Hi.

 

Sorry if this question has been covered previously but I drew a blank when I checked the search box as suggested.

 

I just joined today although I have visited several times as a guest since buying my (July 2011) car in February 2013. The Skoda dealership seviced it before I bought it so it's only last week that the "service now" message appeared.

 

After a quick look under the engine, from the front and both sides, I couldn't see where the sump plug was so I Googled it's location. That lead to a thread here (for a diesel engined car) which warned about over tightening the new bolt and washer. Incidentally, I had already bought those along with the correct fully synthetic oil and filter, plus the air and pollen filters.

 

This is my first VW-based vehicle so although I have been servicing my cars for the last 40 years I don't want to end up making a bigger problem because of a lack of information.

 

I will be grateful for any advice as to the drain bolt's location and torque wrench setting.

 

Thanks.

The plug is probably on the rear bottom edge of the sump on the drivers side. Torque is probably 30Nm.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

Hi Trundlenut.

 

Yes, I found it myself after driving the car onto some lengths of timber which raised it about 4 inches. Thanks for the torque setting.

Hi just changed my oil. Its best if you put near side wheels up on curb. If you look under front of car in middle its to the left of some wires that go into bottom of sump it's a 19mm.

 

Oil filter can be tight too, I had to use my snap on strap and I can usually undo them by hand !

Hi Vulcan.

 

I did drive up onto the pavement so I only needed to put timber under the offside wheels to get sufficient clearance.

 

I knew it was 19mm as I had already bought the new bolt.

 

Unfortunately, I have had to change my plans today so I, probably, won't get round to changing the oil until next weekend.

Well no problem Dougie when you do get to it, I expect you will want to know how to set the service reminder !

 

Its easy when you know just press trip meter button and turn ignition on then turn button to right and its cleared you can search it on you tube for video.

 

Sorry I'm not that good on computers I did try to post link ha ha.

Hi Vulcan.

 

Actually, I checked out how to do that here (and on Youtube) before I even bought the oil and filters as this is the first car I have owned that had that facility. In the past I have always bought cars from friends, family or colleagues and then kept them for many years. In fact, my last 2 cars a 1 litre Daihatsu Charade and then a 1.4 litre Rover 400 were really reliable and I enjoyed them both for 10 years.

 

I gave the Daihatsu to my sister-in-law when it was 16 years old as it was going to cost me £60 to scrap it and it still had 6 months tax and MOT left. She got 3 years out of it and by that time she got £60 when she scrapped it a few days before it was 19 years old. 6 months later she was able to buy my brother's company Volvo for it's auction price and she still has it.

 

My Rover was bought from a relative and I, sadly, decided to scrap it in February 2013 as a new exhaust tail pipe section was going to cost more than the car was worth and its MOT was imminent. However, I got a nice surprise as it was worth £200 as scrap!

 

Unfortunately, most people I know now drive diesel cars which are no use to me as I don't do enough mileage so I had to buy a car from a garage for the first time in my life. Luckily, after a disappointing test drive in a Ford Focus I decided to look at an Octavia instead.

 

Several people in this forum mentioned that they liked the "old" technology of the 1.6 MPI engine which was good enough for me to start looking for one. I quickly realised there weren't many Skoda Approved ones around and I was lucky to find the only one in Scotland 70 miles away in Ayr. It was an SE and had been an indoor demonstrator for 4 months then owned for a year doing just 8,400 miles before being traded in to the original dealer for an identical diesel engined car. It sat for 3 months on the forecourt without turning a wheel and the price fell from £9,995 to £8,295 in that time. Having extensively researched the prices of approved Octavias I wasn't surprised the dealer wouldn't budge on the price although they did give me a free tank of petrol and tax and I was delighted I bought the best, and lowest mileage example, available in the whole of the UK at the time. Since then, despite only putting 3,700 miles on it, (I live 3 miles from work and the car isn't used during my 6-week visit to Canada each year) I still look forward to driving it every time. It helps that it's the colour I would have picked myself - officially it's grey but it looks more blue to me!

 

Having just turned 60 I hope to still be driving it when I am 70.

Hi Dougie

 

Glad your happy with the Octavia mpi be just great for short journeys like you do or any come to that.

 

We tend to hang on our cars too,still got an old Micra that's nearly twenty years old passed down to my daughters boyfriend.

 

Don't think you'll have any major problems as long as you change the oil every year.

 

So far with mine I've had a set of tyres and two dipped head lamp bulbs over and above servicing.

 

One thing I have noticed is that when the dealers serviced the car while it was under warranty I used to get crud/mayo in the oil filler cap now I change it myself with Fuchs Titan GT1 pro C-3 5w-30 and its as clean as a whistle !

 

My car is on 38000 miles now and running better than ever long may it continue.

 

Steve

Hi Steve.

 

I changed the oil and filter today without any problem. However, when I tried to reset the service indicator it wasn't successful and the "service now" message is still there. Thinking I had made a mistake I double checked the instructions and tried again, several times, with the same result.

 

Despite finding several Youtube videos on this which have various permutations of "ignition off/on, hold button/release button and turn button to the right" nothing seems to work. Incidentally, I noticed that the instrument clusters were different to mine in most videos so I assume that was one of the changes to the Face Lifted model. Unless it's a difference between petrol and diesel engined cars.

 

Have you any idea as to what might be preventing me from resetting the service indicator as I really don't want to take it to a Skoda garage unless I have to.

 

Given my low mileage I would happily opt for the annual service but does that change to the system need to be done by a Skoda garage?

 

Looking forward for any advice you may have.

Hi Steve.

 

After sending my last message I checked the owner's manual and it looked possible to reset the service indicator using the MAXI DOT display instead of the trip button. Luckily, it worked at the first attempt and, as a bonus, the car is now on a "fixed" service schedule instead of "variable".

 

Sod's Law, by following so many slightly different videos on Youtube I have spent more time trying to reset the indicator than actually service my car!

Hi Dougie

 

Hats off to you m8 with the Maxi Dot didn't know I had it !   Will have to read my book again, having said that mine cleared first time with the button.

 

Mines always been on fixed as dealer set it before delivery so it's had four oil and filter changes so far.

 

Glad your happy with the old mpi engine not stressed very easy to work on and proven over the years, know which I would want if its a keeper.

 

I tow my caravan with it too that's 21 years old, had it from new but looked after it just like the cars!

Hi Steve.

 

Normally, anything to do with computers usually ends in failure for me so I was surprised when it only took a few minutes. I was just so frustrated after more than 30 attempts using the trip button method (following slightly different instructions from several sources) simply resulted in the "hour" section of the digital clock being highlighted as if I wanted to change the time. Not to mention that annoying "Service now" message always reappearing!

 

Yes, for me the 1.6 MPI engine is perfect especially as there is so much room to work on it (that was another reason I didn't like the Ford Focus hardly any access around the engine). However, even if I was doing a, substantially, higher mileage I would still opt for this engine rather than the 1.4 tsi petrol or equivalent diesel engine. I know both of them are much more fuel efficient but given that I do my own servicing it's important things are as simple as possible. The thought of turbo problems on those engines or a DPF failure on the diesel would be (an expensive) nightmare.

 

Actually, I feel sorry for the people (quite often retirees) who buy a small diesel engined car thinking it's going to save them a fortune, compared to the vehicle they had, only to discover that the MPG figures quoted aren't achievable and also that they, probably, don't do enough mileage so end up ruining their DPF. Personally, I blame the sales staff for not advising against a diesel unless they are driving a decent distance at least once a month. Surely, the car they sell you should be fit for purpose as not everyone understands the finer points of modern cars.

 

Incidentally, I am impressed that your caravan is still in good condition after 21 years. Would I be right in thinking that a similar new caravan would be a lot heavier and, possibly, more than your Octavia could tow?

Hi Dougie

 

Don't talk to me about DPF I had a Mazda6 Diesel before the Octavia.  

 

Real day to day fuel costs are not that different tsi or what ever.  

 

Salesmen just  sell a dream. the largest cost on most cars is the depreciation in first three years it's thousands.

 

How right are you with the caravan yes it is very light and if I replaced it then I would have to upgrade the car.

 

Funny thing is new caravans are a lot bigger and some times twice as heavy as the one I have but the beds are smaller ?

Hi Vulcan.

 

Sorry for not returning to this post sooner but it's been hectic at work all week and I have been struggling to get a decent sleep for several days. That's the downside of permanent night shift not to mention the difficulty (at my age) of getting back to sleep after a toilet visit! Also, I was expecting visitors today for a meal but, unfortunately, that's been cancelled at the last minute.

 

We're obviously on the same wavelength because I am always amazed at people who trade in a perfectly reliable car after a few years just when it is starting to cost them so much less in depreciation. I think a lot of people simply roll their finance over into a new agreement not realising how expensive that can be. Of course, sales staff rely on their ignorance of the true cost of finance by tailoring their repayments to the amount they can afford each month which, of course, results in a much longer repayment period. Personally, I have never financed a car and it didn't bother me to buy a 3 - 5 year old car then keep it for many years until hearing about another car I knew coming up for sale.

 

I remember giving advice to a colleague at work about 20 years ago that he should run his perfectly good Vauxhall Cavalier (which he owned outright) for another year or two and bank the payments he would have been making on a newer car during that time. Then with a substantial deposit he wouldn't have to finance the whole amount of his next car. Unfortunately, he ignored that advice and bought a 3 year old Vauxhall Vectra and didn't realise he had agreed to a 5 year finance agreement. Not having read the paperwork, he also assumed he was paying the "typical" rate advertised on a sign in the dealership but then got a shock just how much his car would cost him before he owned it at 8 years old. Not only that, but having advised him to get an AA or RAC report on the vehicle before buying it he arranged for one after he bought it! He didn't seem to understand that, by then, he had lost any leverage over the garage regarding the price of the vehicle or having any faults rectified before buying it.

 

That's interesting about your old caravan having bigger beds despite it being smaller than newer models - so much for progress.

Hi Dougie

 

Sounds hard working permanent nights. Yea know what you mean about toilet visits at our age.  Having said that providing I've nothing on my mind to worry about it's back to sleep in no time for me.

 

Well keeping cars is good but it means I've got to keep them all in mots, servicing  and clean !  Its getting up to five in our family, two Micra's, one Fiat Grand Punto a Toyota Yaris and my Octavia trust me I've got loads of old engine oil !

 

Car dealers did twenty five years in garages from leaving School so I know quite a bit about what goes on and the tricks they play.

 

Steve

Hi Steve.

 

Even after 12 years of permanent night shift, it's still difficult to go against the body's natural rhythms. However, I must admit that I look forward to a wet day in summer as no-one will be cutting their grass or hedges.

 

Wow, that's quite a "fleet" you are looking after. I hope that you, at least, have a driveway, if not a garage!

Edited 15 November, 201411 yr by Dougie54