MarkyG82

A. Morally an issue but perfectly legal provided you make the buyer aware. B. Likely the situation for many apart from the clearing code bit. You shouldn't be getting codes like that unless there is an issue with the car. Or get you own code reader to clear it yourself. Would pay for itself in one use. C. No that's illegal. D. The option mentioned by @ords is kind of an extension of option A and is the way I went. Not the cheapest but definitely the least problematic.

Looks like you have MIB1 Columbus system fitted. Your screen should be compatible with the later mib2 head units (in the glovebox). That would be the easiest way to get carplay/android auto. Although maybe not the cheapest. If the £500 unit you have found is the right model (mib2) then allow a further £150 for component protection removal at a dealer. Then another £200 for coding by someone like @pab567. Other options are android based unit (there is a thread on here) or other aftermarket solutions that aren't very popular on here. As for adding outputs for speakers etc there are a few threads on here with a fair bit of info so take a look around and see what you can find.

Just because someone has had no returns with MOT fails does not mean it's the right thing to do. Also, where have you been? DPFs have been compulsory in the UK since January 2011 and common place some years before that. It is simply bad advice to be saying "remove it".

MIB1 and you are correct. MIB2 is interchangeable.

What I didn't know is if 2.5 only comes in Columbus flavour. It seems that most cars with virtual dash also have columbus but this could be a speccing coincidence.

So am I right thinking that 2.5 is only for Columbus? Or is it for virtual dash to work? Maybe what he got is a duff unit?

Not sure on the superb but with the Octavia pretty much all the MIB2 screens are interchangeable. Even the mib1 Columbus screen can be used with an MIB2 head unit. So no you won't necessarily need a new head unit. It could be that the bigger screen is mib2.5 which may need either some rework in your existing head unit or a replacement. As above Pab567 is the guru and will be able to steer you. Also, if it is just a screen swap then no you don't need coding. As it didn't work straight away then I imagine there is a different thing going on (like mib2.5 etc)

Interesting choice of words there. "Hasn't completed a regen" is not the same as hasn't been regen'ed. Assuming you are UK based this will not end well. DPF delete is MOT fail. If your driving profile fits the use of a car with dpf just use the £800 saved and get it replaced.

On the Passat: Auto: Amber when in auto position. Off in any other position Dipped and main: on depending on which is selected with dipped on alongside main (cant remember if green or white but not amber). Dipped and main also show as on when activated by the auto system. Definitely more dynamic than I expected and will be paying a little more attention when entering tunnels etc to see how it shows.

I think this and another thread a couple of weeks ago show that no amount of want from the owner will unblock a dpf. Just get it cleaned or replaced. Part of owning a modern diesel unfortunately.

Not due to use the car tomorrow. If I remember Monday I'll report back 👍

@Carlstonraises a good point. Best bet is to find the superb wheel spec with the inner wall closest to the suspension and know that is the designed limit.

From a mechanical point of view a higher et would be best avoided. As you bday a lower et would bring them away from the suspension components so less of an issue. What you need to be aware of is how far out. Assuming you go to 7 wide (from 6.5 that should be fine) you would need to compensate for at least half the extra width in the et change. So 6mm would leave the inner tyre wall at the same spot as before. So with the new et of 35 and the added rim width the outer wall would be that 1/2 inch further out. Should be fine. Edit: you need to watch the steering too. If the centre line is too far out from the original setup then the steering will feel off. Can't remember how but it will be off. You need to be going to extreme offsets to really notice it I think though.

I think all VRS's are 55mm. If you don't have a Vernier or other caliper can you find a sewing tape measure or IKEA tape? You can get the circumference and work out the diameter from that. Or a wire coat hanger bent to match the diameter and measure off the car.

Has anyone done a direct comparison between B4 damptronic, B6 damptronic, stock DCC and non-damptronic B6? Specifically anything DCC compared to passive B6. Is it worth keeping the complexity of DCC? Passive B6 are the gold standard IMO for fit and forget daily drivers. If DCC is truly a step up then I think I'll be hunting for it on my next car.

100k miles could easily have clogged the dpf. Particularly if the recent miles/years before you taking ownership were sedate. Which is quite likely given what the world has been through the last couple of years. Lots of people trading in diesels and others getting "good deals". I changed away for the same reason and do miss the car. But the risk of having a big bill (and subsequent time off the road) was too big. To solve this you will likely need to pull all the sensors and confirm the function and health of them. Once confirmed to be trustworthy you can then start to see the actual issue. A filter out clean or replacement sounds to be the most likely solution.

Not necessarily. B6 are standard height that can handle a mild drop (just as standard shocks can). B8 is the one recommended for lowering but not sure they do damptronic variant for cars like ours.

Bilstein B4 damptronic all round. Will be more for labour but possibly worth it given one shock has given up. Can you honestly say the others are ok?

*damper

In simple words yes. The issue is the lack of material behind the lip on thin hubcentric spacers. So there is a kind of no man's land between 5mm or thereabouts non-centric and hubcentric. What Damian above is talking about is the lip on the actual hub. If it's small enough and you can find a hubcentric spacer with enough meat you should be ok. Otherwise just go with the rule of 13mm+. For what it's worth I have 12mm on the front and 20 on the back. Both seem to work well enough.

It's the centering lip on the spacer itself. You don't generally get them on smaller spacers. Due to needing the lip on the hub I would avoid anything between 5 and 12mm (of the non-lipped variety) as you won't have enough hub lip protruding. Up to 5 you should be fine. This is for front or rear depending on tyre clearance of course.

There are some Audi bushes you can get (TT?) That are solid rubber so still have some give but perform better. Had them fitted on my Octavia and felt more composed. Subtle but worth the change if yours are shot I think.

@MartiniB How are you getting on with the different springs? Added stiffness doing what you hoped?

Sounds like you are already on top of tyre selection. Didn't mean to offend if I did. There's a lot of misinformation on winter tyre use with many thinking they are for snow and ice. All seasons (like yours) are perfect for most UK conditions.

Thanks. That's interesting info. Front eibach is somewhere between ii and iii with the same length. Rear is fewer coils (stiffer?) and thicker wire (stiffer again) but shorter. I guess the shorter free length makes up for a stiffer spring. Would that make for a harder rear? I'll count the coils on the installed coils and see how they compare. Might even measure the wire diameter if I can find my Vernier.