First, just to comment that the VAG got their cooling systems right, I have never, across 3 hard worked VAG vehicles seen the temp needle go past plumb vertical.

Second, the exhaust started to blow, on the 10 year old car, a quick pH call to JW down at Castleroe, Coleraine, diagnosed the problem, instantly, the sliding SS component that links the front and rear sections  had failed, in that the mild steel clamp had rusted through.

BUT everything else was as sound as a bell and very very fresh looking, for a comestically neglected 10 year old car.

Just wanted to say sommat positive.

Marcus

 

 

They knew how to create cheat algorithms long before the emissions scandal. 'Fair Play" is quite ironic in that regard

 

The needle will sit dead vertical over a wide range of "expected operating temperatures" the downside is if you keep an eagle eye on your guages you wont see any deviation until the problem has reached a critical level at which point the needle will go up (or down) very rapidly.

Edited 29 September, 20205 yr by J.R.

Bugger!

I honestly had not an inkling this was the case.

Thanks, for making me ever so slightly more cynical.

Marcus.

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

The needle will sit dead vertical over a wide range of "expected operating temperatures"

As I found out when I did some VCDS logs. Prior to this I thought the Skoda had some quite incredible temperature control system. My previous cars all had temperature gauges that were more like temperature gauges so was used to seeing them move a bit even when all was well.

Dont worry Marcus, you are not alone, I had been singing their praises for a decade before my bubble was burst!

A lot of cars have a big "dead zone" for the temperature needle, on my old Rover 45 it was between 75 and 104!

A lot of newer cars don't even have a gauge - just a blue light on the dashboard for 'cold' and a red one for 'too hot'...

39 minutes ago, skomaz said:

A lot of newer cars don't even have a gauge - just a blue light on the dashboard for 'cold' and a red one for 'too hot'...

... And when red lights up?.....??

Surprise...!!!

 

4 hours ago, chrisund123 said:

A lot of cars have a big "dead zone" for the temperature needle, on my old Rover 45 it was between 75 and 104!

I totally agree....

I have met the same case in other brands in past....

 

So keep up blaming Skodas ?...?

OR skodas  only break and burst?

Edited 30 September, 20205 yr by AkisVH

On the other hand the temperature gauge in my 20, 30 and 35 year old G Wagens, are pure analogue, which tells me that one of them is definitely overheating!

Edited 30 September, 20205 yr by marcusthehat

Those older cars had  pure analog indications.

 

Modern ones are controlled electronically.

Fancy if  when every driver could be able to see real-on-time readings/values.....

It would cause such a stress, could make easily everyone so anxious.....

That would affect negatively driving and habits and more....

And the most important: could definitely lose drivers eyes from on the road..

Edited 30 September, 20205 yr by AkisVH

My 2001 Octavia was the first vehicle I ever had where the temperature guage reading was falsified, the 98 Alhambra with the same drivetrain told the truth.

 

Granted all guages were damped, some more so than I would like but keeping an eagle eye on the temp guage and getting to know all of the engines idiosyncracies during warm up, stat opening, motorway cruising, driving up hills while towing etc was all part of being able to see faults developing before they became critical, something that I learned from owning a Triumph Stag when I was 21, the seller told me I would have one eye on the temperature guage all the time & he wasn't wrong.

 

Driving home from work & accelerating from the last roundabout up the hill to where I lived there was a barely perceptible climb of the guage, a tiny bit more than I would expect, I stopped immediately even though I had only 200 yards to go, sure enough there was a dribble of water from the water pump seal.