Hi all,

I've been lurking for a couple of days, soaking up the atmosphere as I wait for my bright yellow mk1 Octavia VRS to show up (although I've recently learned that there was an earlier Octavia in the 60s... so I guess I've got a Mk2, and the new one is a Mk3?).

I've had a string of Volkswagens (Polo Mk2, Golf Mk2, Golf Mk1, Jetta Mk1, Polo Mk3, Passat B5 1.8T, Bora V5, Bora V6, Passat V6) and have been hanging out on the uk-mkivs.net forum for some time now. Anyway - I thought it was time to delve in to the VAG parts bin and see what else could make me smile and one bright yellow Octavia VRS took a shining to me and I couldn't shake it off :-)

One grey-haired and careful owner, 40,000 miles and two stamps from a Skoda dealer in Ruislip.

I'll post pics when she's finally available (waiting for the DVLA to sort out a number plate swap).

In the meantime I'll continue to lurk here and hatch my evil modification masterplan (subject to funds, so probably not that evil...)

You all seem like a friendly bunch, so looking forward to my stay!

Louis

welcome to briskoda

Welcome

Thanks

Suze - out of interest is the 4x4 octy a Haldex system like on the Golf/Bora/TT/S3?

Louis

Hello! :wave23d:

Hiya.

At 40_000 and 2 services, it must be on "variable service". You might want to have a think about whether or not that's right for your usage pattern.

And you're right about the "4x4" being a Haldex system.

Hi all,

I've been lurking for a couple of days, soaking up the atmosphere as I wait for my bright yellow mk1 Octavia VRS to show up (although I've recently learned that there was an earlier Octavia in the 60s... so I guess I've got a Mk2, and the new one is a Mk3?).

You all seem like a friendly bunch, so looking forward to my stay!

Louis

You got the best colour!

Enjoy

Edited 6 March, 200917 yr by sdenny

I've just been chatting to the dealer.

It's a 2005 55 plate, and having read a bit more on this forum it looks like we're now supposed to replace cam belts on these cars every 4 years. News to me...

Anyway - Dealer says they won't replace it as part of the service they're doing because it's not due until December.

Bit grumpy about that because now I've got to fork over £500 on a car I will have owned for less than a year.

I think you're right that the longlife servicing isn't right for me, although I had assumed it was 'variable' rather than longlife. If it's variable doesn't it adapt to your driving style?

A merc I had worked on this principle, so I assumed the same was true of VAGs on variable service intervals?

I've just been chatting to the dealer.

It's a 2005 55 plate, and having read a bit more on this forum it looks like we're now supposed to replace cam belts on these cars every 4 years. News to me...

Anyway - Dealer says they won't replace it as part of the service they're doing because it's not due until December.

Bit grumpy about that because now I've got to fork over £500 on a car I will have owned for less than a year.

I think you're right that the longlife servicing isn't right for me, although I had assumed it was 'variable' rather than longlife. If it's variable doesn't it adapt to your driving style?

A merc I had worked on this principle, so I assumed the same was true of VAGs on variable service intervals?

it is variable - if you do lots of short journeys, it'll go down, but you can get up to 18k ish (or 2 years)

Search on here (may even be a sticky) for the prices of cambelts - i did post at the time, but i think my cambelt and waterpump was £363 at a main dealer. Plus there are other who got it done cheaper and non franchise places

Yeah - it's kind of more about the principle of the thing.

When the salesman went through his usual Spiel: "We'll service it before we let it go, and you won't have to worry about anything on it. If we find anything wrong, we'll just replace it, etc. etc", I bought it.

Apparently I shouldn't be so naive as to assume a car with 40K on the clock from a main dealer wouldn't need a cambelt doing *within* the 12 month warranty period, and following their "extensive checks and servicing".

Is there somewhere we can name and shame unscrupulous dealers? Really not happy about it, but I've already laid down my deposit, so what can I do?

Is there somewhere we can name and shame unscrupulous dealers? Really not happy about it, but I've already laid down my deposit, so what can I do?

There's a dealer review section - comments don't have to be positive....

Here it is : http://briskoda.net/skoda-dealers-england/

Hi louisv6. I got stung with the cambelt thing as well. The car was 3.5 years old and had 50k on the clock and I got all the 'valeted and full service' spiel but nothing on the cambelt change. I wish I'd found this site before, but I wasn't even going to get an Octavia until I saw it and did the basic research on it and decided it was the way forward.

I got the cambelt done a couple of months after buying it and discovering Briskoda. However, I'm still glad I bought it because I love it , and, touch wood, it's been fine. Usual niggles like wiper motor, hazard relay switch, and N75 valve going, but they're standard Octy faults unfortunately.

Welcome to the Skoda club

Hi Jigger72,

It's a shame my car purchasing experience has been marred by this. :( Particularly when (and I quote) they told me that "it would need nothing doing to it in the next 12 months" :eek:.

It's a straightforward lie. I can't look at it any other way.

Anyway - I'm still looking forward to ownership. I just wish the DVLA would get a move on and let me have my new car!

What's an N75 valve? How many miles have you done in your Octy now?

Technically it is another 12 months, or thereabouts. It's supposed to be changed at 4 years or 60k miles, whichever comes first, but I understand your frustration. How much deposit did you pay? They may back down if you threaten to walk away but I doubt it now, knowing that they'll be reading this after your post on the dealers section :eek:

The N75 valve is the wastegate actuator, so controls the turbo pressure release, I think There's plenty of info on it all over this site. If it fails you lose boost so the car just feels like an NA car and not a turbo. Loads of people have had the 17705 error code because of low boost and, for me at least, changing the N75 valve sorted it.

I've had mine for just over a year and done 13k but that's going to be less this year because I don't drive to work anymore. :(

I tell you what though, I was never really a mad car enthuisiast before I bought the Octy but I've caught the modding bug big time. I've only had cheap tin cars before but becoming a dad prompted me to get a safe sensible family hatchback and the Octy fitted the bill. And it's got the poke so I can have some fun when I'm on my own.

Can't wait to get the remap sorted this year :D:D

If you get the cambelt done don't forget to get the water pump done at the same time.

Good luck with it all

Welcome

Hi again,

Thanks for the info Jigger.

All turned out OK with my Octavia in the end. Dealer came good.

Now looking forward to thinking about modifications (but not being able to afford them) on my new car (which my wife has dubbed 'big bird'...).

L