OccyVRS

My 2020 had a compressor that blew the fuse every time I tried to use it, along with some out-of-date tyre jizz, a towing eye, locking nut key and the other assorted tools. I can send you a photo when I get a chance, if you'd like, of how it is now - I carry fresh tyre jizz, a new compressor that actually works, reflective jacket(s), a first aid kit, torch, Gorilla tape, tyre pressure gauge, wipes, kitchen roll, disposable gloves, bin bags, driver seat cover, tiny tool kit, locking nut cover removal tool, spare fuses and some random bits like a spare rear washer nozzle, valve cap, air freshener, dehumidifier bag, zip ties and bungee cords. I also ordered a new warning triangle for the slot. If I'm doing a long journey (generally into another country) I'll take a small thing of oil and coolant too. Lastly, I've also got my OBD11 plugin, for any issues that come up while driving. Frankly, most of that stuff is to look after the occupants - if anything goes wrong with the car, you can trust I'll be calling the AA and waiting somewhere else. With the current state of driving in the UK, you couldn't pay me to get under the car and start fiddling with things on the side of the road. Every time I need an item that I don't have, I order it and stick it in there. It's a bit old-man-y for someone my age, but I've been caught out too many times. I've never actually seen one of those inserts with all the kit in it - I think if you didn't opt for a spare wheel, VW decided to just give you nothing.

In other words, think about the bulb in your bedroom - you'd have had a 100W filament bulb in there, whereas now it'll be an LED bulb around 12-14W. As above, the lm (lumen) output is far more important. Do also, as above, bear in mind the temperature of the light. Using the fog lights in my Leon really annoyed me, as the headlights were a cool white LED, and the fogs were yellow halogens!

You're posting in the Mk3 section but apparently have a Mk4? Only asking as the Mk3 and 3.5 doors are slightly different. @Cairus should be able to offer some assistance.

You might want to get those rear brakes looked at - only 50% of the braking surface looks to be being used. The EA288 (CUNA/CUPA) engine is pretty well-regarded. Make sure the service history is in order - I would suggest any issues you have with the car will be due to servicing (or a lack of) rather than an inherent failure of any mechnical components.

I've heard of them breaking a fair amount, but IMO this is mostly due to servicing issues. Removing the rear diff from the equation is mechanically possible, but will make the car very unhappy. Without adapting anything, I suspect it will just throw a million fault codes, tell you about a 'drivetrain error' and whack you into limp mode.

You can fit them, but it will increase the rolling radius. As a rough guide, a 225/40R19 will put your speedo something like 3% out, while a 235/40R19 will put it 4.5% out. Not to be that person, but why buy 19" wheels if you find the ride uncomfortable enough to warrant an increase in sidewall height? Generally, the 19s were for looks, while the 18s were for comfort and, technically, performance.

If all else fails, you can get genuine ones here.

Following some rodent activity, I'm looking to depin a connector in my engine bay, in order to reinstall some heat sleeving. Specifically, it's the GPF pressure sensor wire (part of the main harness) situated right next to the downpipe. The part number is 4F0973703 - it looks to be used most commonly as a PDC sensor connector, among other things. The wiring is unaffected, as they have only gone for the heat sleeve (unlike the upstream O2 sensor, which will need replacing). I could use foil tape, however I've decided to do a proper job and replace the sleeving. I'm looking for some information on how to depin the connector. I've ordered a set of tools, however I'm not sure if the connector is a 'micro timer' style, or an 'MQS' style. All of the videos online have featured larger connectors, requiring the use of a dual-pronged tool - which is inserted into the front of the connector to depress the pin tangs/barbs/prongs. My connector, however, only has a hole for one prong, and also has part of the pin exposed on the top. I've ordered a used, wired plug from eBay in order to have a play with, but would appreciate any guidance anyone may have to offer :)

I completely agree - this is the point I was trying to make. While it may be different for professional drivers on a track, for the average person, or indeed on anyone on an average UK road, I believe understeer poses a much lower risk than oversteer. The most common reaction to oversteer is to brake - something that doesn't quite work, especially in a RWD car. I believe you're meant to counter-steer and gently lift off/apply power. Even if it does work though, I've seen many people recover one slide, only to lose it when the car kicks back the other way (tank-slapper sort of thing, you know what I mean). For me, I instincitvely counter-steered (I was very impressed), lifted off the throttle (again, very impressed) before very rapidly discovering I'd over-corrected and gone straight off. I was particularly suprised (read sha* up) when I encountered the oversteer in my vRS. I hadn't been driving for more than a few years, and I was quite suprised to find I'd lost the rear on my FWD car. It's not a difficult thing to recover from, mind - almost all the times it's happended have been on rough surfaces/unsettled roads.

The weight distribution on a GT4 is something like 40/60 - pretty damn perfect for a RWD car. To be honest, I didn't have the skill to hold it then, and I doubt I do now. I remember being amazed at how well it was sticking to the track, right up until the moment it spat me off. There wasn't any warning either - no change in steering feel, nothing! Mind you, this car was/is track prepped - it's actually a GT4 MR, made by Manthey Racing. You can read about it here. It may not be the headline grabbing GT3 RS, but it is a bit of kit!

I still think that’s incorrect. In a rallying or racing scenario, with an experienced driver, what you’re saying may be true - but for the average Joe, I think understeer is an easier correction. After all, there’s a reason insurance on the M140i is so high. If you’re on a roundabout and begin to understeer, you can ease off the accelerator, tap the brake to bring the weight forward, or ease off the steering. If it’s oversteering, you have far less time to react. The vRS in particular, with its front diff, has a tendency to snap oversteer - or, at least mine does. It requires a pretty quick and sharp reaction. Equally, having lost the rear end on a Porsche GT4, I really don’t think oversteer is easy to correct - that little mistake sent me into the gravel. +1 for this. I get my car done every six months at a minimum, especially on these roads. My Octavia has an issue with the NSF caster - we’ve taken the car apart and can’t find an issue with any component… clearly just one of those things. My Pilot Sport 5s have got around 12,000 miles on them and still have a little life in the fronts - quite impressive for a UHP summer tyre paired with my right foot. FWIW, it doesn’t have to be a Hunter machine - the guy I used to use in Southampton used some machine I’d never heard of, but did a damn good job. As above though, the operator matters far more than the machine itself.

The coiled cable you can see - any idea if that’s protection, or if that’s the actual wiring? I would get it replaced, but trying to figure out if it’s a replaceable part, or if it’s part of the damn loom.

I plan to do electrical tape on each of the wires, then cloth tape, and then finish up with some sort of heat resistant stuff, given the proximity to the turbo. I was just curious on whether people thought it should be a repair, or a replacement.

It appears that someone has been nibbling at some wires in my engine bay. For the most part, it’s only the housing/sheathing, however on one of the wires, it has gone through to metal. This wire is on the firewall - I think it’s for the lambda sensor. Do we think this is a cloth tape repair job, or do I need to be getting it fixed properly? I’m mindful of how warm it can get there, being near the turbo. There’s damage to one of the individual wires, as well as the loom sheathing further along. They’ve also gone for the GPF pressure sensor, but only the housing. It was noticed when we had the car in the air to check the water pump - I’m not too sure how long it’s been like this. The car has been in a nice garage since September, so while I have set some traps, I suspect it’s been done before that.

I understand that, but the complexity of such a job makes it pretty much impossible to do cost effectively. It’s a different CAN generation, so you’ll need to do wiring, BCM replacement (along with smaller modules AFAIK) and have a lot of trial and error. Even if you know what you’re doing for definite, from what I’ve seen, it’s a pretty inefficient and difficult job.

Translation - If you’re asking the questions you’re asking, it’s probably best you buy a car with a multifunction steering wheel already installed. If you’re not sure what module you need, or even what it is, it’s a good idea to quit while you’re ahead - it’ll just be a headache! The other option of course, if you’re set on this particular car for some reason, would be to take it to a retrofit place, and get them to do it

If that’s what you’re after, why not get a Superb 280? Arteon R?

@presidentpackage saw you reacted with a groan - want to elaborate?

If it’s easy enough to do, I would use swap the entire assembly over - it’s all the same part.

Ah, that’s on me from not doing my research. I know it’s the case in Aus, as a Sydney YouTuber recently explained the legality of it. I assumed it was the same here - clearly not!

It’s the same pedals for the vRS, GTI, S3, R, Cupra, Formentor, T-Roc R, Macan, 718, S4, etc, etc Basically, any nice VAG car (excluding really nice stuff) uses the same metal pedals. Rather interestingly, they come standard on budget cars like the vRS and Cupra, but not on a Macan GTS, for example.

It’s absolutely possible. Something like OBD11 can be used to remove the “Video in Motion” restriction. You can then use screen mirroring, or play media from a USB device. That being said, I’ve no idea on the legalities of it - as in, having the option to do so. For example, looking at tuning with Nitrous Oxide injection, not only can the system not be used on the road, but the system must not be connected. I believe it’s the same for blue lights.

That’s on me then. This was over a year ago, shortly after I bought the car, and I was far less confident with it. I seem to remember scanning it, seeing the plethora of DTCs and absolutely shi***** myself!

It’s a very different thing. In a straight line, sure, it’s just as quick as a vRS. It’s more comfortable, much higher quality and is a lot more substantial. All of this, though, comes at a cost over the Octavia. If you take away the LSD, add on an extra few hundred KG, soften the suspension and then put in a less-determined engine - that’s what you end up with. It doesn’t have the same front end “point and shoot” feel that the vRS does, or the determined nature of the tune. Absolutely nothing against the 330i - they’re amazing cars - it’s just more motorway cruiser than hot hatch with a big boot. The nearest thing with a 3 in the name would be an M340i - but that’s a different thing entirely. It depends what you’re after. If you like the mature hot hatch feel of the Octavia, then you’re looking at something a bit lighter and smaller - maybe a Golf R estate, S3 sedan CLA35. If you just want the straight line speed, that opens up any number of 2.0/3.0 A4/5, 330i, C-Class, Volvo V60 or similar options. Of course, these cars are all AWD/RWD, which is quite different to the feel of the FWD vRS. Again, though, do you like the playfulness of the FWD? Or is the ability to always have grip something you’re interested in, etc. Bottom line, as I said to someone else a few months ago on here, you can’t really compare an Octavia vRS to a 330i. One is a GTI PP with a big boot, while the other is a 2.0 motorway cruiser.

I debated the Mk4 versus Mk3.5 when I was buying my car. I couldn’t justify the extra money at the time (especially when I preferred the Mk3.5) but the cabin was the biggest draw of the Mk4. As an aside, what G20 are you looking at? The Octavia vRS is quite weird - it’s not a small car, but it still handles like a large hatchback. The G20, on the other hand, feels like a boat. I’ve only driven a 330i, but I would compare it to a slower S4 - faster than the vRS, but with subjectively worse handling. It’s a bigger car, in all dimensions, and the extra weight makes a difference. I wouldn’t describe it as a boat, but don’t be buying a 330i M-Sport expecting the throw-ability of the vRS. Despite having the same stock power, it is an entirely different feel. I was very disappointed, compared to my vRS. An M340i is far more comparable, but like the S4, is a much faster and heavier car. That’s the appeal of the vRS/Golf R estate/Cupra ST.