Maybe stupid…..: but I read this thread again, but nowhere is mentioned that the brakes are not binding…. Did you check that? If you have no tyrepressure function, as mine doesn’t, it will not show up. ( my former octavia did have that function, and a binding rear brake showed through this function, as the rev’s didn’t match up with the rest of the wheels)

I cant scroll through the whole thread right now, but even though there is no Flow Device in the Air Intake from 'The fix' being done does the VIN Checker shows as not part of the Recall which might mean done, or outstanding for the 'Voluntary recall'. 

http://skoda-auto.com/services/recall-actions

 

The brakes are all ok, I did think when I first got the car that there was a problem, but it has hill assist, I noticed on my slightly sloping drive the brakes would stick on for a second or two, aha I thought, but no, they are, according to the handbook, meant to do that.

I've checked the VIN before on that site it says 

The service action for your affected VIN is already available. Please, do not hesitate to contact your service partner to complete this action.

I take this to mean it hasn't been done.

I'm just back from a drive to Portobello, the speedo  reads fast, at indicated 55 it's doing 51. So trying very hard without the Cruise control, at indicated 60mph on the speedo, I managed an average of 41.7MPG on the maxidot, that did include some 30mph stuff in traffic, I noticed before I left the motorway it was 42.4mpg, then town work, then motorway again, a round trip of 54 miles, probably 8 of which was in traffic.

Someone had a great thought, is the car set to US or Imperial gallons, I checked, imperial.

Obviously power is going somewhere… about the high crankcase pressure; you did do a compression test to rule out a failed headgasket? ( it, the pressure,  has to come from somewhere.)

Hi,

According to the guy who checked the timing belt and all of the engine readings all of the cylinders were in balance and no sign of cylinder leakage, I did speak to him about it, he seems to think it's not out of the ordinary. The other thing is, I've done maybe 15 to 20K miles in the car, and it's been the same since I got it, no oil use, no water use and no increase in crank case compression. It's a valid point though. Would a head gasket leakage stay the same for 15k miles without showing some sign other than higher crank case compression?, I'm not sure it would. and wouldn't it start pumping oil out?, the engine is dry outside.

I have read other owners opinions of their cars on this forum though, and I'm not the only person (it would seem) who is experiencing these problems, low power and high fuel consumption, (all relative, 40 odd mpg isn't bad, but it should be a lot better). It seems they are either capable of very good fuel consumption and reasonable power, or they are like mine, there doesn't seem to be any middle ground?. And as I said at the start of the post, my pal who bought it from new was always disappointed in the fuel consumption, he never got anywhere close to the stated MPG from day one.

I do appreciate all these suggestions however folks, everything has been very helpful and thought provoking.

Alan.

 

6 minutes ago, Bison said:

According to the guy who checked the timing belt and all of the engine readings all of the cylinders were in balance and no sign of cylinder leakage, I did speak to him about it, he seems  to think it's not out of the ordinary.

Quote: he seems to think…

Now I don’t want to be the smart ass or the wiseguy, but I’ve learned to only trust numbers, not opinions. ( I’m not sayin’ he is not capable, don’t get me wrong here!)

But do not rule out the obvious, new parts can fail, even engines, so you have either to rule out every option or live with it.

I suggest that you do a compression test prior to the remap, just to be sure that anything mechanical is in good order.

( that is what I should do, you’ve done a lot already, go the extra step, it is not expensive)

A good and valid point, I will.

1 hour ago, Bas750 said:

Now I don’t want to be the smart ass or the wiseguy, but I’ve learned to only trust numbers, not opinions. ( I’m not sayin’ he is not capable, don’t get me wrong here!)

And I have learned to trust only myself.

 

I still maintain the cam timing is out and the only way I could be sure that it isn't is by checking it myself, not giving it to a mechanic to check no matter how much I have faith and trust in them, 100% of the mistimed engines that I have corrected were cocked up by garages.

 

Also be aware that your Maxidot reading and that of Urrells could both be incorrect by as much as 13%, every one of my vehicles I have had to put in a correction factor using VCDS, the only mileage figure you can trust is the brim to brim calculation and even then you need to correct for the speedometer/odometer over-reading.

 

You will know how many miles you get to a given refuelling volume, you also know your vehicle is very sluggish, mine will pull from 950 rpm in 5th and 6th gear, not up hills, not at full throttle, well actually it will and would do so without shuddering but there is no point doing so, recently on the flat driving on a very light throttle at 1150 RPM I was amazed to see the Maxidot gear indicator telling me to change from 5th to 6th.

 

Without going back through the thread I cant recall if you have had the intake tract declagged at the throttle body where the EGR inlet boss is, that makes a huge difference to driveability and economy, perhaps the 1.6 has a different system so accept my apologies if that is the case.

@J.R. I know that the maxidot is lyin’, that is why I’ve a logbook in the car with the numbers, my car is slitghly more economical than that the maxidot suggests, which surprises me as my former octavia straight lied to me ( being  (far-) less economical than the maxidot said)

I also do (most-) of the maintenance myself as I’ve learned that that is the only way you know everything is done as you like.

The gear indicator is a worthless thing which I ignore. 
You mention that our(?) vehicle will be very sluggish… mine has never been in the time I’ve had it, neither before nor after the remap ( stage 1, egr written out) it always pulled well.

Bison did clean his inlet trajectory.

Hi Folks,

I too check mileage when I fill up, I usually get about 400 to 450 miles before the fuel light goes on, I then fill it up and calculate the MPG, it has always been pretty close to what the maxidot says actually. I might delay the remap and have a look at the cam timing myself. Then if that's ok get a compression test done.

Yes, I've cleaned the turbo vanes, the particulate filter, the inlet tract,  etc etc

Alan.

What volume is your fuel tank?

 

Fuel light usually comes on just below 1/4 tank, say 3/8, there is also the 5-7 litre virtual reserve capacity that comes into play, I reckon if you are refilling when the fuel light comes on you are putting in 35 litres am I in the right ballpark?

 

That would equal 52 mpg for 400 miles or 60 mpg for 450 miles.

 

I am now wondering if I am imagining the point at which the fuel light comes on, it will be some time before mine drops  for me to double check.

 

I think that it is that point though as I run mine down to the last one or two litres having calculated that refilling when the fuel light comes on means you are making one extra fuel stop in every 3 or 4, also Danger is my middle name!

 

So how many litres do you refuel with on average?

Hi again,

I usually fill up quite soon after  the light comes on, I get about 47 or 48 litres in and the mileage is on average I would say around 420 to 430 miles, this time I'm expecting slightly more miles as I've been on longish journeys and trying very hard to get the best mpg. I've been keeping to the speed limits and 60mph on the motorway, foot completely off as much as possible on a gradient and the lightest pressure on the accelerator pedal to keep momentum up. The handbook says it's a 55 litre tank. once it gets between 1/4 and 1/2 full the needle tends to drop quite quickly.

Forget the above, I was talking out of my backside, as soon as I got in the car today (first time for a while) I could see that the red section on the guage is at 1/8 indicated (not true) fuel tank, so the wrning light would come on at 3/16ish of a tank,  the amount you indicate.

 

I am filling up with between 57 and 59 litres.

44 minutes ago, Bison said:

once it gets between 1/4 and 1/2 full the needle tends to drop quite quickly.

 

That is the software fiddling the readings to create the "virtual reserve" capacity of 5-7 litres approximately.

 

If you are always driving similar journeys and getting similar mileage the range figure shown when you fill up seems optimistic, drop to half a tank and the range has halved, you say to yourself "maybe I will get the 650 miles that it said?" then as the guage drops like a stone so does the indicated range, the prediction at fill up was actually correct, if you were to ignore the fill up warning and continue driving after the range shows zero miles you would run out just after the indicated range.

 

I have put that to the test on all of my vehicles when I first got them, to avoid anxiety and to know just how far I could stretch the refuel periods, I have not done it on the Yeti with its common rail engine as running out could be very bad news but I have occasionally got in 60 litres so it can be driven just as far as the others when showing zero miles, I do an additional 50 miles and only start worrying if that stretches to 60/70.