Hi folks...

I acquired about 2-3 weeks ago an Octavia VRS estate in race blue. It's a 2006 model with 52k on the clock and so far I absolutely love it.. it's quick, comfortable, spacious, looks fantastic... really it's such a good all rounder.

However despite coming from a main dealer there seems to be a few issues with it. Most irritating or pressing to me at the moment is the fact that something in the engine bay is REALLY noisy. It's hard to describe but from cold or when warmed up (doesn't matter) there is a continual I guess grinding / whirring which changes note when you rev the engine.. it seems loudest around by the alternator kind of area. To be fair once you get moving it doesn't seem too bad or too intrustive but as soon as you come to a stop and are idling it's really noticable and not in keeping with what I always thought was a nice quiet modern engine.

I've taken a video clip which typically for a mobile phone doesn't isolate the noise particularly well but might help give an idea which I can upload if it helps with diagnosis.. but just wondered if alternators or aircon pumps are known to be noisy on these? And would Skoda likely replace them based on being noisy or would they want an actual failure to occur before they do?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

sounds like the one-way clutch on the alternator which will seize or fail to drive and make ahell of a row I check there first

I've got a 2007 tfsi with similar millage which has a simlar noise. I'm convinced its the air con compressor. Seems to make more noise when 'econ' is turned off, I believe the compressor always runs but just at very little load.

I've got a 2007 tfsi with similar millage which has a simlar noise. I'm convinced its the air con compressor. Seems to make more noise when 'econ' is turned off, I believe the compressor always runs but just at very little load.

Funnily enough I think you're right. I took the car for a spin this evening and thought it seemed more noticable than normal, until I realised that the climate control was turned on. I knocked it off and it did seem to quieten down a fair bit, but I found if I just bought the revs up a fraction from idle the same sort of noise came back... it's very odd.

Thing is I only just bought the car from a main dealer a few weeks back and they obviously either felt nothing was wrong with it or, instead, elected to wait for it to fail before swapping it?

I am tempted to take it to my VW specialist garage friends for an opinion and a listen and see what they think before approaching Skoda about it.

It's the air con compressor, mine has been noisy ever since I've bought the car almost 5 years ago (1.8 TSI). Skoda service has confirmed, that it's the air con but has done nothing about it. Now, almost 100kkm later, it is still working, it is still noisy sometimes, but I've got used to it. You can always increase the audio volume.

Just thought I'd update the thread...

Have had it confirmed at local dealership that it is indeed the alternator making the noise - but thanks to a warranty screw up by the dealer I bought the car off at the time, I can't get it fixed until the warranty has been amended (mileages don't match up on my cover, and what's currently on the car).

Hopefully get that sorted in the next few days then get it booked in.