PetrolDave

I ran a 2004 Skoda Fabia for 12 years with no visible rust, and a 2006 Audi RS4 for 10 years with no visible rust - massive improvement on several Austin/Morris/Rover/ARG cars that would show visible rust within 18 months.

That's for LHD cars, as you're in Wales you have a RHD car so it should be Mirror control in L

Not software updated, but (at least depending on equipment) the 5F will need recoding to tell it a camera has been installed.

Yes.

On the PFL Octavia 3 (not sure about the FL) you have to cut off a plastic section at the rear of the headlamp to gain access to the indicator bulb. Skoda dealers sell a repair pack that incudes a screw on replacement cover.

Which is why it frustrates me that some on here (not spcdust) quote the infotainment software version number when talking about a different module - it's irrelevant!

Water pump and timing belt on opposite ends of the EA211 engine, so there never has been any need to change both together. New guidance of 140k miles and no time limit for cambelt applies.

Only if the ECU mapping includes timing backoff that takes advantage of the higher octane, I've owned several cars where the use of 97/98/99 made no difference whatsoever to performance, because the ECU mapping did not allow sufficient change in the ignition timing to get any advantage. Agreed.

Whether 97/98/99 gives any performance benefit is down to whether the ECU has mapping to take advantage of the higher octane and lower knock. I've had 4 VAG cars (2x S4, RS4 & O3 L&K) which both benefitted from better performance and better mpg when using 97/98/99 - better mpg by around 5% compared to 95. So in my experience if the criteria is cost then 97/98/99 needs to be no more than 5% more expensive than 95, but if the criteria is performance and the 2.0TSI has mapping for 97/98/99 (my 1.8TSI Octavia 3 definitely does have the mapping so I think likely that the 2.0TSI will) then 97/98/99 would be the choice IMHO. Just my £0.02

I agree, I have the auto-dim mirror in my current Octavia and in my earlier RS4, really missed it in my last Octavia.

Two things to check with VCDS: 1) Is a direct TPMS module being shown in the Installation List? If so remove it from the CAN Gateway coding (unlikely unless the CAN Gateway was also retrofitted at the same time as the infotainment). 2) Check the coding of the infotainment (this is where a direct vs indirect TPMS incorrect coding will cause the option to reset not appear)

I also wonder if the coding of the retrofitted infotainment is incorrect and it's expecting a direct TPMS system not the indirect that nearly every Octavia 3 has - and hence the infotainment isn't showing a TPMS reset button.

A VCDS or OBD11 scan will tell you which ABS sensor is faulty.

Yes, depending on year of registration TPMS was made mandatory. The TPMS on the Octavia 3 uses the ABS wheel speed sensors, not wheel pressure sensors. What is the code telling you?

I think the exact opposite - push forwards to downshift allows the momentum when braking to assist you changing down gears, and pulling backwards to upshift means acceleration works with up when changing up gears. My Toyota Aygo worked this way, and I wish my Octavia 3 DSG did also.

Two factors here: 1) Cars without start/stop generally don't have any battery management 2) For reasons known only to themselves VAG have two different implementations of battery management - one as a subset of the CAN Gateway at address 19, and one as a separate module at address 61. In every case I have seen an Octavia 3 that has start/stop has the subset of module 19 as the battery management implementation.

AliExpress no, I don't use AliExpress. I use a CPlay2Air which is only for CarPlay, can't advise on an adapter for Android Auto as I use an iPhone.

None of the infotainment systems in the Mk3 Octavia have a wireless option for AA or CarPlay, you need to use a third party wireless adapter plugged into the USB socket.

Neither, Skoda UK used to say 5 years but have recently fallen into line with the rest of the world and now only recommend inspections at an interval I can't remember. @Rooted always has the correct information!

Some soundbars also have a line in connection which you can connect to a headphone output from a TV.

IIRC car manufacturers are required to make key components (whatever that means) for 10 years after the end of production - how critical that is depends entirely on the meaning of "key components". BTW Skoda stop updating sat nav maps only 5 years after the particular infotainment system is no longer used in production, so clearly they don't regard being able to find your destination as critical!

Here's an extract from the VCDS scan of my 2016 L&K showing the RLHS as a subset of 09.

That's my thoughts too... earlier versions of the shark fins were notorious for letting in water and stopping working as the GPS amplifier in the base of the antenna became waterlogged.

I've never seen a reverse camera with an optical MOST connection???

I heard it's to make the noisier diesel engines quiet enough to pass the drive-by noise test that's part of Type Approval, so not needded for the petrol engines.