ttw

I don't fully trust dealer at best of times courtesy of timing belt/gearbox failure on old car which led to me having this one. All logged in writing, including their response so when I can't start it one morning they will be liable for collection, repair, courtesy car and my loss of earnings. My old car cost them 10 grand this year.

Fan running is dpf regen, nothing to worry about

Me again, design issue I've noticed since November is the position of the bonnet strut and washer bottle filler. The strut obscures the filler Not a problem if you have a watering can or similar to fill up with but using a 5 litre can of ready mixed screenwash is difficult. I get through gallons of screen wash due to light washers, same on old Octy 2, but it seems a bit daft to have the filler obscured in such a way. Is this a problem on all Octy 3s or just 2.0 TDI?

Get a spare tyre, used mine twice already since July!

Thanks, it does ease off once engine is running.

Not sure if this is a fault but the brake pedal on my 2.0tdi dsg goes rock hard if left for 24 hours. Literally had to stand on pedal to get the engine to start. Dealer says this is normal, trouble is this is the same dealer who said the timing belt was fine on my old octy 2...

2.0 TDI Elegance DSG hatchback. Silver, spare wheel.

I can't get my HTC to show pics either. Also it is only importing some contacts linked to my Facebook profile. Any ideas?

Done some maths, bit of a no brainer really!

Been offered fantastic finance package and part ex against Octavia 3 TDI 150 DSG Elegance. :-)

Been offered fantastic finance deal and part ex against an Octavia 3 Elegance TDI 150 DSG. :-)

Not going to retract my post as this all happened and was a nightmare. However, today Vindis have offered me a brand new Octavia 3, 2.0 TDI 150 Elegance on a fantastic finance deal with a great part ex price on mine. Going to take them up in the morning I think.

Major issues with Vindis. Bought an 07 Octavia from them in 2011, cash sale. Also bought 2 year service plan at same time. When I went to pick the car up they kept me waiting for 2 hours and tried to sell me more finance products despite the fact that I had paid in full for the car a week earlier. Day after I picked the car up the salesman phoned me to say that one of the headlamp washer jets had only been repaired temporarily and I would need to bring the car back. Not long after, I queried whether the timing belt had been changed at 4 years as recommended, was told no but it would last till 80k miles. Fast forward to May 2012, 15k miles into 20,000 mile service plan, indicator hadn't come on. Contacted them to query and was told computer hadn't been set up correctly. Six weeks later the Vindis Group call centre finally booked my car in. In response to this Matthew Wootton (head of business) gave me £75 as goodwill gesture and agreed that service plan would be honoured for 2 years regardless of mileage. Easter Sunday 2013, timing belt failed in lane 3 of M25, 62,000 miles. Car was going in for service on Tuesday anyway. Vindis recovered the car from my home where AA had brought it where it then sat in their workshop for a week before anyone looked at it. Finally a new engine was diagnosed with a cost of £4600, we discussed possibility of part ex/replacement but eventually agreed that repair was best option. I paid 50% of parts and no labour (£1200) they picked up the rest (£3000). Picked up car at beginning of May, 5 weeks after failure. Advisories after work included new front brakes, brake fluid (due in June), rear suspension components and oil leak from engine! Drove home and immediately spotted tracking was out and climate control not working. Car was picked up next day, repaired and brought back to me at work complete with rattling exhaust heatshield. Outstanding work completed 2 weeks later, £480 including a goodwill discount organised again by Matthew Wootton. Car has been back again this week for diagnostics on engine vibration. Will need another £580 to have gearbox removed and clutch pack/flywheel checked. Can't really understand why this wasn't done when engine was replaced. Still waiting for a part ex valuation.

Vindis Cambridge stole my tweezers.

I questioned this yesterday. "No way clutch/flywheel could have been damaged by timing belt failure." I was told. My reaction: "You mean in the same way you said that the timing belt didn't need changing?" He didn't like that. Car is going, shame as I love it but can't justify spending more money on it.