Last year, l bought a set of new genuine black plastic wheel nut covers for my Fabia from the local Skoda dealer. 
Today, I noticed three were missing and loads of the others were really loose with no need to use the U shaped puller to get them off. So the missing three must have dropped off. 
 

We also have a TT with what appears to be the same plastic covers but in a grey colour and never had a problem in the 10 years of knowing the TT. 
 

So what’s going on with the Skoda covers? It almost like they have got bigger as the fit is definitely much looser than before. 
 

All thoughts welcome!

I had some, they became a faff in the end up, and a few went flying with an almighty ping. Took them all off, car now looks alright without them, to be honest.

10 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I had some, they became a faff in the end up, and a few went flying with an almighty ping. Took them all off, car now looks alright without them, to be honest. /cdn-cgi/mirage/70aec55e5b3f8b82b8e80ae780dca86e07a90586d44aa31d67e5b43e89535cf5/1280/https://www.briskoda.net/forums/uploads/emoticons/emoticon-0100-smile.gif

 I have rusty nuts!!

I called the Skoda parts chap I bought the nut covers from last year to ask about the loose nut covers. 
The chap said he had never had a problem in 15 years so assuming that is true, something unusual has happened to mine. 
As a solution, I have some butyl mastic strip bought for another job and used a couple of tiny blobs in each cover to reduce the looseness. After driving over 30 miles today, the remaining covers are still in place. 
As the mastic is soft, the covers can still be pulled off with the puller tool. 

 

 

On 08/01/2023 at 20:32, prt57 said:

All thoughts welcome!

Dangerous! 😄

 

My thoughts, I don't know the Mk1 (or any really) but generally with rust things usually seem to expand and get tighter, as you bought a set of new genuine black plastic wheel nut covers then they should have been tight if anything going on first time, could they be stretched now because of this when removing and putting back on.

 

Or are you sure you have the original or correct wheel nuts (bolts?) fitted to the wheels as the plastic covers usually seem to vacuum on and need the removal tool (or damaging pliers) to remove them in my experience.

 

The nuts are not rusty really, it was just a bit of humour!!

 

So whilst I have only owned the car 2.5 years, I’ve known of it since it was bought brand new in 2005. The wheel nuts will be the originals. 
 

The new covers have probably only been removed twice since I fitted them. It’s only me doing it and I always use the tool, not pliers. 
Certainly a mystery as some were really loose moving in and out easily. 
as mentioned above, the tiny 2mm balls of mastic inside each cover seem to have secured them on for now. 

Please note - I am not a mechanic or expert in anything.

 

6 minutes ago, prt57 said:

The nuts are not rusty really, it was just a bit of humour!!

Sorry I thought it was both.

 

In that case, perhaps cheap plastic replacements at full previous cost of course, storage during that extreme weather, all a bit odd.  Unless you try them on some else's car and try their wheel covers on your nuts if you'll pardon the expression.

 

Watch what mastic/sealant you use, I used some on some plastic hub covers and then broken a couple of the plastic tangs getting them off at tyre change.  I normally use bluetac on car bits (it's amazingly strong, you can lifts weights with it after it's set for a bout 6 months) and it's gone through a winter and a half on my neighbour's rear wiper blade and arm now so far, but it'd be no good for those covers as you'd probably have to chisel 'em off.

 

I suppose you threw away the old covers, yeah I do that when Sod's Law applies.

 

i have a full set of rubberised ones on i simply putt a piece of blue tack on each nut before pushing the covers on and none gone missing in 18 months so far.

Thanks everyone. 
The tiny blobs of butyl mastic are acting like blutac. The benefit of the butyl is it does not go hard. 
Something  similar is used to seal the silver metal window carrier panels onto the doors.