silver1011

A lot of people think that in order to tow you need a huge, heavy and powerful car. I'm sure a car like that would make things easier, but it's far from essential. Here is my manual 1.4 TSI 150PS 230Nm Kodiaq towing a 1,400Kg caravan with absolute ease...

I've seen too many number plates with sticky pads fall off during the summer in the heat. Parking sensors, badges, rear wiper, washer nozzle, reversing camera, there are loads of non-symmetrical non-flush components scattered about the rear of the car. A couple of colour coded screw heads aren't going to make much difference. I went for an oversized rear number plate using the pre-drilled threads and plastic number plate bolts. The front bumper has the indents for the dealer to drill the self-tapper screws in to.

@VRS_Dan I'm over on MBClub, a friendly place but not a patch on Briskoda. Skoda owners are a lot closer to motoring normality and are more into function over form. https://forums.mbclub.co.uk/ My affair with Mercedes-Benz was brief, but my W212 was a very good car... COVID meant my annual mileage went from 30,000 miles to around 2,000 miles so my need for a reliable fuel efficient diesel saloon ended. So I replaced it with a 16 year old 3.5 V6 minivan freshly imported from Japan, like you do!

There have been a number of 'TPI's' issued across VAG related to the AdBlue SCR system.

Skoda UK no longer use the disclaimer removing them of their obligations to provide their customers with a product identical to that of the one you ordered when entering into your contract with the retailer. If the heated steering wheel and Alcantara seats were standard when you ordered then that's what you're entitled to. If the retailer isn't able to fulfil their side of your contract (these things happen, component shortages etc.) then you're entitled to exit the contract without being disadvantaged financially. Sometimes the retailer will offer a partial refund if you agree to keep the car. Speak to Skoda UK customer services and ask for the date when the specification changed. If that date is after the date your order was placed onto the system (not necessarily the day you agreed the deal with the retailer) then you're entitled to those features.

I tow a Bailey Jive with a manual 1.4 TSI 150PS. It copes just fine...

4x4 and DSG means diesel, just checking as both the TSI and TDI are 150PS.

Unfortunately it was all a bit Heath Robinson. I lined the mudflaps up on the car and used a pencil to mark where the leading edge of the running boards met the back of the mudflaps. I then used a soldering iron to pierce through the mudflap and simply followed the pencil line. A little messy but the plastic melted in such away that the edges were smooth and rounded (matching the contour of the soldering iron) so it didn't look too bad in the end. I've since invested in a Dremel which came with a large range of cutting attachments, which if in the same position again I'd probably choose over my botch!

The TFR warning could be applicable to any part of the cars exterior, it's simply Skoda being overly cautious knowing that there are varying levels of quality in the TFR's used. If the TFR is excessively acidic or alkaline then if left unrinsed it could tarnish the chrome strip, just like it does the alloy wheel lacquer, chrome window trims and plastic wheel bolt covers. Avoid the £5 roadside hand car washes and you'll be fine using a good quality branded TFR at home. The picture above is my car and the running boards were fitted from new back in 2018. They're unmarked apart from hairline scuffs on the chrome strips where the kids have dragged their shoes over the edge of the boards when getting in and out.

A MY20 1.5 TSI? No thanks, it was slap bang in the middle of VAG's 'Jerk Gate'. Software update or not, chances are it's been thrown back at the dealer. Stick "VW 1.5 TSI engine problems" into Google. By comparison the 1.4 TSI is a peach of an engine, properly developed and not strangled by emissions software and hardware.

It's that time of year boys and girls, here we go again. I've not seen a definitive list yet, does anyone know if it is available anywhere? Someone just mentioned on Facebook that their build date for a UK-bound SE L has been pushed back and they'll now lose out on: - Carpet in the glovebox - Columbus to Amundsen headunit. There's bound to be more. Following on from this thread...

No, they didn't. Cleaning the gauze is not included in the Skoda workshop manual so is never done at franchised main dealers (at least here in the UK). Crazy. I spoke to my preferred dealer (Des Winks in Scarborough) and they agreed that when mine is in for it's first Haldex oil change I can request that the gauze is cleaned. They'll do it as an "extra". Call me cynical but the official brake fluid interval is three years from new, then every two years after that. How does the brake fluid from the factory last an extra 12 months? It isn't just coincidence that Skoda UK's servicing regimes are solely focused on fleet buyers looking to minimise running costs across a typical fleet cars three years on the books. This is one of the reasons why I'm a fan of the fixed service intervals for private purchases on vehicles to be owned well beyond the manufacturers warranty period.

I wonder why they used a vRS as the mule, hasn't it been discontinued, or is it just the bi-turbo diesel engine that's gone the distance?

Some DPF equipped VAG vehicles have a catalyst located immediately prior to the DPF to help with heat generation, mostly on vehicles where the DPF has been retrofitted part way through the cars life-cycle and thus wasn't originally developed with a DPF in mind, or where restrictions meant the DPF had to be located further away from the engine than would be ideal for optimum heat generation. The increased fuel injection period is used in conjunction with the catalyst.

Is that your Skoda umbrella tucked down the side of the passenger seat? I'm not taking storage ideas from anyone who doesn't use the bespoke umbrella storage

Opinion varies, but I've never understood why anyone would spec the towbar prep rather than the full towbar. For the sake of £800 the factory towbar has so many benefits over aftermarket. If you've any possibility of needing a towbar and are ordering new then the factory towbar is a no-brainer. A decent branded aftermarket bar with the proper integrated electrics is rarely less than £600. A lot of fitters use their own fitting kit and completely bypass the factory towbar preparation anyway - there's your £200 saving right there. Even if the aftermarket towbar pretends to fully integrate like the factory system (they rarely do), let alone the upgraded cooling system from the factory, then they still have to completely strip out the rear of the car. Not for me thanks.

There are only two service intervals really: - Fixed: 12 months / 10,000 miles whichever is reached first. - Variable: Up to 24 months / 20,000 miles, the car decides for itself. Then there are only two types of service too, with the third element all being extra... 1) Oil, oil filter, visual inspection of brakes, tyres, suspension etc. 2) As (1) plus pollen filter, air filter, fuel filter (diesel), spark plugs (petrol) 3) As (2) plus brake fluid (at 3 years old then every 2 years), DSG gearbox oil/filter and Haldex 4x4 oil/filter. If your Yeti is 3 years old, has 20,000 miles on it and has already had a service then it was set to 'fixed' from new and serviced at 1 year old (you hit the time stipulation before the mileage). At its first service it was then changed to 'variable' (personally I would have left it on fixed given your annual mileage), which two years later now means you've hit the time rather than mileage stipulation again. So, you're looking at a minimum of oil and oil filter, but you'll need the dealer to confirm with you what else they're planning on changing to be able to determine if the £250 is good value or not. Personally after seeing how the main dealers from other non-premium mainstream manufacturers charge for servicing we often forget how good we have it at Skoda. £250 for a service every two years, you can't say fairer than that. It's cheap to such a point it doesn't really matter what they're actually changing.

See here for my experience, I didn't buy in the end but between the price from VW Finance and the later quote from BCA, the price went up almost £400...

Remember you're not just paying for the parts. You're paying the technicians wages, for the nice clean, heated, air conditioned, fully equipped workshop. The free WiFi, coffee and happy smiley face on reception and the subsidised courtesy cars, business insurance, rent etc. etc. Sure, we can all pick up a MANN pollen filter from Eurocarparts for a tenner and fit it in 10 minutes, the same for the air filter, but taking into account the above an extra £20-£30 to have someone else do it for you isn't bad at all in my opinion.

Mine is a Sparkrite, a brand I'd not heard of before but it has proven to be very good. I've had a few Thule products in the past, which are great, but this rack isn't far off quality wise. Sensibly priced too at £260 inc. delivery... https://bradshawsdirect.co.uk/brands/sparkrite/sparkrite-4-bike-tilting-tow-bar-carrier/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sparkrite-Bike-Tow-Cycle-Carrier/dp/B00ZJ0A0JW Looking at the wheel straps and wheel supports it's had a refresh since I bought mine too. It's made in Italy and is TUV-approved... The reverse light and rear fog light are on the wrong sides for use in the UK, but I simply converted them both to additional brake lights by diverting the wires and replacing the clear reverse light bulb with a red bulb.

You can't beat a good old cambelt debate every so often, Briskoda wouldn't be the same without one every few weeks. Skoda UK is the importer of Skoda vehicles to the UK's franchised dealer network, therefore it is Skoda UK's rules we are asked to follow, not those of Skoda Auto or Continental. Skoda UK have a history of being far from clear with servicing and maintenance requirements, their dealer network, fed by Skoda UK are often even less clear. It's been like this forever. What we do know however is that: - No Skoda UK vehicles fitted with cambelts have life-long intervals. Bristol Street Motors in Middlesbrough are unfortunately wrong on this occasion. - The cambelts fitted to the engines mentioned in this thread are not bathed in oil. Hopefully the local trusted independent mechanic was having a bad day. - The Skoda UK cambelt interval on cars registered prior to September 2010 is a blanket 4 years (mileage limitations also apply). - The Skoda UK cambelt interval on cars registered in September 2010 and ever since has been a blanket 5 years (again mileage limitations still apply). As already mentioned though, beyond it's fifth birthday the car is out of manufacturers warranty, so as owners you're free to make your own decisions based on the various information around the varying stipulations on the same cars sold outside the UK, and of course the belt manufacturers themselves. However, if you choose to follow Skoda UK's regime and replace the belt at 5 years, and it fails at some point later, then even if out of warranty Skoda have been known to make gestures of goodwill towards the repair costs, which is far from a cast iron guarantee and again for which their are pros and cons. For me, any decent mechanic can replace a cambelt on these engines in a few hours, the kits themselves, even genuine parts from Skoda are not expensive. A cambelt can be fitted for £300 at an independent, with another £50 to replace the weak waterpump whilst he or she has the belt off. A UK car has an average lifespan of 15 years? So that's roughly two cambelts across it's entire lifetime. If however owners choose a different path then that's their choice and one to be respected. I like my cars to be dependable and am a big supporter of preventative maintenance so I'll stick to changing it every so often, simply for peace of mind. As to the OP's original question, the 1.4 TSI is an absolute peach of an engine. Bag a good one now whilst you can. If the 1.5 TSI is anything to go by the 1.4 TSI will be one of the last decent combustion engines VAG produce. Good luck!

Any locksmith that can cut car keys will be able to cut you a new blade, the issue you might have is the small plastic end cap that secures it inside the keyfob. I can't imagine these are available separately, so you may need to also source a new blank dummy keyfob too.

Yep, all wheel drive and proper tyres is the best solution.

Skoda rolled out the 'characteristic' excuse when this issue was first identified on the MkIII Skoda Octavia and Skoda Karoq last year, and then again more recently with the Superb and Kodiaq. Then the media got involved and Skoda started talking about software updates, all of which have had variable results. It seems that this might be more of a hardware than a software issue, or that the software updates are limited in their reach based on the need to achieve strict emissions targets to be able to sell the vehicle here, especially under cold start conditions when the emissions are at their worst. A quick Google search exposes the breadth of the issues with this engine... So for dealers still to be using the "Sorry sir, they all do it, it's a characteristic of the engine" excuse is really poor and not one I'd be willing to accept. This does expose the risk of buying new technology. Some early adopters of the 1.5 TSI engine have lost out financially, but to hear it's still an issue today on cars rolling off the production line as we speak is equally concerning. I've said it before but Skoda seem to be relying on us more and more to do a lot of their testing for them including sorting out these early niggles such as the metrics used for the distance display and headlight adjustment.

I'm pretty sure that this feature will be available across all models, with or without the auxiliary heating. It appears to be similar in operation to the 'REST' function from other Skoda models whereby the fans are able to run without the ignition turned on and with the car locked / unoccupied, the idea being that the interior fan continues to circulate warm air from the engine into the interior whilst you're away. It only lasts for so long i.e. for as long as the water in the heater matrix is sufficiently warm and the battery has enough charge. I'd imagine the 'Remote Ventilation' works in a similar way, it simply turns on the interior fan and recirculates the internal and external air. It won't utilise the air conditioning as this requires the engine to be running. This feature is available from other manufacturers and opinion varies. I guess in hot climates it's success will depend on the difference between the external and interior temperatures i.e. them being different enough to make a difference. I quite like the ability to lower all of the windows and open the sunroof (where fitted) with a long press of the unlock button when approaching the car. This is the fastest way to cool down the interior without the engine running. If the feature isn't showing on your App then I suspect it might still be in development or reserved for certain (higher?) specifications. Might be worth giving the dealer a quick call?