Hi everybody, 

 

After deciding between the vRS and the superb as our next family car we went for the superb! This will be our first VW group car, moving from Volvo, and therefore I would appreciate all the info available out there. Some advantages and disadvantages of the engine? Service intervals? Something special to think of? Today I use Volvo VIDA to troubleshoot my car through OBD which is Volvo's original software and lets you get access to every system in the car. Is there anything similar for my new Skoda? I don't want a OBD reader that reads trouble codes only. I want something that's able to activate/deactivate parameters in the car, access all systems and so on.

 

Also, how is the light output of the Xenon headlights? I was thinking of switching immediately to Philips Xtreme Vision Gen2 D3S to get the best bulb. Thought about the new Osram Night Breaker laser but I think I'll go with the Philips. Also, does it work to replace the fog bulbs for LED or should I go with a Halogen with higher Kelvin to keep the original functionality?

with Google.Translate:

https://www.drive2.ru/b/480986860202492595/

 

Welcome @Bob-thebuilder I hope you enjoy the Superb.  I commented over on the Octavia 3 forum and think you'll be happy with your choice.  I'm a big fan of the 150PS TDI and think it suits the character of the Superb rather well. 

 

In terms of making modifications to the car; you can buy VCDS or OBDEleven.  VCDS is more expensive but a better system IME.  OBDEleven is good for checking fault codes but I have little confidence in the 'Apps' (or 'one click functions') that are just a user friendly wrapper around the relevant long coding changes.  In the newer Mk3's they tend to cause a lot of issues leaving users having to try and undo the changes via the long coding.   With VCDS there's a helpful number of fellow Briskodians who have the cable and knowledge and for some beer tokens will make your desired changes.  Take a look here to find a local VCDS owner, then contact them via PM on here:
 

 

Swapping fogs is a 5 minute job.  The process is documented in the user manual.  To the inside of the fog lights there's a plastic access panel on the lower grille; give this a sharp tug and once it's out the way you will see the torx bolts that secure the fog light.  If you have a spare wheel then there will be Torx driver that fits, in the toolkit. Remove the torx bolts, and you'll be able to remove the foglight housing and have access to the bulbs.  I'm happy with the LED bulbs I bought and they match the DRL's quite well.  A quick and relatively cheap mod which improves the aesthetics and function IME. I experienced no fault codes or warnings after the swap.  I got mine from Auto Bulbs Direct:

 

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/h8-twenty20-cree-led-12v-canbus-foglight-bulb.html

You can get them much cheaper from China/Aliexpress and there's a helpful sticky thread on bulb replacement:

 

 

My OE xenons weren't great TBH.  IIRC they were OSRAM.  I swapped them to OSRAM Cool Blue intense. The S3 takes D3S fitment. I opted for these over the Nightbreakers because after spending hours trawling reviews and YouTube clips they just seemed to be better.  I'm extremely pleased with them but be warned; they were an absolute pig to fit.  There's very little room and my hands aren't exactly shovels! If you can buy them in advance of collecting the car then I'd ask the dealer to do it as part of the deal.  I talked the dealer into swapping them from my previous S3 into my new one and the Skoda Tech who was tasked with the job looked absolutely devastated 

 

Hope this helps but plenty of people on here will be happy to help with anything else you would like to know 

Edited 19 October, 20187 yr by penguin17

Must say that the OE xenons are disappointing. Coming from Halogen equipped cars, I was expecting a revelation. Unfortunately the revelation was they are only slightly better and whiter. Very frustrating that you can't adjust the height of them as well (without vcds) as they seem a little too low set. Many people comment about that.

Service intervals can be fixed at 12 month/9800 miles (IIRC) intervals or variable.  Variable is mileage based but you shouldn't go longer than 24 months between services.  The dealer can advise what the service schedule the car is currently on and can also change it to suit your needs.  You should get 16-19K miles between variable service intervals but harder driving will have an impact on how quickly the service indicator counts down.   It can be checked via the infotainment.  Car >> Settings >> Service (IIRC)

 

If you plan on keeping the car a long time then a 10K mile oil and filter change is a good idea with the VAG diesels but not essential, and some may say 'overkill'.  If you do ~20K a year then the car will be at the dealers with 12 months anyway and for higher annual mileage a variable schedule is best IME. 

 

Have you got a manual or DSG?  As the DSG will also need a service every 40K miles and you really need to make sure this is done! 

Edited 19 October, 20187 yr by penguin17

11 minutes ago, xman said:

Must say that the OE xenons are disappointing. Coming from Halogen equipped cars, I was expecting a revelation. Unfortunately the revelation was they are only slightly better and whiter. Very frustrating that you can't adjust the height of them as well (without vcds) as they seem a little too low set. Many people comment about that.

So there is no manual screw to adjust them manually?!

11 minutes ago, penguin17 said:

Service intervals can be fixed at 12 month/9800 miles (IIRC) intervals or variable.  Variable is mileage based but you shouldn't go longer than 24 months between services.  The dealer can advise what the service schedule the car is currently on and can also change it to suit your needs.  You should get 16-19K miles between variable service intervals but harder driving will have an impact on how quickly the service indicator counts down.   It can be checked via the infotainment.  Car >> Settings >> Service (IIRC)

 

If you plan on keeping the car a long time then a 10K mile oil and filter change is a good idea with the VAG diesels but not essential, and some may say 'overkill'.  If you do ~20K a year then the car will be at the dealers with 12 months anyway and for higher annual mileage a variable schedule is best IME. 

 

Have you got a manual or DSG?  As the DSG will also need a service every 40K miles and you really need to make sure this is done! 

I got a manual. Never been a fan of automatic for some reason. 

 

On my other cars I changed oil and filter double what the manufacturer says is appropriate. I really doubt that the oil keeps its good lubrication properties for so long. And a oil change is often easy and good for the engine. Is it easy to do on a TDI 150?

31 minutes ago, penguin17 said:

Welcome @Bob-thebuilder I hope you enjoy the Superb.  I commented over on the Octavia 3 forum and think you'll be happy with your choice.  I'm a big fan of the 150PS TDI and think it suits the character of the Superb rather well. 

 

In terms of making modifications to the car; you can buy VCDS or OBDEleven.  VCDS is more expensive but a better system IME.  OBDEleven is good for checking fault codes but I have little confidence in the 'Apps' (or 'one click functions') that are just a user friendly wrapper around the relevant long coding changes.  In the newer Mk3's they tend to cause a lot of issues leaving users having to try and undo the changes via the long coding.   With VCDS there's a helpful number of fellow Briskodians who have the cable and knowledge and for some beer tokens will make your desired changes.  Take a look here to find a local VCDS owner, then contact them via PM on here:
 

 

Swapping fogs is a 5 minute job.  The process is documented in the user manual.  To the inside of the fog lights there's a plastic access panel on the lower grille; give this a sharp tug and once it's out the way you will see the torx bolts that secure the fog light.  If you have a spare wheel then there will be Torx driver that fits, in the toolkit. Remove the torx bolts, and you'll be able to remove the foglight housing and have access to the bulbs.  I'm happy with the LED bulbs I bought and they match the DRL's quite well.  A quick and relatively cheap mod which improves the aesthetics and function IME. I experienced no fault codes or warnings after the swap.  I got mine from Auto Bulbs Direct:

 

https://www.autobulbsdirect.co.uk/h8-twenty20-cree-led-12v-canbus-foglight-bulb.html

You can get them much cheaper from China/Aliexpress and there's a helpful sticky thread on bulb replacement:

 

 

My OE xenons weren't great TBH.  IIRC they were OSRAM.  I swapped them to OSRAM Cool Blue intense. The S3 takes D3S fitment. I opted for these over the Nightbreakers because after spending hours trawling reviews and YouTube clips they just seemed to be better.  I'm extremely pleased with them but be warned; they were an absolute pig to fit.  There's very little room and my hands aren't exactly shovels! If you can buy them in advance of collecting the car then I'd ask the dealer to do it as part of the deal.  I talked the dealer into swapping them from my previous S3 into my new one and the Skoda Tech who was tasked with the job looked absolutely devastated 

 

Hope this helps but plenty of people on here will be happy to help with anything else you would like to know 

Thank you for that post! Really helpful!

I think there may be manual screws,  but the lights have to be set by vcds into an headlight level adaption mode before you do any adjustment. Something to do with the auto levelling and learning. I did read on one thread that someone allegedly made a minor adjustment using the screws, but it's not the correct or official way to adjust them

 

There have many reports of light auto adjusters stuck in the down position after an engine start, when they perform a calibration sequence (dance). Apparently a software fix is available.

Edited 19 October, 20187 yr by xman

There are a few threads on the headlights. The software fix is 94k1. There aren't physical service books any more, it's all stored electronically. But the dealer should be able to print what has been done so far, so worth checking. FWIW I had it done, but had never experienced the low headlight problem beforehand, so I've no idea whether it helped or not. It does make the "dance" the lights do on start-up more pronounced. I'm probably one of the few on here who isn't disappointed with the lights, but maybe that's because I came from a Mk2 Superb whose lights were truly appalling.

 

A couple of things to look out for when you pick it up. Make sure the umbrellas are in both of the front doors, the torch is in the boot etc. They can go walk-about, even on new cars.

 

I agree with Penguin re VCDS over OBDeleven. I've had no problems with the few apps I've used, but the interface for long coding on OBDeleven isn't great IMHO, and VCDS seems to get a lot more on-going investment (OBDeleven seems to have virtually none from what I have seen). If you are looking to use it seriously, the extra couple of hundred quid for VCDS is a better investment.

 

The 150ps engine is plenty for the Superb and is what I would have gone for, but for a fantastic deal popping up on the 190 I bought. I went DSG so can't comment on the manual box. This is my third Superb, each serviced in line with the Skoda regime (I have mine set to variable as I do a lot of miles). Never had a minute's trouble with any of them. Just to add to what Penguin said, the countdown is in miles and days, and the indicator comes on when the "lowest" countdown is triggered (so you will get a warning after just less than a year even if you've only done 5,000 miles or a warning after 3 months if you've done about 9,000 miles on fixed servicing. There is also an inspection service interval (not really sure what that is TBH) and it's often different in length than the oil service. I just get them both done at the same time regardless - I think most do judging by my dealer's reaction when I asked for them to be combined.

 

Enjoy - it's a fantastic car.

28 minutes ago, BriskodaJeff said:

There is also an inspection service interval (not really sure what that is TBH) and it's often different in length than the oil service. I just get them both done at the same time regardless - I think most do judging by my dealer's reaction when I asked for them to be combined.

 

 

Complete mystery to me why inspection services are not aligned with oil services, I imagine the reminder is ignored and inspection done at one of the oil services by almost everyone. I would have thought a 5 or 10 minute inspection would be done at every service anyway (if only to upsell) and the inspection service moniker is largely a money making scam.

 

I notice the older minor/major monikers are slowly dropping out of use, maybe the oil service is nothing but an oil and filter change, maybe not even putting on a ramp or removing the sump plug.

 

 

Ok so the Superb has been bought!

 

The spec is as follows. Nothing special but it has everything that I need.

 

Skoda Superb TDI 150 Manual

EQ level: Style

Colour: Candy white

Interior colour: black

 

Extra Eq:

Sunset package

Panoramic roof

Webasto

Easy open package

Back seat package

Towing package

 

Now, the name of the packages that the car have been equiped with is translated directly from the Swedish names so it may be called different in other countries. 

And yeah, it has done about 21 747 miles (35 000 km). And the price tag was 18500 euro (~16300 GBP).

 

The car is still under warranty (7 months left) but I'm thinking of getting it remapped immediately. All of my other turbo cars have been remapped by a close friend of mine with great result. But those have been out of warranty. Should I wait? 

On ‎19‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 15:33, Bob-thebuilder said:

Also, how is the light output of the Xenon headlights? I was thinking of switching immediately to Philips Xtreme Vision Gen2 D3S to get the best bulb. Thought about the new Osram Night Breaker laser but I think I'll go with the Philips. Also, does it work to replace the fog bulbs for LED or should I go with a Halogen with higher Kelvin to keep the original functionality?

 

i find the light output of the Superb mk3 quite good - it has a good throw and spread of light.

personally, i'd like it to have been a bit more whiter though.

 

one day, when my money tree grows a few more branches, i'm planning to get either the Phillips Xtreme Vision Gen2 or Osram Night Breakers.

 

factory foglights r a definite mismatch to the xenons, and i would recommend replacing them with some LED ones.  Again, Phillips have an awesome pair of H8s -  Philips X-tremeUltinon LED Fog Lamp, but they cost 5hit expensive!!!

 

24 minutes ago, Bob-thebuilder said:

And yeah, it has done about 21 747 miles (35 000 km). And the price tag was 18500 euro (~16300 GBP).

 

The car is still under warranty (7 months left) but I'm thinking of getting it remapped immediately. All of my other turbo cars have been remapped by a close friend of mine with great result. But those have been out of warranty. Should I wait? 

I would yes. You don’t know if the car has any underlying/existing issues that make require a dealer visit.  7 months isn’t too long and by then you’ll know a little more about the cars health. 

1 hour ago, penguin17 said:

I would yes. You don’t know if the car has any underlying/existing issues that make require a dealer visit.  7 months isn’t too long and by then you’ll know a little more about the cars health. 

I was thinking the same thing. My plan is to visit Skoda for an service right before the warranty goes out. The car also has its first Motor vehicle inspection (regulated by law in Sweden) right before the warranty goes out.

 

Now, I just noticed that the dealer (Skoda authorised dealership) sells the car under something called "DasWeltAuto" which according to the website is a program from the VW group for used car that are in particular good shape. Therefore they get 1 year extra warranty when bought.

 

So maybe I'm stuck for one year with the 150 hp.

+1 on waiting until you have had chance to understand if there are any underlying problems before doing anything that would invalidate the initial warranty. 

 

Obviously I don't know the Swedish position, but it is common in the UK for dealers to offer a one-year "Dealer Warranty" for cars which are out of factory warranty - the Mk2 Superb I traded at 5 years old was sold on by the dealer with such a warranty. It isn't the same as the factory warranty (less comprehensive) so it's worth checking your paperwork carefully to understand exactly what your warranty position is once the 7 months has passed. That will help you decide whether you value the remap more than the extended warranty.

Regarding the Xenon, I will replace the standard bulbs with the Osram D3S NightBreaker Laser Next Generation. I would go for the Philips XtremeVision Gen2 if I lived in a country where the colour temp doesn't matter that much. But in Sweden, where it rains and snows most of the time, the more OEM color temp is the better overall option.

 

But I need to know if it's possible to turn up the headlights a notch without VCDS? On my Volvo, with Xenon, the trick is to turn the key to second position to lit up the Xenon bulb. Then there are two screws. One to adjust the height and one to adjust from left to right. If the car is turned on then the computer will auto-adjust the headlights and it will be impossible to adjust them manually. There is a option in Volvo VIDA (like VCDS) to calibrate the Xenon sensor that's underneath the car. But that's used only when the sensor has been changed or the car lowered or any suspension work has been done. Maybe it's the samo for the Superb? I'll try when I get my car And also, I'll make a nice light output comparison with my LUX meter. So I'll measure what difference it actually makes to switch the OEM bulbs to high performance ones

 

 

The (HID) lights on my L&K were set too low when I got the car. Told the supplying dealer and they adjusted the level FOC, now they're very good at night. The active lights take some convincing to use (avoiding dipping as you normally would) but also generally work well, I've hardly ever been flashed when using them -- but it is spooky to watch then steering dark patches towards other cars...

Edited 23 October, 20187 yr by IanJD

5 hours ago, Bob-thebuilder said:

 

But I need to know if it's possible to turn up the headlights a notch without VCDS? On my Volvo, with Xenon, the trick is to turn the key to second position to lit up the Xenon bulb. Then there are two screws. One to adjust the height and one to adjust from left to right. If the car is turned on then the computer will auto-adjust the headlights and it will be impossible to adjust them manually. There is a option in Volvo VIDA (like VCDS) to calibrate the Xenon sensor that's underneath the car. But that's used only when the sensor has been changed or the car lowered or any suspension work has been done. Maybe it's the samo for the Superb? I'll try when I get my car  And also, I'll make a nice light output comparison with my LUX meter. 

 

 

Let us know how you go on. I'm sure there are many here who would like to tweak their headlight aim without needing to beg a dealer.

Ok so a little update. I ordered the bulbs from Germany. The Osram NightBreaker Laser Next gen. Which supposedly gives +200% more light. Now we all know that those numbers doesn't actually mean that the bulbs are 200% brighter but there is definitely a lot difference when they are compared to OEM bulbs. There are some good videos on YouTube that compare the newest Osram bulb.

 

When it comes to the fog lights I decided not to switch to LED at the moment. I choose to switch to the bluest halogen bulbs I could find which were the Osram Cool Blue H8. Claimed to be 4200k and +20% from standard bulb. So the best of both worlds.

 

All together for 184 euros from Germany to Sweden. A good price considering that one bulb from Osram is about 150 euro in Sweden.

Edited 23 October, 20187 yr by Bob-thebuilder

@Bob-thebuilder - u can do minor tweaks/adjustments using the screws u've described, without requiring VCDS to put the xenons in learning mode.

a couple of millimeters up/down or left/right is all good.

i've done it before with my mk2 octavia which had dynamic afs xenons, with no issues.

 

if the headlight aim requires massive adjustments, then yes - u'll need vcds.

Edited 24 October, 20187 yr by JR RS

22 hours ago, Bob-thebuilder said:

Ok so a little update. I ordered the bulbs from Germany. The Osram NightBreaker Laser Next gen. Which supposedly gives +200% more light. Now we all know that those numbers doesn't actually mean that the bulbs are 200% brighter but there is definitely a lot difference when they are compared to OEM bulbs. There are some good videos on YouTube that compare the newest Osram bulb.

 

When it comes to the fog lights I decided not to switch to LED at the moment. I choose to switch to the bluest halogen bulbs I could find which were the Osram Cool Blue H8. Claimed to be 4200k and +20% from standard bulb. So the best of both worlds.

 

All together for 184 euros from Germany to Sweden. A good price considering that one bulb from Osram is about 150 euro in Sweden.

Do you mean the Osram Nightbreaker Laser Xenarc? They're UKP95 per pair here which is EUR108...

19 minutes ago, IanJD said:

Do you mean the Osram Nightbreaker Laser Xenarc? They're UKP95 per pair here which is EUR108...

I am not sure if you mean the Next gen or the old ones? The old ones (+70% bulb) are cheaper than the Next Gen (+200%). I ordered the next gen. Osram Night Breaker Unlimited Next Generation D3S. The were launched like 1 month ago 

22 minutes ago, IanJD said:

Do you mean the Osram Nightbreaker Laser Xenarc? They're UKP95 per pair here which is EUR108...

The full name is Osram Night Breaker Laser Xenarc Next Generation where "Next Generation" sorts the new ones out from the old ones.