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Old 1st November 2017, 18:08   #151
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

A lazy day today on account of Karnataka Rajyotsava here in Bangalore.

Decided to give a Karcher K3 pressure washer a try. As usual Sunnyboi got a call from me.

We made a deal. My wife would prepare lunch for him and Sunny would lend me his pressure washer and show me how to use it.

This was a good experience as Sunny also showed me what mistakes I was making while washing my car.

Some random pics during and after.
2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9445.jpg

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9447.jpg

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9448.jpg

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9452.jpg

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9458.jpg

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9459.jpg

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9462.jpg

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9471.jpg

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9474.jpg

Also, I noticed a screw in my rear left tyre. I am afraid to remove it as it might allow the air to leak(if the screw has pierced the tyre). I anyway do not have plans of driving today, so I will do my experimentation tomorrow morning when help can be available easily.

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9455.jpg
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Old 1st November 2017, 22:32   #152
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

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Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008 View Post
I anyway do not have plans of driving today, so I will do my experimentation tomorrow morning when help can be available easily.
There is a tire store called Madhu's, I guess you know the place.

That said, doesn't the Octy have TPMS?
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Old 2nd November 2017, 11:19   #153
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008
Also, I noticed a screw in my rear left tyre. I am afraid to remove it as it might allow the air to leak(if the screw has pierced the tyre). I anyway do not have plans of driving today, so I will do my experimentation tomorrow morning when help can be available easily.
Quote:
Originally Posted by n.devdath View Post
There is a tire store called Madhu's, I guess you know the place.

That said, doesn't the Octy have TPMS?
Hahahahaha! Thankfully there's no puncture. The screw hasnt gone in all the way. Just the first couple of mm and because it's a new tyres, there's plenty of rubber there which has swallowed the screw.

The TPMS is not the best. It works on some sort of ABS sensor based system. I'm not clear exactly how. But it cant give me alerts for small drops in pressure.
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Old 2nd November 2017, 11:33   #154
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

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Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008 View Post

The TPMS is not the best. It works on some sort of ABS sensor based system. I'm not clear exactly how. But it cant give me alerts for small drops in pressure.
Here ya go . Linky
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Old 2nd November 2017, 15:18   #155
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

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Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008 View Post

Alloy wheel bends cannot be fixed. Period.
I did manage to get mine fixed by Ajit Singh and Co in Delhi.
I got 16 inch alloys in my Honda City with somewhat low profile (205 50 r16), and the brakes had serious issues.
Got the brake pads changed at 10,000 KMs, then rotors at 11k and then again pads changed at 15,000 KMs all under warranty and then pads and rotors changed again at 20,000KMs this time at my cost. (Car also was out of warranty and they are not covered anyways)
What i used to experience apart from pre mature wear was pretty violent shuddering when braking from speeds above 80. (It was a lot less noticiable at lower speeds).

Anyways during my last brake change at 20,000 KMs, one of the Honda mechnanic called me and showed me the slightly bent rims and according to him they were behind all this trouble.
I could relate it to shuddering but not pre mature wear of all this.

Got the rims fixed by Ajit Singh (whose charges were pretty steep and about 3x because of my car being a sedan vs a choti gaadi, don't ask the logic behind this he just charged guys with Swifts and Wagon Rs a lot less for about the same work, he might charge people with BMWs and RS more or maybe same since he might fit them all in the same bracket)

There is apparantly, no one else in Delhi/NCR who fixes bent alloys apart from him.

Apart from all my frustrations at all these things at his end, he did after a few hours claimed to have fixed the bent alloys and my car's odo is at about 36,000 KMs now and believe me all these problems have simply disappeared, there is no shuddering whatsoever of any sort at any speed and it is still running on the brake pads changed at 20,000 KMs (touch wood). Even if something goes bad with them now they still would have outlasted the previous ones by a huge margin.
I don't however see a reason why that could happen but fingers crossed.

P.S: Read your thread today, congrats on the RS, the car is extremely drool worthy!

Last edited by Rocketscience : 2nd November 2017 at 15:21.
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Old 2nd November 2017, 15:25   #156
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

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Originally Posted by Rocketscience View Post
Got the rims fixed by Ajit Singh (whose charges were pretty steep and about 3x because of my car being a sedan vs a choti gaadi, don't ask the logic behind this he just charged guys with Swifts and Wagon Rs a lot less for about the same work, he might charge people with BMWs and RS more or maybe same since he might fit them all in the same bracket)
I think what Nikhil meant is that alloy bends can be fixed but they should not be fixed.

Any attempt to fix the bend will weaken that area making it much more prone for further bending/cracking/failure. One must always replace the alloy if you end up having a bend.

I had an alloy whose bend I got it fixed. Two months later it got bent again at the same location, this time it was even worse. I soon dumped the alloys and got steel rims.
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Old 2nd November 2017, 15:32   #157
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

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Originally Posted by SunnyBoi View Post
I think what Nikhil meant is that alloy bends can be fixed but they should not be fixed.

Any attempt to fix the bend will weaken that area making it much more prone for further bending/cracking/failure. One must always replace the alloy if you end up having a bend.

I had an alloy whose bend I got it fixed. Two months later it got bent again at the same location, this time it was even worse. I soon dumped the alloys and got steel rims.
This was kind of a last resort for me before changing them all (which sucks because i did spend a lot on them and the tyres), thankfully it turned out well for me till now and Mr Singh was extremely confident of his work, i was not but credit where it is due, they are still doing fine without issues.

Like i said he is the only one doing this in Delhi NCR and from the looks of it doing quite well for himself, there were a huge amount of steel rims and alloys waiting to be fixed and later a guy with a BMW 5 series came too just when i was leaving.

Last edited by Rocketscience : 2nd November 2017 at 15:33.
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Old 4th November 2017, 11:23   #158
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008 View Post
Tyre Change:


My first impressions.... coming up...
Hi Nikhil, Firstly congratulations on your purchase. Have been following your posts and threads since the day you put them up for the VRS. For the simple reason, that I plan to book mine this week for expected delivery in Feb-March 2018. (Race blue all the way!! )

As you are the tyre expert on Team BHP, Had a few questions related to the tyres and PMS Package Skoda offers on which I wanted your opinion on:

Tyre questions:

-How good are the stock Hankooks that Skoda is fitting on this car ? As I noticed that only the press vehicles had Michelin Pilot sport 4 on them. (Thats really unfair)

-I was planning to swap them for Michelin PS4 or 3PST (to get a good comfort/sport balance) on day one. Is that logical in your opinion? or should i use the Hankooks for the first 25K - 30K Kms and then change them?

-If and when I end up changing the tyres, I was wondering about upsizing options. The ideal upsize would be 245/40 R17 right..? But was concerned if the Alloy wheel which is a 7J would be able to hold these..? would the wheel arch be able accommodate this..? especially after noticing the extra black cladding on the rear wheel arches, any suggestions..? Or should i just stick to the Stock 225/45 R17 size.

PMS Package questions:

- I know its a no brainer for some people as their driving mileage is a lot. But my average mileage on my primary car (which this will be) is 10K a year. So is it worth it in my case..? Or should i just save on this expense now and pay per servicing.?

Your opinion and advise on this would be crucial on this.

Thank you so much!
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Old 4th November 2017, 20:48   #159
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nikhilb2008 View Post
Tyre Change:

Let me get it out of the way. I changed the stock Hankooks to MRF's new Perfinza. I stuck to the OE Size, 225/45-17.



The tread pattern itself on the CLX is nothing special. I personally dont find it attractive. It looks chunky and solid.

As soon as I installed the tyres (yes, I actually installed them myself!), we road force balanced them. A nice surprise here! The MRF's Road Force Variation readings were lower than I expected. Normally Road Force Variation for a low profile tyre is a bit high. And the MRFs typically have a little more road force variation than some of the expensive stuff... However, in this case, I was happy to see the Road Force variation readings.
The tread pattern on the Perfinza looks kind of rally tyre like. Personally I loved the tread patten of the ES100s.



They always looked like a million bucks on my Swift and I felt they were a good foil for the bulges of the Swift. Some tyres are square shouldered while some other like Michelin, Bridgestone etc have rounded shoulders. It's interesting how these type of differences make an impact on the look of the car.

It is very encouraging to see MRF take the initiative to have users like you provide feedback on their tyres. I have always wondered why with their experience in rallying, making aircraft tyres of our fighter jets etc they did not have many options for enthusiasts. The ZLO and the Perfinza range are great initiatives in this regards.

Drive on,
Shibu.

Last edited by shibujp : 4th November 2017 at 20:51.
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Old 4th November 2017, 23:02   #160
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

Quote:
Originally Posted by akshaydaryani View Post
Hi Nikhil, Firstly congratulations on your purchase. Have been following your posts and threads since the day you put them up for the VRS. For the simple reason, that I plan to book mine this week for expected delivery in Feb-March 2018. (Race blue all the way!! )


PMS Package questions:

- I know its a no brainer for some people as their driving mileage is a lot. But my average mileage on my primary car (which this will be) is 10K a year. So is it worth it in my case..? Or should i just save on this expense now and pay per servicing.?

Your opinion and advise on this would be crucial on this.

Thank you so much!
Congrats on your booking! Hope you get it without any issues!

Regarding the tyres, I've already ranted about it in one of my previous posts. That will answer your questions.

I plan on taking the 39,999 service package. It is a 60,000 km and 4 year fixed package. Either way, you will have to get your car serviced once a year. Getting a fixed price for it will give you peace of mind. Oh, and it's also a bit cheaper compared to actually paying the service charges each time.
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Old 9th November 2017, 11:39   #161
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

Service Experience at TAFE Access Limited:

Workshop: Off Hosur Road.

Skoda recommends an oil change and a full service every 15k kms. I personally dont think it's good for an engine where the oil runs at 106 deg C to go such a long interval without an oil change. Also, I believe that these European cars arent really re-calibrated in terms of service intervals for Indian conditions where there is a lot of bumper to bumper traffic. In Europe, the average speeds are far higher and generally the ambient temps are also cooler. Not so in India.

So, I decided that I know more than the VW Engineers who designed the car and I know more than the Castrol engineers who engineered the oil that goes into the car. I decided to get the oil changed along with the oil filter at 7.5-8k kms from TAFE.

This was something I was dreading knowing Skoda's reputation for service. And my own experience with their incompetence (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...nsporting.html) I was scared! Very scared!

I spoke to Reji and asked him to book a service appointment for me. I told him that I will bring my own engine oil which is VAG approved and I only need to purchase the oil filter from Skoda. I told him I am willing to pay the labour charge for engine oil change as well.

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9261.jpg

Initially he was a bit doubtful of me getting my own engine oil, but I insisted and he agreed. He said an appointment was confirmed for 11:00 am on Friday, 27th October.

Also, Reji messaged me saying 11:00 am appointment is confirmed. As I land up at the workshop, he calls me and says that my appointment is confirmed foe 3:00 pm! What is going on? This though is totally my fault as I was expecting Reji who is the sales manager to take an appointment for me! I should have spoken to the service team directly. Also, that was the day TAFE were opening their new showroom near HSR layout and Reji was completely busy with that. In spite of that, he found time to talk to me and interact with me. So, full props to Reji for that!

I landed up at the workshop exactly on time and was received by Mr Venkatapathy who has been with TAFE for over 20 years. He was transferred to Bangalore recently (a couple of years ago). He was quite courteous and I explained to him and Mr Naveen (the service manager) who joined us soon that I would be with the car the entire team and I wouldnt leave my car alone. I also insisted that I will be with the car in the workshop and I am used to being in workshops and I wouldnt get in anyone's way.

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9272.jpg

They agreed.

Soon, a service advisor called Sathish came to me and filled out the job card. He then drove my car into the workshop itself with me in the passenger seat. He parked the car in the bay, called a technician and got the work started immediately.

I was under the impression that my car needed somewhere between 4-5 litres of oil. By some fluke, I had ended up ordering 6 litres of oil and luckily I had all of it with me at the workshop.

Mr Sathish looked up my specific VIN number and said my car needs 5.7 litres of oil. That is a substantial quantity of oil and caught me by surprise.

Before this, there was a typical Skoda hitch.

Mr Sathish asked me for the RC Card. I wonder why that was needed! Anyway, I say that it isnt with me as the car got registered recently and I havent received the RC card. He suddenly expressed doubt about the oil filter and wondered if it could be supplied! I had explicitly spoken to Reji and told him to check availability of the oil filter and only then confirmed my appointment.

Anyway, this was a minor hitch and they could eventually get an oil filter for me.

My car was lifted and the engine cover opened.

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9280.jpg

This is how the engine looks without the engine cover.

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9273.jpg

The oil filter holder which needs to be opened and replaced.

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9274.jpg

The underbody of the car.

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9276.jpg

The air filter was removed and cleaned.

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9282.jpg

The new oil filter. It is the same one as the one used in the 1.8 TSI.

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9283.jpg
2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9284.jpg


Typical Indian jugaaad.... no proper cone used to fill engine oil but a cut-Bisleri Bottle.

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9290.jpg
2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-img_9291.jpg

My technician was a guy named Chetan. Very friendly chap and efficient too. Worked quickly to get started. I think his speed was compensated by the system in place as it took him over 25 minutes to get the oil filter issued by the spares department. I cant complain though as a big business like this has a ton of systems in place to minimise leakage and ensure no wrong parts are issued.

Turns out Chetan is a biker and was planning to ride to Leh starting in Kanyakumari sometime in November! I wonder how as most of the roads will be closed. He himself didnt have much idea as he had booked with some sort of tour operator.

He was quite good at his job and soon was joined by another person who helped him fill engine oil.

Once this was done, they asked me to start my engine and check if everything was ok. Everything seemed fine and Sathish took me inside to get the invoice made.

And more hilarity ensued as even after waiting for 20 minutes, I didnt get a bill. Then Sathish comes to me and apologises saying that since mine is the first vRS, there is some issue in closing the job card and because of that they are unable to issue an invoice.

So, I just made the payment of Rs 2100/-, they gave me a receipt for the amount and Sathish got me a gate pass and I left.

1134/- for the oil filter itself.

The remaining amount for labour.

Quite reasonable. I had spent Rs 5568 for 6 litres of engine oil.

The service itself took 1 hour.

I was in and out of the workshop in a shade less than 2 hours.

I was quite relieved as I exited the workshop as everything had gone well and the people had been very courteous and helpful. They put up with my demands and requests and didnt say No to anything!

A special shoutout to Mr Shankara Narayan who works at TAFE. He's been with TAFE for many years and today heads their spare part department (if I've erred in his designation, I apologise!). I know he's quite senior.

He had seen the pics of my car at the workshop on some Skoda Whatsapp Groups and came to the workshop to meet me and talk to me. I really appreciated his courtesy.

He's a fellow enthusiast as well and we had an enjoyable conversation obviously revolving around cars!

At the end of this experience, what I can say is that now I have a lot of friends at TAFE who I hope will help me in the future and I hope will continue to give me this level of service.

1. Reji James - My one point of contact till now, but things will change!
2. Shankar - I hope to use his help for future services
3. Sathish - Very good Service Advisor and agreed to all my requests.
4. The mechanics - Chetan and the other guy whose name I forgot. I hope they stick around long enough for my next service!
5. Jose Thomas - Head of Sales for TAFE who has been responsive and communicative every time I've reached out to him.

I can only hope that the experience I had with TAFE is some thing every Skoda owner has. As an owner of a limited edition vRS, I do expect some special treatment and I wasn't disappointed during my service visit.

I wish TAFE all the best and hope the service continues in this vein.
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Old 9th November 2017, 16:25   #162
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That's good to hear Nikhil!
I don't think the majority of authorised dealerships would allow the customers to bring their own engine oil!
Kudos to TAFE!

Last edited by SDP : 9th November 2017 at 20:51. Reason: typo
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Old 10th November 2017, 11:17   #163
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

A photoshoot early this morning 3 other vRS owners. It's unfortunate none of the Red vRS owners could meet us. Being a weekday, they were busy.

It's a coincidence that we parked in front of Feynlab. We drove all around HSR looking for a good place for a photoshoot but finally this was the best place with a wide road, good parking and good lighting.

From left to right.

Steel Grey Stock - Race Blue Stock - White APR Stage 2+ and Steel Grey APR Stage 1

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-2.jpg

2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km-1.jpg
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Old 10th November 2017, 11:54   #164
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

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Steel Grey Stock - Race Blue Stock - White APR Stage 2+ and Steel Grey APR Stage 1
Wow!! More than 1100 horses in this pic. Did you get to drive APR tuned cars? How is it when compared to that stock blue car with sexy wheels?
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Old 10th November 2017, 12:15   #165
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re: 2017 Skoda Octavia vRS 230 | 4 years and 83000 km

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Did you happen to change your alloys? Though I haven't seen one in person ,I thought the stock one's look damn cool.
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