1 month in...loving it, except for the damn rattles!

[Item]

First time Skoda owner and first new car I have bought in nearly 10 years! (that one was a Subaru Forester...)

 

Overall, I am really happy after month 1 - great to drive, goes even better than I thought it would when pushed, comfortable (if a little firm!), massively practical and I am living with the road noise from the 19"s for now (I will however be soundproofing the trunk base and replacing the Pirelli Zero's when they have done their time)

 

...However, jeez it's rattly!

 

Probably related to the firm suspension, but I have little rattles and clicks all over the shop - some in the doors and maybe the pillars and a couple of real doozys coming from the back somewhere - maybe parcel shelf, maybe seat catches, maybe the loose trim on the C-pillar that I noticed today, but I am in danger of driving myself mad hunting them down!

 

To be fair, on decent quality road it is not so bad, but a lot of the more interesting roads here in NZ are a little rougher and they play merry hell with the internal rattle orchestra of the Octavia.

 

I did see an improvement putting some silver lithium spray in the door catches (thanks whoever it was that recommended that) and I am sure that the dealer will help me with a couple of the more egregious ones when I take it in next, but I am a bit surprised that my 7 year old Mazda 6 sounds more refined inside than the Octy!

 

I know that corners are cut vs the VW and Audi equivalents to hit the sweet point on the price, but it is still a NZ$50k car and I expected a little more on the "premium" feel.

 

Anyway, whinge over - I will see what the dealer says when they get their hands on it to replace the door seals and fix the flakey front parking sensors - hopefully a once over from them will tame the worst of it.

 

Cheers!

[mk3vrs]

Mine is a month old also and no rattles what so ever, think you should book it in at the dealers.

I had a rattle in my last car which BMW sorted out for me.

[Item]

Mine is a month old also and no rattles what so ever, think you should book it in at the dealers.

I had a rattle in my last car which BMW sorted out for me.

Out of interest, what wheels do you have?

[99Reza]

My vRS has been quite solid. I did have rattle inside the front passenger door and possibly fuel line rattle, dealer fixed them first time around and has been good since. The only noise that still persist is squeaky door seal, I expected this from VAG car as the rubber is uncoated and quite soft. 

[M12MKD]

7 months and 7800 miles and no rattles in mine with the 19" wheels.

Well I say none, passenger seat belt sometimes catches on the door pillar, or did for a bit. Clunk going over speed bumps from the suspension. Other than that it's a fairly quiet place to be.

[Item]

Hm - sounds like I either have good grounds for the dealer to get on it, or the roads here around Auckland are an order of magnitude worse than elsewhere!

[mk3vrs]

Out of interest, what wheels do you have?

Standard 18in...I must be the only person here that doesn't like the look of the extremes lol

Wheels shouldn't make a difference really, if it's rattling tell dealer roughly where from and they will test drive it and hopefully sort it

[Guest]

Get someone else to drive your car (I know, but be brave! ) and you sit in the car filming the rattles. Mark the area you think they are coming from with chalk or tape, then take it to you dealer.

Try doing this on roads near them and see if it produces the same rattles, because if you just hand it to them they just fix the rattles they can identify.

[manamp27]

Good trick for resolving door seal squeaks - wipe down the seals and door jambs with a solution of water and dishwashing liquid. Often the door seals squeak due to wax from washing/polishing the car. Worked for me, although I find I need to do this every time I wash the car.

[Item]

Get someone else to drive your car (I know, but be brave! ) and you sit in the car filming the rattles. Mark the area you think they are coming from with chalk or tape, then take it to you dealer.

Try doing this on roads near them and see if it produces the same rattles, because if you just hand it to them they just fix the rattles they can identify.

 

 

Good tips!

 

I have tried to get the missus to drive it and she has refused so far...muttering something about not wanting to "...damage The Precious"

 

[Gabbo]

Unfortunately rattles are the one thing that lets down the Octavia but I guess concidering the price this is what you'd expect.

Its also the thing that justifies the Golf being more expensive.

 

I've had the car just over 2 years & 60k km and I have lots of rattles from the dashbaord, B-pillar & console.

The roads here in Switerland are excellent quality so its not a case of it being shaken to death.

 

There are several other posts with similar rattles (B-pillar & dashbaord & Sunglasses in the holder ) mainly with DIY solutions for fixing.

 

 

You can of course go to the dealer to ask them to take a look but in previous experience, once they take off the door card or dashboard it never goes back the same & while curing one problem you will create 2 more.

[wlange]

I have 18"+conti for summer (now are on and it's snowing here!) and 16"+nokian for winter.

The overall conclusion - winter ones are quieter, smoother and more neutral.

Only reason to keep 18' now is gorgeous turbine rims; the tires are probably the culprit, so I guess I'll have to try to change them asap.

[Item]

So!

 

Took the thing in for a few minor issues - one of them being that the C-pillar trim on the passenger side wasn't flush or seated properly.

 

Apparently to resolve it they had to take the seat bolster and a bunch of other stuff off, but now my rattle status is much improved and the entire rear of the car sounds much more locked down.

 

Interestingly, they also took it upon themselves to reduce the SoundAktor from its existing "100%" volume as they didn't recommend it - now my front rattles/vibrations are all but gone now too.

 

Much happier.

 

:clap:

[Mallettsmallett]

Good trick for resolving door seal squeaks - wipe down the seals and door jambs with a solution of water and dishwashing liquid. Often the door seals squeak due to wax from washing/polishing the car. Worked for me, although I find I need to do this every time I wash the car.

Better solution is to use a can of silicon spray. Washing up liquid doesn't last and will dry rubber out (plus attracts dirt). Silicon spray has millions of uses round the house too and in the car. I use it more than gt85 or wd40. Wurth do a can.

Edited 4 May, 2016 by Mallettsmallett

[Gromle]

I have 18"+conti for summer (now are on and it's snowing here!) and 16"+nokian for winter.

The overall conclusion - winter ones are quieter, smoother and more neutral.

Only reason to keep 18' now is gorgeous turbine rims; the tires are probably the culprit, so I guess I'll have to try to change them asap.

Wintertyres are quieter because of the softer rubbercompound.

To avoid this, I run studded wintertyres :p

[kiwiboy]

A fellow Kiwi Octavia owner here.  I've driven just over 14,000km in the car and not a single rattle so far (says he touching wood).

[pipsyp]

My 6 month old MY16 Golf GTD had its fair share of rattles....the Soundaktor one being the most annoying.

It also had to go in for warranty work a couple of times within weeks of ownership to resolve misbuild issues, update the buggy MIB2 infotainment (which still was glitch after) and investigate it having gone into limp home randomly....hadn't even logged a fault code.

I think it was a Friday afternoon car but certainly my Mk3 Octavia has been less troublesome...but does rattle a little also.

[Item]

A fellow Kiwi Octavia owner here.  I've driven just over 14,000km in the car and not a single rattle so far (says he touching wood).

 

Hello countryman! I have been pretty pleased with Giltrap Skoda in Auckland for their post-sales service so far and I think we are pretty much sorted now, so looking forward to a few years trouble free ownership.

[pkoconnor]

My first Skoda sounded like a maraca when I drove it off the forecourt but the new Octavia with 2000 miles in now and not a squeak or rattle.  

 

Or maybe they are being drowned out my the road noise. 

Edited 6 May, 2016 by pkoconnor

[flybynite]

Good trick for resolving door seal squeaks - wipe down the seals and door jambs with a solution of water and dishwashing liquid. Often the door seals squeak due to wax from washing/polishing the car. Worked for me, although I find I need to do this every time I wash the car.

  

Better solution is to use a can of silicon spray. Washing up liquid doesn't last and will dry rubber out (plus attracts dirt). Silicon spray has millions of uses round the house too and in the car. I use it more than gt85 or wd40. Wurth do a can.

Or you could get the proper stuff. Silicone spray can be just as bad if not worse for squeaks with rubber seals and is a pig to remove to do it with the stuff made for it.

Google 'Einszett Gummi Pflege' sounds daft but it works

[glosrich]

Only rattle I've had is the drivers seat height adjuster rattling against the seat plastic trim over rough roads.

 

Stuck a bit of self adhesive felt behind it and that's stopped now.

[manamp27]

Or you could get the proper stuff. Silicone spray can be just as bad if not worse for squeaks with rubber seals and is a pig to remove to do it with the stuff made for it.

Google 'Einszett Gummi Pflege' sounds daft but it works

I tried the Gummi and it was no help.

[bigiainw]

My Scout is 3 months old, no rattles or clicks but then it does have some suspension travel and reasonable sized tyres and rims (225/50/17). And the roads round here are shocking....

[flybynite]

I tried the Gummi and it was no help.

Have to admit I have used it on so many cars and it has not failed as long as the rubbers are good. You do have to clean whatever other stuff has been plastered on first but if that does not cure the problem I would wonder if it is the rubbers causing them.

Some stuff people use attacks the rubber and makes it hard and brittle. Once that happens there is not much can be done.

It's what hacks me off with some dealers and second hand car places that just plaster a load of silicone everywhere and the car ends up stinking of it, your hands slip on everything, it is a pain to remove and it does more harm than good

[toni8b]

Something is rattling above my head near the sunglasses storage box, but no sunglasses inside.