silver1011

I ran the higher recommended pressures when towing our caravan once, and forgot to reduce the pressures afterwards. The car was rock solid, I felt every lump and bump. I couldn’t wait to take some air out and restore the softer ride.

Most (if not all) franchised main dealers will sub contract out the fitting of an aftermarket towbar to their local / preferred independent fitter. You may as well bypass the middle man and go to the fitter directly. Unless of course you’re looking to have the genuine Skoda retractable towbar fitted. Main dealer pricing for these varies from £1,000 to £2,000, if you can find a dealer willing to do it.

For a while now Skoda have been threatening to remove all towing weights from the VIN plates on vehicles that are not factory ordered with either the towbar preparation option or the full factory towbar, but as yet I don’t believe anyone with a Kodiaq has seen this. Assuming there are towing weights on the VIN then you’re perfectly fine to fit an aftermarket towbar or retrofit the factory towbar. If specifying the factory towbar, then Skoda fit a slightly different grill (larger openings) and a different cooling fan. It’s belt and braces, unless you’re towing right at the top end of the permissible weights up a continued steep incline in high ambient temperatures you’ll be fine. Unless Skoda can attribute any failures directly to the non-standard towbar then you shouldn’t have any warranty issues either. Just be sure to choose your fitter carefully and ask plenty of questions on how key features are integrated via the dedicated electrics they fit (changes to the stability control, deactivation of blind assist, rear fog light and rear parking sensors, additional functionality of the navigation, activation of the alarm if the lighting socket is removed, additional reverse camera views etc.)

Define ‘lifetime’. The lifetime of the car, the engine, the belt, the tensioners or your lifetime? Skoda UK are either useless or very clever, only you can determine which. Skoda Auto i.e. their head office publish the workshop manuals for use by their importers (Skoda UK for example) and their franchised dealer network. As mentioned that manual suggests the belt never needs changing (in non dusty environments). However, in the UK we’re under the umbrella of the importer, Skoda UK, who (for reasons only known to them) stipulate both a time and distance interval on the 1.4 TSI petrol engine, 5 years or 135,000 miles - whichever is reached first. So, this is where you need to make a call. Follow the workshop manual or Skoda UK. I was in this position recently with my 1.4 TSI, my 2018 Kodiaq is still under warranty, and so I need to follow Skoda UK’s service and maintenance requirements i.e. I paid the £758 for a new cambelt. On the plus side that same warranty also paid for the same leaky water pump you have, both done at the same time. I spent £758 but saved £520, and have the benefit of a brand new cambelt. No warranty and therefore no dependency on Skoda UK? Then whether you decide to change the cambelt or not (and when or even if) will depend on your attitude to risk or risk aversiveness.

It is possible, but Skoda won’t do it. You need to find someone with VCDS or OBDeleven etc.

Yep, it’s one of those situations whereby you have to make a call based on the information available combined with your own perception of risk. I’ve no doubt Skoda UK are taking advantage but there are other specifics that I am having to consider too (an independent garage got halfway through the job and had to stop), and I have a warranty which means I have to adhere to the service and maintenance schedules. Presumably UK dealers won’t be inspecting the belts either. How accurate can a visual check be? The recent price hike is grating though. I just wish I had the energy to challenge Skoda UK on why they insist on the 5 year interval and no other country does…

Third post in…

As I said.

Yes, the timing belt is the same as the cambelt. I used my recent example (different engine) to highlight the interval discrepancies and wild price variations from Skoda UK and their franchised dealer network.

Should you change it? That’s only a question you can answer. Skoda UK will tell you it’s a year overdue, others might say that Skoda UK’s blanket 5 year interval is a simple money making tactic. On mileage alone you’re 100,000 miles early. You pays your money and makes your choice. P.S, my 5 year old 40,000 mile Kodiaq is in for its £740 cambelt on Monday, despite the Skoda workshop manual suggesting its a lifetime part and never needs changing (in non dusty environments). £740 can buy a lot of nice things.

It tells me the same. But then this isn’t new, even before Skoda UK upped their blanket time interval from 4 to 5 years they were insisting cambelts be changed where the workshop manuals didn’t. But back then a cambelt was around £400, and for that I deemed it acceptable preventative maintenance. At twice the price they’re simply profiteering now. If a local garage can quote for genuine parts and the labour time as well as offering a courtesy car, then Skoda UK are seemingly using the cambelt myth as an alternative to the “your brakes are 80% worn” yarn. Still, what are the alternatives? I guess it depends on an individuals perception of risk. Don’t change it and accept if it does fail it’s going to be an expensive repair, or change it and sleep easier for two years. I have Skoda’s All-In warranty which has just agreed to replace a leaking water pump, which as it happens usually costs around £400. A condition of that warranty is that I follow the manufacturers service and maintenance schedule. Now, is that Skoda’s schedule, or Skoda UK’s!? 😂

Presumably because the warranty terms, conditions and duration are also set by Skoda UK (essentially an importer), unlike the workshop manual which isn’t. Skoda UK can hoodwink their customers, but have limited influence over Skoda themselves?

I read some of your other posts on the issues with cambelt changes on the 1.5 TSI ACT, they were very helpful thank you toot. My 2018 1.4 TSI is also ACT, I wonder if this is the reason my local VAG specialist struggled.

There has been a surprising increase in DSG failures on the Kodiaq recently, seemingly mostly related to the mechatronics. The symptoms being only odd or even gears being available.

That was my post, and whilst the advice on the water pump is indeed incorrect, the UK’s 5 year or 135,000 miles interval for (my) 1.4 TSI was also confirmed more recently by my local dealer.

Be aware that if you choose to get your cambelt changed at a Skoda main dealer, it now costs a whopping £780 for the 1.4 TSI. I phoned around three of my nearest dealers, they all quoted the same (or very similar), all blaming Skoda UK’s new ‘menu pricing’. It’s a long story so I won’t bore you, but I booked it in at a local VAG specialist instead (£450), but they rang me up halfway through telling me they couldn’t change it, their alignment tool wouldn’t fit. This is despite them changing more than 8 cambelts on the 1.4 TSI this year already without issue. Seems my Kodiaq timing is unique! Reluctantly I’ve booked it in at Skoda, after they offered me a whopping £40 discount. Even more galling is the fact that it’s only us in the UK that have to change it at 5 years.

As I read it, Skoda UK are unable or unwilling to provide a certificate of conformity?

Unless I've missed it, it hasn't been determined how an Australian spec Kodiaq ended up in the UK. Let's hope it wasn't Skoda UK themselves, especially now they know it's here and not legal for use on UK roads.

Don’t leave the Haldex service to the 80,000 mile interval. The previous 40,000 mile interval is too long too. Skoda UK dealers don’t remove the pump and clean the debris from off the filter gauze. Changing the oil is pointless if it can’t pass through the filter.

It’s a common issue and one Skoda are well aware of. I had mine replaced under warranty.

There is a Facebook group dedicated to UK Kodiaq owners. Something is amiss, there has been on average one or two mechatronics failures a week for the last few months.

@Bollcat, was this resolved to your satisfaction in the end?

How much fuel was in the tank before you filled it up? Could it be contaminated petrol?

But you should compare apples to apples. Fitting those same wheels and tyres from the 2WD Kodiaq to the 4x4 version would likely result in even more capability. It is also worth noting that the Haldex system has benefits beyond ice and snow i.e wet and slippery surfaces but also on dry roads, gravel, or mud / wet grass and when towing, or when on the fringes of maintaining control, in an emergency situation for example.