alltorque

If something looks too good to be true, it generally is. I would walk.

.".......recommended fitting a new thicker and fatter crankshaft......."? Really? Is such a crank readily available as a Skoda approved part? Sounds awfully expensive to me.

Having owned a Mk1 vRS, in standard trim, and a MkIII 1.2 TSi 110 SE L DSG, just more toys than a Monte, but same output, I quite enjoyed the Mk III to start with. Interior trim plastics were cheaper than the vRS and the lovely torque of the TDi PD was missing, but it was OK. However, the love affair was short-lived. It never let me down, but it was always compared to the vRS and found just a bit wanting. Then there was the DSG 'box which was OK but.......I ended up waiting for it to expire in some way. For me, the quality to cost ratio just wasn't there in the MkIII and it began to niggle me. All personal stuff, of course. But it drove to change at 3 years and buy a Toyota which has been a revelation. I really cannot see me returning to Skoda, ever. Certainly not given their current pricing strategy vs reducing materials quality. Hope you end up,happy, whatever decision you come to.

Sounds rather like you are looking at too big a caravan to tow safely with the car, or, too small a car to safely tow the size of caravan you want. I can think of two alternatives to solve the problem. You may well get a 4B caravan at just under 1200kg, but then have to take into account all the suff you will carry in the caravan, and the car. Bare caravan weight is only the beginning. sorry about some rain on the parade.

That all makes perfect sense, good thinking. One of our neighbours has a wood-burner and it has an external S/S flue with a rain cap on it. More often than not there is a pigeon squatting on top of the cap, presumably for the warmth. However, with your reasoning in mind......maybe it's the ultimate fox-spotting position, or hawk spotting position. The latter is probably more likely than the former, unless our local foxes are very slim, very shiny and wonderful climbers. Or can high-jump beyond the imagination of mere humans. Yes, I know, being silly here. on a more serious note, i have seen a pigeon taken by a hawk whilst just sitting on our back fence. Didn't see the hawk coming, just an explosion of pigeon and feathers followed by the hawk with the pigeon pinned to the lawn and covering it with it's wings. Pretty darned impressive. If hawks can have facial expressions, this one's was sort of; "Wot you lookin' at, then?". So maybe, the flue actually is a hawk-spotting point? Nah, pigeon's just like warmth. Have a nice weekend.

I have read somewhere that birds' reflexes are pretty quick and those of pigeons particularly so. Thus they react to approaching vehicles at we consider to be too late....and sometimes it is. why do they like roads? Perhaps the tarmac retains more heat.

Manufacturers' claim for fuel economy are anywhere between inaccurate and wildly optimistic. The latest testing/certification should improve matters considerably, though. My old 1.2 TSI 110 DSG improved considerably over the first 10,000 miles and was always better when driven properly, i.e. not being driven in 'Granny' fashion. Great little engine. my current Prius Hybrid seems to have a disliking for giving less than 65mpg and, when driven 'properly, in a mix of ECO/Normal and Power modes is very happy to give 80+mpg. A factor in this is that it rides on the free-option 15" wheels and 65-series tyres. Lovely ride, potholes not a problem and emissions are low. Something of a revelation. Big wheels and low-profile tyres might look nice but that's about it, really. Very happy bunny.

The sometimes alluded to problems with 'extended' oil change intervals owes more to personal belief than evidence. Having spent more than a few years in the lube oil industry, with an oil major, I know that modern engine oils are more than capable of handling what the engine makers specify. Use the correct specification, known brand lube, keep level topped up and always use good filters. Having run A Volvo S60 with a D5 turbo diesel for 9 years and 130k miles, it didn't use any oil between services, at 18k miles and the emissions were as good as new throughout its time with me. That's not an isolated lucky story. There is a huge amount of work goes into lube oil formulation, testing and production. Thousands of hours on test beds and real world test driving. Not all oils are created equal. Top quality oils, and filters, are the cheapest maintenance you can buy. Changing good oil more frequently is not actually doing any real good in terms of engine life on all but the most highly rated competition engines.....and they have a very short life between strips and rebuilds. However, we all spend our cash as ee see fit.

Do look at Toyota. I moved from Fabia to Latest Prius, (2 years old), and I'm delighted materials, fit, finish, technology all leave current Skoda for dead and, whether you byt new or used, the standard factory warranty is 5 years/100k miles.

Pretty much why I'm now the owner of a lovely Prius hybrid. Build quality to die for and feels as though it will go on forever, plus a main dealer with first class people in every dept. Shame really, my original Fabia vRS TDi was a gem and much better built than the latest stuff. Can't see me ever going back to VAG products.

I recently did a sort of 170 degree turn......Fabia 1.2tsi/110 DSG SE L to a Gen 4 Toyota Prius Business Edition+. Lovely thing to drive and not at all a sluggard. And more standard toys than Hamleys. LED headlights are wonderful but not tried the self-parking yet and the drive system is superb. I didn't even intend to even sit in a Prius but the young sales guy said; "Aw, just try it, nothing to lose, eh?".

I initially loved my high-spec SE L 1.2 TSI 110/DSG, and the engine was a gem. However, over its third year I became less enamoured with the cheap interior trim and the sometimes odd behaviour of the DSG....nothing catastrophic, just the odd strange happening, such as engine speed rising, momentarily, to about 3000rpm with no input from me, and no increase in road speed, thankfully. I simply ceased to trust the DSG's long-term reliability, so decided to trade it for a new Fabia Estate. Astounded at the cost of a new one, to my spec and not delighted at the offered financial deal. In fact, quite disgusted. Went to the dark side and bought a low-miles 66 plate Toyota Prius Business Edition+ for less than the cost of a new Fabia, thanks to the Toyota dealer actually making th deal very attractive. Love the car, quality is up with the best, economy is excellent, ride quality is superb.....it rides on the FOC optional 15" wheels with 65-series tyres, (which are cheaper and far less prone to pothole damage, but not as 'cool' apparently. It has more standard toys than Hamleys and they all work. Plus, the Gen 4 Hybrid system is simply brilliant and has what is said to be amongst the most advanced in the industry. I purchased it at years old with 3 years/83k miles remaining on the standard factory warranty. Something of a no-brainer. Yes, I know, nothing worse than a convert.

I recall having the rear discs on my Volvo S60 replaced during a tyre change.....they did need replacing. The tyre depot manager said he thought I was a driver who was very observant and planned ahead.....possibly an IAM bod, as well. This meant that the vast majority of my braking was gentle and the rear discs were hardly ever getting used, never mind hot. He was right on all counts, for which he claimed no credit, but cited years of experience of cistomer cars. The answer was to get the car up to about 50mph, or so, on a quiet road and then brake hard and repeat a couple of times, on a reasonably frequent basis......always when safe to do so, of course. never had to change another disc since. I now buy any tyres needed from this tyre dealer, because I trust them. above procedure might help and certainly won't harm.

Well done, Sir. I hope you'll be as happy with your Toymota as I am with mine...and SWMBO is with hers, 18 months down the road. RAV 4 is an excellent choice. Enjoy.

At least with Toyota you get a 5 year/100k mile full factory warranty...transferable to second etc owners, which suggests a certain level of manufacturer confidence in their product. And, of course, their Hybrids have been around for 20 years/10 million units with solid evolution. Yeah, I know, nothing worse than a convert. I'm as smitten with my Prius as I was with my Mk 1 Fabia vRS, and thst is high praise from me.

Whatever you end up with, I hope your are as happy with it as I am with the Prius. I know it's early days for me, but it feels like it's actually well designed and built. Who knows, maybe see you on the Toyota forums, or Dark Side. Look out for Red 6. travel safe, and happy.

My old Volvo developed a problem with 2 tyres always losing pressure, very slowly. After a few re-inflations I had a chat with my trusted tyre guys. Simple fix...the rwo alloys in question had slight corrosion on the inner sealing surfaces casing very slight leakage. Tyres off, corrosion polished out and end of problem. No charge as I always buy my tyres from them and the manager said it should have been spotted at last change. Proper, old fashioned, service. not saying this is your problem, but worth bearing mind.

Never actually tried that, but it would be worth trying on a test piece. Paint will need to be applied in thin coats , not just a lump. You might need to,apply a clear gloss coat.

Can't argue with that comment. Was comintowards end of PCP and realised that I didn't actually want to keep the car. DSG had never had more than the odd 'moment' when revs rose and not much happened but was told they all do sometimes. Started seriously looking at a high-spec Fabia Estate but the thought of going to 3-cylinders and the cost of an Estate to my spec rather shook me. Just didn't, and don't, think they are good value any more. Had always promised to talk to Toyota since SWMBO bought hers and it just took off from there....compounded by a real difference in deals, and attitude, between Skoda dealer and Toyota. Can't claim total rationality here but that's car buying and the Prius really is a revelation. I'd always dismissed them as old mens' cars, but the current, Mk 4, version has changed that and I have a 2 year old, high-spec, high-tech gem, with 3 years remaining warranty, for less than the cost of a new Fabia to my spec.....which would still be missing some of the Prius standard stuff.......LED headlights; Prius standard, £960 extra on the Fabia. I just think Skoda have lost a few pages of the plot, which is a shame as I still think very fondly of my original Fabia vRS with that wonderful clattery TDi PD 130. not sure if that explains what happened, but it about sums it up.

Does your key, perhaps need a new battery. Mine used to give a warning about every year.

Go to your local model/hobby store and buy a small tin of Humbrol Gloss Black paint, and a ditto tin of grey primer, plus a small brush. Go home and do a small test paint on a piece pf scrap metal, plastic, whatever. If it looks OK, go for it. Prep the surface first though. Normal paintbrush cleaner will sort out the brush. Just play, it's dirt cheap and a small, very small, will do many chips. But not the potato variety. Always used to use Humbrol Silver paint on chipped alloys. Amazingly good match.

As promised, photos of the the Prius....Red 6 in reference to our local aerobatic display team. It's a 66 reg and a bit pointy.

I know precisely what you mean about getting away from VAG products....not particularly rational....but I was always kinda waiting for the DSG 'box to throw a hissy and to be told it wasn't a warranty job. SWMBO purchased a Toyota Yaris Hybrid in 2017 and it's a revelation compared to the Citigo she was looking at. That really got me thinking and a good drive in the Prius, plus a dealer whose predominant answer to questions was "Yes", and who didn't nitpick about my Fabia 'only having 4.0mm of tread on the tyres', and deducting money from the already-low trade-in price.....that was Skoda.....plus offering £900 more for my Fabia than Skoda did, and discount the Prius and throw in some bits and pieces, it really was a no-brainer and I don't regret the decision at all. the White trim. Hmmm. Apparently a lucky colour in Japan, if that means anything. Was a point of discussion with the excellent sales guy. It can be replaced with Piano Black but a couple of weeks in I've grown to quite like it. Or, at least, not dislike it. It works well at night when a tiny LED in the overhead switch panel illuminates the 'phone charger panel and 'gear' selector.....itself just a switch. Another little feature is that the climate control only feeds those areas where there is a bum on a seat. Life has become a voyage of discovery, all over again. Economy? Only have the onboard numbers at present, as I've not refueled yet, but a spirited drive back from Sheffield produced 68.4mpg and that wasn't driving like my Aunty Nelly. More anon.

Here's a photo of the dashboard. HUD only visible to driver.