vrssteve

With this interior, of course......

Anyone there??

Hi all, My aircon/fan has developed a high pitched sound that I can only describe as like a tiny ball bearing being rolled around at the bottom of a biscuit tin, however it goes when I press the ECON button. The noise is the same whether the fan is set to slow or fast. The aircon compressor was changed just before I bought the car as it was about to fail so can anyone enlighten me as to what it may be as I'm not sure what components go to making up the heating/ventilation system. The sound appears to be coming from not far behind the dashboard but the guy that sold me the car said the aircon compressor was a front bumper off job so I'm guessing that's somewhere in the engine bay?. Cheers Steve

First one I've seen since I bought mine without the word 'Columbus' in the middle at the top. Has this any significance only mine doesn't either!

Can't say I've noticed, will check it out when it's next wet! Got it booked in soon anyway for a half hour slot for them to look at the brakes and also to get the Columbus code and a couple of other bits and pieces. Cheers.

Hi - I have a possible issue with the automatic hill hold on my 58 L&K and wanted to know if it's normal or there's an issue with the calipers possibly. When on an uphill incline with hill hold engaged and I engage drive, there's a half second delay or so and then the brakes release, but they sound like they's stuck on the discs a bit and there's a bit of a grinding noise as they release and then off I go. It's like I'm trying to pull away with the handbrake on or my left put on the brake - but only for a split second. I took it to the local independant garage (VWS in Exeter) and they said there were issues with calipers which show themselves after 40 or 50k miles where they stick on a bit and to get it checked out with them, the local kwikfit man said there's no issue and that's exactly how they're supposed to work. I've seen conflicting posts on here too. How do others find theirs? Is it/should it be seemless or should there be a slight delay and then a noticeable release of the brakes. Cheers.

Take no notice of anything you read on forums I went half mad before I bought my 58 plate L&K Octavia estate reading about failures in this and that, and don't buy one of them or one with that engine in, and don't get the DSG gearbox, they're crap and always fail and cost 4k to fix when they go wrong! There are hundreds of thousands in use around the world and very very few ever have any problems. Most people on these forums, of which that's a minute fraction of Skoda owners around the world, may have had a problem, or heard of someone who has but for every issue on here I bet there's 10000 vehicles on the road that haven't! Mine is faultless, bought it with 62000 on the clock and it didn't appear to have had an oil change in it's life. Took it in, the engineer said the filter was perfect, had the oil changed and am confident it will give me many more miles of smooth driving.

A few more pictures now I've had a really good clean inside....

Well I've been and I came back and considering it's maps and firmware are probably 5 years out of date, it was pretty much faultless. I got sent down a couple of dead end roads in a little village near Roscoff where the main road was closed and roads had been made one way, but it got me all over Brittany Brilliantly! Don't really see the need to update everything just yet for UK use unless I can get it cheap!

Nice one! I've driven in France many times, but never been to Brittany. I guess that's why Roscoff to Quimper is almost 2 hours for the 100 or so miles !! In Columbus I will trust....

I'm off to Southern Brittany on Friday and just wondered if anyone had used their Columbus on mainland Europe? I guess it's perfectly ok and knows you're on the other side of the road and adjusts it roundabout exits and turnings accordingly? We only have a 100 miles or so to drive from Roscoff but want to avoid motorways and tolls - I trust the route will avoid those if I tell it to? Cheers guys.

Surely the fact that these updates are available on the official Skoda website, means we should all be able to get the latest maps regardless of the age or model of our Columbus? they can't just give it to people with new Skodas can they?

Have pm'd you Phil. cheers

Without actually removing the unit to see what it is, can anyone help on here? I will get around to it - there just seems to be so many versions doing so many different things and so many things it can do with a tweak here and there from the vegcom computer! It looks like a columbus to all intents and purposes although it doesn't actually say columbus - just Skoda audio on the top left and mp3 on the right. It doesn't do postcodes of any sorts, I can't adjust the audio volume so I can hear the rear sensor bleep and I can't watch DVDs while I'm driving A few other bits I've discovered and found out in the last three weeks and a few things I can't work out yet. Can't get my headlights lights to come on/stay on when I arrive at home, although the headlights come on when I unlock the car at night, I can't fathom out how to get the nearside mirror to tilt when I reverse, and there's a little pull up lever in the centre armrest box and I've no idea what it does! Back to the manual methinks. On the bright side, I have found a place who will do my DSG oil change all in inc. VAT for £175 - a good £60 cheaper than the next cheapest quote and it will come with all the guarantee offered by the main dealers. http://www.v-w-s-exeter.co.uk/ if anyone in the SW needs it...... Oh and one final thing and I have seen it on a forum somewhere but can't locate it now, It feels like the hill park assist is sticking a little when I pull away in D on an uphill incline. I can hear the brakes grind/tick/hold a little and then release a tenth of a second later - a bit like doing a hill start in a manual but not letting the handbrake off quite in time where the back of the car dips fractionally and then releases. Will get it checked out at some point. Those things aside, still very happy with her!

Hi Phil - would you mind letting me have your mate's number? I'm in Exeter too and can't seem to find anywhere that'll fit two mid range tyres to my Octy for under £200 :( I'm not expecting the sort of deal he did for you obviously but any saving would be very much appreciated. Cheers Steve

It didn't have the disk when I bought it and I don't fancy pulling the unit out just yet, don't want to risk damaging anything. I can live without postcodes and Bluetooth for the time being, Bluetooth probably indefinitely given the cost of the module. I'll look into updating maps and firmware when I get some spare time. Thanks for the info though....... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

No, definitely nothing postcode wise. As soon as I start to enter the number part of the postcode all the numbers are greyed out rather than surrounded by a green box. Matey at SMC in Exeter said early ones don't have the ability to enter a postcode despite the field saying 'house number/p.code' or something similar. I find it hard to believe a 2008 satnav doesn't have this ability. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Thanks for all the comments guys. So, a few queries now I've spent a few days in the car - not driving it - just trying to work out how it all works! I don't have the 5 or 7 postcode dilemma as mine doesn't accept any :( I'm led to believe the latest update will fix this this? Could someone point me in the direction of a good honest reliable supplier of the software please. That's the £40 version and not the £150 that SMC in Exeter wanted! I guess also, connecting my iPhone will be out of the question as there doesn't appear to be Bluetooth on it either. Is there a module? Cheers Steve Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

My sentiments exactly !!

Wow - what can I say that hasn't already been said? Picked her up from SB Automotive near Winchester last week and drove back to Exeter in luxury I haven't been accustomed to since I parted company with my old P6 3500 Rover when the family came along! I can't really say my Fabia vRS was luxurious, more fun, fast and functional Paid 8k for an immaculate 58 plate with 62000 on the clock. Contacted both previous owners when I got back - Alphabet lease company who had it from new to around 40k miles and then a private owner after that. The lease company very kindly sent me a pdf of everything ever done to the car whilst in their ownership, the second owner equally helpful. The only slight concern I had was that the DSG oil never appeared to have been changed so that's my first job so she's booked in for next week with SMC in Exeter, however the box is silky smooth so I'm hoping there's nothing detrimental there. I guess this is the only risk I've really taken with buying this car. A couple of new tyres will be needed fairly soon but that aside everything works perfectly which I'm very happy about given the huge amount of electrical wizardry hiding in every corner of the car. I'll look to get the cambelt changed early next year. Favourite bit has to be the Columbus satnav/cd/sd/dvd combo - I've read lots about how people think it's crap, but I have to say it's wonderful. The sound is amazing and I find all the controls and the satnav to be intuitive and very easy to use. I came from a Garmin Nuvi which served it's purpose very well but this is in a league of it's own. I'm not sure it's completely up to date but more than sufficient for me so far. I love the rear view mirror which changes to a dark green when it gets dark, the passenger wing mirrow which dips when I reverse, the heated leather electric seats which are incredibly comfy, the little lights in the door handles, the cruise control which again, people have berated on here but is simplicity itself, the xenon self levelling headlights which light up things I never knew existed and last but not least, the general solidity of everything from the clunk of the doors to the soft operation of all the little lids on the various cubby holes and storage compartments. Bad points - errm - my iPhone doesn't connect via bluetooth :( Having spent a few months reading up on this car before I bought it on Skoda/Audi/VW forums around the world, it would have been very easy not to get one! From the 'ooh no don't touch a car with DSG, they're nothing but trouble', to don't get a 2.0 they're nothing but trouble, oil pump will fail, get the 1.9'. Thank god it doesn't have the DPF !! I was beginning to think these versions were, well, nothing but trouble. I guess time will tell but I have every confidence in what I've bought. If I took every review online of everything ever made to heart, I'd never buy anything, would be living in a tent in a pair of underpants and eating just organic veg! Oh hang on - Vango tents have been known to self combust ! And anyway, I have a Honda vision scooter - bullet proof - 60 million units sold worldwide in various guises over 50 years, reliable in the extreme! Well my transmission packed up when an oil seal went after 200 miles and wrecked it all. Would it put me off buying another? Absolutely not! Here's a few low quality iPhone piccies, more hi-res ones to follow once she's proper cleaned!

Do you know how long it takes? I see you can get the oil and filter kit on eBay for £90, surely that and an hour labour plus vat ( or maybe 2) would be considerably cheaper ( cheaper) ?? My local independent garage charges be 30 quid an hour labour.

Hi, Can anyone suggest a good independent gearbox specialist in the Devon area that can do the DGS oil change for me for a little less than what seems to be a standard £180 at VW\Skoda\Audi dealerships? Needing tax and tyres and a sevice on me new L&K diesel estate, every penny counts! Cheers Steve

Well after a long absence having sold my Fabia vRS over 5 years ago and dabbling with a Xsara Picasso and a Zafira - both purely to cart the new family around of course, and sadly having to sell my beloved p6 Rover 3500 to fund nappies and pushchairs and stuff, I'm back with a 58 Octavia 2.0tdi PD DSG Laurin and Klement estate which I collect tomorrow. 62000 on the clock in dark metallic blue with every conceivable extra on it and more! Look forward to becoming a regular visitor on these forums while I fathom out how everything works! Cheers Steve

I'm having my 20000 service next week at SMC in Exeter - they have a fixed price of

Must admit, I'm having trouble working out this thread. Didn't understand the first post nor the subsequent ones! :( What's the beastie? Anyway, has my Fabia or my P6 broken down? Is that the question? Deary me, I shouldn't have three pints at lunch time!