LetoThe2nd

Hi! Today I had a strange thing happen with the maxidot and the dash in general. Some 2km from home I stopped to unload something from the boot. I turned off the engine and left the key in ignition, and warning blinkers on . When I returned to the wheel I noticed, that the maxidot still shows boot and doors open, both blinker indicator lights were on (and did not turn off), the radio did not turn off when I pulled the key. The driving lights light did not turn on when I turned them on. Turning on/off the engine did not change anything. The blinkers and the lights functioned normaly (just no indication on the dash). The engine function normally (*** did the warning lights that turn on on contact before ignition). The only thing that was was out of the ordinary (besides the dash) was the engine fan turining on even if the engine was cold (2km downhill with 1.9 TDI). We returned home and took the wife's car. When we returned after 4 hours I check the car (I was thinking about checking the fuses and removing a fuse to reboot the computer), and all the simptoms were gone. Anyone expirienced something similar? What could be the cause? Cheers, Leto

Hi! Does anyone know.... can TPM be turned on (I guess its just some programming, that uses ESP sensors). I have ESP, but I guess I don't have the sensors - I ruined a tire a couple of weeks ago, when I did not notice it went flat for a couple of km (slow drive). I noticed when I accelerated on the main road. So if its just a flag that could be turned on using VAG-COM, the info about it would be really usefull. Cheers, Leto

Hi! At the moment my average fuel economy (4x4 1.9TDi) is about 6.4l/100km (real is more like 6.3). Maxidot reports (optimistic) at 6.1 average. I usually drive quite carefully, but I have over 1200m of height difference in the daily 100km commute (live on a hill, drive over another one). Cheers, Leto

Hmm, this is interesting.... I contacted skoda (skoda-auto.cz) and I got this reply: quote: 'the fuel tank capacity of your New Octavia 4x4 is 63 litres; The warning light and peep sound will come on if the fuel level is below 8 litres. Concerning re-filling the fuel tank you should follow the instructions written in the Owners manual: "The fuel tank is full just as soon as the pump nozzle switches off for the first time, provided the nozzle has been operated properly. You should not continue refuelling - otherwise the expansion chamber in the fuel tank will also be filled with fuel. Fuel might flow out of the tank when it heats up."' But when I asked if this means that there is something wrong if my tank behaves differently, the answer was that this could be due to normal variance, but I can ask a dealer to check my tank.... What we need now is the same data (how much fuel can be put in the tank when the light turns on and when the car says the tank is nearly empty) - so we can see if the behavior is the same (if it is it should be around 44 and 47l respectively). Cheers, Leto

Additional problem with using winter tires in summer is: You ruin them - if winter tires overheat, which they will in summer (at for example normal motorway speeds), the rubber changes its properties, and they become hard in the cold - so they are useless in winter. Beside this you get worse performance (grip, braking, and MPG) - previous car I had (a small one, used small cheap tires) I calculated that with about 15 - 20 000 km, I do with summer (non winter) tires, I get so much better MPG, that I can buy new summer tires with the savings from not using winter tires. Cheers, Leto PS - here we have one of the strictest winter tire regulations - they are mandatory from 15th nov - 15th march (+ whenever there is snow on the road) (Well you can use summer tires and have snow chains ready, but even summer tires must have 3.6mm of tread left in winter - 1.6 in summer I think).

Hi! Take into account that there are no fitting rubber or plastic tubs for boots with false floor fitted (at least not where I am), so if you want to transport something wet, and wanted to put in a tub in ( something like ?koda Accessories ), you'd have to take the false floor out of the car (and I'm not sure it fits even then ... are there normally metal rings on the floor of the boot?). Just mentioned this, because it happened to me - I made a makeshift rubber tub/dish myself, but I'm not sure its waterproof Cheers, Leto

I just tested my 4x4 in extreme snow conditions 2 days ago. I was plowing with no problem through 40cm+ of snow on our driveway (about 50m), the only problem was reverse parking (at 90 deg to the driveway). It got stuck a bit and I had to rock it into motion. Cheers

Hi! If I translate what it says in my manual: "The fuel tank volume is approx. 55l (60l in 4x4 vehicles). When the fuel gauge reaches the reserve marker, the dashboard display shows the warning fuel pump symbol. The tank contains at this point approximately 8l of fuel. Maxidot display shows the warning 'Please Refuel', and a warning sound is heard'" .... so when the warning light is turned on... there should be 8l of fuel left (about 52 liters of air in the tank).... I can put in about 49 l, and the main point is .... my useful reserve is not 8l, but about 4l. So unless my manual is completely wrong, the reserve does not start when the fuel gauge says empty, but when it reaches the red line. Cheers, Leto

Why the ***** is everyone convincing me, that 52 L is normal.... 1st of all if I fill up when the light turns on I get about 49l in the tank, if I fill it up when the computer and the fuel gauge says its empty it fills up with 52l with 60l (including 8l reserve) the capacity should be about 50-51 when the light comes on (its close) and about 58-59 when the computer and the gauge say its empty (big difference here).... so effectively I have only a 3l reserve and not 8l (and that is not normal). My car has a 60l tank and not a 55l one (according to the manual, the specifications in the brochure and the homologation card), so I should be able to put more than 52l in it, when the car says it empty. If I cannot, then something is wrong. I was asking for suggestions of what it could be wrong, and not to be convinced that its OK (or that I cannot read). Leto btw... the reserve should start when the light comes on (it was like that in every car I drove, the only difference was how was it marked - french cars have reserve start when gauge is at 0, german and co the tank is empty at 0 - including the reserve). So as I said above, the light should turn on at about 51- 52l (not 49) and then I should have about 8l left in the tank (but I can use only 3)

my homologation card says 60l, and the spec I saw also said 60l for 4x4. Cheers

I know that the fuel gauge is pessimistic (in order not to run out of fuel), but the main problem is that my reserve lasts only half as long as it should. It should be 8l. If I reset the computer when the light goes on, and look at the data when it says its almost empty (10 km left according to the computer), use that data to calculate the fuel used I get to about 3l (it should be at least 6 or 7). Furthermore, the km available always + km taken is always about the same for more than 3/4 of the tank and then drops rapidly (and I end up with almost 100 km less than it should be). And finally the km available (till fillup is needed) drop with almost twice the speed in the final part of the tank (it drops 10km almost every 5 km or so, driving steady on a flat road). I'll go talk to some other official dealers and see, if they are any better than the one I bought it from..... Cheers, Leto

Is it possible, they changed that recently. My 4x4 (2007) behaves like it has the pipe blocked, but the level sender and the pump at the same side - like I said about the last 1/4 of the tank is used up in 1/2 of the time/distance (the reserve shows empty after 3-4l after it started). Cheers, Leto

Tnx, So I'll have to make the dealer check if both pumps are functional... Anyone knows if they have separate wiring (if not any suggestion how to check?) Leto

Hi! Still having problems with my tank capacity in my 4x4 (it should be 60l, but its effective 52-53). One of the mechanics at the dealers said that the tank bottom in the 4x4 is shaped in W shape (the rear drive being in the middle), and the both halfs bottoms being connected in some way. Does anyone have any idea if this is true, and what kind of connection it is (just a pipe using gravity and liquid pressure, or a pump). My symptoms would be consistent with the connection not working (or blocked). From the time my fuel warning light comes on, to the time I really must fill up (the computer saying I have fuel for 20km) I only use up about 3l of diesel (according to the computer) - so I'd say only 1/2 of the reserve is available to me (and the same for about 10 % of the tank before the reserve - the km till fill up behave normally till about 1/4 of the tank, and then fall rapidly). Cheers, Leto

Hi! I have a 1.9 TDI 4x4 (6 month old), my average is about 6.1l/100km (google says its 38.6 MPG), and take into account that in my commute (daily about 100 km) I have about 1220m of height difference (thats addition of both ways - the morning one is going up 380m and down 840m - average is less than 5l/100km, the other way round its about 7l/100km - can be much less if you drive carefully). (I'm living on a hill and commuting over another one) Cheers, Leto