Howardian1

WRG2s. To be fair, they're the only ones I've had on my Scout so I don't have any comparable experiences with other makes. I got them from MyTyres and picked those ones because they seemed to have the consistently best reviews. I noted that they also had a tread pattern that was more suited to slush, which I felt was perhaps more applicable therefore in UK conditions. The only other winter tyres I've ever run (and I don't know whether they were 'snow' or 'winter' tyres) were Vredestein Snowstars in the mid-1990s on my Subaru L Series estate. Again, they made a big difference, but it's funny how you forget these things when you get a 10-year run of mild winters... Just posted pics of the car in its winter set-up here, if anyone's interested: http://www.briskoda....42#entry3109642

Full-size 225/50/R17 Nokian WRG2s on Yeti Spitzberg alloys. Been done before by other people, and thanks to them for the idea 'cos I think they look cracking on a silver car - I'm just too snobbish to have black steels on! And they look even better when they're clean!

After being on a hill three years ago with the car simply sliding downhill under its own weight from stationary, I got a set of Nokian winter tyres for it. The difference, even on a Scout, is unbelievable. Now I would have no fears about driving in 6" on unploughed snow and getting where I wanted to be. This was the car this morning, with a measured 4.5" of snow on the roof. Going bush-beating so brushed the snow off the car, got in and simply reversed out of my awkward twisty, uphill drive which also passes dangerously close to the house. 3 years ago I nearly slid sideways into the corner of the house, so 'nuf said. Going into the North York Moors on ploughed roads I couldn't even get the car ABS to go off on a downhill section at 30mph when stamping on the brakes (on a safe stretch, to test grip). Invested in a set of Yeti Spitzberg alloys this summer, as I already had the full-size Nokians and decided I was tired of going to tyre fitters twice a year. As for wear, this is the third full season and they've got from 8mm to 6mm in that time. I've always been a person who, if I've decided to drive somewhere, will generally get there and have always had 4wd cars as a result. Now I would never consider winter driving without winter tyres.

Thanks Bogwoppit for that very concise but useful info, but I've just got a couple of other queries: 1) Both the Owners Manual and Haynes Workshop Manual give dire warnings about the risk of high voltage electrocution from the xenon units. I've poked about in a unit before when I was thinking of fitting LED sidelight bulbs, and with a pair of pliers too, but now I'm not so confident. I always assumed that the torx screws were there to deter people from taking the cover off and fiddling about around the xenon gubbins. Any comments on precautions - Haynes says disconnect the battery, but I guess that that then means that loads of things have to be re-set after a break in power? 2) If it's like the guide that Fubar posted, then it sounds like the pre-FL xenons have bezels rather than the fiddly sounding levers referred to in the link in post #5? 3) If the adjustment produces a flat beam with no bias at all, then theoretically it could be done in the UK at a time to suit yourself, as opposed to fiddling about on the ferry or during the tunnel crossing? There'll be a bit of a loss of pattern on UK roads, but you wouldn't be dazzling anyone because you haven't lifted the (UK) drivers side pattern. Many thanks.

If it can't be done via the maxidot on the pre-FL, does anyone know how they're adjusted? Is it an electronic adjustment, or on a bezel ring like the halogen units? Checked out the pre-FL guide linked to by Fubar, but I've had a headlamp unit out before and you need a torx driver to remove the plastic cover (not clips) and once in I didn't even contemplate messing with the zenon unit... And if it creates a flat beam, is it both headlamp units that need adjusting or just the (UK) nearside ones?

1.No Waiting / Storm Blue / 2.0 TDI PD / MY09 (Pre facelift) 2.andyjl1968 / Anthracite Grey / 2.0 TDI PD / MY07 3.Nick_H / Arctic Green / 1.8Tsi / MY11 4.dekka48, / black magic,/ 2.0 PD, / 2008 5.skodal, / Anthracite Grey, / 2.0 CR Diesel, / MY11 / hopefully september!!! 6.foo / Anthracite / 1.8TSI / 2009 7.Stuart / Arctic Green / 2.0 PD / May 2010 8.NikNak / Anthracite Grey/ 2.0 CR / MY11 / Delivery around August 2010 9.Constant / Brilliant Silver Metallic / 2.0 TDi / Jan 2008 10.Gaz196 / Black Magic / 1.8 TSi / MY11 Sept '10 11.GGG / Anthracite Grey / 2.0 PD / May 2010 12.Pedro Pete / Anthracite / 2.0 CR / . Arriving End Sept? 13.Inego / Brilliant Silver / 2.0 PD/ Jan 10 14.Kumquat/ Satin Grey/ 2.0 TDi/ Nov 2009 15.CEPi / Cappuccino / 1.8 TSi / Apr 2010 16.sparky2 / Satin Grey / 2ltr PD TDi / July 2009 FL 17.Normcall / Red / 1.8 TSI / 2009 18.username taken / black / 2ltr pd / june 2010 19.RandyAxion/Cappuccino Beige/2.0 TDI/November 2012 (delivered next week)(American in Germany) 20.rkenny / Satin Grey / 2.0 PD Tdi / March 08 21.GroundHog / Satin Grey / 2.0 PD TDi / MY08 22.Captain Kremen/Satin Grey/2.0PD TD/2007 07 23.ralle / Cappuccino / 2.0PD / 2007 57 24.atkinsong / Candy White / 1.8 TSI / May 2010 25.uscouter / Cappuccino / 2.0PD TDi / March 2010 26.Eddie Deguello / Anthracite Grey / 2.0 TDI CR / Sept 2010 27.London Les/ Satin Grey / 2.0 TDI CR / Wk 33 Sept 2010 / Alcantara, Xenon AFSII, Spare, Silver Rails, MFSW, Maxidot, Curtain Airbags, MDI 28.Scouter2 / Brilliant Silver / 2.0 TDi / Apr 2007 29.harrylime / cappucino beige / 1.8 tsi / January 2010 30.Mark999 / Dynamic Blue / 2.0PD / May2010 31.Magicknight75 / Black Magic / 2.0 Fsi /Feb 08 standard skoda spec apart from full size spare 32.All the Scout standard toys + Xenons, MFSW, Maxidot, Curtain Airbags, OEM Bluetooth. 33.Jeeves / Anthracite / 2.0 TDI PD / Feb 2010 34.Niall / Satin Grey / 2.0PD TDi / May 07 / 07 Octavia Scout TDi / standard skoda spec apart from full size spare 35.Wilkopilko / Brilliant Silver/ 2.0 TDI PD / June 2007 36.Utarg / Anthracite Grey / 2.0 CR / Just been told I can pick it up 17th July! / Alicantra,Spare,Maxidot,MDI 37.Finbarsko / Satin grey / 2.0 PD / 57 38.ScruffyBadger / Brilliant Silver Met / 2.0 TDi PD/ June 2008 39.Unclelatch / Anthracite Grey / 2.0 TDI PD / June 2010 / MFSW, Maxidot 40.BOBW / cappucino beige / 1.8TSI / May 2010 41.Simon Cobb / Cappuccino Beige / 2.0 TDI CR / fully optioned apart from MDI and SATNAV 42.AuScout / Satin Grey / 2.0TDI / Oct 2008 43.royskie / Red / 2.0TDI / November 2007 44.Bill Blake / Rosso Brunello / 2.0 TDI / Jan 2010 45.downes martin / Rosso Brenello / 2.0 cr 140 / MY 2011 46.Monnae / corrida red / 1.8 Tsi / my 2011 47.silver1011 / Black Magic / 2.0 TDi / August 2008 / Xenons 48.billycann / Candy White / 2.0 TDi / Dec 09 (facelift) Raised boot floor, spare wheel. Really wish I'd remembered xenons and Maxidot!!! 49.Lasseson / Black magic / 2.0 tdi cr / delivery dec 2010 50.Scout60 / gray anthracite / 2.0tdi / 60 plate 51.Essm / silver met /2.0tdi / Nov 2008 / lots of extras incl OEM bluetooth 52.krimat t/ Cappucino beige / 2.0TDI cr / delivery dec 2010 53.Fin69 / Anthracite grey /2.0TDi PD/ July 2010 54.Snala / Brilliant Silver / 2.0TDI CR / NZ spec + MIDI/Hill hold/LED DRL's /Oct 2010 55.Thorfinn / Corrida Red / 2.0 CR TDi / October 2010 56.Badgersport / Candy White / 2.0 CR TDi / October 2010 / Polished proteus wheels 57.eenymac / Anthracite / 1.8 TSI / March 2010 58.Scuderria / Cappuccino Beige Metallic / 1.8 TSI / MY11 (expected in March) 59.Jawsnpaws / Satin Grey Metallic / 2.0 PD TDi / April 2008 60.lard-ajc / Anthracite / 2.0 PD TDi / June 2008 61.Carpus/ Anthracite/ 1.8 TSI/ Sept 2010 62.egide / Satin Grey Metallic / 2.0 PD TDi / May 2008 63.JJBS3/ Rosso Mugello?/ 2.0TDI PD / Jan 2010 (Remapped at REVO...much better!) 64.Greenie58 / Brilliant Silver / 2.0 PD TDI / July 07 65.Browny / Black Magic / 2.0 TDI CR / on order... 66.Slimboyfat303: Silver / 1.8TSI Scout / 2011 67.az12d/Cappuchino Biege/TDi/59 plate, awaiting new one in feb 11 68.6nations / arrived June 2010 / TDI / White 69.Scoutel / Cappuccino / 1.8 Tsi / January 2011 70.London_Jock / Pacific Blue / 2.0 TDI CR / Ordered Dec 10, expected build May 11 71.27motorhead / Cappuccino / 2.0TDi / March 2008 / Bought from Marlborough Skoda in August 2008 ex-Sales Managers car 72.Anthracite, 2.0 TDI 1st Feb 2011...Yipee! after 7 months wait! 73.alannfrost / Safari / 2.0 TDI / DSG/ arriving early June 2011 74.Speedy_Gonzales / Anthracite / 1.8TSi / Ordered 06/02/11, Delivered 15/06/11 / Extras Polished Proteus Alloys-multi function steering wheel for radio/maxidot-Space saver spare wheel 75.Trenca / Candy White / 2.0 TDi PB / FL February 2011 / Xenon+Foldable Mirrors+Tow 76.Scout Master / Rosso Brunello / 1.8TSI / most extras ordered except Sat Nav / Ordered Aug 10 / delivery 1st March 11 (hopefully). 77.Cullenator / Cappucino Mettalic / 1.8TSi / Black leather interior / June 2010 78.scousemouse / Blackmagic / 1.8 TSI / arriving June 2011 79.m1cvt / white /2.0 TDI PD / March 2010 80.Placey / Black Magic 2.0 TDI Mar 08 soon getting a new one the same in April... 81.Zippy / Steel Grey / 1.8 TSI / due August 2011 82.theptyboy / black 83.stevo1 / Brilliant Silver /2.0 TDI PD / NOV 2007 84.steviehg / Aqua Blue / 2.0 TD CR / Extras: sunroof VBF Multi F Maxi Dot / ordered 16/11/2010, last update 29 weeks 85.rosswm / Brilliant Silver / 2.0TDI / July 2007 86.mlp / Anthracite Grey / 2.0 TDI CR / May 2011 87.scoutabout / Storm Blue / 1.8TSi / May 2011 88.Uncle Bulgaria / Cappuchino / 2.0 CR DSG / May 2011 89.Anddenton / Anthracite Grey / 2.0 TDI PD 140 / May 2008 / Maxi-dot, Multi-function SW, Xenon HID's, Columbus SN, Bluetooth, MDI, headlight brows, LED DRL's, Blue LED interior lights, dechromed badgeless grill on way. 90.Jasper13 / brilliant silver with polished alloys / 2.0 TDI CR PDF DSG / June 2011, had to wait 6 months but love it now its here!! 91.Tonyp5a / Anthracite with polished alloys / 2.0TDi CR / July 2011 92.sandal farm/red with polished alloys/2.0tdi/july 2011 ordered nov 2010 93.Carabus901/ black with polished alloys/ 2.0 TDI/ Jul 11 ordered Dec 10 94.Turboscout / Black / 1.8 TSI / July 2011 95.biker123 / red 0 2.0TDI / 2008 96.Octapuss / Aqua Blue / 2.0 TDI CR DSG / June 2011, 97.scoutdave / Storm Blue metallic / 1.8 TSI / 2010 (owned from Aug 2011) 98.lamlash / satin grey / 2.0 TDI CR / Oct 2011 / no extras 99.jpgb / Safari metallic/ 2.0 TDI CR / 2011 / DSG 100.diesel steve / rosso red / 140 tdi / june 10 101.stringbean / Rosso Red / 2.0 TDI CR / December 2011 / Maxidot, MFSW, Xenons, LED DRL, Curtain Airbags, Spare Wheel, 'Polished' Proteus Alloys 102.Scoutmaster / aqua blue /2.0 tdi pd / June 2010 (owned from new)/ satnav, oem bluetooth, maxidot, mfsw, xenons, alcantara, electric driver’s seat, curtain airbags, full-size spare, raised boot floor and Shark remap 103.indianinorge / Corrida Red / 2.0 TDI CR / MY2012 / Webasto, Amundsen SatNav, DAB +++ / Delivered for Christmas :-) Can't take the smile off my face! 104.Locheil/ silver / 2.0 TDI / May2007 / (2nd owner, 63k mls on clock, FSH etc), xenons, curtain airbags 105.smurfster / 2.0 TDI / May 2007 / 104K mls 106.Samwise / Dark Metallic Green / 2.0TDI / July 2008 / 41K mls 107.rz67 / Satin Grey / 1.8 TSI / October 2011 108.Scuff / Rosso Brunello / 2.0 TDi / oct 2010 (2nd owner 12k miles) 109.Tattster/Brilliant Silver Metallic / 2.0 TDi / June 2008 110.DoggieScout / Safari Metallic / 1.8 TSI / Sept 2011 (ordered March 2011) 111.Danrock101 / Grey / 2.0 TDI PD 140 / 57 plate 112. Shooter / Anthracite Grey / 2.0D xenons, satnav, leather, heated seats 113. Dr Dom / black magic / 2.0 TDI PD 140 / 57 plate 114.You pies / Athracite Grey / 2.0 TDI 140 CR / Sept 2010 / Shark remap=Fantastic drive now 115.Scoutfox / Cappucino Mettalic / 1.8TSi / Feb 2010 116. Howardian1 / Brilliant Silver (tho' rarely clean enough to tell) / 2.0 TDi PD / June 2008 / private plate / Proteus rims in summer; Spitzberg rims in winter / leather & alcantara / MFSW / Maxidot / zenons / satnav / Brink towbar.

I have a Scout and have the same issue, but reckoned it was worthwhile getting the manual for all the run-of-the-mill things that are pretty much standard across the whole range. At some point you'll probably need to take an internal trim panel, etc off, and then at least it should give you an idea of where to start and in which order to rive at those annoying plastic trim clips without breaking them all

References above to being able to alter zenons from steering wheel if you have Maxidot. I have a 2008 pre-FL Scout, and Maxidot, but can't see any option for headlamp alignment anywhere in the menus. Can anyone give me any clues as to where the option is - handbook says it needs to go to a dealer for adjustment. Alternatively I need to find someone in the York area with vcds

Planning to pull the fuse on mine whenever we get snow and ice. Covers freeze to the bumper, then the washer activates automatically and off pings the cover with a snapping of retaining lugs. Lost 2 in previous years that way. A real pain, and I've never found the washers that effective at cleaning the lights anyway. A bucket of water each weekend and going round doing all the lights on the car is far more effective.

I've had this on and off for about 3 years. Stops for a while and then works fine again for months. It only ever occurs when it's cold and really wet, so inevitably it's stopped now! On my old Subaru Forester it was down to muck getting into the housing around the wiper spindle and in essence forming a thick paste. In the end I took the wiper motor out and cut the housing off (as it was surplus to operational requirements) - that was a Subaru Dealer's tip. Working on the same principle, and having just read in the manual that there's a rubber grommet on the rear screen through which the wiper spindle passes, I reckon that my problem is a combination of dirt, wet weather and cold. The grommet gets full of muck, and maybe becomes less flexible with the wet/cold? Friction increases and hence the wiper stops working until those conditions pass. A good clean followed by loads of Copaslip I reckon, although I'm in no rush to take the wiper motor out in this weather!

And in winter, if they freeze to the bumper, if they don't pop the fuse then they snap off and fly into space, leaving you with a hole in the front bumper and a £5 + paint spray bill to replace them... Had 2 go on my Scout, always the o/s one, so now I check them on winter days before driving. A pain really.

My Scout now sorted. Dealer originally told me the anti-roll bar link bushes were a bit sloppy, but then at this 10k service they rang on the day and said the lower arm rear bushes were showing signs of heavy wear. Told them to do the work whilst the car was there and, bingo, it's completely eliminated the knocking from the front end. Tested it on the the steep rough track I used before (and worked out that the noise was much worse coming downhill than going uphill) and it's a different car. Can't guarantee of course that it's the same for every vehicle but that's what sorted it on mine. Now have a spare set of new ARB links that I never got round to fitting, and the old set of rear bushes so that if I decide to fit polybushes when these rubber ones go again (which they will) then I've got the alloy mounts already. Hope others have sorted their problems too.

My Scout now sorted. Dealer originally told me the anti-roll bar link bushes were a bit sloppy, but then at this 10k service they rang on the day and said the lower arm rear bushes were showing signs of heavy wear. Told them to do the work whilst the car was there and, bingo, it's completely eliminated the knocking from the front end. Tested it on the the steep rough track I used before (and worked out that the noise was much worse coming downhill than going uphill) and it's a different car. Can't guarantee of course that it's the same for every vehicle but that's what sorted it on mine. Now have a spare set of new ARB links that I never got round to fitting, and the old set of rear bushes so that if I decide to fit polybushes when these rubber ones go again (which they will) then I've got the alloy mounts already. Hope others have sorted their problems too.

I had/have the same problem on 140 PD Scout. There are lots of differently-titled threads on this forum about basically the same symptoms. # Fault codes - I was told by the dealer that they never disappear from the memory until they are manually deleted. So if it throws a light, the code will always be stored in the memory. # Mine does this occasionally - I've learnt to ignore it now, BUT, # When it first started, I took it to the dealers. Faulty exhaust gas sensor diagnosed, replaced and manual DPF regen performed. Without replacing the sensor, the DPF won't regen automatically and so will build up and 'choke' the engine eventually. # Since then it's thrown lights occasionally. Another thread somewhere on here gives fuel filter as the problem. And, looking back, my glow plug light issues have eased off since fuel filter replaced at about 40k.

Are you going to get yours sorted, to check your theory? Problem it seems with most of us is that the noise is annoying but not such a problem that it warrants spending vast sums of money on it. As far as I can tell from this thread, the knocking noise has been sorted on various cars by changing: drop links, control arm rear bushes, control arm front bushes and now steering column bush/joint. And on other cars these haven't worked. Take your pick really... Drop links I'm willing to try as an experiment - steering column work can wait until i get told it's an MOT Fail/dangerous.

Further to my last post, I've been thinking a bit more about this. If you tot-up the responses, you get about 1 person adamant that front ARB drop links fixed their problems, another 1 saying it made no difference. Some refer to the control arm rear bush as being the problem, in that wear there causes knocking from the front bush. But the thing that's really puzzling me I'm afraid David is your series of posts. You started this thread and asked for any views. Various people gave hints and experiences. By half way through the word "console" had appeared and you needed to ask what one of those was (I didn't know either). But by Post #54 you explain that you're a vehicle tester and doing 20 cars per day. You're now adamant that it's the control arm front bush and definitely NOT the rear bush. Sorry, but if that was the case, how come you didn't know what it was in the first place? I'm really sorry if I've missed something here, but this seems inconsistent. Like everyone else, I'm just trying to fix an annoying front-end noise and the jury really seems to be out on exactly what it is. Maybe it's the same noise but with a variety of causes, or all these different things in combination. So the strategy i'm going to try is TRW replacement ARB drop links, then control arm rear bushes, then control arm front bushes. And, as I said before, i'm tempted by polybushes for the rear then front bushes. Don't need Super pro ones as I think they'll be too hard for the roads/terrain that I cover, but do feel that i want bushes that will last longer than the standard rubber ones.

I have this on my 49k Scout, but it's probably been doing it since about 20k. Particularly annoying when I'm going across stubble fields, down rough tracks, etc, as it sounds like the whole front end's about to fall off. On my old Subaru Forester this was always worn rubber bushes in the front ARB link arms. So that's where I started investigating on the Scout and dealers said there was 'slight play'. These drop links are very different to Subaru ones though, which were simply two rubber bushes at each end of a link arm, and not track rod end-type joints. Best of all, the parts guy at same dealer said "Nah, not drop link arms, never had to supply any of those. Control arm rear bushes - they go quite often. Simple to do - unbolt, slide old one off, fit new one and re-attach." Like everyone else, wondering exactly what order to tackle these in now. ARB drop links simple to do. Control arm rear bush slightly more difficult, as I'm tempted by polybushes. Assuming I can get the old console off, should be able to press out old rubber bush/press in new polybush using a vice, sockets, bolts & washers, etc and soapy hot water. Control arm front bushes beyond my capabilities, though may get some polybush ones and get someone else to do the job for me.

To be honest, if the light comes on i don't bother to take it out or do anything out of the ordinary. It just seems to sort itself out eventually. That said, if I wasn't doing ANY reasonable speed/distance driving at all then I probably would think about a special trip just to do a regen. Yeah, near Helmsley. I was talking about a nice driving road, rather than a good one to clear the DPF! Don't drive it as much as I used to, but my favourite bits are the dips near Lockton and the narrow bridge/hairpin bend near Fylingdales. Too many tourists about at the minute for it to be a clear run, and they're just a bit unpredictable. Lost nerve a bit driving fast at night - red Forester was fine but silver Scout seems to be a bldy magnet for deer to try and jump on the bonnet.

That's handy to know and probably explains why mine keeps coming on occasionally - with my pattern of driving it's probably hovering around the 25% mark most of the time. Notwithstanding Silver's comment about a good blast not necessarily doing the trick, the moor road between Pickering and Sleights has to be one of the best places to have a blast, if only for the hell of it! What Silver said would tie-in with what the dealer told me when they replaced faulty sensor and did a manual regen - drive the car harder in general, so that you produce less soot in the first place. As the DPF is supposed to be an environmental piece of kit, to reduce particulates emissions, having to drive a DPF car harder so that it doesn't clog up (thus using more fuel) seems a bit counter-productive.

Lintran make a good range of universal fibreglass dog cages for estates, hatchbacks, 4x4s, etc. Very popular with people who have working sporting dogs. Had mine for about 10 years and don't expect to ever have to replace it - it's the first thing I measure for in a new car! You could also try DAB, who make a differnet style of box.

It would have helped us all, and saved a hell of a lot of internet time, if the handbook actually said that the car will run slightly rough while it's doing a DPF regen...

I'd agree it sounds like DPF - I get the same every so often, sometimes with a DPF warning light at around the same time (give or take a couple of days!) One thing I've always wondered - as the car doesn't know when you're going to stop driving and turn the engine off, what happens if it's part way through the regen sequence?

Yes, didn't think of it at the time, but my stats would seem to bear that out. Little difference between the Dunlops at 260 and Nokian Zs at 300.

I'm assuming these are sold now?

Just shows how much pot-luck it can be. Staff probably stay the same through all the name changes. If you get good staff and management then it's great, but if not it's an expensive nightmare. As with all customer service it depends on people and their attitude, and it's about impossible to generalise between, in this case, Main Dealers and Independents.