Ootohere ah, but when they went into ACT mode, the twincharged engines made sure to log plenty of codes! Although that said, if it was a pre-2012 then you didn't necessarily need to read the codes - the pistons falling to pieces usually gave an audible notification - and it wasn't just Revo that noticed 😂

If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen! At least, that’s the one where she doesn’t drop the keys down the drain

Surely though, if the misfire was mild enough to not log a fault code, it would be just the EPC light and not limp mode? EPC doesn't always equal limp home (although it does most of the time).

That sounds like every main dealer I've ever encountered - including the one that sold me a crash damaged car. I'm planning a move to York - not that I'd want to use a main dealer, but good to know that particular one is especially useless. Let us know how you get on with it - they look very sharp, and hopefully drive the same as the previous Leon FR did. For the price, it sounds like a VZ3 - really nicely specced cars. I had a 2024 Leon as a dealer courtesy car (54 miles on it), but was quite disappointed with it compared to my old Leon. It drove perfectly well, was smooth, looked good and was a nice place to be, but just wasn't the same. Then again, that's most new cars!

Haha - I meant out of the two mirror's I've removed, one smashed and one didn't! It should have a little spring clip holding it onto then motor, so you might need to be a bit sharp/deliberate with the trim tool. IIRC I just used my fingers and popped it out.

Yes, that is a good deal. I got about 30% off my Octavia, but that's another story! The boot should be the same size as an Octavia, and it should drive a bit better than the Superb (for the engine size, etc). Definitely drive it before committing to anything - but yes, the Leon's drive very nicely for the class of car they are. Is this deal with the same dealer as the Superb or a separate one?

+1 for this. If you're in limp mode, or have been, there will definitely be at least one DTC logged. Some codes go away by themselves (e.g. alarm activation stage 1), but codes logged into the ECU shouldn't, until cleared. I read misfire codes on my previous car from six years before I bought it. BTW, if you clear a DTC without rectifying a fault, this can sometimes cause a problem to 'go away'. The car will see the problem reading as the new baseline, meaning everything is fine in its world. Unlikely in this case, but just be careful clearing things if your reader doesn't have a history feature (like OBD11, etc).

Why are you removing it? I only ask as if it's to remove the mirror cap, you can just about do it with the mirror in it's lowest position. Aside from that, just be gentle when popping it out and hope for the best. I'm currently 1 for 2 on unsmashed mirror glass removal.

You'll be fine to do it now. I've been running PS5 all winter, and it's almost time to pick up some Yoko Adan's for track season!

Yes, as mentioned, you get whacked if the brand new, full list price of the car is over the threshold. Quite how VW can charge over £40k for a Passat I don't know (although a new Touareg R is mid £90k!!!). I can't comment on the new Cupra brand, but I've loved previous Leon's and Ibiza's. Cupra Leon Estate is a fair bit smaller on a Superb, mind, and it is still a reasonably large car for a 1.5.

Carista and OBD11 are much the same, except the latter is a bit better. I love mine, but I only really use it for reading the car. I've used it on previous non-ODIS cars to long code and use the apps, and it works a treat. Re remapping - I'm always wary of stuff like the RaceChip tuning boxes, let alone adaptations made through ODB11. My Octavia is a custom tune by a man with a laptop and a dyno - I couldn't recommend anything else, no matter if it's an RS6 or 1.0 Polo. It gives you the option to not only have the tune done for your engine, but also offer things like capping torque, etc. Do be aware too of the limitations of your gearbox. A remap, of most sorts, can/will bring the torque in a bit sooner - however it will also increase the peak torque (unless it's capped by a custom tuner). The box in your car is an MQ200 I believe, which has a max torque rating of 250nm (which your engine already produces). There are lots of posts on EA211 groups about the clutches going on cars with more than this. The EA211/EA211 EVO has always had issues. I had the 150ps 1.4 variant in my Leon FR and absolutely loved it - fantastic little engine, felt much larger than it was. I had a 2022 1.5 Golf as a courtesy car, and couldn't believe how rubbish the engine was, despite being 'so similar'. I bought my Octavia because of how nice the DQ200 in an Ibiza FR I had for a few weeks, and couldn't believe how terrible the same gearbox was in 2024 Leon/Arona courtesy cars. I don't remember the Golf being as bad as your Karoq, but then again it was a courtesy car - I pretty much got in, put my foot on the floor and left it there. Anyway...

What's next? I've heard good things about the 2024 Passat...

I don't think I have a use for it to be honest and I'd rather keep things simple. Certainly, I don't have any features to preheat, or any charging to monitor. I looked very hard at a Mk4 vRS, and then went and got the newest Mk3.5 I could. Yes, the interior was nicer on the newer model, but I wanted the most 'analog' car I could get, whilst still having a digi dash, ACC, etc. Part of the reason I didn't get the newer car was I didn't want to mess around with any connectivity features or have a locked gateway. Turns out my car has both, but oh well! It's a very late Mk3 FL, with some nice options (but folding wing mirrors...) so that might explain why it has it. As long as pressing the information button, and getting the 'service unavailable contact your dealer' means I didn't activate it, I'm happy! Perhaps a bit unusual for someone my age to not want tech, but if I could get a manual B7 RS4, I would. Hold the line... there's a reason I don't want that feature anywhere near me😂

It’s a shame because the service could be absolutely brilliant, with 95% of most peoples car needs being sourced, fixed or fitted by Halfords. Of course, you will find that some places do a good job and have proper staff! It’s just that most of them don’t, and it’s too late by the time you find your bloke is 17/isn't trained/doesn’t care.

Ah yes, I had the option to order the service for free, for 5 years. I stopped before clicking order/putting the code in the car. As my information button still doesn’t do anything (I get a voice telling me it’s not available and to contact my dealer), I can assume my service still isn’t activated? I’m still keen to try and establish for definite I didn’t active it (I did nothing in the car, only on the app). Excuse me for being daft - I know all new cars have these features and services, but I assumed my five year old Octavia was a bit old for it all! I know about the SOS button calling a VW emergency centre, but I presumed this went through a phone (or perhaps didn’t think about it enough) - not ran off a separate SIM in the car. I’d be keen to try it, but I do not want any sort of remote locking. I don’t trust the app, or my fingers, to not do it by mistake.

Any decent Indie can access VW records (I've yet to come across a VAG indie that can't). I think what Dean was saying that if the work was done outside of somewhere that uses the VW system, there will be no record of it. That said, I highly doubt you'll find somewhere in the UK that will touch a famous Direkt-Schalt Getriebe that doesn't update the records.

No, just no. Please, no. Halfords are absolutely useless. My girlfriend insisted on Halfords doing hers, and the guy ran the rear cable in the boot seal (so it's pinched when the boot is shut) rather than under the seal or, god forbid, through the wiring grommet/boot. They do not know what they are doing. I honestly wouldn't let them put a dust cap on my wheel. This is not bias, but rather experience (from dropping the wiper arm on a windscreen, cracking it, to some muppet trying to put power through the OBD port on a car with a dead battery, frying something). Your Occy has an airbag in the pillar, and you want that done properly (I.E. routed carefully behind it). I've done quite a few cars, and even went as far on my Octavia to Dremel a small hole in the mirror housing, so there isn't a single cm of cable visible. I promise it isn't that hard! If you'd like, I can spend 15 mins tonight, grab some photos and do you a little step by step of what's needed? The only tools you need are a 50p trim removal tool, some zip ties and a screwdriver. The tools you want to do a proper job are the trim removal tool, some cloth tape, some washers (depending on where you ground it), some electrical tape, Torx bits, etc. Cloth tape is a nice touch as it stops anything rubbing/rattling over time. The goal of a dash cam install is to have something you don't see, hear or think about, until you need it. Hardwiring may sound quite daunting, but if you can replace a fuse and loosen a screw, you're qualified for the job. My Octavia took me a good day or so to do, but that's because I was extremely anal in making it perfect. I recently did a 2024 Ibiza FR and it took about 40 minutes for the front, and about 20 for the rear. You don't need to worry about lane assist - the camera is in the mirror and physically cannot be interfered with. I had the whole mirror/camera housing off when I did mine, and routed the cable behind the camera unit to keep everything tidy. The headliner isn't the most resistant thing, and I'd far rather do it myself, carefully, than have Halfords break it. The only issue you might run into is that you may have DAB interference. I'm 21 and don't remember the last time I used the radio, but YMMV. If you really don't want to do it, you can get companies to install it for you (or even Nextbase IIRC). The 522GW is a good camera. I've tried Amazon ones, Viofo and Nextbase. Currently I use a 622GW, but you only really need a 322GW. I use mine to record track days, so wanted 4K with the extra stabilisation - I don't use the Alexa stuff. I chose Nextbase over Viofo as I can hide the camera completely behind my mirror, whereas the Viofo line are a bit bulkier. The Nextbase app is a bit rubbish, and I've had a wifi card die on my old 322GW, but otherwise I've covered probably 100,000 miles without issue. The Garmin line are also worth a look - I just already had the Nextbase wiring in my car when I upgraded to the 622GW and couldn't be bothered to change it all.

If you go to an Indie garage, they can/will generally use something like Millers Oil for the gearbox, rather than the VW OE stuff. I'm getting my DQ381 done next month, and am debating between £250 for them to use Millers, or £390 with VW stuff. DQ250 interval is 40k or 4 years - remember to get the garage to do the little filter too!

Temperature plays a huge role in the behaviour of tyre compounds. An all-season/winter tyre will be a firmer compound that provides a bit less grip, but maintains this grip throughout a wide range of temperatures. A UHP/summer tyre will be a softer compound that provides more grip, but maintains this grip within a much narrower, and warmer, spread of temperatures. In the cold, this softer compound hardens up, reducing grip, ride quality, etc. If you're not interested in performance (dare I say that in a 1.6 Superb I'd hope you aren't!) then some all season tyres will offer better grip in colder weather and better NVH (unless they have a very grippy tread pattern). UHP tyres also wear much faster and in general offer less efficiency (and more grip). I live on the south coast of England, and run UHP summer tyres all year round. It's icy for about two days a year here, and on those days I just take it easy. OP lives in Kent, not somewhere with proper winters - and besides, I've driven in foot-deep snow with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S on, without real issue. Heck, I've even been in a track prepped Clio RS in the ice running semi-slicks - not the best experience mind. It's a 1.6 Superb not a tuned M3 and OP isn't driving through snow drifts, or 45°C deserts. Do get a brand (rather than some Linglongs) but for your use, anything from Michelin, Bridgestone, Pirelli, Conti, Falken, Avon, Goodyear, Hankoo or Yoko will do. Black Circles is a good place to compare prices. Your location, car and driving style doesn't warrant anything special with regard to specific winter or summer tyres.

As the title says, what's this all about? To cut a long story short, I downloaded the app on my phone, stuck in the VIN and got as far as putting a pin into/from the car when I stopped, realising I didn't want it. I removed it from my garage and deleted the app. All I wanted was the service reminder, which was apparently on the MySkoda app. I've been into the car, clicked on Skoda Connect in settings, and it says I need to do a setup as I'm using it for the first time. I've just clicked cancel, and left it. I presume as it says I need to do the first time setup, it's not/never been used. Does this mean that Skoda Connect is not turned on on the car? Is there any way to check it's definitely not been activated? If I press either the "I" or the spanner button next to the SOS the car says it's not activated, which gives me some hope. I'm not interested in it, and don't want the car connecting to somewhere, draining the battery, being locked/unlocked by an app or whatever!

I had a rubbish experience with ceramic coating on the outside of the windscreen a few years ago - every time it rained and the wipers were used, the smearing was horrendous! In hindsight though, the windscreen maybe wasn't cleaned enough. On a side note, while I now don't bother with the front or rear window, I do use a spray sealant (drying aid, technically) on the bodywork, and apply it liberally to the windows and mirror glass. It's not quite the same, but it does a good job of allowing the water to bead off in the rain, and also makes future cleaning much easier.