Half a dozen questions about the VRS...

[birchy]

There's no particular theme here, i'm just asking all my questions in one post.

It's nearly a year since i took delivery of my '07 Octavia VRS. I've done all of (don't laugh!!) 1200 miles in it and i know it's due the first service in the next fortnight. So my questions, in no particular order:

1) I've got this annoying vibrating sound when the engine is revved to exactly 1800 rpm. Doesn't matter if i'm stationary or driving, it's there. Sounds like a vibrating cover in the engine compartment but i can't hear it with the bonnet up. Any suggestions, or should i just mention it when i have the service?

2) There's an annoying rattle in the back somewhere. It's like a ticking/tapping noise when i go over the slightest bump in the road and i can't work out where it's coming from. It may be a rattly rear seat catch or the parcel shelf or possibly that box of goodies they put inside the spare wheel. Without sitting in the back seat (which is not easy while driving), i can't pinpoint anything. Has anyone else experienced the same noise?

3) Bearing in mind my low mileage, what will be done on the first service and how much should i expect to pay? As far as my service manual is concerned, i'd prefer going to my local Bayhorse Skoda dealer, however there is also a VW main dealer about the same distance from my home. I don't know much about either of them, so not sure which one would give me the "best" service.

4) Nearly forgot...most annoying of all is the steamy windows. When it was colder, the windows would steam up like a sauna, especially the front and back ones. There's no particular pattern, although the damper weather made it worse. It is/was such a problem that i have to carry a roll of kitchen paper in the boot in order to wipe the inside of the glass. On a bad day, i could easily soak 6 or 7 sheets. I've searched high and low for damp carpets but found nothing. It might be due to the fact i do a lot of short journey?

[Dor]

Isn't the car on variable service? i.e. unless you havebeen driving like a rally driver it shouln't have to be serviced yet?

Also, if its going to be serviced and retain warantee you shoud take it to a skoda dealer.

Ta

Chris

[Flanno]

The annoying noise in the back is the rear seat release clips, one on each side on the top of the seat. The yokes you pull up to allow you to push the back of the seats forward. My garage fixed em the other day. Not sure what they did. Gaff used some cardboard to sort his.

[birchy]

First service is 12 months, which seems a bit pointless in my situation but hey-ho, there's a spanner on me dash. Book says the spanner will show 15 days prior, and my car arrived on 13th April, so it all tallies up...

Flanno, yeah that makes sense because i've only ever folded the seats down once and it's been rattling ever since. Having said that, i checked the seats were clipped ok on several occasions and all seemed well. And how come they didn't rattle before? Do they seal them with sticky tape to stop the new builds making a noise?

[dstev2000]

The rattling noise could be part of the intake piping rattling somewhere, get your dealer to check it out when it's being serviced, could also be the battery cover or the engine cover itself amongst other things.

Did you get free servicing with your car? if so it makes sense that it is on the fixed servicing schedule so one service per year for three years.

With regards to the damp windows I will start with the silly basics:

Are you turning the recirc on for long periods if at all?

If this is switched on the windows will steam up pretty quickly due to the recirculated air in the cabin.

Has it done it's little steaming up trick since day one? check to see if water drips from the underside of the car with the air con running flat out for 10 minutes or so. If there are no drips you may have a blocked evaporator drain.

[bosnjo]

2) There's an annoying rattle in the back somewhere. It's like a ticking/tapping noise when i go over the slightest bump in the road and i can't work out where it's coming from. It may be a rattly rear seat catch or the parcel shelf or possibly that box of goodies they put inside the spare wheel. Without sitting in the back seat (which is not easy while driving), i can't pinpoint anything. Has anyone else experienced the same noise?

Solved this one on mine:

It's true, as it's been said in one of previous answers here, problem is in those clips (locks) holding top of back seat, one on each side. My solution was to unclip them, bend forward the back parts of back seat and then spray in SILICONE LUBRICANT SPRAY. I wasn't sure that would work so I've sprayed it a lot, inside the locks. I've done it last summer. It's been done one night and then again next morning.

As I said, I've done it last summer, noise was gone and still hasn't come back.

Worth to try, maybe few times to achive compete silence.

If it doesn't work, try WD40.

Silicone lubricant spray can be found in local hardware store.

Hope this will help you.

[Mereside]

Just a suggestion, but I used to get steaming up problems in a works mondeo quite a lot. Best way to clear it was leave the air con on for a while. This should dry up the inside of the car but it all depends on how far you are driving each time. If it is a short distance and you have the air con on then it can steam up when you turn it off, my advice would be to run the car with air con for a while to see if this helps.

[Aspman]

Just to give an alternative answer I had an annoying rattle from the back of the car but it was the plastic cover for the high level brake light.

[briang]

Had mine almost a month now and have noticed 2 things I didnt have in the old Mk1 vRS. the exhaust "boom" from the new one is very loud, and I agree the windows mist terribly when its cold outside first thing in the morning, and I have the A/C on all the time and recirc switched off. Also mine is leased and didnt get the free upgrade, Dealer says I should have ordered them even though they are free. Mind you the leasing company are owned by a very well known shark in the Scottish Motor Trade so shouldnt expect much I suppose. Prizes for first correct guess!!

cheers

[Aspman]

Mr Clark?

Never had any problems with misting up in the car. I have it set on Auto/Econ unless it's actually hot and I need the AC.

When I got mine the dealer did have to add the jumbo etc as options but there was no charge for it.

[John L]

I had misting problems on delivery of my car and for the first month when I was using it very little (waiting for the company car to be reclaimed). As soon as I started doing a reasonable mileage on a daily basis the problem just went away.

[GAFF]

The annoying noise in the back is the rear seat release clips, one on each side on the top of the seat. The yokes you pull up to allow you to push the back of the seats forward. My garage fixed em the other day. Not sure what they did. Gaff used some cardboard to sort his.

Its a pain in the rear alright, I think that the rattle is actually the Seat Clip release spring rattling, but thats just my opinion. I spent ages troubleshooting this and the only thing that got rid was cardboard. Then Skoda sprayed some lube in with has actually stopped it, but I wonder for how long, as at the end of the day its only a lube and its a moving part.

[birchy]

Thanks for the advice. I can get "Light Silicone" spray from work as they plaster most of the machinery with it.

The steaming up is most likely due to my daily 2.5 miles to/from work which has also run the battery down because i only *just* started the car tonight. It's on charge now. Unless the battery has gone duff. :(

Regarding the service, what jobs *should* they do considering the car's only done 1200 miles? I don't fancy paying £150 for a valet and an invoice of imaginary jobs...

EDIT:

Should've mentioned that i got the car a couple of grand cheaper than my local dealer could offer, so i missed out on "free" service deals.

[gregozedobe]

The steaming up is most likely due to my daily 2.5 miles to/from work which has also run the battery down because i only *just* started the car tonight. It's on charge now. Unless the battery has gone duff. :(

Unless your engine is hard to start so the starter has to crank it over for a long time each morning or you spend most of your drive idling your alternator should be able to keep your battery charged up. More likely is some kind of current drain when you aren't driving. Some possible causes are:

1 Radiator fan running when engine is switched off and engine is NOT still hot (normal to run for a few minutes after switching off, but not to be running hours afterwards - possibly a fault with electrical fan controls/sensors)

2 Stereo system drawing current when switched off (more commonly a problem with aftermarket or dealer-installed head units).

3 GPS units or battery charger/s connected to gigarette lighter socket (socket still supplies power even when engine is off.

A different cause is a loose/corroded terminal or earth connection (less likely in such a young vehicle).

[briang]

correct first guess aspman!! re auto/econ, dont have these options on mine only the three big dials and an A/C on/off and a recirc on off and a heated rw on/off

Interesting you got your dealer to fit the extras free, did he do all of them for you?, Mr Shark's leasing people have told me i would need to pay to have them fitted, think I might seek Skoda UK advice on this one

Thanks

[Aspman]

'Free' extras were added on the dealers build page when he did the factory order for me. Not after delivery. sorry if that was confusing.

He added them like any other optional extras only there was no charge. So I could have ordered a car without them if I wasn't aware of the deal.

I can't stand AC dealerships. Those guys are feral.

[birchy]

Unless your engine is hard to start so the starter has to crank it over for a long time each morning or you spend most of your drive idling your alternator should be able to keep your battery charged up. More likely is some kind of current drain when you aren't driving. Some possible causes are:

1 Radiator fan running when engine is switched off and engine is NOT still hot (normal to run for a few minutes after switching off, but not to be running hours afterwards - possibly a fault with electrical fan controls/sensors)

2 Stereo system drawing current when switched off (more commonly a problem with aftermarket or dealer-installed head units).

3 GPS units or battery charger/s connected to gigarette lighter socket (socket still supplies power even when engine is off.

A different cause is a loose/corroded terminal or earth connection (less likely in such a young vehicle).

Hmmmm, none of the above. I work 12hr shifts which has meant it's dark when i go to work and it's dark when i go home, so I drive 2.5 miles twice a day with headlights on and the stereo on volume 15+. Also, for most of the winter you can add the heated rear window and the heater blower on number 2. I've got a history of having a flat battery around Feb/March as they're working hard but not getting enough miles to get a full charge. I'm about 90% sure there's nothing abnormal but when i get chance, i'll get me clamp meter out and check the current being drawn while parked up.

I've discovered another side effect of my short journies, and that's condensation turning the engine oil white and greasy around the filler cap. Had it on my previous car which was a BMW 325i. Was scarey the first time i discovered it on the beamer because they were well known for cracked heads. No doubt a few of you will be thinking "head gasket!!!" but i'm not losing any water and the car starts and drives very well.

So now i'm starting to feel guilty because i am "abusing" my beloved VRS with all these short trips. But at the same time i have no need for long drives, although i've given her a couple of firmly-driven, 30ish mile jollies.

Should i buy a Morris Minor and join a woodcraft club?

[Dor]

So now i'm starting to feel guilty because i am "abusing" my beloved VRS with all these short trips. But at the same time i have no need for long drives, although i've given her a couple of firmly-driven, 30ish mile jollies.

Should i buy a Morris Minor and join a woodcraft club?

Go and abuse it on a nice b-road then

Not being rude, but don't really understand why you have a vRS for 2.5 mile journeys?

Good job its not the vRS diesel...poor poor DPF :eek:

Chris

[Tomo1971]

Go and abuse it on a nice b-road then

Not being rude, but don't really understand why you have a vRS for 2.5 mile journeys?

Good job its not the vRS diesel...poor poor DPF :eek:

Chris

Sell the car and walk.

Steve

[Organist]

Should i buy a Morris Minor and join a woodcraft club?

You would get even more flat batteries out of a Morris Minor!

Get a bicycle (You can even get a SKODA one)

:bike: