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Thank you for that. Carista looks like it is quite similar to OBD11 and works via an app on an iPhone, it seems to be quite inexpensive though at only £27: Carista ... does anyone know whether this would work? If it would then I'll order one on Amazon today - it might be handy to have in the garage anyway. Alan Addendum: I've ordered the Carista - at £27 it is probably worth a punt. The process looks quite simple according to this handy YouTube video: Christa YouTube video

Thank you. It would be helpful to know other’s recommendations regarding OBD11 computers. There is no great rush, the battery certainly hasn’t failed after 11 years, I’m just thinking it would be prudent to change it. Alan

Ah! Thank you. So I can do the spannering to change the battery myself, but then I need a chap with the right computer to tell my motorcar what has been done, even if I buy exactly the same battery as the original, but maybe I can find a forum member near Skeg-Vegas that might have the right computer. Now I understand. Life has become so much more complicated with modern motorcars. My others are a 1963 Volvo Amazon and a 1972 P1800ES… both are so simple in comparison. 🙃 Alan Addendum: I’ve just looked up OBD11 and found this hand held reader that the seller claims is for VAG cars on Amazon: OBD11 reader on Amazon … it is only £67, which is perhaps cheaper than it might cost for a dealer or specialist garage to do it for me, and I would have the computer to keep (although I haven’t needed one this past 11 years). Would this machine work? Could I use it to tell my car about a new battery? Would it likely be useful in the future (I like the motor car, I’ve owner it from new and it has only covered 90,000 miles)?

Super, but in nice, simple terms, how does one go about coding a battery to a car? Alan

Many thanks, but you have gone a bit too fast for me there. What do you mean by coded? Is that something I could do myself? Alan Addendum: this is the original battery:

So there is a need to provide a back up power source before changing the battery? Alan

I've owned my 2013 Superb Elegance diesel estate since new, and it still has the original battery. I'm thinking it may be a good idea to change it this winter - the motor car has never failed to start but I perceive cranking is a little slower than it was on cold days. Part of the problem is that now I've retired from mainstream work I do very few miles (I have several classic motor cars and a gaggle of motorcycles with which to share my social and domestic mileage). I have two questions before I do: firstly do I need to provide a back up battery (perhaps via the diagnosis port) to avoid losing the information centre's settings before I remove the old battery (I had a Porsche Boxster like that once - I think I still may have the little fly lead from that episode)? I should still have any codes for the radio and so on in the original dealer documentation, should that be required. secondly is anyone able to recommend a good replacement battery (it has the stop/start system and the original battery is the AGM type)? Alan.

Did you not need to remove the disc (and so the calliper carrier) to access the three mounting screws? Alan

Doing this job for a second time was much easier - but it is still a crappy task. 😬

I noticed this morn that the OSR dust cover has started rattling - fortunately they came as a pair so I'll get that changed at the weekend. 😒

What a crappy job that was for the sake of a piece of tin that stops the back of the OSR brake disc getting dirty. It needed doing though as the rattle was driving us mad. I'd already got as far as taking the calliper off and undoing the disc bolt last week, so that bit took no time at all. Then I fiddled around for ages trying to wiggle the disc past the carrier, but eventually gave up and set about removing the it. What an arduous job that was - the XZN M14 driver fitted perfectly, but there was precious little room to get a breaker bar inside; eventually I got the bolts loosened and the carrier dropped off, and with it the disc. Next problem: the design of the dust cover meant it would have been impossible to get off without removing the hub. Grrrrrr! I found a YouTube that I would need a M18 XZN driver that I didn't have. I couldn't find one available locally and I couldn't leave the motor car jacked up on the drive indefinitely, so I had to choose between: Cutting off the dust cover, reassembling without it and calling it a day. Reassembling with the dust cover and letting it rattle until next weekend when I had sourced a M18 XZN driver (that would have driven us mad). Cutting off the dust cover, modifying the new cover so it could be fitted and reassembling. I thought about this over a cuppa and reasoned it didn't need much structural integrity, it was just a bit of tin that kept the dirt out: so option 3 would work fine. I trimmed the thin part that passes under the brake calliper but serves no real purpose with the angle grinder. It worked fine, everything is back together and the irritating rattle is banished. Many thanks for your help chaps. XZN fasteners seem to be all over the Skoda, so I'll order a set up to M18 :-). Alan

Many thanks chaps, it does indeed look like a XZN M14 so I've ordered the Amazon one - I found another thread that corroborated the size. The disc covers seem to be cheap and plentiful, I'll order a pair of these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284037541867 ... only £30, and perhaps I'll need the offside one as well. Alan PS. I'll just go and spay those two bolts with some RP90 before I jack the car down :-).

Whilst trying to find the source of a mystery rattle from the back of my 2013 Elegance estate (I thought it was the heat shield and have spent 2 weeks chasing ghosts there), I found the culprit (accidentally) today. The metal around the three fasteners that hold the NSR brake disc cover has worn away (vibration rather than corrosion) leaving the cover insecure, here is one of them: I have never seen this happen previously, is it a common failing with Skoda cars? Anyway, access was really difficult, I removed the calliper and outside pad, the handbrake cable and loosened the rotor: … but I didn’t have the right size torx to remove the bolts that hold the carrier from the back of the hub, it must be something between T55 and T60 (the two nearest sizes I had), so I couldn’t get the rotor off for a better look at the bolts not securing the cover. It is this bolt: … does anyone know the right size torx head? This isn’t dangerous as such (the cover has nowhere to go) but the rattle is annoying. I couldn’t do any more today without being able to remove the brake carrier, and for that I need to find the right size torx driver to buy. I’ve reassembled everything and will sort it out when I’ve assembled the right tools in the next few days. Has anyone else had to do this job? Any advice on the repair would be most welcome. Alan

I had another look at the heat shield today - the rear end rattle had persisted. The aluminium sheet around the middle of the three fasteners had worn away a bit so I made up a large aluminium washer (about 2”) like this: … which I thought a neat solution, but still the rattle persisted. I jacked up the car and checked the (nearly new) springs, which were fine, then accidentally came across the culprit: the cover for the NSR disc was not attached: the metal surrounding the three securing screws had all worn away, allowing the cover to flop around. I’ll start a new thread to work out how I’ll fix it 🙂 Alan

Many thanks. Alan

Many thanks. I changed the rear springs in July for the MoT - so it is perhaps unlikely they have failed already, but I'll check tomorrow anyway. Alan

The hear shields under the back of my 2013 diesel Superb Elegance estate started rattling 2 weeks ago. I had a look underneath and found that one of these fasteners was completely rusted through: …and a second was on its way. I’ve replaced the two rusty star washers with new ones today and it is quieter, but I still get the odd rattle. I’m wondering whether there should be some barrier or sound deadening material between the two heat shields where they overlap - which has perhaps fallen out? Does anyone know? Alan

I sometimes tow light trailers (motorcycles and so on) with my 2013 Superb diesel estate with 225/40R18" wheels and have not bothered adjusting the tyre pressures when I do (I leave them at 2.2 bar). This week I have rented a car transporter trailer to deliver an old Volvo 244 to Selkirk (270 miles away). I've checked everything (within the weight limits for towing etc) but it occurred to me today that I might have to increase the tyre pressures a bit. I have pumped all 4 up to 2.4 bar (35 PSI) - will that be sufficient? The trailer is a 4 wheeler, so there shouldn't be any great weight on the towing hook. The Volvo weighs 1230kg and the trailer is 450kg. Alan

I’ve just taken the motor car out for a test drive, everything is straight and level: … a good job 🙂

… I nearly forgot to mention. Both springs were broken - at the bottom where they always fail: I suppose because they both broke at about the same place the ride height wasn’t altered much from side to side.

This is only slightly away from the original subject. The new springs arrived with the postie this morn. The first one (OSR) took about 45 minutes to swap, but a fair portion of that was finding tools: 2x18mm sockets, 10mm ratchet, 10mm open end, a drift, rubber mallet, trolley jack, motorcycle lift, various pry bars and similar stuff. Just jack up the car, then put the motorcycle lift (or another jack) under the wishbone to take the strain and remove the pinch bolt where the wishbone meets the hub (2x18mm sockets). The NSR only took 20 minutes, remember to unhitch this little chap (ride height sensor for the lights) with two 10mm spanners, otherwise you will end up buying another one after you lower the springs. All in all an easy job for a Saturday morn. The MoT garage had quoted about £320 for the job, although to be fair that did include checking and adjusting the wheel alignment which will still have to be done at the re-test on Tuesday. Allowing £40 for the tracking, the springs were £42 delivered so just over an hour’s work has saved me about £230. Well worth it I think. Alan

I’m quite pleased. The motor car has a pretty easy life though - it has only done 75,000 miles in a little under 9 years, I’ve owned it from new and have been the only driver. The new springs will be here in the morn, so I should have them swapped out tomorrow and booked in for the MoT re-test on Monday. I’ll get the wheel alignment checked and adjusted at the same time. Alan

Here we are 3 years on Delboy. The motor car has just failed the MoT with a broken spring (NSR). I've ordered a pair of new ones; having taken them off to fit the shock absorbers once that should be a trivial job at the weekend to get ready for the re-test. Yours was good advice, but there again they have lasted another 3 years 🙂 Good fortune, Alan

The door wiring patch kit arrived during last week (the courier was inexplicably slow). It looks like it is very well thought out and should be easy to use: … I’ll get round to fitting this soon - although there seems to be no imperative at the mo, the single wire fix I carried out previously is working well. Alan

Ah! Now I understand: you just changed the wires, and not the yellow connector that fits onto the chassis inside the door jamb, hence having to do a bit more soldering there. The patch kit I've ordered (it should be here today) comes with a new connector block and the wires already have the barbed pins fitted, so I can make up the loom ready before pulling the bare ends through to the door space for soldering there. Thank you for posting the above, it makes everything much clearer. Alan