[sunikkat]

You have such a great ride and those alloys are drool worthy? There is something special in OZ designs.
Are they 17 7.5 J or 17 8 J? Also from your experience how would you compare CSC5 vs PS4 in terms of performance?

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

You have such a great ride and those alloys are drool worthy? There is something special in OZ designs.
Are they 17 7.5 J or 17 8 J? Also from your experience how would you compare CSC5 vs PS4 in terms of performance?

Thank you, she is going to complete 8 years of ownership in a few months time. Yes, the OZ designs are classy. The alloys are 17" 8J rims - they accomodate the 225 section tyres better. I felt the Michelins are a bit more softer than the Conti, offer slightly more grip while going through long sweeping corners. Lateral loads don't seem to affect it much. Braking grip is more or less comparable.

[vignesh.cv]

When taking the car out recently, I felt the wipers were dragging a bit and felt the wiper rubber was giving way. Decided to replace the same, and this time found the right set from Amazon. I went with the same Bosch Aerotwin this time.

The correct part number is as follows:

• AP600U - 24" driver side
• AP475U - 19" passenger side

This comes as separate, so you'll have to order the driver and passenger side separately. This particular variant comes with different mounting clips, so the same can be used across a variety of cars by choosing the right mounting clip



The above chart is printed behind the wiper pack and one simply has to choose the correct clip as per the given number. In my case, I had to choose the clip marked as 1 from the available set.



In order to remove the wipers, bring them to the service position - you can do that by temporarily pushing the wiper stalk down after the engine is stopped. This will allow you to pull the wiper away from the windshield.



You can then rotate the wiper blade 90 degree clockwise



And then simply pull it out



Once it is removed, you just need to press fit the adapter found from earlier and fix it onto the wiper, and then do the reverse of the process.



Simply press fit the adapter onto the wiper



All ready to be mounted



Hopefully this will serve me well.

[vignesh.cv]

~80,000 kms update

I had taken the car to Chennai for the track day/school we had in August 2021. It was a three day event and I drove down on Wednesday afternoon. I was the only one this time, and I decided to keep a light foot all the way through. Post the regular service, I also dumped a can of Liqui Moly Ceratec this time. The drive was stress free and the engine felt really smooth right from idle to the meaty part of the rev range.

With the drive shaft repaired, the vibrations were completely gone and the only thing I was missing was cruise control. The ample torque right off idle meant I had to be very gentle on the throttle pedal to keep her going at comfortable speeds.

The combination of light foot + Ceratec meant this is what I managed to achieve as I parked my car at the hotel near the track.



At times I think what would be a good upgrade from this package, but I haven't gotten a good answer yet. The combination of a strong motor, plenty of torque, reassuring brakes and handling and the practical nature of the car is something that is endearing to me. This is my daily driver and I think my future choices will also be made considering the same requirement.

Another contemplation is petrol vs. diesel, I took an accidental plunge to this when looking out for the Laura vRS / TSi and it has turned out to be such a rewarding experience. The sheer wave of diesel torque right off idle makes for a stress free driving and I for one, do not enjoy redlining the motor or having to keep it in the boil every time on the road - on the race track it is a different matter altogether. Let's see if this turns out to be another interesting turn.

[vignesh.cv]

8yr interior refresh

I had first heard about Karlsson a few years back, when a good friend of mine was mentioning about how good their work is. When I bought my Škoda Laura in 2013, it came with fabric seats and after a good 8 years of usage, they were showing their age. The fabric seat even though was comfortable, was a problem when it comes to maintenance. Even though I did get the interiors cleaned once in a while, it did leave some odour inside the car despite trying fresheners.

After a bit of dilemma, I did reach out to Karlsson last week about my needs. Nihal Unni, the owner reached out to me directly and patiently clarified all my doubts with respect to leather seat comfort during summers and the effect of humidity. Post that I decided to pay a visit to their store over the weekend. Nihal walked me through the options in terms of leather choices, the design patterns and recommended the Nappa variant. It did feel softer to the touch when compared to the Scandinavian variant. There was one another which was more expensive, and Nihal himself mentioned the Nappa variant will be fine for our usage. He also recommended to go with black colour as a nice contrast, given my car was silver. I had typically seen black to be a colour which hides the form very well, so I had my doubt. However, I decided to go with Nihal's recommendation after he showed me a few example pictures as well his own Škoda Octavia in a beautiful shade of brown. I also wanted the steering wheel to be reworked as the colour had faded away and the leather itself was becoming slippery. Initially we had chosen the arrow head pattern for the seats, but Nihal wanted to double check, so we looked through a few more pictures of the Škoda Octavia and felt the seats look more rounded and therefore the arrow head design might not go along well. In hindsight that turned out to be a good call from Nihal as the hexagonal pattern on the car right now looks superb. He also recommended to go with contrast stitching only on the outer side of the seats and that just keeps the subtle look without looking flashy.

I left the car with them on Monday morning and the vehicle was ready by Wednesday evening. The work done on the car was phenomenal and the transformation is something to see in person. The seats look brand new and the interior looks spruced up. The driving comfort is really nice now, with the steering feeling grippy and nice to hold on. The attention to detail is something to experience.

The stock fabric seat cover


Driver seat


Rear seats


Passenger seat


Hex pattern


Arm rest


Driver side door


Rear driver side door


Passenger side door


Steering wheel


Logo

[DRIVE_ADDICT]

Looks super cool, the wheels, the mods, now the interiors .

Im contemplating on giving my car (Laura) to an independent garage for the next service, so far its been serviced by Skoda ASC, based on your feedback here in the thread and going by the online reviews, i think I can try Sri Adiga this time.

I ve a long trip coming up, maybe will go to Adiga for a quick checkup and see how it works.

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by DRIVE_ADDICT

Looks super cool, the wheels, the mods, now the interiors .

Im contemplating on giving my car (Laura) to an independent garage for the next service, so far its been serviced by Skoda ASC, based on your feedback here in the thread and going by the online reviews, i think I can try Sri Adiga this time.

I ve a long trip coming up, maybe will go to Adiga for a quick checkup and see how it works.

Thank you for the compliments. Definitely give them a try, Vaishak is an enthusiast himself and will give you a fair assessment of what needs to be done.

[vignesh.cv]

Recently, I was hearing some brake noises and felt perhaps the brake pads were on their way out. Called up Vaishak and told him the problem. He asked to leave the car with them for diagnosis. It turns out the brake pads were worn off and have to be replaced. The front brake discs also seemed to have developed additional wear due to some debris getting stuck between the pad and the discs. Vaishak suggested to replace them as getting them resurfaced would take it below the tolerable wear limit. It has been little bit more than 4 years since I upgraded the brakes on the car. In my mind, these are all consumables, and I did not want to take a chance either, so decided for a replacement instead. All in all, they replaced the brake pads (to something better than EBC yellow stuff) and replaced the front brake discs. He asked me to take it easy while braking for the next 100kms or so, to allow the bedding of the pads and the discs.

Overall, the brake pads seem to last approx 15k kms on my car, and the front brake disc has lasted approx 35k kms. Considering the weight of the car, and the additional performance, I'm happy with the mileage on these parts.

I have an upcoming track day at Coimbatore next weekend. Will use that opportunity to scrub the brake pads.

[vignesh.cv]

94,000 kms update



She completed 10yrs of ownership last month. It's been approx 42,000 kms since I went the Stage 3 route on this car. Everything has been working quite well. Just have to change the consumables like oil, filters, brake pads & tyres. The motor is healthy and puts a smile whenever there is a stretch of free tarmac. The torque is strong and continues to pull hard irrespective of the load. Cosmetically, there are paint chips given the traffic here. Some of the plastic mounts like in the center console do vibrate at certain rpms and that's probably expected given the age of the car. The fuel efficiency is still great if driven around 80-100kmph. The DSG box has been holding on quite well given the increased torque output. I've had to change the DMF once in this 10yrs of ownership, also changed the clutch plates as insurance. I've also changed the water pump around the 62,000kms mark. Apart from that, she's been going strong.

Yes, the need to update/upgrade is still there. Hopefully will be able to take a decision on it soon enough.

[sunilch]

Apologies on hijacking your thread but it seems this one has regular updates from you and other owners too come here to discuss their Laura

I recently picked up a used Laura 2.0 TDI from 2010 vintage. The Car, as everyone is aware, is simply awesome. The way it is built, it may outlast its owners if taken care well.

Back to my query: Does the trip meter auto-reset after 2K Kms? I have seen this happening multiple times in my car and initially I thought I might have done that while fiddling with the options on the MID. But now it seems like a feature

[orthodoc105]

Originally Posted by vignesh.cv

94,000 kms update

Attachment 2513548

She completed 10yrs of ownership last month. It's been approx 42,000 kms since I went the Stage 3 route on this car. Everything has been working quite well. Just have to change the consumables like oil, filters, brake pads & tyres. The motor is healthy and puts a smile whenever there is a stretch of free tarmac. The torque is strong and continues to pull hard irrespective of the load. Cosmetically, there are paint chips given the traffic here. Some of the plastic mounts like in the center console do vibrate at certain rpms and that's probably expected given the age of the car. The fuel efficiency is still great if driven around 80-100kmph. The DSG box has been holding on quite well given the increased torque output. I've had to change the DMF once in this 10yrs of ownership, also changed the clutch plates as insurance. I've also changed the water pump around the 62,000kms mark. Apart from that, she's been going strong.

Yes, the need to update/upgrade is still there. Hopefully will be able to take a decision on it soon enough.

Congratulations on completing 10 years of ownership.Did you face any issues with the EGR? Also the VRS bumper is OEM or aftermarket ?

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by orthodoc105

Congratulations on completing 10 years of ownership.Did you face any issues with the EGR? Also the VRS bumper is OEM or aftermarket ?

Thank you. The EGR was deleted and blocked with blanking plates as part of the various upgrades over the years.

The vRS bumper is aftermarket, sourcing the OE bumper was a challenge.

[Aditya666]

I've just been reading this thread thoroughly as I just came across it via reference of a friend.

I have a stage 3 Laura TDI DSG myself too and I'm just wondering if you had ever logged IAT's. If you did, what were they?

Secondly, did the intercooler upgrade help on the IAT front.

I've had some hearing issues when pushing the car constantly, but obviously that's to be expected from a 13 year old car that has clocked 1.15L kms.

I'm just wondering if you'd be able to help me out with what intercooler specifications you were running.

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by Aditya666

I've just been reading this thread thoroughly as I just came across it via reference of a friend.

I have a stage 3 Laura TDI DSG myself too and I'm just wondering if you had ever logged IAT's. If you did, what were they?

Secondly, did the intercooler upgrade help on the IAT front.

I've had some hearing issues when pushing the car constantly, but obviously that's to be expected from a 13 year old car that has clocked 1.15L kms.

I'm just wondering if you'd be able to help me out with what intercooler specifications you were running.

Hey Aditya, nice to hear from you. To be honest, I haven't logged IAT's myself. Vicky had recommended to upgrade the intercooler in order to keep the ambient temps low and support the kind of revised power output. He mentioned the intercooler helped drop the intake temps by 10C back then. The intercooler was from an Audi S3 if I remember correctly. Except for the turbo, all parts were sourced from the VW OEM catalogue.

When you say heating issues, could you be more specific?

[Aditya666]

Originally Posted by vignesh.cv

Hey Aditya, nice to hear from you. To be honest, I haven't logged IAT's myself. Vicky had recommended to upgrade the intercooler in order to keep the ambient temps low and support the kind of revised power output. He mentioned the intercooler helped drop the intake temps by 10C back then. The intercooler was from an Audi S3 if I remember correctly. Except for the turbo, all parts were sourced from the VW OEM catalogue.

When you say heating issues, could you be more specific?

Thanks for getting back Vignesh. My issue is that my IAT is about 30-35 above ambient temps usually. If I pull hard for 3 gears continuously, it stands at about ambient + 40 degrees.

In Mumbai's 40 degree heat, this translates to IATs soaring to about 75-80 degrees.

I have found a lead on a Garrett front mounted intercooler, so I'm exploring that lead as well.