PetrolDave

I've always been sceptical of Tracker (and it's copies) even though I've owned what were at the time very 'nickable' cars (like a B7 Audi RS4 from 2006 to 2016) I've never had one. Why? Because Tracker refuse to publish figures for cars fitted with a Tracker and NOT recovered, making it impossible to determine whether the chance of getting a stolen car back is any greater with or without a Tracker - which undermines totally the argument for having one and makes the cost seem a probable waste of money. I've never (so far he says crossing fingers, toes, etc.) had a car stolen and only had one car damaged by thieves - who smashed the front passenger window of an Audi A4 where I had stupidly left the mount for a GPS camera detector in the windscreen (not the device just the mount). So I'm happy just to rely on the OE alarm system, especially as the Octavia 3 has never figured high on the list of stolen cars plus as it's now obsolete that makes it even less desirable.

The main beam bulb should have 3 terminals as it also has a lower power DRL filament. If it only has 2 terminals then a previous owner has made some changes to the DRLs (it's easy enough with e.g. VCDS to make the fog lamps act as DRLs).

I'm surprised that a 2011 Fabia needs the radio code (assuming it's the original factory fitted radio), for many years no code has been needed if the radio is installed in the original car. Certainly my ex's 2005 Fabia didn't need a code when I replaced the battery.

It sounds like there are no India maps available from Skoda for the MIB3 (maps for earlier MIB versions are different so cannot be used), worth checking with VW Golf 8 owners though (both are MQBevo platform cars).

Certainly with VCDS there is a way to see how many times the ECU has been flashed, but AFAIK it's not possible to tell if those are official dealer updates or a tune.

We've debated on here several times why Skoda UK say the cambelt should be chnaged after 5 years (or equivalent miles) when VW UK and Audi UK and other country importers either specify much longer time/mileage intervals or even 'lifetime' (whatever that means). The more cynical members (me included) have suggested it's to provide a source of income for dealers, but I doubt we'll ever know as many of us (me included) are risk averse.

Since the figures were changed in the Government announcement last Thursday I don't see how the up-to-date figures can have been known for weeks. Even if we think before last Thursday then the media were not talking about the unit cost and standing charge, only the 'average' annual cost - them being buried on the Ofgem website is not what I would call making them 'public' (but that's a mistake many organisations make nowadays, they assume that because they've put something on their website that amounts to publicity - wrong!).

... or barn finds in original unrestored condition.

There's a long list of coding in an embedded link, with e.g. VCDS, I suspect that something there has been missed. Changing the Leuchte coding in the BCM only affects the bulb concerned, as the Westfalia module I can see replicates the official Skoda trailer module all the functions are controlled using the CAN bus so I think it's reasonable to assume that changing the bulb coding on the car to LED is not the cause of your problem.

I did say approx

The other thing to note from that document is that the increased standing charges are NOT being reduced: Average standing charges will remain in line with the levels set by Ofgem for the default tariff cap from 1 October, at 46p per day for electricity and 28p per day for gas, for a typical dual fuel customer paying by direct debit.

Have you tried changing the lights on the trailer that don't work to LEDs? If the towbar fitment hasn't used the OEM trailer module then the lights could either simply be in parallel with the lights in the car, or energised by relays. Since the car is now coded for LED lights any extra load (such as trailer bulbs) could appear as a 'short to ground', or the PWM signal used for LED bulbs could not properly energise a relay used to power the trailer lights. I suspect the later since you don't mention the car lights not working .

As someone has already said the model year (MY) changes after the summer factory shutdown, and is not the same thing as calendar year. So: MY22 cars are built from approx August 21 to July 22 MY23 cars are built from approx August 22 to July 23 MY24 cars are built from approx August 23 to July 24 - which is why MY24 facelift(?) cars will be available in 2023 Of course cars unfinished due to missing parts can leave the factory at the same time as cars from the next MY - confusing?

Worth pointing out that on the 1.4TSI and 1.5TSi the water pump doees NOT need changing when the timing belt is changed - it's on the other end of those engines to the timing belt and in the 6 years I've been active on briskoda and owning Octavias I can only recall one member reporting water pump failure of those engines.

@BugginbobWhich part of Devon are you in? I ask because I had problems having sensible conversations with Marshalls Barnstaple when I let them service my previous 1.4TSI.

Not only manufacturing but also getting Type Approval, with so many options and variants the cost of Type Approval soon mounts up. This is why car companies like Kia have always offered a limited number of specs and options.

I bought one of them last month (which I'm loving - the extra performance over the 1.4TSI Elegance I used to have is welcome as is the DSG), at the time there was another one on Cazoo?

Totally agree - I doubt there's a single household in the country(ies) that actually pays the 'typical' amount, so until we know the costs/kWh and the standing charges it's impossible to know what this new 'cap' will actually mean for us individually.

Exactly that, for many people it's only about me, me and me

I agree, the trouble is that there are so many impatient drivers who will just follow the vehicle in front and hope they can get past the parked vehicles too.

Um... you?

And is very dependent on where you charge (home, paid public, free public) and when at home whether you are lucky enough to be on a tariff that offers cheaper overnight unit rates. So those costs will be very personal and may be not be relevant to another owner whose charging pattern and home tariff is very different.

I've just bought the under bonnet insulation for an Octavia 3 from eBay, that's a flat sheet but arrived as a roll via Evri and on unrolling went perfectly flat again.

There are several 2FA apps available to download on the Google Store and Apple Store you need to know which one OBD11 expects you to use.

The range indicator can produce spectacularly silly results too. The range is based on the consumption over the last few miles, I as told 20 when I asked. So if you go from an urban commute week and then fill up before a motorway or dual carriageway drive then the range will increase as you drive dur to the lower fuel consumption on those roads. I saw this happen many times on my RS4, the most ridiculous was when I started with a range of 250 miles (from a 70 litre tank!) drove 100 miles and was then told I had a range of 300 miles! It all depends on the shape of the tank, if the tank is basically a rectangular box then the gauge will be more linear, but most tanks are shaped to fit around the suspension, etc. so are very far from being a simple rectangular shape.