Octavia 2.0tdi PD Estate Laurin and Klement first thoughts....

[vrssteve]

Wow - what can I say that hasn't already been said?

Picked her up from SB Automotive near Winchester last week and drove back to Exeter in luxury I haven't been accustomed to since I parted company with my old P6 3500 Rover when the family came along!

I can't really say my Fabia vRS was luxurious, more fun, fast and functional

Paid 8k for an immaculate 58 plate with 62000 on the clock. Contacted both previous owners when I got back - Alphabet lease company who had it from new to around 40k miles and then a private owner after that. The lease company very kindly sent me a pdf of everything ever done to the car whilst in their ownership, the second owner equally helpful. The only slight concern I had was that the DSG oil never appeared to have been changed so that's my first job so she's booked in for next week with SMC in Exeter, however the box is silky smooth so I'm hoping there's nothing detrimental there. I guess this is the only risk I've really taken with buying this car. A couple of new tyres will be needed fairly soon but that aside everything works perfectly which I'm very happy about given the huge amount of electrical wizardry hiding in every corner of the car. I'll look to get the cambelt changed early next year.

Favourite bit has to be the Columbus satnav/cd/sd/dvd combo - I've read lots about how people think it's crap, but I have to say it's wonderful. The sound is amazing and I find all the controls and the satnav to be intuitive and very easy to use. I came from a Garmin Nuvi which served it's purpose very well but this is in a league of it's own. I'm not sure it's completely up to date but more than sufficient for me so far.

I love the rear view mirror which changes to a dark green when it gets dark, the passenger wing mirrow which dips when I reverse, the heated leather electric seats which are incredibly comfy, the little lights in the door handles, the cruise control which again, people have berated on here but is simplicity itself, the xenon self levelling headlights which light up things I never knew existed and last but not least, the general solidity of everything from the clunk of the doors to the soft operation of all the little lids on the various cubby holes and storage compartments.

Bad points - errm - my iPhone doesn't connect via bluetooth :(

 

Having spent a few months reading up on this car before I bought it on Skoda/Audi/VW forums around the world, it would have been very easy not to get one!

From the 'ooh no don't touch a car with DSG, they're nothing but trouble', to don't get a 2.0 they're nothing but trouble, oil pump will fail, get the 1.9'. Thank god it doesn't have the DPF !!

I was beginning to think these versions were, well, nothing but trouble. I guess time will tell but I have every confidence in what I've bought. If I took every review online of everything ever made to heart, I'd never buy anything, would be living in a tent in a pair of underpants and eating just organic veg! Oh hang on - Vango tents have been known to self combust !

And anyway, I have a Honda vision scooter - bullet proof - 60 million units sold worldwide in various guises over 50 years, reliable in the extreme! Well my transmission packed up when an oil seal went after 200 miles and wrecked it all. Would it put me off buying another? Absolutely not!

 

Here's a few low quality iPhone piccies, more hi-res ones to follow once she's proper cleaned!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 23 September, 2013 by vrssteve

[Sarge]

Congtrats with the purchase. Looks good and well specced. Hopefully it will prove as good mechanically.

Sarge.

[booke23]

I'll second all you have said.

That's a nice looking example. Although not ideal, the slightly overdue DSG oil change won't have any detrimental effect. And don't worry about oil pump failure....it's only an issue on balance shaft driven oil pumps on the early 2.0 Superbs/passat etc. The BKD engine (fitted to your car) does not suffet from this.

Enjoy your new purchase!

[Chappers.]

NOOOOOOOO - you got the version with the cream leather seats - everyone knows that they have a habit of eating small children under the age of 6 years before self combusting and puncturing all four tyres, it's on all the forums throughout the internet, common fault sir! 

 

 

Seriously, it looks mint. Every car/bike/washing machine/stereo will have some that have issues, nothing is 100% perfect and by their nature a forum will attract more than it's fair share of people that will post just to gain advice on a problem that they are having - there are a lot more people out there happily driving around in vehicles that have never caused them any issues.

[adamal]

I have the same car without the dsg and I love it. A lot more miles for same money 18 months ago on mine so yours looks a good buy. It looks great in that colour too.

[MaZvRSTSI]

Very nice on the inside....well done on the purchase..

[silver1011]

Silver roof rails too, were these a cost option on the L&K?

 

Factory options are unusual for a car that started life through a lease company so it should fill you with confidence that the original owner was into his cars!

[booke23]

Silver roof rails too, were these a cost option on the L&K?

 

I believe they might be......on my L&K they are the standard black roof rails.

[adamal]

And mine. Silver was an option, as was the Columbus on that age L and K.

[Web Ferret]

Very nice.

The 2.0TDI is fine - it's in many many audi's, vw and and skodas.

 

Known issues are the turbo and air con unit. Both fixable.  I've been recommended 10k services from now on rather than variable for similar mileage.

[vrssteve]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

So, a few queries now I've spent a few days in the car - not driving it - just trying to work out how it all works!

I don't have the 5 or 7 postcode dilemma as mine doesn't accept any :(

I'm led to believe the latest update will fix this this? Could someone point me in the direction of a good honest reliable supplier of the software please. That's the £40 version and not the £150 that SMC in Exeter wanted!

I guess also, connecting my iPhone will be out of the question as there doesn't appear to be Bluetooth on it either. Is there a module?

Cheers

Steve

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[adamal]

Steve

 

It probably doesn't have a module installed yet which is why Bluetooth doesn't work.  They weren't fitted as standard I don't believe in pre FL cars.

 

For your car the best BT unit is a 5K0 035 730 D (or prefixes higher than a D).  This will connect with an iPhone, be controlled via the Columbus and stream music but like mine it won't show up in the Maxidot display.   There isn't a unit which does all this using the HFP protocol necessary to connect to an iPhone.

 

On the Columbus, even my very old firmware on my very early factory fitted Columbus (08 plate) accepted a 5 digit postcode so that seems strange to be honest.  Are you sure about this?

 

Adam

[vrssteve]

No, definitely nothing postcode wise. As soon as I start to enter the number part of the postcode all the numbers are greyed out rather than surrounded by a green box. Matey at SMC in Exeter said early ones don't have the ability to enter a postcode despite the field saying 'house number/p.code' or something similar. I find it hard to believe a 2008 satnav doesn't have this ability.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[adamal]

Well it can't be earlier than mine hardware wise and so a firmware upgrade should sort it, given mine is now fully functional on 4024 firmware.  You will probably need to update the maps as well though.

 

Do you know what version maps you have (disc in the glovebox?).  Also if you don't mind pulling the unit out, you can also find out the firmware from the sticker on the top of the unit (or you can get that via a VCDS scan), and armed with all the info from the sticker we should be able to help.

 

Thanks

Adam

[DBT85]

Welcome to the L&K club. We are an elite few it seems. Such comfortable cars.

 

I need to update my Columbus while I remember too. Still on 2800 or something.

 

I only found out a few months ago that the jumbo box arm rest can lock up in a few positions. I'd had the car 16 months lol.

[vrssteve]

It didn't have the disk when I bought it and I don't fancy pulling the unit out just yet, don't want to risk damaging anything. I can live without postcodes and Bluetooth for the time being, Bluetooth probably indefinitely given the cost of the module. I'll look into updating maps and firmware when I get some spare time. Thanks for the info though.......

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[vrssteve]

Without actually removing the unit to see what it is, can anyone help on here? I will get around to it - there just seems to be so many versions doing so many different things and so many things it can do with a tweak here and there from the vegcom computer!

It looks like a columbus to all intents and purposes although it doesn't actually say columbus - just Skoda audio on the top left and mp3 on the right. It doesn't do postcodes of any sorts, I can't adjust the audio volume so I can hear the rear sensor bleep and I can't watch DVDs while I'm driving

 

A few other bits I've discovered and found out in the last three weeks and a few things I can't work out yet.

 

Can't get my headlights lights to come on/stay on when I arrive at home, although the headlights come on when I unlock the car at night, I can't fathom out how to get the nearside mirror to tilt when I reverse, and there's a little pull up lever in the centre armrest box and I've no idea what it does!  Back to the manual methinks.

On the bright side, I have found a place who will do my DSG oil change all in inc. VAT for £175 - a good £60 cheaper than the next cheapest quote and it will come with all the guarantee offered by the main dealers. http://www.v-w-s-exeter.co.uk/ if anyone in the SW needs it......

Oh and one final thing and I have seen it on a forum somewhere but can't locate it now, It feels like the hill park assist is sticking a little when I pull away in D on an uphill incline. I can hear the brakes grind/tick/hold a little and then release a tenth of a second later - a bit like doing a hill start in a manual but not letting the handbrake off quite in time where the back of the car dips fractionally and then releases. Will get it checked out at some point.

 

Those things aside, still very happy with her!

[booke23]

Can't get my headlights lights to come on/stay on when I arrive at home, although the headlights come on when I unlock the car at night, I can't fathom out how to get the nearside mirror to tilt when I reverse, and there's a little pull up lever in the centre armrest box and I've no idea what it does!  

 

There should be an option in the maxidot menu to adjust the coming home lights......can't remember where but it's in there!

 

The nearside mirror will only tilt in reverse if the adjustment switch is in the 'L' position.....if it still doesn't work you may have to set it up again.....instructions in the manual somewhere....if it still doesn't work, the memory motor in the mirror could be faulty (like mine!). 

 

The little pull up lever in the centre box is to allow cold air in there when you are running the A/C in the summer.....it turns the storage box into a mini fridge. There is a similar control in the glove box.  

Edited 3 October, 2013 by booke23

[adamal]

Another poster recently mentioned he wasn't aware he could input postcodes into the city field. Have you tried that. My Columbus has a joint city/postcode field.

A vcds scan as you suggest will tell you the Columbus details if you don't want to remove it, and if you are very lucky, holding setup for 20 secs will bring up a secret menu with the information. But that is only if it has had a firmware update in the past to 2764 or above I believe.

Adam

[vrssteve]

A few more pictures now I've had a really good clean inside....

 

 

 

 

Edited 29 October, 2013 by vrssteve

[Coops]

Smart - I had an Ambiente Estate in Storm Blue, metallic fleck really comes out when it's clean and sunny.

 

That interior colour wouldn't last 5 mins with me, well the kids anyway.

 

Hope it serves you well, and at 62k barely bedded in!

[adamal]

Lovely mate.  I have the same interior and its fine with older kids - it goes really well with that exterior colour too.