Just a quick one regarding the Haldex service, I really wouldn't focus too much whether it has or hasn't had a Haldex service. Obviously if it's never had a Haldex service in its life and it's done 100,000 miles, maybe factor in a new Haldex or at least a new pump after you buy it 😄. I would factor either doing a Haldex service yourself or book the car into somewhere that actually knows about Haldex'es which isn't as common as you'd think. I am generalising here, but a lot of places (even Skoda dealerships themselves) will class a service as draining out the oil and topping it back up with fresh stuff. While in-part they are 60% of the way to servicing the Haldex, they miss out on the crucial 40% of the job.

On the pre-facelift Yeti's it will most likely have a Gen 4 Haldex I believe fitted to it. This will have a filter that needs changing and a mesh screen in front of the pump that needs cleaning. On the post-facelift Yeti's it'll have a Gen 5 Haldex which just has a mesh screen in front of the pump. If you're lucky, some places will drop the oil and fit and new filter in the Gen 4 Haldex. Very few places will know about the mesh screen in front of the pump or go to the small effort of removing the pump. There-for, junk will build up in front of the pump which leads to the pump working harder and harder until it eventually burns out.

There is also a procedure that is meant to also be followed after the Haldex has been serviced which VCDS (or similar) is needed to complete the service 😀.

Here's a video where I briefly talk about the Haldex and how important it is to get service at the right place 😀. Oh and yes, our 4x4 Yeti was meant to have had a Haldex service and just look at the state of the pump! 🙈

After Alana and I bought our Yeti, within 2 or so months of ownership, we drove it just over 2 hours and 110 miles North to Darkside Developments in Barnsley to make sure our Haldex service was done properly 😁.

Not that my advice is worth any more than the next persons, but I'd factor in a Haldex service into your buying costs 😀

6 hours ago, Scott_4x4 said:

Just a quick one regarding the Haldex service, I really wouldn't focus too much whether it has or hasn't had a Haldex service. Obviously if it's never had a Haldex service in its life and it's done 100,000 miles, maybe factor in a new Haldex or at least a new pump after you buy it 😄. I would factor either doing a Haldex service yourself or book the car into somewhere that actually knows about Haldex'es which isn't as common as you'd think. I am generalising here, but a lot of places (even Skoda dealerships themselves) will class a service as draining out the oil and topping it back up with fresh stuff. While in-part they are 60% of the way to servicing the Haldex, they miss out on the crucial 40% of the job.

On the pre-facelift Yeti's it will most likely have a Gen 4 Haldex I believe fitted to it. This will have a filter that needs changing and a mesh screen in front of the pump that needs cleaning. On the post-facelift Yeti's it'll have a Gen 5 Haldex which just has a mesh screen in front of the pump. If you're lucky, some places will drop the oil and fit and new filter in the Gen 4 Haldex. Very few places will know about the mesh screen in front of the pump or go to the small effort of removing the pump. There-for, junk will build up in front of the pump which leads to the pump working harder and harder until it eventually burns out.

There is also a procedure that is meant to also be followed after the Haldex has been serviced which VCDS (or similar) is needed to complete the service 😀.

Here's a video where I briefly talk about the Haldex and how important it is to get service at the right place 😀. Oh and yes, our 4x4 Yeti was meant to have had a Haldex service and just look at the state of the pump! 🙈

After Alana and I bought our Yeti, within 2 or so months of ownership, we drove it just over 2 hours and 110 miles North to Darkside Developments in Barnsley to make sure our Haldex service was done properly 😁.

Not that my advice is worth any more than the next persons, but I'd factor in a Haldex service into your buying costs 😀

Roughly how much is a heldex service done at a garage?

About £200. Depends where you live and what they do. Call AA motors in Hull - used for my Yeti.

Also, useful info here

https://www.jcr-leeds.com/haldexservicing/

As @Prezafab said, you're looking at around £200. I think Darkside Developments charge a little less than £200.

I never really know where the line of trust should be drawn with garages as both Alana and I have had some quite bad experiences in the past when having work carried out which has led us to having major trust issues as you may tell 😄. A Haldex service on its own on a Skoda should be a pretty straightforward while-you-wait job. If it's a decent garage I would've thought you could ask to see how good or bad condition the filter was (if it's a Gen 4 Haldex) and the mesh screen in front of the pump is if their policy allows, or have someone take a few pictures on a phone and show you😀.

Thanks

Is they anything else I should check , I have looked at the old mots online and only failed on a croded spring and a drop link , iv done a vehicle check and no hpi or crashes ,,,,

Iv never spent so much on a car so a bit nervous ha

It'll be interesting what other people's opinions are, but I think sometimes you can think far too much about buying a car and end up putting far too much pressure on your own shoulders. Alana and I was in the same position as you @Vfr400boy in that we were looking for a Yeti and we too had never spent so much money on a car before. The reality is, providing it's got a good MOT history, comes back clean on a online checking site and the Yeti ticks the boxes that you have set, you've completed all you can do from the comfort of your home.

Once you get to looking at the car, unless you want to roll around on your back under the car, you're somewhat limited as to what you can check. What you can check are...

Car sales place...

Do your background on the company.

Do they have a new name every year?

Have they been trading long?

Is it 2 signs on a portacabin and 1 computer in an office that could disappear in an hour if they wanted to be?

From looking at their stock you should get a rough idea if they buy blindly from an auction and don't have a clue what they actually own. Or if they somewhat hand pick their cars.

Walkaround of the car...

Are the tyres in good shape with reasonable tread? What make of tyres does it have on? A good brand probably shows the previous owner probably had a bit of care and money for the car than someone that sticks the cheapest brand of tyre on which could mean it's only had work done on it when it's had to have had rather than on a routinely basis.

Does the suspension look to be in good condition with no leaks on the legs?

If you stash some tissue you in your pocket, give the oil a quick dip to check the level and to make sure it doesn't come out white and creamy.

Is the coolant a nice pink colour and hasn't been mixed?

Stick your head under the front of the car and check for any leaks. Be careful of stoney surfaces that cars can be sold on as this can hide the signs of leaks.

Have a really close look at all the panels and bumpers, do they look straight and do the bumpers line up. Or has it had a dink in its life that's been patched over?

Check the cills of the car to make sure they haven't had a cill to high kerb interface.

Check that the number plates front and back have the same maker on the bottom of them. If one has a different name at the bottom compared to the other, question in your mind, why would only 1 be replaced?

Give a good check all over for any rust patches that might need work doing.

Look for condensation in any of the lights which could indicate a duff seal or maybe that they have had a minor bump and they have a little crack somewhere.

If you buy a cheap OBD2 bluetooth dongle, plug it into the OBD2 port of the car, download an app light Torque Lite and do a scan of the ECU to see if there are any codes on the ECU which could indicate trouble.

Have a little check for the exhaust condition and security.

That's a walkaround of the car done, onto the mechanicals...

Does it start up prompt or is it a bit slow and lazy which could indicate and new battery or starter motor might be needed.

Make sure the bonnet is raised before starting it so you can listen for any strange noises or rattles when it's started from cold.

If the engine is close to or at running temperature when you get to it, wonder why they have chosen to show you the car warm/hot.

Turn the steering from lock-to-lock, any strange sounds and does it turn nicely?

Check for smoke out the exhaust. Anything other than condensation, walk away.

Give it a rev to check it revs nicely and isn't stuttery or has a misfire.

Check the controls in the car all work as they should.

Turn on the air con to make sure it works and hasn't got pump issues.

Press on the brake, does it go firm and hold its firmness or does the pedal slowly head to the floor?

Put it in gear with the handbrake on and slowly lift the clutch. Is the handbrake in good condition and holds the car? Also, does the car pull and revs die? Or do the revs start to die and then start to recover which could indicate clutch slip?

Take it for a drive...

Does the car pick up well when you give it maximum throttle?

Listen for any rumbles, knock's, whines or just anything out of the ordinary.

Do the brakes bring the car to a prompt stop? Is there any pulsing felt under the brake pedal? This could be a sign of a warped disc.

If you can find a bit of road, try and brake hard and sharp enough to activate the ABS. With ABS pumps not often being used on cars, you'll be surprised how often this can flag a warning when used because something has gone dicky in the ABS system.

Try and give the car a little zig-zag to move the weight of the car from side-to-side to make sure there are no suspension or wheel bearing issues.

Try and get a feel for the gearbox to make sure it slots into each gear nicely.

Put the heating on, does it warm up nice and quickly and get to a good temperature?

Paperwork...

Does it come with any or did the 3rd owners dog eat it all?

If it does come with paperwork, have a good flick through to make sure what's in it tally's up with what's been advertised.

Is the paperwork in date order or is it all over the place? This gives a good indication as to what type of person owned it previously.

Does it come with a single key or 2?

Go with a list on your phone of jobs that have meant to be done and maybe note how often so you can see what you have or haven't got to play catch-up with on the maintenance. Coolant changes, did it have a water pump when done? Timing belt. Oil and filters changed. Brake fluid.

The biggest winner for Alana and I was the next 2 following items...

Does the sales person leave you to look at the car or do they hover over you like a bad smell?

Do they trust you enough to take it for a drive on your own with a set of plates on the car?

I have gone into far more detail than even I expected to with this post. Even though it looks like a wall of text, it's not actually that much when you're looking at a car and most of it I'm sure you're already well aware of. 😁

A few other things when I asked what to look for...

"If a pre facelift make sure it has not had the "fix" put the vin into the link below, if it says the fix is available it is safe, if it says the fix is not required walk away: https://skoda-recallactions.skoda-auto.com/210/en-GB "

"Unless you want a water feature avoid the sunroof models"
"Check the touch screen is functioning properly, the original basic Bolero so far seems unaffected but there is a growing failure rate amongst the later infotainment models fitted."

Some other things that have just come to my mind. Something that isn't spoken about but does need to be kept logged in your mind if you're going for a 4x4 Yeti. The Angle Drive box which rotates the drive 90 degrees from the front wheels so it can head to the Haldex and Rear Diff. This has its own oil to which Skoda claim "filled for life". When manufactures use the term "filled for life", they normally mean until the warranty is up or about 10 years. That needs changing roughly every 40 to 50 thousand miles. The same goes for the rear diff oil, another "sealed for life" item I believe but needs doing at the same sort of frequency 😀.

There is also a great post here for you to have a read of for other things to look for: https://www.yetiownersclub.co.uk/threads/older-yetis-with-higher-mileage-things-to-expect.5008/?post_id=55914&nested_view=1&sortby=oldest#post-55914

Edited 13 March, 20251 yr by Scott_4x4

On 10/03/2025 at 13:28, Vfr400boy said:

I am going to go see a 15 plate 4x4 elegance in white on Saturday 101k on the clock has leather etc , they any thing I should check when am there ? They say it's got a good service record and heldex has been serviced and cam belts been done

You'lL know when you find a good one because you've looked at a few now.

We are on Yeti number number EIGHT and nothing major has gone wrong with any of them yet !

Service record and rust bubbles on lower doors. That's All you need to worry about.

Thanks for your replys

We now have a yeti!

Needs a few jobs doing but I think it should tidy up OK, unfortunately I have to sell my fabulous fabia now

Very good.

(What's the Fabia detai ls?)

20 minutes ago, Prezafab said:

Very good.

(What's the Fabia detai ls?)

1.9tdi 120k on clock very straight the bloke I got it off had it 9 years I don't want to sell it but the wife's touran is a 7 seater so makes sense I use that and sell the fab

Congrats on your purchase @Vfr400boy 👌😀.