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-   -   Skoda Laura: Problems & solutions thread (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/47047-skoda-laura-problems-solutions-thread-89.html)

Dear friends, I have been happily living with a Skoda Laura January 2012 model (yes its a 8 year young car). I have been observing since quite some time that the car is quite bouncy even when the road undulations are not that bad. The best test is when I drive my other car (i20) on the very same roads there is hardly any bounciness that I feel. In fact the ride is much smoother.
Since I always prefer a smooth ride, I even ended up changing the entire suspension (except the springs) to see if that brings about any change. I replaced the origiinal struts with Sachs (which is used globally by Skoda I was told), all the rubber bushings, basically the works. Initially I did feel that the bounciness reduced but in my yesterday's 300 km trip I again started feeling that the car is just too bouncy.
I also changed the tyres a little over 2 years back, same specs as the original (no upsizing) and keep a pressure of 30 all around.


Is the bounciness an inherent problem with this car that I have to live with or there is a solution that I might have missed out. Any help will be highly appreciated.

BB

I had a similar problem with my Skoda Laura 1.8 TSI 90xxx kms a few months ago.

I was on 205's (stocks are 195) and I was getting a similar bouncy feeling and was ruining the whole experience.

My suspensions are wearing out and I thought I have to change (read: Upgrade) the suspensions to KW's after all.
But I thought I should take the wheels and get them balanced again before I take the plunge.

To my surprise, my Alignment and Balancing guy came up with a surprise!

My left rear alloy was slightly bent. And most importantly, the radial belts on 3 out of 4 wheels were broken :Shockked:

Now I had to get 4 new tires and replace one alloy.

So I got my alloys upgraded to 17's and got some sticky 225/45/17's.

Not changed the suspension yet because I am waiting for a bonus at my new job 😂

I have driven about 8k kms I haven't figured any bouncyness on good, bad or ugly roads. Yes I am extra careful on bad roads. I can't wait to get the suspensions changed.

Have your wheels and tires checked once. Maybe the problem is not the suspension only.

Please share details of the upgrade. Which brand of alloys? And where did you purchase them from? I'm running on kw suspension with 16 inchers and looking to upgrade to 17 inchers, primarily for the big brake kit.

So I have this peculiar problem with my 2013 Laura TDI 110. Every time I start the car, since my last 15k service, the engine oil tell tale light stays on in the instrument cluster for 4-5 seconds and then vanishes. It's been 7k kms since (I know not a good idea to prolong it for so long). Is it the fuel pump by any chance?

Also when idling, the car tends to have a strange sound like the belt slipping. What could that actually be? Any help is appreciated.

Engine oil light is oil pressure. It appears as if the oil pressure is a little slower to rise then before.
There could be several reasons. It could be the oil pressure sensor, or some dirt in the feed to the oil pressure sensor. Or it could be something to do with the oil pump itself.

Are you sure they put the right type of oil during its last service. Oil with a higher viscosity when cold might cause this. Is it the same when you start the engine with the oil still warm? (I.e. after stopping the engine for 5-10 minutes). If so I would suspect the oil.

Jeroen

Dear Maverick,

Do check the lowers arms too, I've had somewhat similar issue wherein the arms bushes were being chewed away in quick succession like in 3-4 months. Initially I suspected sub standard bush quality, later on I found the lower arms were the actual culprit, got both of them changed, since then the bushes are intact and the ride quality is more planted.

Dear Team-bhpians,
I own a 2011 Laura 2 Ltr TDI AT. This morning post starting I heard a loud knocking sound from the engine bay. On opening the hood I saw the engine vibrating aggressively. The same could be felt inside the cabin. The coil lights was also on. I have already got the flywheel changed 10 K Kms back and also the engine mounts the same time. From some posts I understand a software update would be enough. Few questions though.
1. Can I drive the car to the ASS?
2. Its parked in the basement and has a steep slope to get out. Will revving the car cause problems?
3. Any other do's and don'ts.
Any help or pointers would be highly appreciated.

Hello fellow Laura owners,

I have been looking to pick up a car after a gap of 2 years

Quick history - owned a 2007 Civic for 4 years from 2014 - 2018. Got a used one and had a very good run but given the horrible traffic conditions on the ORR in Bangalore, i chose to rent a bike as it cuts my commute time to 1/5th the time. But the dust/ pollution is getting so bad and feel a little unsafe in traffic. Deciding to get back on 4 wheels, think helps on many other ways too. Might even end up go meet parents often

Current scenario - I looked up at a lot of options and narrowed down on a 2010 Laura active TSI, found the prospect on olx and reached out and had the usual conversations. He is put up in Belgaum but seemed like a nice chap and had a look at the images and other documents virtually and all seems fine. Getting it at 1.9L as the owner seems to be in a hurry. He is the 2nd owner and the car has done 78000. I am planning to go there next weekend and drive it down

I am not looking to own the car more than 1.5 years from now. Would greatly appreciate if you guys could advice me on the things I need to check for specific to the laura petrol when visiting and checking the car?

I am planning to also have a mechanic acompany me from here so I get the basics checked (Or is it okay I have it checked with somebody there?)


Any and all inputs are welcome :)

Get these things checked in order:

- Check if the timing kit has been changed once and that the car is using the latest chain tensioner design. The older tensioner was prone to failing leading to the timing chain loosing tension and warranting a head rebuild

- Check if the water pump has been changed. If it hasn't, it's good preventive maintenance even though this is a TSI

- Check for excessive blow by while idling from the exhaust and the dipstick. Might indicate a blocked PCV valve which is fairly easy to diagnose and clean or bad Piston rings in worst case

Check for unusual whistling noises which sound like a police siren and increase with engine speed. Indicates a blown turbocharger.

These are the failure points for the 1.8 TSI. Others such as compressor, clutch condition should also be checked as for all German cars.

Other owners can add anything I missed out on.

All the best :thumbs up

My advice to you as a Laura owner is, go for the car only if you are keen on owning a fun-to-drive, well-built turbo petrol with the added bonus of tried & trusted performance upgrade options when you get bored. For 1.5 years, personally, I don't think its worth the risk getting a car with over 70000 kms on the odo. The many things that can go wrong in a Laura at this stage include -
Timing chain, AC, water pump, coolant pipe, suspension parts, roof liner, ABS sensors, auxiliary belt, PCV besides other wear & tear / abused parts.

If the second owner has not undertaken any work on these 'prone to failure' parts then you are looking at expenses that will be significant and disproportionate compared to the short 18 month ownership.

Hi Rohan,

I installed the Osram HID kit in my Laura TSI a couple of weeks ago and I've been facing issues with the battery draining out when not in use for 3-4 days.

Not sure if this is related to the HID kit but I wanted to know how to get the coding done for the kit to avoid any BCM issues later on. The installer here in Mumbai has no clue and I couldn't find any information on how to do this anywhere online.

I'd really appreciate if you could help me out with this. please:

Hello TheMileCruncher,

There is no requirement for any coding when installing the Osram HID Kit. I have done it in my Laura. Please see the link below.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ml#post4310226

Go to central electronics. In byte 14 ,find the xenons with shutters option. Just tick that.

I remember that even back then i had recommended that you do consider coding. This was not based on anyone else's but my own experience of busting the BCM with a non-coded but Canbus compliant kit.

Its your risk appetite at the end of the day to be honest. From what i remember reading, a lot of us who had (or have) Laura and had upgraded to HIDs with various kits, had them coding for the additional peace of mind.

The oil change and service was done at Skoda ASC, so assuming they did put in the right grade. Car runs smoothly otherwise and nothing to complain. It's now done 73k kms (serviced at 64.8k). Should I worry about the oil pump?

Revv

As long as the low oil pressure extinguishes after a few seconds I dont think there is anything to worry about. If you worry, take it to a competent mechanic who might be able to put your mind at ease.

Jeroen