Will777888

I had this. Just removed the fuse for interior alarm sensors and has been fine ever since. Forget fuse number, sorry, but is listed in the manual.

I noticed this on the test drive. A small step up in refinement.

Thanks. Would many of the parts be the same as for Octavia, therefore the same price ? Obviously I appreciate there are major cosmetic differences so some parts not interchangeable (e.g. trim), but much of the running gear is the same, e.g. brake discs, engine service items. The purchase price remains to be seen. Depends how the bartering goes.

Thanks. Yes, I noticed the boot size. Not a big issue for me (we will keep one Octavia). Funny how the same chassis can be made so much less practical.

Hi folks, Does anybody here have much experience of the Audi A3 mark 2 (2004 - 2008, I think). We have two Octavia IIs at home, been running both for a few years now and really impresed. I'm looking to replace mine. Certainly I would consider another Octavia, but I am being quite picky and looking for a nice low mileage example and that limits the choice. So I am considering all related VAG models as well. I have seen a nice A3 1.9 PD 105, same engine as my current Octavia. 2004 year, fairly low miles at 66k, FSH, one owner from new, etc. The two cars share the same base chassis and many components in common. Are the weak points on the A3 the same as for Octavia ? I am aware of at least one issue unique to the A3 - failed dashboard pod (which has been changed on the car I saw). But in general, could the A3 be considered as reliable as the Octavia ?

Yes, something of a resurrection ! But there is nothing worse (IMO) than a thread that doesn't resolve.

Thanks Mike, that is reassuring. It's orange. Not been out in the car yet since drying out the wiring.

Quick update. I strongly suspect the cause was water ingress into or in the loom around the fuse box in the engine bay. I had the LH headlamp and airbox out and blew a 2,000 W hairdryer at the area for 3 hours or so. Also unplugged some of the loom connectors in attempt to dry those too. Also sprayed plenty of WD around the place. Seems much better now. No more warning lights with the key out / position 0. Turning the key back to 0 stops the engine, as it should. Remote central locking works correctly. Only one warning light remains on with the car running - the steering wheel one. Whilst I was waiting for it all to dry, I gave the EGR a spring clean too. I also knocked up a rudimentary cover from a paint roller tray which fits over (and is larger than) the fuse box. This should hopefully stop any further water ingress into the area from the gap between the bonnet and the wing. Time will tell if I cured this strange problem. Will post another update soon.

Dunno. My guess would be no, Skoda would rather sell you a complete stalk.

It was the OP that had GCI issues. But, you could be right in any case.

Simply blasting the assembly with switch cleaner didn't make a big difference. My next treatment was to get at the PCB and use a cotton bud doused with switch cleaner on the sliding contacts (both on the board on the copper 'tongues' on the sled). Don't go too mad on the board contacts, I think they are graphite and vigorous scrubbing will remove excess material. I also bent the copper tongues (on the sled) a bit to increase the contact force. This can all be done with the stalk attached. This was some time ago. CC performs much better now but still not 100% reliable (maybe 98 %, which is good enough for me not to worry about replacing the stalk).

Yesterday afternoon we had some very heavy downpours followed by a damp night without rain but with a lot of condensation around. At 00.30 this morning, I was woken by my car alarm. The alarm has always been a bit temperamental; normally just unlocking and locking remotely with the key fob shuts it up. This time, that would not work. I went out to the car and noticed that not only were the hazards flashing and alarm sounding, but the dashboard was lit up like a christmas tree, warning lights flashing on and off at random. The stereo and heater had come on. I was able to silence the alarm temporarily by playing with the central locking, I removed the negative wire at the battery and went back inside. I then spent a restless night worrying about a bank balance busting failed ECU. When I went to the car this morning at 08.30, I reconnected the -ve wire. The engine did start but a few warning lights remained on: steering wheel symbol (low power steering fluid ?), handbrake on, ABS fail and ESR off. Other electronics seemed OK (headlights, indicators). I returned to the car at 09.00 to take my littlun to nursery and the car started OK again but with the same warning lights. I arrived at nursery (2 miles) and was surprised that the engine did not stop after I turned and removed the ignition key. It was as though the key had remained in the 1 position – stereo and heater still on. Stupidly, I stalled the engine (on purpose) and immediately found that it would not re-start. I was able to restart it by bump-starting it. Same again when I returned home. I'm hoping this is water ingress that will dry out and cure itself. Otherwise – ECU ? £££ :-( Dashboard wiring got damp ? I have had a brief search on the forum and found nothing similar. No sign of water in the cabin. Anybody had similar and got to the bottom of it ? Car is a 2004 Octavia 1.9 tdi PD. It has otherwise been fairly reliable in my 19 months of owning it. Thanks, Will.

Yep, a dead easy job. Cotton buds only occurred to me after clipping the stalk back together - you can easily get to those linear sliding contacts without removing the PCB.

No problems with the CC today. Time will tell for sure...

Will do, I have the same commute again tomorrow.

Mine has also been playing me up since buying the car (Octavia II 1.9 PD) a year ago, though very infrequently. Today though, cruise control would not enable for the whole of my 50 mile commute, so I decided I must look into it. Funny that you posted about this today as well. Thanks Eccles for pointing us to that pdf document. I didn't quite go the whole hog by removing the PCB, I just opened up the stalk and blasted the switch mechanisms with switch cleaner whilst operating the switches. Hopefully that will help - I was worrying about spending money on a control module or something. CC is one of the most useful extras on a car IMO and I was cursing when it failed !

I can't help too much with the petrol vs diesel economy comparison, but the figures bandied around above sound entirely reasonable. Even taking economy out of the equation, I would still choose a diesel. I love the low-down torque, it is just in the right place for day to day driving. You need a far bigger petrol engine to get the same feeling of grunt. But I can help with comparing DSG to manual economy. We (GF and I) have run an Octy 1.9 PD (2005) with 6-speed DSG for the last three years and ~30,000 miles. We are quite consistently getting 52 to 55 mpg. The computer on board is a little optimistic, by around 6mpg. It has been a very good car for us, no issues whatsoever. I have recently started commuting via M5 and required a second decent economical car for myself. So I bought another Octavia. The new one is a 1.9 PD (2004) with manual 'box. Bear in mind I have only owned it for a week, so haven't done accurate calculations yet. But the computer has so far registered between 68 to 74 mpg. Assuming the computer calculations are similar between cars, that means I am getting 10 or 12 mpg better economy from the manual. But it is a PITA changing gear by hand, I have to say. (Rant alert.) The DSG box is nice to drive, with smooth and easy changes. For low speed manouevring though, it is pap. The best auto 'box I have experienced is Merc's 7G, which was fitted to an SLK I owned in a previous more affluent lifetime. The gearchanges were smooth and intuitive, and manoeuvring was so easy. AND, most importantly, the auto SLK is more fuel efficient than the manual. It just makes me wonder - what the hell is the point of a DSG box ? Where are the advantages over a modern, refined, torque-converter box ? Certainly not in the fuel economy. And TC autos have been around for many decades, it is a proven and well refined design. With the mechanised twin-clutch DSG 'box, you have unproven new technology (though like I said, no probs with ours). Steps down off soap box. P.s. Can't be certain, but I think no DPF on ours as tailpipes get a bit sooty.

Yes, just called them to enquire about servicing prices, is definitely now Blade Skoda. Craig in service is still there, found him helpful & friendly on the phone. Quoted £210 for a variable service (not sure whether that means oil or inspection) + £440 cambelt & waterpump + £150 DSG oil & filter change + £50 brake fluid change. All fully inclusive. Any VAG/Skoda specialists round these parts that someone can recommend ? I'd like to get comparative quotes. Maybe via PM as mentions of other garages seem to get deleted in this thread ! Will.