Dealers like made up excuses.

Mine don't give me them after they found out I'm a trained engineer/h&v engineer, with qualifications in electronics and electrical, and I used to rebuild my own cars.

Now the sales staff direct me to the master tech...

Interesting. Every car I've had in recent years has suffered from doors freezing up in the winter. My Golf Mk5 tried to prevent me from driving in the snow with a frozen drivers' door - eventually I prised it open and the fcker wouldn't shut. Before that, my Renault thing froze and the handle fell apart when I wrenched it open. I thoroughly expect the Octavia to freeze.

 

Maybe I should dry round the seals after washing them?

Rub the seals with silicone - used to have to do that with the golf or it would be impossible to open in the winter.

New Octavia has a heater I can start from my phone. Watching the ice melt away while having my toast and coffee is quite, quite pleasing

Rub the seals with silicone - used to have to do that with the golf or it would be impossible to open in the winter

Porche recommend putting talc on the door seals. It lubricates the rubber and stops them sticking.

Best to use fragrance free though or the wife could start asking questions.

Gummi Pfledge is ideal for door seal treatment.

Am I being daft and thinking this is 2014 with a gentle frost.... on a 27k car.... Shouldn't the doors just work!?

 

Last one was fine and the doors never froze (and the gearbox never felt different) and that was axle in deep in snow this time last year!

Well guess what folks - the gearbox is playing up again!

 

Took it into the dealers today and the mechanic told me it's just cold gearbox oil because the temperature is dropping - do I look like I'm 5?!?!

 

Not impressed - hopefully they will manage to fix the driver side sun visor back to the roof without blaming me for it coming loose...

 

Oh has anyone else had their rear doors freeze shut? Mine have, twice. Moisture under the dust seals freezes meaning the doors freeze shut. Dealer said it's just the design and I need to warm the car up so they defrost - I mean wtf?!?!

 

Seriously had enough of this heap. Got my settlement figure and raised a complaint with VW finance who were taken aback with the problems I've had and couldn't believe the doors were freezing shut. We'll see what happens but I'm not holding my breath!

WTF ? Did he pat you on the head and give you a wollipop when he was spouting this BS?

Many in Scotland know about frost and cars, it happens most winters, spring, autumn & sometimes even in the Summer.

Most know how to cope,

well Apart from the dozens reported to be crashing on Black Ice in Fife this morning.

 

You still need to prepare a car when you park up if it is wet and going to freeze overnight.

 

You can prepare the Door & Hatch seals, remove damp or wet mats, damp clothing etc,

clean inside and outside glass etc

 

Scottish Cold weather is often damp and rather different from cold Scandinavian or Mainland Europe cold temperatures.

Rub the seals with silicone - used to have to do that with the golf or it would be impossible to open in the winter.

In the Finnish climate it's pretty much a necessity to do that after you wash your car in the winter. (I do it every time even in the summer, since it protects the seals from drying up in the long run.) And it's also a good idea to spray the locks with a lubricating and defrosting spray to keep them operating no matter how cold it is.)

If only it had locks to spray into!

It does,

even if not a key hole on the door skin external, you can spray silicone at the locking part that moves.

(not WD40 though.)

Is that on the inside of the door?

The door jamb, were the catch is, that hooks to the latch on the pillar.

 

Its unlikely to freeze, but where people pour warm water on side windows to defrost in freezing weather,

there is H20 getting into the mechanism.

 

Its a location, location type situation, you prepare as and when you need for how a vehicle is used.

-2*oC over night and mild during the day, sun out and everything defrosted,

is different from never above freezing for day after day obviously.

Dude, if you have wee issues you should see a urologist. 

Dude, if you have wee issues you should see a urologist. 

 

Stop taking the pee.

Evening chaps,

I've not been on for quite a while due to several reasons one of which was falling out of love with my vRS.

Some of you may remember I had bother with the first car and paint issues with the replacement - mostly with the crap paint wiping off the roof bar supports.

Anyway.... A few months ago I noticed some paint had flaked off the top edge on the affected roof bar bolt cover piece and it just looked tatty but because of where it is I haven't found anyone willing to try and touch me t in so just got fed up and the car was left unwashed for a good couple of months!

Andway, skip forward a few weeks and I noticed first with difficult to get, especially after reversing and on occasion it seemed as though it was stuck in reverse as I thought I'd put in 1st but the car still went backwards! And I've even managed to get reverse sitting at traffic lights. Thankfully it wasn't. Full throttle start!

Last week I also got sticking buttons on the steering wheel so enough was enough. In the dealers today and I'm pleased to say I have another new car - for a few days while the gearbox is removed as "something isn't right", and yes that's the dealers words!

Must just be my luck or has anyone else had bother with their gearboxes?

Mike,

Really sorry to read your 2nd episode of poor quality product from Skoda in less than  12months, with two NEW Octavia vRS mk3.

 

You must be so ****ed off - why me!

Perhaps you are the exception rather than the rule but quite honestly who knows.

My experience was only good, in the 12 months I owned mine,( bought mine when you were waiting for your Silver 1st car) so am feeling for you mate. 

 

Skoda should be pulling out all the stops to sort your motor and give you product satisfaction. However, I sense you will be going elsewhere sometime soon. 

Best of luck.

vrskeith

Many in Scotland know about frost and cars, it happens most winters, spring, autumn & sometimes even in the Summer.

Most know how to cope,

well Apart from the dozens reported to be crashing on Black Ice in Fife this morning.

 

You still need to prepare a car when you park up if it is wet and going to freeze overnight.

 

You can prepare the Door & Hatch seals, remove damp or wet mats, damp clothing etc,

clean inside and outside glass etc

 

Scottish Cold weather is often damp and rather different from cold Scandinavian or Mainland Europe cold temperatures.

Yep, I know our climate is pretty damp compared to other drier cold climates but.... If it had been pee-ing down and the car was parked up and it got frozen (happened 4 years ago with our month long white spell) then fair enough. What I don't accept is that for some reason it's getting damp under the dust seals on the rear doors only (fronts can be bone dry unless it's been chucking it down) and then they are freezing shut. And it's not even like the external part of the dust deal it's the inner one that freezes to the inside of the door opening!

 

Also, the previous one didn't do this!! Gearbox is the main grumble. went for first from neutral today and heard the reversing beep! 

 

Mike,

Really sorry to read your 2nd episode of poor quality product from Skoda in less than  12months, with two NEW Octavia vRS mk3.

 

You must be so ****ed off - why me!

Perhaps you are the exception rather than the rule but quite honestly who knows.

My experience was only good, in the 12 months I owned mine,( bought mine when you were waiting for your Silver 1st car) so am feeling for you mate. 

 

Skoda should be pulling out all the stops to sort your motor and give you product satisfaction. However, I sense you will be going elsewhere sometime soon. 

Best of luck.

vrskeith

 

Cheers Keith - I hate myself for saying this but I like the car! Although it's nice to see the Golf GTD has had it's standard spec up'd a bit and is now pretty close to the vRS except in price!

 

I'll see what VW finance manage to do but I can't see it being much.... 

 

I did see a 12 plate Golf GTI that looked tempting. Kinda like the £30/year tax though!

Problem with going to VW because you get a lemon from Skoda,

is that VW build some that have problems as well, & people get p33d off,

Dealership employees saying 'they all do that',  so they chop them in and the person that buys it used is then lumbered.

 

It is a shame VWG Franchised Dealership Service Desk Employees, Service Managers, Technicians, Salespeople etc 

can not be a bit more interested, honest & helpful in getting faults sorted,

communicating issues to the UK HQ and the Factories,

& in Skodas case,

Getting Alasdair Stewart Brand Director Skoda UK to sort out the Franchised Dealerships.

 

Since he seems to be Looking the other way, or one of the 3 Monkeys, 

maybe get your own Communications off to him, and tell him your Experience with your Skoda.