Took my octy in to All Electric in Halesowen today for it's 70k service.

Just the cheapie one this time , but they seem to have done the necessary for a reasonable price , and for the first time in recorded history , they ACTUALLY PHONED TO SAY THE CAR WAS READY!!!!

I know all garages say they will do this but they never actually bother so this was a pleasant surprise

Apparently my front disks and rear pads are nearing the end which is no great surprise as they are all original. How easy a job is it to change them on an octavia? Any special tools required , and how much would I be looking at for parts?

I've done bike brakes before , but never those on a car.

The courtesy car I had was an Ibiza 1.2sx which was a fun little thing. Well put together and pretty nippy when pushed hard , but just as easy to drive gently and it was very quiet. Not a lot to dislike about it

Finally , when I was picking my car up from round the back I spotted their new VRS demonstrator parked up. It's a black one with 18" wheels and it really does look very smart indeed. Much better looking than the Golf GTI and also a lot better in the flesh than the pictures give it credit for. I was very impressed.

When picking up my Furby VRS today saw this in the showroom. My VRS is being parked behind by a salesman.

Inside the car is wonderful - the mesh trim works well. Sadly I only had my camera phone on me at the time so sorry about the quality of the picture (lack of)

Now all I need is 5 balls plus the bonus on Wednesday's lotto

I think you need the world famous "brake winding" tool. IIRC, If you do a search for posts by either Nick (ncarring) or Adrian (SkodiRS) you'll find something on brakes and the aforementioned tool. You might also find details of a certain grooved disc incident ;)

I can't remember whether you need the brake winding tool for the backs or the fronts or both (my memory thinks its the back ones but I can't be sure).

Funnily enough, at 60k I needed new front pads and rear discs and pads (all original). Strange how the same car can wear them differently... :ne_nau:

Rear pads require the winding tool. Fronts, no special tools. Both v. simple though.

So my memory isn't that bad then...

Didn't you use an auto bleed kit too, Nick?

I did, but then I always do - you can make do with a jamjar and a bit of tube if needs be.

I'm going to drive the Octy soon!

I'll post a review when I do.

Funnily enough' date=' at 60k I needed new front pads and rear discs and pads (all original). Strange how the same car can wear them differently... :ne_nau:[/quote']

Thanks Howard. I'll price up the parts and see how that compares to getting them done for me.

Mine does a lot of motorway miles which helps to explain the long life (and they probably don't need doing just yet) but still I can't complain at a 70k lifespan

Didn't you use an auto bleed kit too, Nick?

Why do you need to bleed the brakes, just because you have replaced

Shoes or pads

I have never bleeded the system for that reason

Steve

Mine also does a lot of motorway miles, hence I found it interesting that it is your front discs that are on the way out, yet it was my rears that needed doing. Ostensibly they are identical cars...

I suppose braking style might have something to do with it too.

wind back tool is a godsend(laser one is cheap ish),torx bolts on the carrier,i found to my surprise AFTER i'd took the wheel off.

don't forget to take of the fluid resevior cap when wniding back,makes it a whole lot easier.

and good luck with the handbrake cables onto the caliper,i always seem to have trouble here(any hints welcome),make sure you have new disc retaining screws,70k miles of hot and cold makes them a biatch to remove in one peice,oh and copper slip

Why do you need to bleed the brakes' date=' just because you have replaced

Shoes or pads

I have never bleeded the system for that reason

Steve[/quote']

It depends on if you can fit the new parts with the system still pressurised.

When I've changed bike brakes it's easy enough to use a bit of wood to open up the calipers and remove them from the disks , but on an octavia you might need to loosen the bleed screw to be able to get the caliper off. In that case you'd need to bleed the system again afterwards

Nope you can usually get the calipers off with a little gentle prising open of the pads. There's some play in the system, even in the rears which run in a spiral in the cylinders. If there's a lip on the disc, a little tapping with a small hammer will chip it off.

wind back tool is a godsend(laser one is cheap ish)' date='torx bolts on the carrier,i found to my surprise AFTER i'd took the wheel off.

don't forget to take of the fluid resevior cap when wniding back,makes it a whole lot easier.

and good luck with the handbrake cables onto the caliper,i always seem to have trouble here(any hints welcome),make sure you have new disc retaining screws,70k miles of hot and cold makes them a biatch to remove in one peice,oh and copper slip[/quote']

Thanks for the hints.

I'll pop the wheels off in the next day or so and have a nose to see how close to gone they are.

a way i used on mine to open the caliper to get the pads out is to prize them back with the caliper still mounted,it will knacker the pad but they are coming off anyway,as above make sure the res lid is off

edit:through the opening on the front edge of the caliper,where you look to see how much meat is left.

how come my dealer doesnt have a new octy vrs :(

Is this the tool ? :rofl:

http://vagdrivers.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=190

how come my dealer doesnt have a new octy vrs :(

My Dealer shouldn't. This is a customer's car and the customer doesn't want it for a month or so - so it's in the showroom.

It is true Skoda UK are doing this alphabetically. So if you're dealer starts with an A you're laughing. With a W like mine and you'll be waiting (suspect to 06)