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.

No idea, guess it would be £570 to remove gearbox then £400 to replace clutch pack.

No, but this will also require hideously expensive removal procedure.

My Octavia TDI 140 dsg has just spent 3 days at the dealer having a vibration diagnosed. It had a replacement engine 2500 miles ago due to a snapped timing belt (covered in another topic). Dealer reckons clutch might be on its way out but wants £570 to remove gearbox and check clutch assembly, this is before any work that may need doing. Dealer also maintains that clutch problems are not linked to the timing belt failure but I'm not so sure. Seems a bit coincidental that clutch was fine before engine failure and now it isn't. Can't imagine that going from 3000rpm to 0 In a split second did it much good, also car kept rolling after engine failed for a few hundred yards as I pulled onto hard shoulder. Car has had over £5000 spent on it in last 2 months, 2k by me, rest by dealer. I don't want to spend any more, any way I can prove clutch was damaged by belt failure or subsequent repair work?

Haven't been on for a while but I agreed to pay for half of the parts and no labour just to get the car back. (cost to me £1200, cost to them £3000). Finally got the car back after 5 weeks only to find climate control not working and steering misaligned, also an oil leak from new engine! Car was picked up from work to have steering done and software update for climate. Went back two weeks later for oil change (needed to honour the warranty on new engine), brake fluid change, which was missed at service, and new front brakes. Also had exhaust heatshield refitted as was rattling against the bottom of the car, another £480. As we speak the car is back with dealer as it looks like DMF is on its way out, they are being their usual useless and non-committal selves, they've had the car 48 hours and I had to phone this evening to find out what is going on, hasn't been into the workshop yet... Considering offering him £5000 plus my car against a 59 Octavia L&K 2.0 TDI DSG they have on the forecourt then parting ways with dealer for good.

Now have an Octavia 1.4 TSI DSG SE+ as a courtesy car. Small steps.

1) The value of the car will be unaffected, since the replacement engine will have the same engine number as the current one. New engines are delivered with no engine number stamped on the block, and the dealer will stamp with the existing number. The current engine block is then scrapped / recycled after having the number removed. Replacement engine will be a reconditioned unit not new as the TDI PD 140 is now obsolete.

He was squirming on the phone earlier. They are replacing the Roomster I've had all week with an Octavia tomorrow morning. They have also promised a "solution" tomorrow.

Not changed at service last July either.

Registered June 2007, bought July 2011. I asked the dealer directly whether it should be replaced at 4 years and was told no.

The timing belt snapped on my 07 Octavia Elegance. Its the 2.0 TDI 140 with a DSG 'box. The car has only done 62,000 miles, I queried the timing belt when I bought the car in 2011 and was told, by main dealer, that it didn't need doing. The dealer has now had the car for a week and have today, finally, taken the cylinder head off and diagnosed shattered exhaust valves meaning a new engine. I have 2 questions: 1 anyone know how this will affect resale value? 2 how do I guarantee that the replacement engine is up to scratch? The car has only been serviced by Skoda dealers so hopefully they are paying for it.