BertieF

Just got my scuttle cover off today thanks to the tips on here - thanks a lot all. I did struggle with it a bit until I saw the 'lift it straight up' tip - the holes in the scuttle look they are for clips, but they aren't, it's just held into the windscreen channel. Also I did two things to make it easier to remove them. First I used a rubber and silicone lubricant which I sprayed both along the inside of the scuttle cover (after lifting the front edge up) and along the outside along the bottom of the windscreen, letting it soak in for a few moments. Second I used a hairdryer for a minute or so on the top edge of the cover (not too hot) to make the plastic more malleable. After these two tweaks the immovable covers popped off very smoothly. My word there was a lot of detritus under there. Now all I have to do is fire up the 'Vette and take a trip to the motor factors and pay the standard over the top French spare part prices for a new filter.

Aha! Thanks for that - I shall have to find someone who has one of the relevant bits and fit it.

Thanks for that Mr 007. And the switch does what? If you know, that is . .

OK, progress report. I thought I would start by removing the rest of the dashboard undertray (I'd already removed the lower part). After I worked out that I had to get the fuse box free to get at the light control panel to get that out to reach the last torx screw that bit all went swimmingly. Then I thought that removing the whole assembly would make it easier to work on, so I removed the three 13mm bolts, but this did not free the pedal box assembly as the master cylinder was still firmly fixed to it. So I replaced the nuts and went ahead with the other tasks. I removed the pedal again. Got the nylon clip out (as I had welded the broken tang all the way around that was a bit tricky) and turning to Cariffblue's handy hints, put it in a cup of boiling water for a couple of minutes. It expanded enough to make fitting it a doddle. So top tip there - I didn't realise that nylon was given to much expansion. Next I threaded two cable ties through opposite sides of the outer coils of the spring assembly and compressed it in the jaws of my workmate. I secured the ties and released the clamp. It expanded a little, but it was easy to refit. Because the spring was not in place when I refitted the pedal to the pedal box it was easy to get the nylon clip into the pedal before I refitted the pivot bolt. The spring then slipped easily into the right place and I cut and removed the cable ties. Everything works - so kudos and big thanks to Cardiffblue for the top tips. The only issue that I have now is that the black plastic clip that has the tab on it to activate the switch attached to the pedal box is completely trashed and my dealer says that he can't get another one, at least not for several weeks. That said I don't actually know what the switch is for, since the car runs with no warning lights even with it disconnected. So for now I haven't put the switch back in. Once again, big thanks for all the help. I wish I was more mechanically minded and could help others in the same way.

Great tips, thanks. I'll have another go tomorrow and let you know how it goes.

It's the first one of those - I cannot get the small white nylon clip onto the master cylinder pushrod . . I'm taking the day off from it today on account of the pain in my side from lying across the sill yesterday afternoon.

I couldn't get it on the cylinder rod - I'm going to disassemble the lot again and then scream . . I tried using a mole wrench to squeeze the rod in from the side, but it just flew straight through. Dozens of times. I can't get any leverage on it dead on to force it on. I'm thinking I might have to get the car towed to the dealer - 20 miles away.

That's a good tip, thanks it'll certainly help with that demon spring. I hate being beaten by a 3cm long piece of nylon. :'(

Thanks RK696 for the tip. Unfortunately I think I might have not be quite clear enough. I just can't get the ball end of the actuator arm back into the white nylon holder. I'm starting to wonder if it is factory fitted to the arm, although it is shown as a separate part on the diagram the dealer gave me. I know I shouldn't moan, but getting the simple problem sorted has to be one of the most challenging and time consuming bit of mechanics I've ever done. I wonder what the melting point of nylon is . . . ?

Thanks to the forum I found out what had gone wrong when my clutch pedal hit the floor with a clunk and stayed there. I have fixed the broken weld on the pedal and after a 3 hour fight with the spring managed to reinstall the pedal assembly. The only problem I have, and it's a biggy, is that when the pedal failure occurred the white nylon end on the master cylinder arm came off. I tried pushing it back on before I reinstalled the pedal, but as it wouldn't go I thought that surely the amount of force required to depress the pedal against the master cylinder arm would make it just 'pop' back in. Oh dear, it doesn't. Does anyone have any handy tips or hints on how to get the nylon piece back on? It's jolly frustrating. All hints gratefully received.

Thank you all very much for your help and advice - I shall have a browse and make a choice. Whichever way I go I shall save a lot of money, so thanks again.

Thanks Radiotwo - have you used these guys? The prices are, I have to admit, more like I was hoping for . .

The time has come for our trusty family 1.9TDi (110bhp) Combi to have new front disks and shockers all around. The only recent car parts buying I have done was for high performance 'Powerslot' disks and pads for my '01 Corvette, which cost me less than €250 for the whole car. My local Skoda dealer here in la belle France wants €350 just to replace the front disks and pads and a further €700 for the shock asorbers. This was shock I couldn't easily absorb so I went to the French equivalent of Kwik Fit and they wanted even more. As I have friends coming over from the UK in a month or so, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for suitable UK sourced replacements that won't cost the earth? Failing that I might just have to sell the Octavia and buy a Z28 Camaro instead - the bits are even cheaper than the ones for the 'vette