Dear all,

 

I've a got a sad story to tell but hopefully everything will be all right in the end.

 

Whilst driving to England in June for the summer, I had a rather serious accident in Germany on the autobahn, in my Octavia. Luckily I was ok and the car was repaired. It had a new wing, door, glass, door inside trim, new wheel, two new tyres, two new wing mirrors and a new front bumper. I think that's it.

 

My insurance company were excellent and paid to collect me and take me back to Poland, where I live. 

 

So 4 weeks later, at the end of July, I picked up the car. 

 

Unfortunately, there was a noisy windy draught sound from the rear, and I had to take it back. 

 

The service was great, and the dealer sorted it out, the glass and rubber becoming loose due to the impact of the accident. They also took the trouble to sort out the steering wheel, which was a bit wonky.

 

So I drove off the forecourt on Monday this week a happy man.

I drove 100 metres before I heard a strange tappety sound at the first set of lights. When I depressed the clutch it went. Yes!!

 

So those of you in the know can immediately guess what it was.

 

The DMF has gone and so they had to remove the gearbox.

I saw my car in the workshop up close and the DMF has teeth protruding outwards and on the inner wheel a hell of a lot of scoring, due to metal on metal contact. I was told that the DMF was LOOSE from manufacture. Skoda took a lot of photos to Skoda Poland or Czech Republic and they will pay for everything.

 

What does everything mean? Well, a new clutch and DMF. Now I have a free Rapid courtesy car, a 1.2 tsi with 86bhp.

 

My Octavia is out of its warranty by a year. In Poland you only get 2 years so I am a very lucky and relieved man. The service manager said I am the unluckiest owner he has ever seen.  I can't believe what's gone on this summer. The accident wasn't my fault. I ran over something on the autobahn and the front tyre deflated, and as I wrestled for control the road went into one lane with big concrete bollards, so I had no option but to smash side on into a TIR lorry. So I am a lucky man perhaps.

 

I don't know when I'll get the car back, maybe end of next week but it hasn't soured my view of Skoda.

Now I know a lot about DMF problems and it seems that this is a common fault. No one told me that if you drive in town like I do for business reasons and drive in high gear a lot ( I drive in 6th gear at 60 mph hence 1500rpm) and cruise at 75mph at 2000 rpm, then this will destroy the DMF.

 

My car only has 30,000 miles on it.

 

In a few months I think I will finish the leasing for my company and get a Citigo Monte Carlo instead with a 60bhp engine. I'm not fussed about big diesels any longer. A Citigo if need be would get me to England I think.

 

Anyway, that's my tale over with. Hope I've used up all my bad luck for a few years!

 

Steve

Purchase a car and you'll see a lot of trouble

 

 

cruise at 75mph at 2000 rpm, then this will destroy the DMF.

 

 

What's wrong with 2000 rpm?

I'm not the best mechanic but somehow I see these things in a different way. Steady spinning can't do much harm to the flywheel. Town driving is much worse when you press/depress clutch pedal etc.

If I'm wrong then somebody could correct me.

Totally agree you have terrible luck, don't bother buying a lottery ticket.

I can't agree with DMF comments though. My previous car was a Ford Mondeo for the last 8 years, these too suffer with DMF failures but 8 years of mainly town driving in heavy traffic so constant stopping and starting and most of my driving on the motorways has been around 2000rpm/ 70mph due to his crowded they are here. No DMF issues in all that time and 140k miles.

I have known a few people who have had DMF failures but I can't say 100% why this happened. I had thought it was down to riding the clutch but I know others who have been good smooth drivers that's it happened to. The majority of the failures I've seen have been realitively low mileages like yourself. A work colleague's DMF failed at less than 20k miles replaced under warranty and now over 100k miles without issue. This leads me to think most DMF failures are down to poor fitting during manufacture.

What you are saying about driving in town and travelling at legal speeds on motorways will be well over 90% of European motorists and with the amount of DMF fitted to vehicles now there would be a hell of lot more reports of failures.

Now that your DMF has been replaced I would edge my bets on you having no further issues.

Guys, thanks for the really useful information. It's true that I do drive at a steady speed, but also unfortunately in town. I'll have to cycle instead if I can help it!

 

So it seems I was misinformed, it was just a couple of things I read on the internet, can't remember now where.

 

I hope I get my car back this week, let's see.

 

I have the documentation from the bodyshop repairs for Skoda in Legnica - my car is straight. There was no damage to the 'straightness' of it. The whistling noise was just vibration of the glass and rubber from the rear window, which was not damaged so I guess they didn't feel a need to check it. One of those things that you find afterwards, I suppose.

 

I saw a video on Youtube about Skoda Octavia 2009 facelift production, I wonder where the engines were put together? Could anyone tell me? I wonder if it was in Germany, and they just put a Skoda cover on top of it..

 

 

It's a nice vid with some nice music..

 

 

that's part one

 

and two is

 

Best,

 

Steve

Good news - wheel and body alignment done. All fine.

Bad news - car has been in the workshop for two weeks and no end in sight. No one has bothered to contact me. I'm fine with the courtesy car Rapid. So am playing the game of wating to seejust how long it will be before anyone calls me. I wonder how long it will take for my car to have a new clutch and DMF fitted. I think Skoda Poland are dragging their heels over this. 

To quote a well-known comedienne - I am not bothered. I'll get rid of the car when the leasing's finished next June.