Octavia 3 2l TDI 150 l@k 

 

The car has developed a subtle wobble side to side, only noticeable at low speeds (20 - 30mph). I have checked all wheel bolts and they were torqued up to 120Nm.

 

No untoward incidents with potholes or speed bumps etc. Doesn't seem related to engine.

 

Even my wife noticed it so it isn't just me.

 

Car has done 45k miles, so a tad early to be changing the rear shock absorbers? 

 

However, from experience I've found that the rear shocks fail first then the front unless a pothole or speed bump is hit etc. 

 

The car is still running on original parts. 

 

No recent tyre changes. No vibrations through steering. The rear tyres are old and down to 4mm but at speed 60 to 70mph  the car is smooth (roads are good) unlike local undulating ones here.

 

Is there a way of checking? The stiffer springs hide a knackered shock on the bounce test. I disconnected the lower shock bolt on another car when changing a broken spring and was confident the rear shocks were good (no oil leaks, non jerky compression and release through entire compression and fairly fast movement). It turned out to be at fault and the noise disappeared on fitting two new rear shock absorbers. 

 

I'm looking at £150 for Sachs parts. 

Any other brand to consider. I ask because the local motor factor sold me ,'oem ' Vorstadt for the Astra and it is these that failed after 15k miles. I opted for Bilstein B4 for that car. 

 

Opinions on brands, what else to check? Etc

 

B4 should be fine but do both sides.

 

You mention the tested shock being quite fast (understand it's from a different car). They should be really slow. Like leaning on them should take a few seconds to fully compress if at all due to internal pressure. Sport shocks or coil overs might be different off the car. I have quite limited experience with those.

 

What's the age of the car? 45k of town driving could be a good few years. 45k of motorway cruising could be 2 years if high miles. 

Hi

just changed my rear shocks I went for blisten b4, mine is a diesel vrs estate 

I got the number off the sticker on the side of the shock to check compatibility,
mine had nearly done 60000 on a 67 plate. They are really quick to take off, 2 bolts at top 1 on the bottom all accessible after popping the wheel off,

mine were knackered, no leaks very slow on rebound and a dead point were they did nothing. 
mine skipped a bit when cornering and hitting a pot hole or drain cover. 
getting four wheel alignment done helps. 
I guess yours isn’t on multi link rear end otherwise check the stay bars 

got my shocks from Demon tweeks £ 40 each + £7 delivery 

Car is a 2016 model with solid rear beam. It has probably seen mainly town driving although I try to use it for longer journeys as DPF doesn't like short less than 10 miles runs esp on standard diesel, cold weather.

 

Relatively speaking, the new shocks extend faster than the old, but both are similar so I didn't think the old were knackered (this is the Astra) - that car has Whiteline rear axle bushes that are too harsh and getting removed and going back to rubber because despite fast road use designation they are too compliant.

 

Yeti yeti - what brand did you get from Demon tweaks? That is a good price. I paid £84 off eBay for a pair for the Astra. CP4l wanted £130 even with discounts. 

 

Demon tweaks - £200 per pair. The solid rear axle is double the price of the multilink suspension it seems for the B4 Bilstein shocks.

 

Halfords quoted £101 per pair for Bilstein, but it also listed two other shocks. When I checked with staff I got told this is the one that is compatible

Sachs Shock Absorber Rear VW Golf VII 12 635443800

747998.   £150 per pair.

 

CP4l want £168 per pair.

Edited 8 May, 20233 yr by bmbmdmb

Hi 

I got Blistein b4s. It’s worth ringing them up got a better price than website. 

I'm having the exact same symptoms. The wobble is definitely there and my rear passenger Friend picked it up straight away and confident it's the rear shock since he had the same on his BMW. I'm also opting to go for b4's with eibach springs. 

Thanks.

 

I'll just change the shocks at 45k miles. The springs are easy to change on rear so if they go I'll do it then. I changed rear springs and shocks on my other car, a Fabia, at different times. The new like for like springs made little difference, slightly firmer in corners perhaps. The shocks made a big difference, but they were knackered and seized (the car really wanted to go in a straight line on roundabouts for instance).

Solved - it was the failure of the tyre.

 

Problem was getting worse so I ordered the shocks for rear yesterday, confident it was probably this. Bilsteins B4.

 

I had tpms light on and tyre pressures fine.

Checked tyre and shocks and spring. All good. Today after 70mph speeds tpms light came on a few miles from home, rear end felt really wobbly.

 

Tyres again inspected. 

 

Rear right Dunlop tyre which is still holding air pressure has bulge in tread and cords exposed which wasn't there previously. 

Lucky car tyre didn't explode and lose control of car. 

 

3mm tyre tread on edge and 4mm in middle. Car not hit pothole or speed bumps etc.    48th week of 2015. So, not 10 years old but evidently past its best...

 

Ats has Michelin primacy 4 A wet grip , A on fuel and 70db lower noise.

 

Good price too. Anyone recommend this or another?

 

I got crossclimate tyres left on front axle and had 3 punctures, they are sticky tyres but even hawthorn flattened last tyre so I don't want them.

56 minutes ago, bmbmdmb said:

Ats has Michelin primacy 4 A wet grip , A on fuel and 70db lower noise.

 

If it's the Primacy 4 (S1) version, you might be better off going for the standard Primacy 4+ C A version. The reason being, that the (S1) version is manufacturer specific (S1=Peugeot), and with tyres you don't get a free lunch. Hence compromises will have been made to the tyre such as much reduced tread life and/or other characteristics adversely affected. Bear in mind that the Primacy 4+ model is newer than the Primacy 4.

S1

This code stands for the original equipment on Peugeot models. These kind of tyres have been developed and manufactured according to certain specifications and requirements of the car manufacturer.
We recommend fitting four of the same tyres, so that the tyres can deliver optimal performance.
Please note: The tyres can also be used on other vehicles.

 

Michelin Primacy 4 (S1) 225/40R18 92Y XL (Euro label A A 70dB)

https://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/michelin/primacy-4-s1/225/40/R18/Y/92/m?tyre=41395622

 

Michelin Primacy 4+ 225/40R18 92Y XL (Euro label C A 70dB)

https://www.blackcircles.com/catalogue/michelin/primacy-4-plus/225/40/R18/Y/92/m?tyre=42941961

 

Edited 30 May, 20233 yr by Carlston

1 hour ago, bmbmdmb said:

Ats has Michelin primacy 4 A wet grip

 

The Euro label isn't for wet grip, it's for wet braking.

 

In tyre reviews, they test both wet braking and wet handling...two different categories.

 

Edited 30 May, 20233 yr by Carlston

Thanks Carlston,

 

The rear tyres got an MOT advisory for cracks in tread on last MOT. No cracks on sidewalls. I read up on it and it was advised to keep on eye on them but if sidewall affected it would be a fail. There were minor cracks in tread from year one of car's life on all the Dunlop OEM fitted from new. Cracks were not excessive. 

 

 

I spotted the Primacy plus tyres too. I read they offer better braking when tyre tread worn. 

 

Primacy S1 - I don't mind them lasting fewer miles given that tyres don't seem to be lasting as long as they used to (UV agent black banned in tyre production).

 

Primacy S1 are good on wet grip too I've just read.

 

6 years is use by and 10 years is the must replace date it seems.

 

My current tyres have never been overloaded nor run deflated or overinflated, speed bumps are taken steadily. The car recently has been used at motorway speeds and it seems this has caused the tyre issue to surface.

 

First tyre failure in 25 years plus of driving other than a Marigoni front tyres that got a flat spot from locking wheels up when another driver decided not to give way at a roundabout (different car, same tyre dimensions as Oct3)

 

 

Edited 30 May, 20233 yr by bmbmdmb

Michelin primacy out of stock until July.

 

I'm putting a Michelin Crossclimate 2 on and a crossclimate tyre I saved and got repaired.

 

Have them on front axle. I wanted to move away from them as I got 3 punctures in 9 months. One was repairable with almost full tread so that is getting refitted.

 

Going to change the rear shock with Bilstein. There was a report about creaking rear suspension.

 

https://www.repxpert.co.uk/en-gb/technical-information/chassis/bilstein-noise-rear-axle-golf-skoda

 

Had a look at rear shocks. Two bolts top hidden under wheel arch liner, which needs to come out. Great design.

 

One bolt at bottom. 

 

Anyone know what this is for. I don't want to break it when removing left rear shock .

 

Looks like it has an electric cable/sensor going to it.

 

Top image - look behind brake Flexi to right rear, left of spring.

Bottom image - zoomed in.

This gizmo is absent on rear right of solid rear axle.

Bubbles are TLC wash.

 

Ta

That's the level sensor.  Should be easy enough to unbolt it at the bottom if you need the beam dropping further.

Level sensor - what's its job? 

 

Thanks

It senses the height of the rear suspension and adjusts the headlights vertical aim to compensate for heavy loads in the back.

I had not wasted money on rear shocks.

They were past their best at 45k miles, seems a bit low to me. Both retracted but really slowly, right rear seemed to stop then continue. 

 

The rear of car has less sway and less bounce, recoil. Paid £130 for a pair of Bilstein B4.