AndrewTait

Might give you some immediate data to work with http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/201774-rear-wheel-arch-clearance/

Euro car parts do pattern parts for ~£12, I got one for mine last weekend after it departed the rest of the vehicle on the motorway. Mine had broken due to dislodging the front bumper a while back, and it just worked lose over the months. The Hella ones are a bit more expensive, ~£30 from the same place.

That will be the one.

Indego Blue - I only know, cos thats the same colour as mine. However, it has several names depending on whether you go to Seat, Skoda, Audi, VW or Ford for it (The galaxy was available in this colour at one time!) You can also use Renault paint of a similar shade, and it doesn't show up - Had a scratch on the bonnet of mine through to the metal, so used my mums touch up paint to protect it while I got the correct one, can't even see it, and I know where to look. Anyway, mine's a none VRS TDI estate, elegance to be exact with the sickly tan interior, which is looking a little on the dirty side after 130k miles.

Think it might be - seen one this afternoon on eBay, so watching that at the moment. The alternative is to find a similar car at a very cheap price, and canabalise it for parts, as there are a few bits I need. Perhaps an mot failure or some such.

Thanks guys, will have a look at changing these as soon as possible. Cheers, Andy

Thanks for the replies guys! I know it's the cable that is at fault, as if I pull the radio out of the dash, and move the arial cable about, I can eventually get it to make contact, and work. However, as soon as I put the radio back in the dash it moves the cable again, and it goes off again. So, the standard arial is only compatible with the standad VAG headunit, but is the head unit compatible with an aftermarket arial such as: http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_166911_categoryId_165622_langId_-1?cm_sp=Intelligent_Offer-_-Product_Details_Zone_1-_-Blank&iozone=PDPz1 Cheers, Andy

Thanks Kentphil1, yes it does help, but not in a positive way. The part that has been chewed up appears to be part of the assembly unit, which I suspect will not be cheap to replace, and probably not worth it on a <£1000 snotter!!! :-(

I'm looking at trying to fix the electric sun roof in my Octavia. A couple of years back, one of the rain water channels on it got chewed up, and jammed the roof open. The only option I had was to remove the sunroof cassette, and hold the channel in place while I manually closed the sunroof, and then refit the cassette to the car. Does anybody know, or has anybody got access to a parts catalogue to find out if the rain water channels are a separate part, or if they are part of a complete sunroof mechanism? Cheers,

Ok, trying to sort out a couple of issues with my octi. One of the issues I have is that the arial lead has a break in it somewhere, and as a result, i cannot listen to the radio. I have a standard skoda symphony head unit fitted, all though it is the upgraded cd version, rather than the cassette version it came with. So, my question is, does this stereo need to have an amplified arial, or could I get away with fitting another aftermarket arial, and not have to dismantle all the interior of the car to get the headlining out, just to replace the arial cable? Cheers guys.

Ok, I've had my octi now for 5 years and nearly 100k miles, and the temperature gauge has always read 90 degrees (half way up the dial) when fully warmed up. However, just recently, it has started playing silly buggers, and can read anything from cold to slightly over 90 degrees, even when I know it is warm. on my way home from work tonight, it was up at 90, then down at cold, and then finally settled about 80 degrees. The fans are kicking in and out as they have always done, it isn't losing coolant, and there is no mayo in the oil. A few years back, I did have the dirty temp probe in the header tank problem, resulting in the temp light coming on, but followed the instructions on here and not had that issue for a good 3 years now. All the rest of the instruments are behaving, so any ideas what could be causing this? Thanks.

Just had the correct rear springs put on today, and it is much better now. Apparently, the motor factors sent the wrong springs (Mmmm! Convienient excuse???) Anyway, just wanted to thank you guys again, it's much appreciated. Cheers,

The microswitch on mine has gone, but the interior light comes on when I unlock the car, or take the key out of the ignition. I would put money on the light switching off rather than staying on if you leave the drivers door open.

When I looked into this a year or so ago, I discovered that the CD Autochanger is unique to the skoda head unit. I ended up getting a Skoda Symphony single slot head unit which will still operate the CD Autochanger. These were an option on the Octy, and standard on the early superbs.

Thanks guys - I've just had the tape measure out, and it is about 625mm from floor to wheel arch and about 20mm from the top of the wheel to the wheel arch. There used to be a distinct nose down attiude when it was on the original springs, even when I thought the rear was slightly lower, but now is definitely not got any nose down angle. Think I'm going to have a word with my mate, and get it rectified. Cheers, Andy

Had my Octy Mk1 Estate (2001, 110BHP TDI elegance spec)in for an MOT yesterday at a main dealer for another make of car (my mate works there, and so it was easier for us to swap cars for the day, and him get the MOT done for me). It came back as needing two new coil springs on the back, which given it's a ten year old car, with well over 100,000 miles on the clock, and the number of pot holes and speed bumps around where I live didn't suprise me. I'd also noticed it was looking a little lower at the back than it had been when I got it, so I have no arguement over whether they needed doing or not. So they offer to do them for me, while they have the car, which I agree to. Anyway, go and pick it up, and it looks signifincantly lower at the back than it did when it was sat on broken springs, and very much lower than when I originally got it. I mentioned this to my mate, and he assures me that they got the springs from a well known motor factor, and quoted the chassis number to ensure they got the right parts. (my mate works in the Parts department, so it was probably him that placed the order for them). The more I look at it, the more I feel they have fitted the wrong springs, or at the very least, not the same as what were fitted to it when I took it in. There is now less than an inch between the lower edge of the wheel arch, and the top of the wheel. So - the questions I have are as follows: (1) Can someone with a similar car just measure the clearance between the bottom edge of the wheelarch and their wheel, and let me know if mine is right. (2) Is there a heavier duty spring that you can fit to one of these, for towing a caravan (as it has a tow bar on it, and was used to tow a caravan prior to me having it.) and therefore the ride hight was incorrect when I got it. (although it is a generic tow bar, so unlikely I think!) Any help would be appreciated. Cheers, Andy

OK, discovered a strange one here today. When I unlock my Octy estate all the doors and tailgate unlock. - Fantatic. When I lock it with the remote, all the doors lock, but the tailgate doesn't, until I open and slamit shut. It then locks fine. Anyone else have this problem, and any suggestions on how to solve it?

Did the starter on my TDI octi a few months back - the starter cost me about £100 from eurocarparts, and took about an hour to replace. First remove the battery, and battery tray Remove the cables from the starter Remove the 2 or 3 bolts holding the starter in Remove starter Reverse of above to fit new one

Well, I eventually took my car to the VAG specialist who I use, and he diagnosed that the alternator was doing strange things. First time he checked it - it was delivering 12v, 2nd - 10v, 3rd - 14v, and 4th - 11v He replaced the alternator and it has been fine since (Keeps fingers crossed!)

Not quite true, you could get Skoda Symphony CD head units which will also control the CD autochanger. I believe that they were an option on the Octavia, and standard on the Superb. In answer to Studmuffin, if you press the CD button, it will play the CD in the head unit, if you then press one of the preset buttons it will play the CD in that slot of the CD autochanger. Pressing the CD button with no CD in the head unit will default to the last CD to be played in the Autochanger.

Got a strange one - My Octavia (a 2001, 1.9TDI 110BHP Elegance) has been running fine for the last 3 years, just having usual service items as necessary. However, a month ago or there abouts, the clutch failed and so I had that replaced. Since then, I have had nothing but electrical problems with it. First off it would take ages to start, turning the engine over and over, whist sounding as though the battery was more flat than it should be. Suspected that the battery was on it's way out, I swapped the battery. A week later, I had the misfortune to try and start it one morning, to just hear the starter motor clicking away. Again, rightly or wrongly, I suspected that the starter motor had given up the ghost, and swapped this. However, 2 weeks ago (about 2 weeks after the clutch incedent) I park my car up on the Saturday night, having completed a journey of aprox. 80 miles. Came out lunch time on the Sunday, and the battery is so flat that the dash lights won't even come on. I have checked the alternator output, and it is about 12.6v when idling, and suspect the alternator is at fault. However, having looked on here, I would expect (from others experiences) to see warning lights coming on, but haven't other than when I initially turn the ignition on. Therefore I know that the warning lights are operational. Any ideas as to whether the alternator is at fault, or what else I could check would be gratefully accepted. Also, if it is the alternator, how difficult is it to replace?

Fair enough. The differences just made me think that's all. Hope your friend enjoys his/her car!

Is it just me, or are those photo's of No. 42 not the same car? There seems to be some anomalies between the photo's. The rub strip in the front bumper is green on the second photo (posted by someone who knows the owner) where it is grey in the original photo. The registration no. is different, and of a different style of plate (although this could be some regluation regarding licensing in the country of residence) The orginal photo does not have the original WRC wheels on it, the second one does. Slight anonmolies over the livery (decels on the sill and front wing on the second photo, and not on the first.) The location of the number plate on the first photo would indicate a standard VRs bumper, rather than the cut out WRC one. I would suggest the first photo is of a replica, rather than an original WRC model. Just something to bear in mind if you are trying to compile some definitive information on this particular model.

I've had a rather worrying experience today. Went out to my car this morning, and unlocked it using the remote, as I always do, and hear the clunk as the doors etc. unlock. Get in the car, and think, I don't remember leaving the glove box open, nor the hi vis jacket out of the door pocket. I continue to look around the car, and notice the back seat has been folded down as well. Check if anything is missing, and find that my sat nav is missing from the glove box, complete with the holder, and the charging lead. The worrying bit is that I know the car was locked at 4pm yesterday, as I always check it. I hadn't actually been out in the car yesterday, just went to get something out of it. All the doors were definitely locked. There is no sign of forced entry, broken windows, marks on the door or locks, indicating that the locking had been forced, and the doors were locked when I went out to it this morning. Anyone have any idea how they managed to get into my car without the key, and without damaging the car itself?

You might find that it is not covered under warranty, unless you have only just picked it up, and it was like that when you got it.