SteveTheElder

Thanks. I decided to get a bottle of VW 508 00/509 00 0w20 FS IV for the Mk4 TSI; amazingly thin, which is, I guess, part of the low friction, low emission initiatives. I won't be wasting the older bottle as it'll go fine in the other car.

Checked mine yesterday a few minutes after parking up on the drive. 1/4ltr added bringing it to the top of Zone B as indicated in the diagram @roottoot shared earlier. Bottle now stashed safely in the boot as I’ll be on the road a lot - 3000 [mostly motorway] miles in 3 weeks coming up (and a second mortgage for the fuel 😂). Going back to earlier mention of diesels and oil consumption, when I took delivery of my then new 2012 Octy 2 1.6TDi the dealer included a 1ltr top-up bottle of Castrol. Ran the car for 80k miles, the bottle is still in the cupboard with 500ml left in it. Shame it’s the wrong grade for the modern TSI I now have.

I have traditionally (as in the last 40 odd years) checked the oil level when the engine has stood for a good time allowing it drain into the sump, and is cold. Seem to recall reading somewhere (which I now can’t find) that I should check the level when it’s warm, i.e. only about 5 or 10 minutes after parking up. Thoughts?

Anyone used this Calendar app to launch the SatNav to direct you to an appointment? This from the online Škoda Connect Portal ... "Get your in-car Google calendar to easily navigate to your next appointment and schedule your agenda on the go." Does actually work? Could be handy if it does.

I've got the Columbus built-in SatNav and would like to load some of my own POIs, or at least a list of addresses (going on a road-trip 😊). Somewhere I read that the MyŠkoda app (or web portal) has the capability to upload a route to the car - but I'm pretty sure mine is an early version which doesn't support such clever stuff (same with the remote lock/unlock). Yes, I could use Apple Maps or Waze through CarPlay but I'd rather us the built in SatNav and want to speed up the process of saving favourites. I can't see anything in the user manual about loading POIs, so does anyone know if it's possible, and how to go about it? Thanks.

I went from a Superb 2 hatch to an Octavia 4 estate about 12 months ago. Some comparisons... The ride in the Superb 2 was, I reckon, more comfortable; a combination of a slightly longer wheelbase and the tyre pressures (those stated in the Octavia chart seem a bit too firm and the suspension doesn't make up for it). Fuel economy is better in the Octavia by about 10% (Superb 1.4TSI 125PS, Octavia 1.5TSI ACT 150PS, both 6 speed manual). How much of that is the engine efficiency improvements vs. car aerodynamics I don't know. Noise levels inside are about the same overall. At speed on the motorway I reckon the Octavia is a bit quieter, but typical poor surface urban roads then the Superb beats is hands down. Rear legroom significantly less in the Octavia. Not a big deal for me now the grown up kids have moved away, but last weeks family holiday was a bit tight in the back with both kids at well over 6-foot tall (as am I). Boot is a little bigger in the Octavia, but I guess the Superb estate would be bigger still. Very subjectively, I reckon the Octavia 4 is 'a nicer place to be' than the Superb 3 I sat in before buying last year. It was all about styling and materials. You'll need to make adjustments for the current Superb model with I believe to be a big improvement (ride, handling) over the Superb 2 that I had. And finally, if I had teenagers and dogs, then it'd be the Superb. No question.

Yes.... ... that car manufacturers have given up on common sense😂

Thanks @SurreyJohn, I hadn't thought of it from that perspective. Could be useful for the missus' CitiGo though, it's just over 4 yrs old so that extra warranty & roadside could be useful.

I've just had an email from my supplier/dealer offering 20% off Škoda service plans. £364.80 (one-off) or £15.20/pcm (24 payments) for 2 services, one with pollen filter other being extended scope. There's also a 3 service plan with two extended scope services for £537.60 or £22.40/pcm - see https://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/service-plan I'm doing around 15-16,000 miles a year with the car (1.5Tsi ACT) showing about 6000 to the next service/inspection, with the car set to variable intervals. I'll probably keep it another 5 years or so. Would you go for a plan, and which one?

Adding to that which @MiniNinjaRob mentioned, mine is working fine 99% of the time, and have noticed two scenarios when it doesn’t… If trying to overtake on a long right-hand bend the car ‘sees’ the vehicle in the near side lane as being in front of me and slows down When there is no internet connection when starting the car. It seems to default to ‘driving on the right’. For example, a week or so ago, this happened when I’d parked in a deep narrow valley in the Lake District, no phone signal, no internet. Got on to the M6 within about 15 minutes and ACC was all awry. A further half hour on, it self-corrected and was fine for the next 100 miles to near Hamilton. Was perfect all the way back to Hampshire and ever since. Both scenarios have some understandable logic to them but would be nice if it didn’t occur at all. Not saying these are the causes for every car that plays up, just sharing my experience & observations. The more I drive this car, the more I like it; and my sympathies with those whose cars are more troublesome than mine is.

I read that too, would be a dream with a DSG 'box. Alas less so with a manual, but helpfully the ACC doesn't disengage with a gear change unless the clutch it out for a couple of seconds. I've let mine take me down from 70 to about 30, dropping to third on the way. I chickened at that point and went for the brake pedal 🙄 Might experiment a bit more so I can get the best out of the tech...

As I understand it, an iPhone can connect to the car in one of two ways (not both) - 'traditional' Bluetooth phone sync OR CarPlay (when you don't need the phone sync 'cos you just use Siri to make a call etc). I use carPlay so can't really comment further on the phone sync. I assume (but don't know) that AndroidAuto is similar.

I think the SE has a different shape seat (load SE FE I had were slightly less 'sculpted'), whereas the SEL & SEL FE are the same - apart from the SEL FE has electric memory for the driver side, which I find helpful for the reason you mention (I'm 6'5", my wife 5'8"). My wish is for a great distance between pedals and steering wheel so I could move the seat a bit further back without feeling I'm stretching for the wheel, especially in urban driving. On the motorways I tend to nudge it back a bit though. Talking of Volvos, a friend of mine reckoned his 850 estate had "400 mile seats". I drove it for about 150 miles and was certainly very comfortable; may be worth saving up and looking at a Volvo next time...

Interesting that you find the seats to be super comfy. I've got an SEL 1st edition and after about 3 hours I get a back-ache so always plan to stop for a stretch & walk every couple hours. Having said that, last month I covered 640 miles in a total elapsed time of 20 hours - and could still walk at the end of it 😂 I agree with you about the Octy 4 being quiet and relaxing, and yes, the ACC works like a dream 99% of the time. To chip in on the fuel efficiency, I'm pleasantly surprised that my 1.5 TSi ACT (manual 'box) is returning 55+mpg over the 9k miles I've covered in it. Can be up towards 60mpg on a long run at legal limits. What I have noticed is that it suffers driving in to a strong headwind, more so than my previous Superb II and Octavia II - for example, same route, same load, similar speeds, similar gradients/climbs, outward leg 59mpg, return 48mpg ('twas blowing a gale over Shap & Beatock summits).

Had a closer look this morning, and yes, the numbers behind the needle on the dials are brighter. One of those modern things that I never knew I needed 😂

Really!? I'm about 9000 miles in and never noticed that! 🙄 My excuse is that I usually just look at the big numerical display in the centre rather than the dials.

No worries. Thanks for the update, and useful to know they replaced the unit. I’ll check the background colour of mine.

The issue in mine only shows up in cold weather, below about 5degC, and stops after a while once the car is thoroughly warmed up.

There are several of us on this forum who have or had similar issues. Check out threads on KPH/MPH and SOS. The popping noise is likely from the SOS system. Some have had a s/ware fix like me, other a replacement unit. The kph issue was fixed in mine as part of a test fix; that was back in September after being off the road for 20 weeks.. I’d have thought the fix would be widely available by now. Ask the dealer to speak with Škoda Technical and with a bit of luck they’ll get more updates for your car. Failing that, get on to Škoda UK yourself, but press for the fix cos it does exist.

If you do feel the need to sit on the drive for. A few minutes, just turn on the ignition and let the Nav system load and set the destination. Then start the engine.

Just a s/ware update. To be fair to the dealer, I had a few niggles to sort and they suggested doing all outstanding updates as a first step; see how it goes then decide what’s next. I’ll be back in touch with them in a day or two after seeing which, if any, of the other niggles remain.

Good news or Bad news first? ok, good news…. Casper 👻 is alive and well, and back in my car 😊😂 bad news…. The interior rear courtesy light was driving me nuts this evening. 40 minutes of fading on and off whilst driving unlit roads is quite a distraction. ☹️

I agree, sort of! yes, weather conditions and road grime can affect the sensors, but in the Octy 4 the ‘unavailable’ alert comes up in ideal conditions at time too. I firmly believe that there is a s/w issue in some cars.

Sadly the ACC fault is a known issue and many in this forum are suffering from the same issue. My own Octy 4 was off the road, at the dealer for 5 months due to s/w issues; it did though help Škoda track down some faults and develop a fix. So far it’s much better, and a joy to drive. ACC isn’t an issue in mine now, hopefully they can get the updates rolled out for everyone very soon.

Ah OK, a shame that didn’t solve it though. Another thought. Did you get an email confirming the service activation? From memory, it took a few days for mine to come through. Can’t think of anything else. Hope you can get it fixed…