[treadmark]

Originally Posted by anaghp

Is it normal for the headlight to fog this way? This happens every time I wash the car. I've not seen this issue in any other car so far.
Attachment 2211104

Where did you get the car dechromed, can you share the location and feedback.
Also did you dechrome the badge and Skoda and Octavia letter at the rear?

Cheers!

[the pony]

Originally Posted by K.grg

En route, when I had another pit stop, I checked the MID for the mileage and I found an amazing mileage of 19.7 kmpl!

Simply amazing. 16.7Kmpl is the best I have ever observed in 35K kms of driving. I have a lifetime mileage of 12kmpl which includes 80% city with sedate and short distance driving and 20% spirited driving on highways.

[anaghp]

Originally Posted by treadmark

Where did you get the car dechromed, can you share the location and feedback.
Also did you dechrome the badge and Skoda and Octavia letter at the rear?

Cheers!

I did it on my own using this vinyl tape, this blade, and this squeegee. Luckily for me, my first attempt itself went pretty well. It's not that hard if you have some patience. Took me around 45 minutes.

I did it only on the grill and the thin chrome line on the front bumper. I was thinking of getting some plastic dip to do the job for the Skoda badge and writings on the back (Haven't done it though).

I had called a few shops for their prices but they quoted bizarre amounts which is why I ended up doing it on my own. Also, they all would only be painting the badges and writings which I didn't want to do in case I decide to go back to chrome.

[treadmark]

Originally Posted by anaghp

I did it on my own

Wow, it looks good for DIY

I had called a few shops for their prices but they quoted bizarre amounts which is why I ended up doing it on my own. Also, they all would only be painting the badges and writings which I didn't want to do in case I decide to go back to chrome.

True, I did PPF warp on grill, front bumper strip and window line molding. For letters and badges they were painted so I need to get new chrome letters and badges from ASC if I decide to go back to stock. By the way be cautious about pain dip reliability, heard it won't hold long.

Cheers!

[Haren]

Last week, while on a long drive back to Bangalore, I sensed a strange vibration from the engine. The road was also a bit rough at that point, so I wasn't sure if this was my imagination. Seconds later , I noticed that the EPC light (Amber) was lit up . By this time the vibration had gone away. I slowed down a bit and then pulled over. On the central console display, in the vehicle info page, there was nothing abnormal ("no messages"). Same with the MID vehicle log.

I shut down the car and started again, the EPC light did not come up. Driving was also normal. I slowly picked up speed and drove back home uneventfully for about 100Kms, although I did not cross 100kmph, or 3000rpm, just to be safe.

Today I took the vehicle to Tafe Access. They hooked up the scanner and said that there was a "1st cylinder misfire" event logged. He said that this was a transient error and he has cleared it. He said that there is nothing to worry as it happens once in a while and I can drive normally. If I get it frequently, then the component (I forgot what it was called!, costs Rs.4500) needs to be replaced.

I decided to take his word for now as the warning was a one time occurrence, and amber and not red, and it has not recurred, and the car is driving as smooth as ever.

As a side, he showed that some animal (rat, likely) has visited the engine compartment and stored a few ratty Knick knacks under the engine cover (in between all the plumbing and wiring) . Thankfully, there was no damage. So I am not linking the misfire to this.

Thoughts and comments welcome

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Haren, we met briefly at Vinayak some time back with our matching Rio Reds .

Hi Haren, glad to read your Rio Red is doing well (reasonably at least :-))

Originally Posted by Haren

.... that there was a "1st cylinder misfire" event logged. He said that this was a transient error and he has cleared it. He said that there is nothing to worry as it happens once in a while and I can drive normally. If I get it frequently, then the component (I forgot what it was called!, costs Rs.4500) needs to be replaced.

As a side, he showed that some animal (rat, likely) has visited the engine compartment and stored a few ratty Knick knacks under the engine cover (in between all the plumbing and wiring)

So I am not linking the misfire to this.

Don't want to alarm you but this error sounds like the infamous Skoda 1.8TSI coil pack failure (or near-failure). Was the error code "P0300 or P0301"? Refer this article:
https://vwtuning.co/vw-ea888-engine-problems/
There are many more on the Net for this particular EA888 engine.

What I personally feel is that your furry friend(s) slightly dislodged the spark plugs or connectors, and caused the error. Suggest you take immediate steps to ensure they don't treat your (warm) engine bay as the local frat house.

These "turbocharged stratified injection EU engines run very hot and stay warm for many hours afterwards. Winter is coming (sounds GoT) and you'd better fix this issue unless you want to foster an extended clan of critters

[Haren]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Hi Haren, glad to read your Rio Red is doing well (reasonably at least :-))

Thanks. I hope your Rio Red is treating you well. Barring this incident, I have been enjoying every moment with mine.

Originally Posted by itwasntme

Don't want to alarm you but this error sounds like the infamous Skoda 1.8TSI coil pack failure (or near-failure). Was the error code "P0300 or P0301"? Refer this article:
https://vwtuning.co/vw-ea888-engine-problems/
There are many more on the Net for this particular EA888 engine.

I don't know the exact code since the service advisor called me into the workshop after he had cleared the error. Thanks to the article, my anxiety has jumped up a notch :-)

I have a 700Km trip coming up this weekend. I think, if there is a problem, it will show up again this time and I can get it fixed after the trip. Hopefully i don't get stranded on the road

[anaghp]

My 1.8 TSI L&K is 2 years and 22k km old. The stock 205/55R16 tyres are expected to last for another 2k to 5k km. When the next set of tyres go on, I am planning to upsize the rims to improve the looks.

The stock 225/40R18 on RS245 look dangerously low-profile to me. Even though I have not driven it, I fathom that it will give a stiffer ride and also could easily damage the rim if we hit a pothole.

I think that the perfect balance between comfort and looks would be 17" rims with 205/50R17 on them. I used this calculator to make sure that the size is okay. That said, I have a few questions for the experienced folks here:

About the upsize

1. What are the pros and cons if I do this (205/55R16 to 205/50R17)?
2. Is there any other size suggestions?

About the brands

1. What are the good brands for rims that I should consider?
2. What are the best tyre options? Michelins are hard, if not impossible to get. My local dealer suggested Yokahama. I've been hearing good things about MRFs too.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by anaghp

When the next set of tyres go on, I am planning to upsize the rims to improve the looks.

The stock 225/40R18 on RS245 look dangerously low-profile to me. Even though I have not driven it, I fathom that it will give a stiffer ride and also could easily damage the rim if we hit a pothole.

I think that the perfect balance between comfort and looks would be 17" rims with 205/50R17 on them.
That said, I have a few questions for the experienced folks here:

About the upsize

1. What are the pros and cons if I do this (205/55R16 to 205/50R17)?
2. Is there any other size suggestions?

About the brands[list=1][*]What are the good brands for rims that I should consider?[*]What are the best tyre options? Michelins are hard, if not impossible to get. My local dealer suggested Yokahama. I've been hearing good things about MRFs too.

You can consider 225/45R17 which were stock on the Octavia vRS.
A slightly higher profile and one that is common on many Germans across brands.
While you will still have to be a bit careful, you would see a lot more options, better stance, better handling and braking.

As with all brands, there are variants that are good and those which are average.
Have a look at Nikhil's thread where he's experimented with a few brands including MRF Perfinzas.

[vignesh.cv]

Originally Posted by anaghp

About the upsize

1. What are the pros and cons if I do this (205/55R16 to 205/50R17)?
2. Is there any other size suggestions?

About the brands

1. What are the good brands for rims that I should consider?
2. What are the best tyre options? Michelins are hard, if not impossible to get. My local dealer suggested Yokahama. I've been hearing good things about MRFs too.

My Skoda Laura came with 16" alloys and 205/55 tyres. I'm running 17" alloys with 225/50 Michelin PS4 tyres. 225/45 is the ideal size for 17" wheels, but I chose to go with the 50 profile for sake of comfort. The 225 section would give you lots more grip while braking/cornering and accelerating. Also, ensure you go for a 8J rim to better accommodate this tyre.

With regards to choice of wheels, I'd recommend looking at the Oz catalog. They are well made and are available in forged option as well.

[nma83]

Got a chance to stretch the legs of my Octavia after the many months of standing in the parking lot or crawling in the city. And what a lovely time and place to do it - the western ghats, post monsoon.

Started from JP Nagar at around 6AM and we were in midst of the Charmady ghats by 11AM. Cloud cover mixed with light rain setup a perfect winding drive down the mountains. Descending turns with the DSG in S mode was a joy.
Finally reached my wife's native place just before Kundapura by 3PM, with the instrument cluster reading:

Quite decent mileage!

[VivekCherian]

Originally Posted by nma83

Quite decent mileage!

Indeed. I have to say that unless you drive like a lunatic, the 1.8 TSi is capable of returning quite decent mileage figures. The below picture is from a drive that I did a few weeks back. The route has its fair share of heavy traffic, bad roads, heavy rain, smooth dual carriageway motorways, single carriageway motorways, and extremely long waits at highway toll booths



Well, what's quite weird for me personally is that the mileage that the 1.8 TSi DSG returns is not much far off compared to the mileage that my 1.0 TSi Polo returns on the exact same stretch. The Polo usually returns about 18.5 - 19 KMPL, to the 16.8 KMPL that the Octavia returned.

P.S. - All figures have been verified tankful to tankful.

[a_nan]

Originally Posted by anaghp

My 1.8 TSI L&K is 2 years and 22k km old. The stock 205/55R16 tyres are expected to last for another 2k to 5k km. When the next set of tyres go on, I am planning to upsize the rims to improve the looks.

The stock 225/40R18 on RS245 look dangerously low-profile to me. Even though I have not driven it, I fathom that it will give a stiffer ride and also could easily damage the rim if we hit a pothole.

I think that the perfect balance between comfort and looks would be 17" rims with 205/50R17 on them. I used this calculator to make sure that the size is okay. That said, I have a few questions for the experienced folks here:

About the upsize

1. What are the pros and cons if I do this (205/55R16 to 205/50R17)?
2. Is there any other size suggestions?

About the brands

1. What are the good brands for rims that I should consider?
2. What are the best tyre options? Michelins are hard, if not impossible to get. My local dealer suggested Yokahama. I've been hearing good things about MRFs too.

Attachment 2217159

IMHO The best bet is to stick to stock tyre size and get Michelin primacy 3st. I have 225/50 R16 pilots sports and the wider tyre sprays muck on the side in the rains. The ride is much harder, not to mention noisier.
I had to change the wheels because the stock ones got bent and that’s in spite of the car being driven by me mostly. Was sure that 17” wasn’t an option while driving in and around Bangalore.
Also, with aftermarket rims, if you don’t get proper hub centring rims, there will be vibrations and of course if a bearing gives way, no warranty.
The Octavia is a great car, but when there are niggles which you can’t find the source of, it’s just irritating. And changing the wheels can give trouble sometimes.
I have driven 75k in a 4yr old car.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by anaghp

My 1.8 TSI L&K is 2 years and 22k km old. The stock 205/55R16 tyres are expected to last for another 2k to 5k km. When the next set of tyres go on, I am planning to upsize the rims to improve the looks.

The stock 225/40R18 on RS245 look dangerously low-profile to me. Even though I have not driven it, I fathom that it will give a stiffer ride and also could easily damage the rim if we hit a pothole.

I think that the perfect balance between comfort and looks would be 17" rims with 205/50R17 on them. I used this calculator to make sure that the size is okay. That said, I have a few questions for the experienced folks here:

About the upsize

1. What are the pros and cons if I do this (205/55R16 to 205/50R17)?
2. Is there any other size suggestions?

About the brands[list=1][*]What are the good brands for rims that I should consider?[*]What are the best tyre options? Michelins are hard, if not impossible to get. My local dealer suggested Yokahama. I've been hearing good things about MRFs too.

Earlier this year I upgraded to 225/45/17 on my 2016 model Octavia. The ride is slightly stiffer but not bad at least in Bangalore. On positive the car is rock stable at any speeds, and I am talking about some serious speeds. Might be to do with Bilstein B6 too.
I opted for MSW by OZ wheels (8J) as got a good deal. Tyres I went with Conti SC5 as PS4 was not available then. Though happy with Conti might go for PS4 in next change.
On budget wheels Momo and Lenso are great too, you will get it around 50 to 60k for a set of 4.

I would suggest go for 225/17/45 - it definitely improved the stance a lot and now when I see any Octavia with stock wheels, feels something is missing

[Dr.Vikas]

Hi all,
Last month, 'Low Coolant' alert message popped up in the MID of my Octavia for the first time. Fortunately, I was driving on NH4 just in the vicinity of Skoda ASC, so I could manage to visit immediately.
As I was in hurry, I just bought a one ltr OEM coolant bottle there and topped up the reservoir with almost half a ltr. Eventually, I used the rest half ltr later during regular check ups over next 2 wks.
And then as per scheduled for pressure test to check any leakages, visited the ASC once again few days back. It was a matter of 4-5 hrs for the check up and finally, the problem revealed to be with the thermostat which needs to be replaced. Thankfully, they agreed to do the job under warranty without any hesitation this time.

Non-availability of the spare parts is a common problem almost all over the Skoda ASCs. So the order was placed for the thermostat and it's expected within 8-10 days mostly.

Only thing I wonder here, is that they have asked me to leave my car for 2-3 days for the replacement of the thermostat.
Also the 4th annual servicing of my Octavia (at 28k kms only by now) is due in the 2nd wk of November. So I'm planning to club both these jobs up some day once the spare becomes available.

Please do share any inputs/ suggestions to look for during the proposed job.

Thanks in advance,