andyoctavia

We went to France on a daytrip yesterday, and when I was in Carrefour (Cite Europe), I noticed an offer which made me read it over and over again. A set of alloy wheels shod with Michelin Alpin 5 tyres in the lovely Skoda size - 195/65/15 They cost 535 Euros, which at yesterday's rate was £392.60 for a set of brand new wheels and tyres. I didn't buy any, because I didn't have the room to bring them back. It seemed like a real bargain to me.

Sadly, life is not that simple. I used to play golf, and managed to break two top end Callaway graphite shafts in exactly the same place (about 2" above the hosel). I had heard very good reports about Halfords bulbs until I bought them. I am also very careful and wear latex gloves when handling bulbs, and make sure that they are kept free from any contaminants.

Just a quick update in this, and not a particularly good one IMO. I managed to find a couple of spare Halfords super brilliance bulbs (which I had bought a couple of years ago when they were on offer). So, I replaced the bulb back in December, and last night all was dark on that side, so I am not happy. I will check the connections when it stops sleeting, and see if the bulb has really blown, but I find it hard to believe that it has lasted just over a month.

My 55 reg 1.9 is totally standard, but I have to take it really easy over every single speed hump, because for some reason, this car seems to be lower than all my previous ones. I reckon any sounds will be the undertrays clipping the top of the speed bumps.

Just fitted one of these to my Octavia, it was seven months old with a three year warranty and started great this morning. http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Skoda_Octavia_1.9_2005/p/car-parts/car-electrics-and-car-lighting/electrical/car-battery/?444771001&1&ac59af3909b46291541bdc25850f7d3be73b1df7&000020

There should be absolutely no play in a wheel, and this does not mean that the wheel bearings will have been overtightened. These are precision components (or should be) and any play relates to loose bearings, the same way as a juddering steering wheel would probably be cause by out of true brake discs. If you read the specs in the handbook they should give the torque settings for the hub nut, which allows for grease etc. If you can detect movement by rocking the wheel, then the hub nut needs nipping up a bit.

Thanks Mike, it now seems that the previous owner of my Octavia fitted a Type 027 battery with a cold cranking rate of 480 (no wonder it seems to struggle). So I am going to swap them over, as ECP recommend the battery which is in the Mondeo, as an alternative for the Skoda. The CCA of the Type 096 (which you mention) is 640 and the CCA of the Mondeo battery is 620, so I think that it should cope OK.

We are still on the same battery which came with the car when we bought it back in March 2012. However, I am selling our other car (an old Modeo) and the battery in there is only six months old - Lion 100 70 AH 3 years guarantee - so would I be advised to swap them over, because the Octavia has been a bit sluggish on starting lately.

Bad luck, it seems as though you are caught between a rock and a hard place. I have to admit that I would be struggling to make a decision as well.

Sorry to hear about this, but to be honest with you, will it be worth repairing, because engine related work can be very expensive. Would you be better off buying another car?

I think that my old BMW tyres (205/65 or 225/60) were a lot larger/more low pro than the 195/65 section on my Octavia.

I used Pirelli P6000's on the BMW (and on the Mondeo which replaced it). The tread pattern for that particular tyre has not changed at all since it was introduced,and I would doubt that the compound has changed very much either. For driving in the snow, I would either make a decision to leave the car at home, or let 5 - 10 PSI out of each tyre and reduce the speed accordingly, plus adjusting driving style to suit the conditions - higher gear/lower revs, no sharp braking, increased distance to car in front etc.

Back ten years go and further, we had RWD cars, and I knew how to drive them but the OH hadn't quite got the hang of it. One night she got home and said that she had left our 520i BMW halfway down a steepish hill half a mile from our house. I recovered it by simply pulling away in 2nd gear and easing it up the hill.

I would guess that the only way there would be an MOT failure, would be for noticeable play in the wheels when jacked up, plus a rumbling noise when spun. Do they check for that though? The only wheel bearings I ever replaced were on an Alfa (rears), and they were a real pig to do. After changing them though the car was really quiet to drive. Is it possible that the hub nuts have not been torqued up?

My late uncle who lived in Canada, was not short of a bob or two, but always bought large US cars with about 150K miles on them, and then ran them for a few years, clocking up another 150K at least. I remember him particularly liking the Chevrolet Caprice.

What a coincidence. Two users with very similar name styles pushing EBC brakes, both obviously work in the trade selling these items. Call me cynical - but? I will stick to Pagid brakes - they definitely work IMO. I don't work in the motor trade - or sadly any trade at the moment.

Thanks for the answers guys. What made me think about this, was when we had a courtesy car a few years ago, a year old Audi A3 1.6 Sport six speed, and I found it totally gutless. At the time I was used to driving petrol cars so was capable of taking it up the revs and shifting quickly. That car was incapable of gathering speed in fifth gear (let alone sixth) at 65mph, up the same hill that my Octavia will manage easily in top at the same speed. I have a 97 Alfa GTV in the garage, and may be interested to find out if anyone has done a diesel conversion on one - I would once have found this a heretical question, but I am sold on diesels now.

I must admit that having owned my Octavia since March 2012, and with it having over 130K miles on the clock, I am still amazed at how eager the engine is, and how well it pulls uphill. My previous cars have included BMW 528i and tuned Alfas, so I do appreciate a bit of power, but this has totally surprised me. I once recommended someone that they buy a basic 1.9 Octavia as a family car, and someone else chimed in and said that they had one and it struggled to do 70MPH - you can guess what my response was. Seriously, for a basic 105BHP engine, it does seem very willing, and this has been highlighted a couple of times on the continent, when we have been on a steady incline, and accelerated at 80MPH in top gear up to nearly 100MPH. Which brings me to the last point, is this a 105BHP engine (are they all like this?) or has it been chipped/remapped?

Cheers guys, now I am confused, I may well take a trip down the local Poundland/99p/Cheaper than all the rest tomorrow Seriously, I will go for the Osram.

I had a bulb go yesterday, and luckily replaced it with the good one I took out a couple of years ago when I replaced the front pair with Halfords (Super Brilliance I think). However, I want to buy a pair of matching bulbs, and wanted to know what folks would choose if they had to go for Osram Nightbreaker (at around £18 the pair from ECP) or Halfords Super Blilliance (at £19 - buy one get one free). I am very tempted to buy a couple of sets of the Osram at that price.

It is not "nonsense" to query the FACT that you advertised the car as HPI Clear when clearly it is not. A little more honesty and this thread would not have happened.

The seller also claims that the car is "HPI clear", which is not true, so you have to ask yourself if you would trust them at all?

Read my post #7 Jack the car up, take the wheels off, then gently rotate the discs. You will be able to feel if they are binding. If you rotate them, and they slow down (or you feel ANY resistance) then they are binding - warped discs or fouled hubs.