skomaz

If your phones are Google pixel phones or Samsung then having issues doesn't surprise me as I've seen reports of issues with both across many vehicle marques

Push the connector towards the sensor. Place your fingernail on the exposed bit of the tab at the top and push it hard toweards the connector. Pull upwards withe the tab still pushed in and it should slide off.

What I was saying is that the shortfall from loss of taxes on ICE vehicles, such as that from fuel, should be clawed back in a way that includes EVs and thier use. I'm not concerned about how, and some of your suggestions are good ones, but it needs to be equitable and the shortfall should not be clawed back by yet another blanket tax on everyone, such as an increase in VAT, or by yet another tax, or increased taxes, on ICE vehicles only. Pay per mile is probably fair with a reduced fuel tax as it reflects total usage.

Isn't the running costs that you keep saying are so much higher for an ICE enough of a 'stick' already?

Hopefully any loss in petrocarbon taxes will be recouped through EV usage taxes or similar for equity and not through another stealth tax on us all

I had similar with my dad years ago - he'd been doing some repairs to the underside of my mums old car in winter and decided to try and get some warmth into the repair using a candle in a jam jar... well you can guess the rest 🤣

Those figures don't surprise me either. As with @mac11irl some of the prices being charged by the established brands are crazy and the quality and value of the newer Chinese brands is often far better. I'd have no qualms about going with any of the big Chinese brands these days... Some of the BYD and Omoda stuff is looking very enticing.

Sounds like that's not your answer then and it's rainwater. Now you've got the boot empty it's probably worth drying it all out and then soaking the back. Of the car to see where it's getting in. Have you checked the light clusters etc are OK and properly fitted?

Do you have screenwash in the washer bottle and does the water in the boot smell or taste of it? If so then that could be the cause if you have a split hose or similar within the rear hatch.

Actually the opposite. Only need a glasses to drive for full depth perception, she no longer needs glasses for anything else

With my mum they did each eye slightly different - so one does close up and one distance

I have a vague recollection that occurs when a bulb has blown - the brake system uses the fog light bulb as an alternative to the blown brake bulb

I don't think that strip coming off is the cause of your leak... It's just a noise reduction seal and I can't see how water would get into that central polystyrene section from a leak past it. I'd actually suggest that it's much more likely that you have a leak coming in round the rear wiper grommet, into the space behind the trim on the rear hatch and then down into that polystyrene tub, potentially after first having drained onto the top of the main hatch seal. I had the same on our Kodiaq and it took a while to track it down but the wiper grommet was the cause and was solved by resealing it against the glass.

They should be able to fit some water shields / baffles behind the top half of the speakers and then seal round them to sort that fairly easily. But its a shame they didn't do it when they fitted them.

I don't think they've been available for quite a long time. I believe @ColinD was at one point looking to get some new ones in stock but other stuff happened and got in the way (although happy to be corrected).

Have a look at where the bottom of the grey trim meets the blue metal. I'd wager that 'join' where the two butt up against each other, plastic to metal is wet (run a tissue along it and I bet it comes back wet even now with no extra water thrown on the outside of the door). I'd love to be proved wrong but I'm 100% certain the issue I noted in previous posts is your problem... I've had it with previous cars.

We tend to keep that as long as we can... Our Mitsubishi Colt, Fabia and Octavia were all kept for 12 or 13 years and well over 100k miles. My MX5 turned 30 this year and is still a joy to drive. So I agree with others... Nothing wrong with your approach and it's probably the most economical and environmentally friendly way of running vehicles

They definitely did a 2.0 TSI 4x4 in a Mk3 - just not many were sold (a bit like our Mk2 TDI non-scout 4x4...

That price is mental if it's just the coupling!!!

Skoda have historically announced a 2.0 190bhp 4x4 Octavia petrol.... Where are you based and what year / model is your Octavia as different markets got different models and specs. Skoda Octavia Estate 2.0 TSI 190PS 4x4 DSG auto 5d specs & dimensions

I'm guessing the situation will be the same as it was on our Mk2 Octavia 4x4 in that Skoda will only sell you the coupling with a propshaft attached and not just the coupling - hence the price? As to the coupling I think a few people have done these now on various models but not the Kodiaq. My question is is it causing a droning noise at speed under load - so say around 2300 RPM in top and more noticably under load and when accelerating? If not then it's probably OK for a while yet as that droning was the first indication of it having issues on our Octavia. Having said that it started at about 70,000 miles and we continued to run the car to about 115,000 miles with no issues - just the noise. In the end we didn't bother to replace the coupling as the car started with other issues that were going to cost more to fix than the car was worth. However, a local VAG specialist was up for replacing the coupling alone, having done similar on an Audi A3, and that was just the coupling alone using a Febi (I think from memory) pattern part at about £100.

Well it goes in the boot in the spare wheel well for one and you then don't get mucked up when you fit it as it stays clean. As for electrics etc. If coded properly you still get all that you mentioned. I had an octavia with an OE bar and now have a Kodiaq with an aftermarket bar with dedicated electrics and there is absolutely no difference other than the latter was about half to one third of the price. But each to their own and if you prefer the OE version that's fine... I just thought I'd make the suggestion as personally I think. It's overpriced and, given it's exposed to the elements and has a tendency to stick, seems under engineered.

If water is collecting n the threshold I very much doubt that it will get over the seal and into the car, unless the seal is not fitted correctly and water is getting under it instead (albeit that would still require quite a depth of water on the threshold before it happened. From your pictures it looks like the water is coming into the car from behind the interior door trim - ie it is running out from the gap between the plastic interior door trim and the blue metalwork at the bottom of the door (you should be able to check this by feeling along that join or gently pulling the trim to see if any more water leaks out. If that is the case the only place it can be coming from is those pink areas I noted. That will either be because the original foam seal along those pink areas has perished, or because it might have been damaged during the speaker installation and is no longer sealing properly. The doors are design such that any water running down the window glass naturally drains into the inside of the door and should drain away through weep holes in the bottom of the door. If they are blocked or the car is on a slope such that the water cannot reach those weep holes it will get out somewhere else at a low point that isn't sealed (for example those pink areas). If it were me I'd check the weep holes in the bottom of the door are clear and then take the interior door trim off and seal around those pink areas with silicon or polysulphide sealant, which I think should cure your problem.

I may not have phrased it too well but I'd expect the leak is from one, or more, of the areas in pink on the image below

If you want something invisible when not in use then a swan neck removable tow bar is another option and will be much cheaper, even with dedicated electrics and full coding.