Mayor of Newark

Four years regularly towing a 1585 kg van behind my CR170 DSG. I have the integrated towing electrics package and it's magic! I just let the engine/gearbox management system do its thing; always in the correct gear, provides engine braking on down slopes, etc, etc, whilst turning in (typically) 29 - 30 mpg towing at 62 mph where possible. IMO, a keen eye on engine oil temperature is pretty important - it is very easy to get it up into the 120s on long climbs. Skoda have said it is OK upto 130C so long as the coolant temp doesn't go above its usual level.

I bought a replacement Themisto from these guys. It came in Skoda packaging and is exactly right for my 2012 Elegance. Your dealer is talking rubbish.

I've been toying with upgrading my CR170 DSG FWD to a 4X4, as I tow a 1580 kg (per weigh bridge) caravan. Having read the above, and having had no stability or traction problems towing over the past 4 years, I'm now wondering if it is worth all the cost involved since my current machine has under 60 miles on it and has an extended warranty (which incidentally can now be purchased up to 99,999 miles indicated).

In my case, the 3 - 4 days involved hooking various sensors to the electrical system and feeding these into a laptop to record unexpected electrical activity. The boss technician (who I have known for 16 years as he has transitions through Peugeot, VW and Skoda) went through it with me, rathe than getting vague feedback from Service Reception. Although I had a courtesy car, Skoda UK donated me a free service (which turned out to be the more expensive 2nd service) to compensate for my loss of use.

Had rear air suspension on my R Class Merc - excellent driving dynamics plus maintaining the design ride height irrespective of boot and/or towbar load. Wish I had it on the Superb as the back end gets quite low with a bootfull and the caravan on the back.

The rim protection on my new Goodyear F1AS2s should defeat even the Mayoress. Reasonably cheap, too, at £86 each. Thanks for the tip. FWIW, the Efficient Grip Performance had lost grip well before the tyres were down to the legal limit (3 to 4 mm remaining), making them an unexpectedly expensive choice.

Gadzok, what you have said directly conflicts wth Skoda UKs advice given to me in response to the specific question, which I should have clarified refered to the 205/55-16 94V 'full size' spare offered by Skoda as an aftermarket accessory. I am sure their limitation is set in recognition of the different unsprung mass, tyre dynamic response, etc, arising from, as you say, running 2 different tyres - 205 and 225 - on one axle.

I have one of these spares. Here is the text of the email Skoda UK sent me: Thank you for your email dated 6 November 2012, regarding the spare wheel for your ŠKODA Superb. I have discussed your enquiry with our Technical Support Team, and can confirm the following information: - The spare tyre pressure is 2.4 bar and not 4.2. - The space savers wheel can be used on the vehicle to tow at 50 mph for 50 miles. This is for temporary use to drive the vehicle to your nearest tyre repair centre. I hope this information is to your satisfaction; however, should you require our assistance in the future, please call ŠKODA UK Customer Services on 08457 745 745 and we will be more than happy to help you. Thank you once again for contacting us.

They are 225/40 of course. My error. Thanks for the tips.

IMO, the letters from Skoda are bull****. NOx production depends on maximum cycle temperature,. The higher, the more NOx and the better the efficiency. Drop the max cycle temp to reduce NOx and down goes efficiency. It is thermodynamics 101. Don't want mine done.

Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance all round just now. No rim protection, though, and her indoors is gradually trashing the rims. Not keen to revert to Michelins, so any ideas very welcome.

Dealer fixed my similar issue under warranty, fitted much better quality and Ah battery, no more problems in 2 1/2 years. Was caused by some of the distributed electronic modules not shutting down.

Thanks for the tip, Hozz. New wheel on order at special offer price of £165 VAT inc! Just not happy applying two distortions to a stressed cast/forged aluminium alloy structure.

Thanks to Birmingham City Council's pothole creation department, my nearside front Themisto road-wheel is bent. I'm not sure if these are forged or cast, but either way I wonder how safe the wheel now is for continued use. My tyre dealership has re-balanced, realigned etc, but the distortion is slight but enough to cause vibration at speed. Locally, there is an outfit that can straighten alloys (for £55) but I'm not sure how safe it would be further stress the grain structure of the wheel. Steel would of course be no problem! I'd be glad of any advice. A new Themisto is about £380. Thanks in advance.

I hope the estate when it appears isn't going to be too light to tow my caravan safely - the new Passat has lost about 100kg. Mind you - the new mega -Yeti should do the trick instead!