Right i've only had my octy vrs for 5 weeks love the look of the car love the way it drives (apart from slight splutter when cold!) I brought it with 50k on the clock with fsh it's a 01 so not high mileage, first thing i did was get the cambelt and waterpump done since it had not be done cost

Stick with it. Don't get rid of the car, best one I've had so far. Should be able to get some things done on warranty if you have one, it's worth the hassle in the end. Mine had the water pump go under warranty luckily, and then out of warranty had to do the turbo (I do have 100k plus) but once done it's great and with a mini man and associated buggy etc etc damn practicle.

Quite likely to be a broken centre exhaust mounting. Its well covered on here and easy enough to fix. I need to do mine too:(

The splutter problem when cold is a classic. Arb bushes are classic to. Have/have had the same issues with mine when I bought it, but now it runs fine and have been doing so the past year covering 31000miles.

Dont sell it!

Thanks for the replys, i wont sell it i like it to much! Just annoying and what to get it sorted out. Broken centre exhaust? not thought of that i will have to do a search, but today it was squeaky too just like a arb sound but ive had that done, strange??? Im thinking it could be a broken spring but will find out next week have it booked in. I hope it's ok to drive? it seems fine even when pushing hard through corners but i will be taking it easy for now.

Interesting, just done a search on middle exhaust bracket, may be this could be the problem after reading some posts seems possible now!

Easy enough to check - take it to a fast fit place, and if the problem is the bracketry they'll fix it faster, easier and every bit as cheap as you could.

Try to rattle the radiator if it squeaks then its the radiator mounting bushes.This is also a common squeaking niggle which is covered alot on this forum.

Have just recently had my Octavia (2002 TDI Elegance MK1) serviced with new timing belt, is the water pump an advisory thing, my car has been to Skoda for all it's servicing.

Yes, i'd advise changing it.

What risk would I run not changing it? Could I not just get a new one if it fails, the car has done 60k and is 5 yrs old.

Basically overheating, and a possibility of lumps of plastic in awkward to get at places.

It's an "advised by owners and experts" rather than an official VAG advisory change. The reason for doing it when the cambelt is being changed is that, if the belt's being changed anyway, it's about 15 minutes work to change the waterpump, whereas changing the pump in isolation needs about as much labour as changing a cambelt!

Since you've got a diesel, which seems less prone to cooking the plastic water pump impellor, I'd suggest keeping an eye on the temperature, and if you get overheating symptoms, suspect the water pump, and change the cam belt out of sequence when the front plate's down anyway.

Well went into the dealers today....and guess what..... it was the middle exhuast bracket/exhuast! I cant believe how much noise this was making really sounded like it was coming form the front of the car! Just drove home with radio off and window down and not a sound:thumbup: apart from the turbo spool and dumping the air back through the system love it! Thanks for your help guys.