Hi Guys, need real help plse! I bought a 1 yr old elegance hatch in August and love it, except for a very hard, jittery ride over potholes on our local roads. My wife won't live with it and if it's a choice the car will have to go!. I've tried switching from 16" wheels to 15" like the ambient but it hasn't really helped. Any ideas please? I live near Southampton if anyone has solved the same problem, many thanks gef

Welcome!

Strange to hear of 'hard ride' on an Elegance usually the preserve of the vRS.

I presume that as you have changed the wheels, the transit suspension chocks having being left in at PDI can be ruled out; I hope. Also I guess, as again you have changed the wheels, that we can assume you are using correct tyre pressures.

I have a couple of suggestions;

1. There are quite a few briskodians in the Southampton/Portsmouth area; you might be able to meet up with one of them to do a back-to-back comparison (of the ride).

2. Pop back to your dealer to get the car checked.

3. Have the car checked by an Independent garage - JKM in Portsmouth (very pro-briskoda) come to mind.

4. Consider fitting Koni FSD shock absorbers. I have them on my vRS with original springs; they soften the ride wonderfully under normal driving but give excellent firm/sharp handling when required when driving 'briskly'.

good luck.

Have you checked whether previous owner had sports suspension fitted?

Harsh ride from an Elegance sounds strange to me. I was a passenger in one recently and thought the ride was 'soft', coming from my vRS.

Thought this too initially when I got my elegance. tire pressures put to lowest end of range solved it after 1st service. maybe they also removed the chocks too :-) i came from a comfort superb though with softer suspension and seats

Where in soton are you?

Also check that the plastic transport blocks have been taken out of the suspension springs.

I'd say my suspension is firm but not crashy.

Hi Guys, many thanks for your comments. I live in Chandlers Ford and work at Totton, west of Southampton. The car was owned by a retired lady so assume hasn't got sports suspension. 2 local Skoda dealers checked it and said it was 'normal' but Jim at Jkm Portsmouth had a look today and felt it was harder than usual. I've tried running the tyres under inflated but hasn't helped.

Does it look like Koni FSd's as the only solution? Do they really 'do what it says on the tin'?? has anyone got them that I could compare. apprciate more comments

regards and thanks, gef

You have PM gef

You are welcome to give my elegance estate a go for comparison, if you like.....

Hi Guys

just wanted to say thank you for all your comments, I took a deep breath and had Koni FSD's fitted at JKM Portsmouth and although it still feels the bumps on some roads the overall improvement is amazing. I can now feel all 4 wheels in contact with the road on one poor surface coming into our estate when before I just skidded across it and more importantly my wife says it's 'much' better (only told her I'd had the suspension checked)

Can't thank Kate and Jim enough for their friendly help and professionalism.

Had my Elegance 3months now and still finding more kit, last night discovered the windows work AFTER you take the key out of the ignition - roll on next summer when she waits till we're home and stopped before thinking to shut her window - but with climatic it may not ever happen!

- again my thanks to all who replied

gef

Well done: FSDs are worth their weight in Gold; IMHO.

I'm sure you will be able to find occasions to enjoy the improved handling (as well as the more compliant ride). enjoy.

gef - you can wind the windows up AFTER you get out and lock it too. Hold down the lock button on the remote.

Hi all I have had Koni FSD's/Eibach's for just over a year and the 2 rear shocks have failed.

The car became very bouncy at the rear and squeeked when going over bumps.

Aparantly there has been a few problems with them.

I have now changed to KW coilovers variant 1, much stiffer more like my old Scooby which had Leda adjustables. Also I have lowered it a bit more than the Eibach springs were. Looks much better and handles like a dream.

The Konis are going back to get replaced if they find that they are faulty, so full set may be for sale soon.

I did like them and it was much better than the original suspension. My brother still has his on his VRS and loves it .

Gaz

That's a shame.. I had only heard good things about Koni FSDs so far and was hoping to get some myself after xmas. Let us know how you get on with the return to Koni. Keeping an eye out for a group buy..!

You can also open the windows by keeping the key to the open position for a few more seconds

Hey all, sorry to revive a 10 year old thread - just bought a Octavia VRS 2008 ( PD not the CR) diesel - and its a fun drive, but similar issue - I like the handling but not head shaking ride over badly pot holed b roads while at speed, which is most of my driving (and yes I should have test driven it further!). I guess the shocks / springs could well be at the end of their life, but what I could really use is someone familiar with the car to look it over / drive it with me just to tell me what's normal and what's not. I'm not a modified car kind of guy, though I did fit a box on previous 2.0 tdci Mondeo estate which really transformed the torque - pulled like a train in every gear which was huge fun and confused a lot of people. Finding the PD170 engine very a different style... foot down, nothing, nothing... then all of the power... and then flattens off fast. Maybe it's worth looking at a remap - but it's the ride I'd really like to sort. I appreciate it's a VRS model and it's harder ride as stock - so buyer beware - but if it could be softened a little it'd be a car I'd want to keep. bahnstormer vrs you mentioned Koni FSD shock absorbers - are there multiple types? Which ones should I be looking at? I'm based Cambridge.