MikeTheThinker

My 2007 Scout needs some new feet on the rear. It currently has Hancook all seasons 225/50 R17 tyres all round but the fronts are fine for a good few thousand miles yet. Car is a 2l diesel chipped to 180bhp; wheels are 17" alloys. I don't use the extra grunt much beyond occasional overtakes etc. Car does around 5-6k miles/year and is used a s family bus plus tow car for my 1 ton trailer. We live in semi-rural Lancashire and most of my driving is on normal roads although we do venture onto forestry tracks on occasions - but not whilst towing. My emotional draw is to Michelin tyres as they always seemed to be good for me in times past. I need to recognise, however, that the car is more ambling than racing, may only live to the end of the latest set of tyres (great car but it's getting on) and as a pensioner price matters more than it used to. Recommendations for a good, budget all-weather tyre would be great - if such a creature exists?

This any help? https://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/octavia-mk2/drive_unit/1.9/77_kw_tdi_pd_engine/engine_cooling/removing_and_installing_parts_of_the_cooling_system/connection_diagram_for_coolant_hoses_(octavia_ii)/engine_with_identification_characters_bkc_bxe/?expand_article=1

Apologies for the less-than-photo-studio background ... From looking closely at the connector and many previous tried to separate them on the car I don't believe the apparent locking tab is real. It certainly doesn't move. There may be a super-magical Skoda tool that somehow clips into the moulding but nowt I'm aware of. The moulded bump on the socket (on the headlamp) is just a solid bump. When you push the plug down firmly the bump engages with the hole in the side of the plug but I can't see ant moveable tag or clip as part of this. I've learned to insert a right-angled plastic trim tool into the gap at the bottom of the raised 'bar' shape on the plug and gently start to lever the plug off.

Don't know what they're called but here's some for sale: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266338354334

The parts catalogue at 7zap.com says Octavia mk2 Facelift but I couldn't verify that via skoda-parts.com.

I can't add to the knowledge base right now as we're thinking on similar lines - just a little further down the track. Thanks for the post; I'll be following with great interest.

Another idea; check the glowplugs.

Unfortunately I now have a challenged sense of smell from Covid - a friend says I have a deaf nose - so I'm disinclined to trust that sense in this situation - hence the interest in the purge options. A timely reminder. Once upon a time I was an industrial chemist working on explosive hazards and flammabilities but that's a loooong time ago and I had forgotten to think about addressing the contents differently.

Thanks @MicMac, you have just solved a related problem for me I have several (redundant) gas cylinders that I wish to decapitate and use as open heavyweight drums. I've left them inverted and open to atmosphere for several weeks and had been going to fill them with water before attacking them with a whizzer. Your CO2 suggestion will be so much easier and a great deal less messy!

Here's a LINK to the parts catalogue for your car showing the assorted options for a fuel tank for a 2008 Octy. If you can work out which one is correct for your car you can then go to skoda-parts.com and search on the part number. The detail entry will include a drop-down showing all the Skoda vehicles that use that part.

Take a look at skoda-parts.com, autodoc.com or aliexpress.com. Bit more for shipping but good suppliers.

Plenty of headlamps offered on fleabay. Going rate for new 100-120, used 50-70. https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2499334.m570.l1313&_nkw=driver+offside+os+right+2014+skoda+fabia&_sacat=33710

Try this one: https://manual.skoda-auto.com/210/en-GB/Detail?model=Octavia_5E&edition=11-2015&market=&manualLang=en

The bumper differentiations are in the plastics and lighting. The underlying metalwork is common to almost all mk2 Octys with only minor variations as per the parts catalogue. You can see the bumper plastics variants below. Note that there are minor variations by model year and PR codes so do check: 2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB standard front bumper 2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB RS front bumper 2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB Tour front bumper 2011 Octavia mk2 1ZB Scout front bumper

In simple terms; dunno But I'll investigate.

Piccies of the router in situ (yes, it's a very temporary installation whilst the flood work at home gets sorted). The network cable is to be used anon for direct connection to a file server project I'm working on. Router type is a Technicolor DWA0120. BTW Router is upside down for convenience of the wiring but I don't believe that should cause a problem.

As mentioned the router us currently tastefully set on a plate rack by the stairwell so about 2m high. There is almost line of sight (via an open doorway) to the desk where I usually make calls but even if I go upstairs to try for a better signal the location is always extremely precise. If I move the router upstairs that would take it further away from my normal workplace and add 1 or 2 brick walls and a lath and plaster floor to the signal path.

Thanks for the comments. Where I am at the moment is a 1930s brick 2-storey semi with broadband via Shell Energy (don't know who's service they are reselling) and their wifi box - which looks very much like the EE one we had at home. Home is a single floor 1965 detached bungalow. Both locations suffer from borderline mobile signal so I'm relying increasingly on wifi connection for mobile calls. I'm finding the locations for workable signal to be painfully exacting - within 150mm movement - and also variable depending on the weather, phase of the moon, local tide heights, pollen count etc. etc. Holding a mobile conversation - even via WhatsApp - for more than a couple of minutes is akin to a mountain goat's balancing on a rocky point over a chasm - you daren't move a muscle. Wifi for static computer equipment seems fine. I have always tended to move about or wander around when on the phone so the current restrictions are irksome to me but far worse for either myself or my co-conversationalists when trying to maintain a discussion about just when the damp contractors will have signed off on our house post flood or just what is in scope for the kitchen stripout team who want to start work yesterday. Do I sound frustrated? TFRB! To return to our normal service here I've tried moving the wifi router around within reason - it's currently above head height on a plate rail - but it doesn't seem to make much difference overall. I'm using a 5GHz band and a check on wifi signal strength and other local services doesn't indicate overloading or swamping from other consumers. Connection here is fibre to the green box (DSLAM?) and copper for the last few metres. Download speeds run around 40Mb/s. Oh, and mobile service is via EE.

A long shot this but can you find a part number on the dipstick? If so you should be able to check it's the correct one for your motor.

Here's a view of our 2007 1.9tdi mk2 Octy with the plastic bumper removed. Note the bucket is not an original factory fitment

You could use Allen bolts but the torque needed is going to strain a hex socket head a little. I used normal hexagonal head high tensile bolts, which worked fine. As a hand assembler you don't need the millisecond time gains from having a self-centreing machine driven bolt. Do use a good and unworn socket, though, as you may get slip and smear with a cheap or worn socket on a hex head at high torque values.

I appreciate the gesture but there are others on here who are far better informed than I. My forte is finding information, which I do where I can and time permits. I've had many occasions where this forum and it's members' wisdom have helped me out over my 12+ years of membership, so I give back where I can.

Try a breaker. Unless the front end has been stuffed the bumper bar should be fine. You're looking for 1Z0 807 109 C I believe. Piccy HERE. Note that to remove and replace the M6x20 bumper bar mounting bolts (see HERE) you'll need an XZN or triple square bit which are used a lot on VAG cars. I know the parts cat says they're Allen heads but the ones I've seen or removed have all been XZN. The bolts are high tensile and should be replaced and properly torqued up. NB the parts cat links I've used are no different than the ones MicMac gave you, just a different webhost.

This toob shows you where & how ...

IIRC it's the external temperature sensor and it plugs into the back of the bumper bar. I'll try to remember later to look up a diagram for you.