That is very interesting. Do you have a source?

 

@woodnotes, stay away from the Octavia III. If I had known about this problem I would not have bought the car. I have two cars, so I dont get used to it since car number 2 is very quite. Now whether I am going for a Superb in two years time, to take over for car number 2, depends on the effort Skoda is going to show when solving this ridiculous issue. If Skoda does nothing, then no more Skodas for this little family.

 

My above solution only reduces the boom somewhat, but problem is not yet solved...

Actually I second this as despite my car not having this particular problem, mine has a more serious issue and is in the process of being investigated. Wish i'd not bought mine either, and certainly would avoid Skoda (VW group) period!

Just to be clear the problem isnt tyre noise, but the car definately isnt the quietest car in thw worked so there is a fair amount of road roar. My car was at the dealers for a week and skoda UK instucted them to try a number of things to resolve it, none of which worked. They had 3 vrs's in and all of them displayed the boom problem to varying degrees. Apparenty the factory is aware of the problem and are working on some modified buffers for the hatch. You can replicate the problem by sitting in the driver seat getting someone to sharply press the hatrch form the outside. This generates a low frequency boom.

Some peope are more sensitive to it than others, infact I find if I equalise my ears i can no longer hear or feel it for a while, at laeast until i go done the next big hill.

Interesting. They have logged it with Skoda over here too as a problem and there are more people now complaining apparently that have it as well so greater exposure happening. Basically they have tried a few things but nothing has cured or made any difference so far. The fact that opening the hatch fixes it is the key as it must be related, and either the buffer idea above which will stop the vibration transferance or somehow stopping the hatch from moving at all when the car hits the type of bumps that do it is the answer. Even changing the door seal thickness maybe an answer.

Edited 22 August, 201411 yr by snala

I've driven 3 different Octavia over the last 6 weeks (1.8 Elegance petrol hatch, vRS petrol wagon, 2l diesel hatch). Only one, the 2l diesel has suffered from the pressure/"boom" issue. It's been infrequent and doesn't really bother me - all though to be fair I only drive it for 1 hour or so at a time. It also only happens on bumpier more rural roads.

Not that this is evidence of anything, more than I believe it does not affect all cars, or all people. Which I would say makes it tough to fix!

Has anyone tried removing a section of weather stripping from around the tailgate? Hopefully that will allow pressure to escape without leaving the hatch open.

Sorry for the double post.

Edited 22 August, 201411 yr by hobbie2k

Has anyone tried removing a section of weather stripping from around the tailgate? Hopefully that will allow pressure to escape without leaving the hatch open.

That won't stop the rear hatch vibrating though as its still fully closed and flush with the sils therefore resting on the 4 rubber stoppers. Worth a try but because of that I don't think it will make any difference.

Same as seats down, rear doors cracked open, no parcel tray, no floor, makes no difference if the hatch is closed. Bump boom noise remains.

Edited 23 August, 201411 yr by snala

I have had the trial buffers from Skoda installed on my car last week. They are actually spring loaded and fit on the hatch to push up away from the body when the hatch is closed so provide tension. I think they have actually helped and while not perfect it seems to reduce the noise instances quite a bit after driving the 4 days since installation. Big hits still produce the boom on the initial impact but I'd say all the hatches probably do that especially with the lower profile wheels and harder suspension the VRS has but most owners don't notice as it's only sporadic rather than all the time like on the affected ones.

 

Some of you guys might want to see if Skoda UK has them and report back on the effectiveness? Still doesn't give an answer why some cars have it and others dont so must be a building tolerance or hatch seal variance in the Gen III I'd say. I wonder if all the hatches will have these buffers standardised in the future as a just in case precaution?

Edited 16 September, 201411 yr by snala

Trial buffers ?

Please expand what they are and were we can get them ?

I think Snala has covered it well, they are a prototype and as such dont even have a part number. Ive had them fitted since Thursday and they have helped alot, especially on faster roads. Bigger ruts and bumps do stil cause the boom, but it is 100% better with the part. The feedback I have given skoda is that if they could increase the srping load in the buffer it may well halp even more but I suspect thay are limited by size. I have pictures but this board seems to make it difficult to post images in line, if at all.

My story:

Something started to rattle at the back around 30.000 km on really bad roads.

I asked my girlfriend to drive the car while I was investigating at the rear seat.

I discovered that my boot lid is loose and moving/resonating and light coming inside the cabin at the bottom side of the lid.

I could easily shake the boot lid with my hand while it was closed (grabbed around the plate lights).

So I tought that the lock mechanism (car side) needed adjusting.

I adjusted it so (~5 mm inward) that the tailgate closes properly only when dropped from 10-15 cm. Earlier 3-5 cm dropping was enough to close.

After this adjusting the resonation wasn't gone and soon I discovered that the 2 buffer (L/R) needs adjusting, too.

They didn't contact the plastic element on the body and I could easily push inward the closed tailgate on both left and right side.

So I adjusted the buffers (~ 5 mm outward) to get in contact with the plastic on the body.

Wow, the boot lid was stiff when closed, hooray!

After the adjustments a relative loud "clack" or "click" sound appeared during opening. Earlier I could hear only the opening motor or whatever.

So now the boot lid is tensioned in some degree when closed.

Test drive: the rattle was tottally gone, good news...

But...! The bump initiated booms gone, too! Really good news...!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: Not totally but reduced to a normal level and less annoying (higher frequency). I would say from 100% to 20%.

So in my case the boot lid was adjusted wrong from the factory and caused bump initiated booms because of vibration.

Hopefully helps...

Result: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvRnZ_Qwz3s&feature=youtu.be

I think Snala has covered it well, they are a prototype and as such dont even have a part number. Ive had them fitted since Thursday and they have helped alot, especially on faster roads. Bigger ruts and bumps do stil cause the boom, but it is 100% better with the part. The feedback I have given skoda is that if they could increase the srping load in the buffer it may well halp even more but I suspect thay are limited by size. I have pictures but this board seems to make it difficult to post images in line, if at all.

 Well if you have them, how did you get them ? no need to keep it to yourself

I think Snala has covered it well, they are a prototype and as such dont even have a part number. Ive had them fitted since Thursday and they have helped alot, especially on faster roads. Bigger ruts and bumps do stil cause the boom, but it is 100% better with the part. The feedback I have given skoda is that if they could increase the srping load in the buffer it may well halp even more but I suspect thay are limited by size. I have pictures but this board seems to make it difficult to post images in line, if at all.

 

Exactly. I reckon even more spring tension would be even better also. That's the feedback I was going to give Skoda too.

 

Aki78, yes that does help but mine even with all that done was still pretty bad and if you have the hatch contacts up too high the boot doesn't line up with the body when closed which looks bad. I think with the new buffers you will like it even better and you won't have to probably slam the hatch to get it to close etc.

 

 

 Well if you have them, how did you get them ? no need to keep it to yourself

I wrote a complaint letter to SNZ and just co-incidently they had these come in the same day but my car was also already logged with them as being affected. I'd say they are probably everywhere as Skoda is trialling them asking for feedback to see if its a solution. Its certainly a step in the right direction. Ask your dealer to ask SUK. PSIMMOAZ has them too so.....?

 

 

I'll post some pictures tonight of the buffers after work, its only 8.30am here  .

Edited 16 September, 201411 yr by snala

Here are some pics of the buffer.

 

 

OH, so they are the ones on the side pillar, not as I was expecting, the lower bump stops ?

I first went to the dealers to report the problem. They had the car for 1 week and tried all sorts of things under the guidance of SUK e.g. they changed the wheels, tried new seals etc. Nothing helped so they reported back to SUK. At that point SUK notified them that they were working on a soultion which arrived last week. I guess I just got lucky, but I did detail, in great length all the things i have tried (which SUK did thank me for). My car is also heavily soundproofed so it even move obviuos it isnt just road suspension noise. It is still a prototype and may change based on our feedback - stronger springs are the way to go. I also have sound deadening in my boot hatch that i may remove .....it makes the hatch heavier, and I think it might not help the load on the springs of the new buffers. 

Weird, my hatch just shuts tight no problems, and clicks when it opens as suggested. I wonder where the actual difference lies between cars?

Hey all

Good news for me with my hatchback!

Having been able to demonstrate the nausea inducing noise coming from the rear of my car to a technician from my local dealership on a concrete road on a nearby industrial estate, it was booked in last Monday for two days investigation.

I had little hope of anything being achieved, however SUK instructed the them to replace the boot seal & I must admit the difference has been amazing!

I wanted to give it a couple of days to be sure before reporting but it's now no worse than my MK6 Golf before & only when going over poorest of surfaces.
 

Hopefully this solution might also work for some of the other Octavia's here :-)
 

Cheers, Paul

So guys, are new factory fresh cars still exhibiting these symptoms or not?

If mine ever gets built I'll let you know, but it is an estate so may not have the same issue?

No boom on my estate.

 

Some aerodynamic and tyre related noise, yes.

Edited 19 September, 201411 yr by Genoa1893

Hello.

I wrote about this a few months ago and was surprised that no one said anything about it.

In my case (and I rarely seem that all was not well with) the problem of noise is removed when not tightly close the tailgate. I know it's not a solution, but so many forsake seek a solution by other car sites. I think it is a design problem and no solution.

So guys, are new factory fresh cars still exhibiting these symptoms or not?

Well considering they are trying a patch fix rather than addressing the actual cause ( i.e do they actually know what the reason is some are okay and others are not or is it too expensive to make affected cars like unaffected ones?) I'd say there is no reason why new cars would be exempt in the future.

 

Probably lucky over here as Skoda has a small market share but other places where the buying public is more informed and has more choice, I'd not be buying one like mine second hand if I saw it had the partial fix buffers fitted so...??!!

Edited 20 September, 201411 yr by snala

So guys, are new factory fresh cars still exhibiting these symptoms or not?

Mine is hatchback bw29 - I haven't experienced any of the symptoms described in this thread...

Mine is hatchback bw29 - I haven't experienced any of the symptoms described in this thread...

Question is, has anyone bought a new build that does have the same fault? Mine is a 13 plate and I don't have those symptoms either. I am just trying to work out if a new one of these cars is a safe buy, as mine may be rejected in the coming weeks as has been discussed in another thread. Personally my gut feeling is to steer clear and get something completely different. It's a shame, they would be a great car if they weren't so problematic.