Morning. I am a new owner of a 2014 Octavia. The car is lovely and I am really happy with it. However, the heater(climate control). I can't seem to get it to actually get very warm. Its a TDI, but even after being out for an hour or so the heater gets warmish, but not very warm.  The engine temp is fine... can anyone suggest a quick fix?

Thanka

Welcome Matthew, I hope you don't have a leaky silicate bag in the expansion bottle of your cooling system. This can be a costly thing to fix if not caught in time. 

 

 

Maybe worth having a look and consider removing the bag even if it's still intact.

 

I would advise you to check the colour of the coolant in your expansion tank ( it should be bright pink). If it's browny orange,  then it's probable that your matrix is blocked especially as you only have warm air not hot. 

 

Unfortunately it's not a quick/nor cheap fix, requiring all the coolant draining, flushing it multiple times and then replacement of the blocked matrix. Main Dealer will charge over  £1000 to do that job as they will remove the dashboard to access the heater matrix. But it's possible for an independent to remove the matrix without taking the dashboard out. 

 

Edited 20 February, 20224 yr by paulski

6 hours ago, Matthewj said:

Morning. I am a new owner of a 2014 Octavia. The car is lovely and I am really happy with it. However, the heater(climate control). I can't seem to get it to actually get very warm. Its a TDI, but even after being out for an hour or so the heater gets warmish, but not very warm.  The engine temp is fine... can anyone suggest a quick fix?

Thanka

If you purchased from a Garage I would make them aware and let them fix it. You are covered under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for 6 months from date of purchase despite whatever warranty the garage stated. If they cannot fix it within a month you can reject the car but they must have had one opportunity to fix it.

Thanks for the advice. I have gone back to the dealer about it..

Just waiting on their warranty department 

5 hours ago, Matthewj said:

Thanks for the advice. I have gone back to the dealer about it..

Just waiting on their warranty department 

There shouldnt be any issue with them fixing it under warranty. If there is just ask to speak to the manager and the Consumer Rights Act 2015. All dealers know what it means as it is law. 

Spoke to dealer, they have said they will fix it under warranty and supply me with a courtesy car as well whilst they investigate what the issue is 

Just wanted to post an update because I'm really upset. 

So, I took the car back to the dealership which is over 100miles from when I live. They gave me a courtesy car and off I went. About 2 days later they called me to say the vehicle had been fixed(new heater matrix and expansion  tank put on)

I go and collect the vehicle and about 50 miles into the trip home and the coolant warning light comes up. I stop fill it up with new coolant that I had to buy(g13) and carry on. Just before I get home light comes on again. Call the dealership and they don't know what went on and advise me to take it to a local garage and they will pay for a diagnostic. Local garage say looks like a clip that connects pipe to tank is broke, they call skoda and source the  right part for the heater matrix on the car. I collect vehicle, drive it 6 miles, again coolant light comes on, get home and tank is empty. Call the garage and they said" we asked skoda about this and they have told them that if the part they put on doesn't work, then it's because the dealership fitted the wrong heater matrix to the vehicle"... and now I have a car that will literally leak all is coolant instantly within a mile or two. I mean has anyone had this before?...

Currently waiting for the dealership to come back to me with how they are sorting it out, but currently I don't dare drive it for fear of damaging the engine

Give them a chance to fix it once and for all, and if that doesn't do the trick, reject the car.  Perhaps contact Trading Standards (Consumer Direct) for advice and to lodge a record that you were were given a 'repaired' car that was potentially not roadworthy.

 

I had various coolant parts replaced under warranty on my previous vRS.  When I picked the car up it didn't make it the two miles home before blowing its turbo.  Sh!t happens 🙄

 

Gaz

 

1 hour ago, Gaz said:

Give them a chance to fix it once and for all, and if that doesn't do the trick, reject the car.  Perhaps contact Trading Standards (Consumer Direct) for advice and to lodge a record that you were were given a 'repaired' car that was potentially not roadworthy.

 

I had various coolant parts replaced under warranty on my previous vRS.  When I picked the car up it didn't make it the two miles home before blowing its turbo.  Sh!t happens 🙄

 

Gaz

 

Thanks for the advice. Thats what I thought I should do. The car was obtained via a finance company so I bet there will be some 'issues' to resolve, but I will get some trading standards advice as well

 

On 20/02/2022 at 09:41, Matthewj said:

Morning. I am a new owner of a 2014 Octavia. The car is lovely and I am really happy with it. However, the heater(climate control). I can't seem to get it to actually get very warm. Its a TDI, but even after being out for an hour or so the heater gets warmish, but not very warm.  The engine temp is fine... can anyone suggest a quick fix?

Thanka

Sadly vw decided to fitbthe header tank with a bag of silicone balls......we in the trade call it a tea bag.....new header tank and flush the matrix directly should cure the problem