icarusi@hotmail

I'm getting a better quote from Simpsons of Colne than my local dealers. Can't find anything recent or negative about them in the archives, so assume they're still ok, unless you know differently?

I have managed to stall the car a few times under normal driving conditions, usually anticipating turbo level of power when not in the turbo rev range, so I was quite surprised it was pulling in 'idle'. If it's intended to do that, I'll let it do the 6kpm crawl when appropriate. It is a bit like a 'cruise control' though. I'm much more used to balancing the 3 pedals on a crawl, so more likely to hit the brake and forget the clutch, when I'd normally have selected neutral by that time.

I think it's done deliberately so you don't accidentally hit the wrong pedal. Unfortunately if you have shoes with a 'lip' at the sole it can catch on the edge of the brake pedal if you try to move from accelerator to brake quickly, the usual move in an emergency. I got this recently and accelerated instead of braking, as my foot didn't move across as anticipated but pressed the pedal on reflex. I think a redesigned pedal cover would be a better idea, with a side panel block to prevent shoe soles being caught under the RH side of the brake pedal.

Same here, the same day I first visited the dealer and sealed the deal. It was a bit of a fluke, as it was the dealer's stock just delivered which happened to fit my spec. If I'd been in a real hurry I'm sure I could have arranged to drive it away, but I went for the later full PDI and had time to take the bits I wanted to keep off my own px car.

Makes you wonder where all the rusty stuff was coming from? Inside the nozzle? Inside the pump? Or was it just some poor water supply used to dilute the screenwash. OTOH old WD40 can look like rust, if someone's squirted that inside in the past.

I was in a slow moving queue today and to keep the car rolling, I left a gap ahead, rather than follow the stop/start antics in front. I was covering the clutch pedal in 1st gear to stop stalling the engine, but as I approached a slight incline I realised the car was continuing without me touching the accelerator, and didn't seem like it was about to stall. When I reached the flat I checked the speedo and was doing about 6kph. I don't get much engine braking when selecting low gears downhill, compared to my previous 10 year old car, and was wondering if idle speeds are generally higher now for emissions purposes, or is it just the 1.4 TSI engine's torque range (or the 6 speed gearing) allowing it to pull at 'idle'?

May be worth checking the fuel pipe connections to the pump. On my Meganne they were just push fit, and the ones to the fuel filter under the car once started leaking, but just needed pushing back on. If the connections are allowing some air into the lines, which may be by being disturbed during door opening/closing jolts, the pump would probably operate to maintain the pressure.

It's been a very low mileage year for me this time, mostly as a result of me being able to shuffle shorter and direct trips onto my wrinklies bus pass, saving parking & fuel costs, short-trip w&t on the car, carbon footprint etc. The dealer was very quick to try and get me booked in for a service, but I haven't bitten yet. I know the manual says 12 months max for the oil change and if the engine suddenly goes kaput outside that period they'd probably use lack of oil change as an excuse, but *do* these oils deteriorate so precisely, especially on a low mileage 1.4 TSI being used mainly on longer or multi-journeys where the engine reaches full temperature with little time to drop much?

I have a ventilation pong. It's not there with the AC on and recirculation, just the normal ventilation on 2. It's less noticeable on 3&4. It's only been there since a friend of mine took her shoes off in the car when I had AC and recirc on Sunday. It was there yesterday so I checked and cleaned the pollen filter, but today (Tuesday) it was still present every time I switched the AC+recirc off and went to normal ventilation. Presumably I'll have to do the anti bacterial spray thing to get rid, but where is it actually coming from, if it's not present when the AC is on, with or without recirculation?

I think it may be deliberate so you don't press the brake and accelerator together by accident, and even if you do you'll get brake first. Haven't tried heeling an toeing yet, but this is my first car with a bottom pivot accelerator pedal.

I think it may be cos they're so easy to nick in the parked position and would also otherwise be, if you could lift them. I notice the recent Ford Focus has the same wipers and no such 'problems' if you're sticky fingered.

I noticed that, and the indistinct knob indent marker. I'm thinking of sticking a big white dot next to the indent so I can see it better. No better in the dark though.

I was in a similar position last September. The dealer was trying to arrange an inter-dealer swap for a 1.4TSI S in red but couldn't sort it, but as he checked his latest stock he found one had just been delivered for stock and I was able to see it that day in the yard. In theory I could have driven it away on the day I went to buy, but left it to the middle of the next week, although buy Friday collect Monday was offered. I did initially want a factory fitted spare tyre, but opted to find one myself rather than wait 3+ months.

Where do you live?

IIRC you remove it and put it in a pan of water and heat with a thermometer. IIRC the temperature it's set for is stamped into it. Older cars used to have radiator blinds to block some of the radiator area. With a temperature gauge on the dash it should be possible to blank part of the radiator on cold weather to get optimum warm up time. If the gauge goes over the 'normal' running temperature remove more of the blanking until it's no higher than normal for the whole of your journey.

Any VAG COMmers? Yes? No? Don't know?

Undriven wheels you can usually feel the vibration or roughness of a bad bearing as you spin the jacked-up wheel. Driven wheels are less obvious, due to the drive shafts and CV joints damping vibrations but you can still often feel something un-smooth, but more difficult to identify which it is, bearing, outer CV or inner CV as they all rotate together, and sometimes with the load off they feel ok. I've used a length of dowel against the ear and on the various mechanical parts to isolate where a vibration noise is actually coming from. Obviously take care around moving parts with that.

If the noise is constant, irrespective of the road surface, I'd suspect it's more than just the tyres. Mine's fairly noisy on the very coarse top road surfaces but on the finer surfaces it's ok. I know where the good and bad bits are on my local journeys now, so I can double check that it's not a bearing etc.

If you live in Australia you can get a lighter coloured interior than the 'smoke damaged' standard for most UK cars, unless you go uprange.

I also over my previous car, but the sides, dashboard and bonnet are higher too, so I sometimes need to raise the seat height, from my preferred lowest position, at some junctions and hill brows to get good visibility.

......with VAG COM to set the auto headlight switch on/off so it doesn't switch on until the car is started. I quite like the convenience of all the lights automatically switching off with the ignition, preventing flattening the battery, but having them switch on *before* starting is the wrong order, and puts undue stress on the battery. The better option would be to have the lights come on only after the engine is running. The best option would be the engine running status is sensed before the lights are switched. Next best a delay (user changeable) between ignition on, or starter turn and lights on.

I have mine in normally that position with its internal antenna but it also works from the side window too. I mostly use it for speed camera reminders, so I'm looking for a weighted base to sit in the dashboard 'trough' so I don't have to faff around with suckers, making them stick and cleaning the marks left.

AFAICS the deal was done, money paid in full in advance. Any mistakes were by the dealer. The only reason you don't already have the car, is the dealer has it. In a worst case I think you'd have grounds to send bailifs in to take possession of the car, if needs be.

Do they have vRS front bumpers or normal Octavia bumpers.

I'll look out for that if it continues or worsens.