I purchased a MY14 Octavia 2.0TDi 4x4 yesterday (non dealer) @ 86,000 miles. The drive home was ok but I could hear a little noise from the rear, I stopped to check and the rear brake discs were in very poor condition so today I swapped the discs and pads and though that was that. Another 50 miles later (midday today) a noise starts from the rear / underneath the car, this noise is like a whirring rotational noise, something I would say sounded like a diff or prop shaft. I have yet to check if its the wheel bearing however after double checking the service history I noticed that its only had 3 services, not 4. I also can't see any history at all to indicate the gearbox / diff oil / Haldex system has been serviced ever!!

 

The noise continued to get worse on my 130 mile round trip and when I returned home about 2 hours ago I rolled the car, out of gear, down the lane and I can definetly hear this noise at low speed, it increased with speed however when I applied hard throttle it dies down and then when I let off the throttle all together it comes back, loudest its been.

 

Does anyone here have a clue what these symptoms could be pointing towards? I also need some advice on whether Haldex oil is diff oil or are they separate? Do I have MK5 Haldex? (no filter) How easy is it for me to change my Haldex oil etc? I have use of a pit and I'm fairly handy with the tools but is there anything I need to watch out for? I get the horrible feeling this car has not been looked after as well as they made out and I might be in for an expensive time....

 

Many thanks in advance!

Did you buy it from a garage? If so I would make them aware of the issue. Sometimes service history is updated on line, so you would have to contact Skoda to see what has been recorded.

I would also speak with a specialist for a second opinion. If it is major then you can reject the car within the first 28 days so it is important to act quickly.

Sounds like a propshaft problem. Its a less-known issue that the propshaft balancer can fail or the rubber bushings or Cushing rubbers. My husband's 2016 4x4 had this problem. Was fixed under warranty. Not a major job and can be confirmed by visual inspection by either the AA or RAC. Easy to fix but can cost a couple of hour's labour. Best get it fixed now whilst car is under your 14 days.

3 hours ago, Kestrel2288 said:

I also need some advice on whether Haldex oil is diff oil or are they separate? Do I have MK5 Haldex? (no filter) How easy is it for me to change my Haldex oil etc? I have use of a pit and I'm fairly handy with the tools but is there anything I need to watch out for? I get the horrible feeling this car has not been looked after as well as they made out and I might be in for an expensive time....

You are on the cusp of Haldex 4 or 5. There is a filter on Haldex5 but is only a mesh mask for the pump. Best get the pump filter cleaned and oil changed over. Unless the car has done serious offroading diff oil should be fine.

 

 

Check the rear tyres for stepping on the edges, that can cause unusual noises from the rear.

 

In the past I've come across centre prop bearing being noisy but that constant and increases with speed. 

 

Of late I replaced the haldex unit on my own car which had a similar noise, I disregarded it until the unit failed completely. That had been serviced, it was just bad luck on my part.

 

You'll probably have a 5th generation unit.

 

The differential and haldex use different oils.

 

Haldex oil in the coupling unit and 75w90s in the diff.

 

The haldex takes about 850ml and the differential about 1.5 litres.

 

You drain them then refil until it spills out of the fill hole.

Thanks for the reply (varaderoguy) my stethoscope has arrived this morning so i'm going to pop down to the garage, hoist the car up, try and listen to see if I can hear anything coming from the rear end that shouldn't be. I did think prop shaft however I visually inspected it yesterday and couldn't see anything a miss (I fear I would not know what to look out for) typically I would check the bolts and for any play. The rubber bushings looked fine. Do you know if I should be looking out for anything?

13 hours ago, James@RRG_Skoda_Rochdale said:

Check the rear tyres for stepping on the edges, that can cause unusual noises from the rear.

 

In the past I've come across centre prop bearing being noisy but that constant and increases with speed. 

 

Of late I replaced the haldex unit on my own car which had a similar noise, I disregarded it until the unit failed completely. That had been serviced, it was just bad luck on my part.

 

You'll probably have a 5th generation unit.

 

The differential and haldex use different oils.

 

Haldex oil in the coupling unit and 75w90s in the diff.

 

The haldex takes about 850ml and the differential about 1.5 litres.

 

You drain them then refil until it spills out of the fill hole.

 

Hi James@RRG_Skoda_Rochdale! Thanks for the information, that is going to be helpful. The noise I have is constant and increases and decreases with speed. I can provide a video link to the noise, you will have to increase the volume to hear it clearly (if on mobile, max volume and hold it towards your ear). I'n the video I start at 30 mph, accelerate slowly to 60 mph and then coast back to 30mph. (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OCFJW6ju4Ql3NozGzogEfhMCwnZqREt7/view?usp=sharing)

 

I by the looks of the photo then I think I do have a 5th Gen. Once I know the source of the noise I will rest a little easier as I can make a plan in sorting it out, at the moment its driving me mad. I will order the oils you mention in preparation for a complete service.

 

If anyone here can listen to the link and has any thoughts on where I should direct my inquiries then please shout out!

 

Thanks

I suspect that something may have hit the propshaft and unbalanced it. Check the mountings for excess play and also at the gearbox end and Haldex gearbox end. Would I be right to say this vibration occurs when at a certain speed?

2 hours ago, varaderoguy said:

I suspect that something may have hit the propshaft and unbalanced it. Check the mountings for excess play and also at the gearbox end and Haldex gearbox end. Would I be right to say this vibration occurs when at a certain speed?

 

Something definitely isn't right with the prop shaft. I have been under the car this afternoon, it turns out it isn't coming from the rear. The noise it coming from the front, I guess its the Haldex part that is attached to the gearbox? The prop shaft goes into it and when the shaft is spinning it looks like it is wobbling off center. Using the stethoscope I listened into the casing that surround the entry of the prop shaft at the front (the Haldex part if that's what it is?) and I could hear what sounded to me as a mullered bearing, if there is a bearing in there? My train of though leads me to think that as I have no service history to show the Haldex system has ever had an oil change, could it be that the mesh at the end of the pump is blocked and the front section of the Haldex has been starved of oil? Are there bearings inside for the prop shaft and are they oiled via the Haldex oil? I do not know the answers to these questions, it is just my hypothesis....

 

Please see link to video here (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OJMOq2QcVUzeEq3YKifyj4VWRtQ4yz33/view?usp=sharing) this is the front of the prop shaft, once the undertray had been removed. You can also hear the "noise".

 

Thanks in advance again!!!

This is my Haldex, just to confirm if it is a Gen 4 or Gen 5?  

The pump is not to lubricate the input shaft bearings its to pressurise the clutch pack, I dont think a blocked strainer would result in bearing failure but am happy to learn otherwise.

 

That Haldex controller is the same as mine, cant recall if mine is gen 4 or gen 5 but it does not have an external filter, only the internal pump strainer guaze which should answer your question.

The part at the front, attached to the gearbox is the bevel/transfer box.

 

The Haldex parts all live at the back.

I read the posting several times thinking the same but was confused by him speaking of listening to the Haldex part & then showing a photo of the Haldex & rear differential.

 

I believe the front angle drive/transfer gearbox is a known failure point & would suggest that the OP drops the undertray to look for oil leakage if he is actually talking about the front of the vehicle.

 

Editted, I had not looked at the video or appreciated that he has dropped the undertray, front of vehicle = transfer box & not Haldex coupling.

 

The shaft does not look to be running eccentric to my eyes & I see no oil leakage, the Guibo coupling looks out of round so may be deteriorated.

Edited 10 January, 20215 yr by J.R.

2 hours ago, J.R. said:

I read the posting several times thinking the same but was confused by him speaking of listening to the Haldex part & then showing a photo of the Haldex & rear differential.

 

I believe the front angle drive/transfer gearbox is a known failure point & would suggest that the OP drops the undertray to look for oil leakage if he is actually talking about the front of the vehicle.

 

Editted, I had not looked at the video or appreciated that he has dropped the undertray, front of vehicle = transfer box & not Haldex coupling.

 

The shaft does not look to be running eccentric to my eyes & I see no oil leakage, the Guibo coupling looks out of round so may be deteriorated.

 

Hi J.R. Thanks for your reply! That clears up that question and I now know the Front Angle Transfer Gearbox is nothing to do with the Haldex system. 

 

I took another video of the Guibo coupling from the other side (looking down the car to the rear) I believe it shows a distortion in the shape? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O_2mxY-iM0vXtXHi9BShkEbGRn6QbsrE/view?usp=sharing)

Could this be causing my noise? I am starting to feel a little vibration in the seat when I let off the throttle and the noise gets louder... I keep driving the car in the hope the offending item reveals itself soon.

 

I can confirm there was no oil leak from the Front Angle Transfer Gearbox that I could see but there was a damp oil patch on the underside of the gearbox, I initially though this could just be left over from the last service as the oil was very black, does the Gearbox and Front Angle Transfer Gearbox share the same oil?

 

Is the Guibo and easily serviceable item over a pit? 

2 hours ago, James@RRG_Skoda_Rochdale said:

The part at the front, attached to the gearbox is the bevel/transfer box.

 

The Haldex parts all live at the back.

Thank you also for the information, its all very helpful.

The gearbox and bevel box use separate oils. 

 

The bevel box uses about a litre of 75w90s and the gearbox (if it's manual) holds 2 litres of various different oils depending on which transmission it has fitted.

I have had a transmission noise since I made the Mr Maghoo mistake of draining out the diff oil by mistake and struggling to refill the haldex fluid & then driving for 300 miles 200 of which on autoroutes fully loaded.

 

I was very lucky to have not destroyed the dry differential like many others have, the noise was reduced once fresh oil introduced (run for 30 miles flushed & refilled again) but its still present and has not got any worse over 10k miles. I have no vibration but will be checking both my propshaft couplings & also the transfer box.

On 10/01/2021 at 22:36, James@RRG_Skoda_Rochdale said:

The gearbox and bevel box use separate oils. 

 

The bevel box uses about a litre of 75w90s and the gearbox (if it's manual) holds 2 litres of various different oils depending on which transmission it has fitted.

 

I have received a call on Friday to advise the transfer box is the issue and this email to advise the cost of repair. 

 

 

"Hi Luke,

 

Here is the quote for work for your vehicle.

 

Rotational noise coming from area front transfer box.

 

Confirmed bearing failure in transfer box.

 

Parts total £1989.39

 

Labour hours 4.50 = £382.50

Total 2371.88

 

Total inc Vat= 2846.25

 

Kind Regards

Jane Worrall-Stenson

Customer Service Advisor for Skoda"

 

I have started the process of returning the vehicle due to the level of damage and the cost of repair.

Oh - thats not good AT ALL.  Sorry to hear that.  Basically - new gearbox time.

If the transfer box is separate form the gearbox (separate oils) I would hope that the gearbox has not been effected but it is still not good!

 

I have requested that the car be returned immediately or the repairs authorized at the dealer. The next few days the time will tell! 

Outcome - Waiting for the dealership (Express Motors Ltd, Peterborough) to collect the broken Octavia from Skoda Doncaster. Finance company is rewinding the deal and in talks with the "dealer". They have stopped communicating with me completely.

 

In the meantime I have taken delivery of my new Skoda Octavia 4x4... Ex VW lease car, FSH, '16' and more to the point... It works as it should. Looking forward to putting it to work later in the year and taking the dogs out in it. Already very impressed with the car, done 450 miles since Thursday and AVG 52.9mpg... amazing for a 4x4 Estate and beats my old Mondeo Estate 40.2mpg by a long shot 👍