Octavia TDI owner with 100k service due in 1 month. Selling in 4 months due to getting company car. Advice needed, should I get cam belt changed, etc)

[silver1011]

The official line from Skoda UK is 80,000 miles or 4 years whichever you reach first.

As mentioned earlier these requirements have been changed several times of late by Skoda UK which is resulting in the conflicting advice from certain dealers.

Add to this that some members not adhering to these standards due to them thinking Skoda are being over cautious and you very quickly have a lot of wrong information being posted and general confusion.

Your 2007 vRS should have had a cambelt either on its fourth birthday (sometime last year) or when it reached 80,000 miles, which I assume was also sometime last year.

This means it is either 6-12 months or 20,000 miles overdue.

I wouldn't worry though, the belt is still intact, and therefore it doesn't really matter when you get it done as long as it is done before it fails.

If you get it done just before you sell it a private buyer could look at it in two ways:

1) The seller has neglected to service the car in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines, or...

2) (and how I would view it) they now have 4 years or 80,000 miles without having to worry about replacing it

[Steve78]

The official line from Skoda UK is 80,000 miles or 4 years whichever you reach first.

As mentioned earlier these requirements have been changed several times of late by Skoda UK which is resulting in the conflicting advice from certain dealers.

Add to this that some members not adhering to these standards due to them thinking Skoda are being over cautious and you very quickly have a lot of wrong information being posted and general confusion.

Your 2007 vRS should have had a cambelt either on its fourth birthday (sometime last year) or when it reached 80,000 miles, which I assume was also sometime last year.

This means it is either 6-12 months or 20,000 miles overdue.

I wouldn't worry though, the belt is still intact, and therefore it doesn't really matter when you get it done as long as it is done before it fails.

If you get it done just before you sell it a private buyer could look at it in two ways:

1) The seller has neglected to service the car in accordance with the manufacturers guidelines, or...

2) (and how I would view it) they now have 4 years or 80,000 miles without having to worry about replacing it

Many thanks for the post. That's reassuring!

[Springwood NSW Octavia]

There is a good chance your vRS is subject to a recent recall too as it affects the vast majority of pre-2008 diesel PD vRS Octavia's.

The recall involves replacing all four injectors and the wiring loom for free, irrepective of service history, mileage or warranty.

If you do take it to a main dealer to have the cambelt done make sure they check the injectors too. Some interesting reading here...

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/197422-vag-170-ps-diesel-injector-failures-vosa-action/

Hi! Do you know if this problem with the Siemens injectors affects the PD 140?? Or is the recall only for the vRS? Many thanks!

[silver1011]

Just the PD170, no other engine is affected so your PD140 is fine.

[Springwood NSW Octavia]

Just the PD170, no other engine is affected so your PD140 is fine.

phew... thanks for the good news

[Steve78]

Hi all,

Just wanted to say thanks to the op who posted about QR Sports. They did a stirling job, changed my cambelt for £350, much cheaper than main dealer and got rid of DPF light, airbag light, glow plug light, engine management system light, replaced rear wiper arm and blade - £540 all in. Highly recommended, they are based near Chester. Speak to Darren and say Steve recommended you! He also wants to buy some steel workbenches off me!

Took my car to Skoda for 100k service. £195.

However, there are further issues I'd like peoples advice on;

1) Drivers side electric window. As previously mentioned on this thread, I have to flick the switch up every half second until it gets a 3rd of the way up before it goes up on it's own. I need to sort this as I'm worried the motor will fail and as I do long drives up to Aberdeen, don't want to be in a position where i have a 7 hour drive home with the window down at -8 degrees!! Skoda say I need complete new motor with electric gubbins at a cost of £195 plus labour. Local garage recommended taking it in for them to look at to see if Skoda are just trying to rip me off and it's a sensor issue or something. Is it worth looking on eBay for a second hand motor for the window?

2) "Left steering rod end play". This was explained as something that would fail the next MOT and is the joint where the steering rod goes into the left wheel. I have been quoted £20 plus £50 labour. Does this seem reasonable?

Other than that, my car is in prestine condition!

Any advice on the above much appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve

[andyvee]

2) "Left steering rod end play". This was explained as something that would fail the next MOT and is the joint where the steering rod goes into the left wheel. I have been quoted £20 plus £50 labour. Does this seem reasonable?

If that means track rod end in English, that seems pretty steep. I would expect to pay £30 ish for a track rod end to be supplied and fitted. Only problem is you will need a wheel alignment afterwards.

Get a second opinion on that one.

As for the window, a tricky one as until someone strips it down it will be difficult to diagnose. It sounds more like the window is sticking, therefore thinks it is fully closed or something. Try some white silicone spray grease in the tracks in the rubbers and work the window up and down a few times to see if it makes any difference.

There was a thread on here not so long ago about how to reset the fully open and fully closed positions of the memory of the window, if that makes sense. Do a search, that might help as well.

I know what you mean though, I once drove back from Aberdeen with my window down half an inch as it kept blowing fuses, it was minus 10 outside and even with the heating on full it was freezing! This was in a previous car, not the Octy.

Good result on the other bits you got sorted though.

[Steve78]

Another warning light!!!

This time coolent level. Since picking the car up from the 100k Skoda service it pings 3 times and flashes red for 5 minutes then turns off. The manual says something along the lines of either the coolant is too hot (not possible as it's just above freezing) or the coolant level is too low (it's on the max line).

Any advice? Anything I should worry about or should this rectify itself? Am I OK to drive the car long distances?

Thanks all for any advice.

Edited 16 January, 2012 by Steve78

[Aspman]

When the car is cold open the coolant tank and give the two prongs in there a scrape with a long screwdriver.

They get furry over time and the sensor can't pick up the conductance properly.

Very common and easily fixed.

[Steve78]

Top man, much appreciated. The problem seems to have stopped for now but I'll know what to do when it happens again.

[andyvee]

I think you will be glad to see the back of this car, even if your new one isn't as good

[Steve78]

I think you will be glad to see the back of this car, even if your new one isn't as good

You may well be right there, mate.