Over the moon with my buy, However there is a few questions

How often does cambelt need changing, Been told by previous owner it needs doing soon but would like to know if I can put it off a few months or not

also the head unit doesn't take usb or sd card, I have all my music on a usb and would like to install something which works with that or a sd card but is oem, will one be plug and play? which model should I be on the look out for

thanks

Exactly which Octavia is it you've bought and what year is it?

 

John

Which Petrol or diesel. Manual or auto

Which HU? (what names on it?)

Petrol TFSI it's every 4yr

 

TSI has a chain.

got a vrs 2.0 tdi 08 manual

The cambelt interval should be every four years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first.

 

I'm assuming you have a Stream MP3 head unit?  The closest upgrade with an SD card slot is the Bolero, it came with the facelifted Octavias and is the same shape as the Streams (most head units are a different shape which needs a different trim surround).  There is a battery drain issue with Octavias that have an older CAN gateway but (up to around 07) and the Boleros but that shouldn't be an issue with your car, there's also a smaller issue wit the auto back light control (early Boleros used a sensor, later ones get the light status from the car which doesn't work with pre facelift cars) although I don't know if that's resolved.  

 

There are other options depending on your budget.

 

John

Personally, I'd probably go for an Amundsen - they're not much more and get built in Bluetooth. (if you get the right model)

. . . . . . . . 

How often does cambelt need changing, Been told by previous owner it needs doing soon but would like to know if I can put it off a few months or not

 . . . . . . . .

 

I would do the cam belt before anything else.  The cost of repairing the damage caused by a broken belt is huge, certainly followed by three zeros.  The cam belt failed on my father-in-laws Renault Laguna about 8 or 9 years ago and the bill was £1,600 even then.

 

Certainly a better bet than worrying about fitting a sat-nav imho.

the Boleros but that shouldn't be an issue with your car, there's also a smaller issue wit the auto back light control (early Boleros used a sensor, later ones get the light status from the car which doesn't work with pre facelift cars) although I don't know if that's resolved.  

 

Any idea how to fix this?  This is exactly the problem I have with my self-fitted Bolero in my 07 Elegance

 

the Boleros but that shouldn't be an issue with your car, there's also a smaller issue wit the auto back light control (early Boleros used a sensor, later ones get the light status from the car which doesn't work with pre facelift cars) although I don't know if that's resolved.  

 

Any idea how to fix this?  This is exactly the problem I have with my self-fitted Bolero in my 07 Elegance

 

 

It's a while since I looked into this when I was upgrading the stereo in my car, at that point I don't believe there was a solution but I don't know if one has been found since.

 

John

first thing im doing before any driving is cambelt, and still haven't gotten it insured so will be doing that first actually :(

as I understand I need to get a bolero from a pre facelift skoda? up to 2008?

and would like hids as 3rd thing

You wont get a Bolero from a pre-facelift to my knowledge they were only fitted to facelift models (with the exception of the Limited Edition vRS's - which was a bit of a mix of pre and post facelift equipment wise)

Edited 22 September, 201411 yr by Lewwy

Got myself a bolero but need to code it to the car, will my parking sensors still work

I don't believe the parking sensors still work but that doesn't bother me. (I have a Pre-FL car with Bolero)

Parking sensors will still work but no OPS display unless you change controllers.

Bolero shouldn't need any coding.

Although I'm not sure if it will cause battery drain or not.

Battery drain - MIGHT be ok on this one as it is an 08.

 

I don't think the Bolero itself needs any coding - though I had to code a whole new CAN gateway

'08 should be OK then as it was pretty much sorted by the middle/end of 2007.