[cartographer]

Hello,
What is the grade of engine oil to be used for Octavia 1.8 TSI, 5W30 or 5W40? The dip stick shows only 40% oil left. I am going on a long drive of about 1500 kms. Any recommendations shell or Castrol? Should I just top up as my first service is due in the end of October ?
Thanks!

[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by cartographer

Hello,
I am going on a long drive of about 1500 kms. Should I just top up as my first service is due in the end of October ?

My few bits:
Top up with any 5W-30 oil before your drive.
Be careful when pouring as the difference between the dipstick min-max is a few 100 ml only.
Ensure this is done with a totally cold engine with the car on a flat surface.
Clean cap thoroughly before fixing back. Tighten well too.

[jalajprakash]

Originally Posted by Timothy

Hi folks,
Can anyone please advise on where I can get body cover for the Octavia in Delhi or by mail order. The one I bought from the Skoda dealer during delivery of the car in Jan. this year was of not great quality and lasted just 2 months. Then I bought one from Elegant Auto accessories, but that is beginning to tear up after 5 months of usage. I paid over 4k for the latter so it is kind of disappointing to see that it barely eked out 5 months.
So based on your experience, any advise on where to source the body cover from would be much appreciated ! Cheers.

I purchased a car cover from https://www.tphcovers.com/ after seeing the same in Nikhilb2008's ownership thread. Mine is still going strong after 4 years. I bought the Pilot 373 that time for somewhere around 10k but seems that prices have increased now. Highly recommended.

[Yugansh]

Originally Posted by Dr.Vikas

Hi Friends,
Last week, I encountered an unexpected but strange incident with the remote control key of my Octavia 1.8 tsi L&K.
And I think it's worth sharing here.

Actually it's really tough to find troubleshooting advice about skoda superb online team bhp being a good source that way

I have an issue with my superb off late : with the push button engine ignition

Now the issue I too thought was fob battery , and I too got it replaced locally , but the issue is it takes multiple pushes to both start and stop the engine

Really bugging me and is kinda getting embarrassing when in public

Can some one guide me through this

PS: We have been locked down in a campus since 22 Mar 20, offices inside the camp as well so can't go to showroom

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by Yugansh

Actually it's really tough to find troubleshooting advice about skoda superb online team bhp being a good source that way

I have an issue with my superb off late : with the push button engine ignition

Now the issue I too thought was fob battery , and I too got it replaced locally , but the issue is it takes multiple pushes to both start and stop the engine

Really bugging me and is kinda getting embarrassing when in public

Can some one guide me through this

PS: We have been locked down in a campus since 22 Mar 20, offices inside the camp as well so can't go to showroom

This is a known issue with the start/stop button on some VAG cars. With time, the internal contacts wear out and the button only works when you push it hard or push it at a certain angle.

You will have to get it changed in all probability.

[anaghp]

TLDR:
- Amazing car
- Horrendous experience (Ongoing)

Introduction:
I'd been driving a 2011 Vento TDI (1.6) which was passed on to me by my brother in 2016. The sheer joy of its power alone was enough to bring a smile on my face. The only major issue I had to face was in August 2016, when I had to change 2 injectors each of which cost around 25k. While it is said to be a common issue, the service centre blamed it on adulterated diesel that I might have filled.

For my periodic service that followed 1 lac kilometres on the ODO in 2019, I decided to take it someplace other than an authorised dealer in the hopes of getting a stiffer suspension (As the suspension had already reached the end of its life) and a fairly decent ECU remap to, you know, have more fun. But my brother was strictly against me spending any more money on an already 7-year-old potential white elephant. Despite all my desires to keep the car, I agreed to my brother and the hunt for a new car began (In reality, it had started a year ago as my brother wanted me to do it during the previous service as well).

My requirements for the new car:

1. Same or more power
2. Good handling
3. Comparable space
4. Solid safety
5. Automatic, preferably dual-clutch
6. Cruise control
7. Under 15 lacs
8. Not a Vento again

I test drove a variety of cars, even decided to compromise certain requirements as I could not find any car the met my criteria (Maruti and Hyundai were never in consideration). After a few months, I got frustrated with the hunt and decided to expand my budget. Some of the cars that I test drove are the following, which in all fairness are apples, oranges and probably some watermelons too.

1. Mahindra XUV300: Okay-ish power, super cheap interiors, nearly unusable boot. Downgrade from a Vento.
2. Jeep Compass: Overpriced, no cruise control, felt the power was too low in comparison to the Vento.
3. Honda Civic: This test drive alone warrants for a separate post as I've never been so disappointed in a car before. All my expectations were thrown out as soon as I floored the car because I think the rubber band was invented after taking inspiration from CVT!
4. Kia Seltos: Loved the car in terms of looks, features and comfort. DCT was pretty nice, but 20+ lacs for a brand new in the market, which essentially is a Hyundai, didn't feel like the best bet.
5. Tata Harrier: One of the best cars I've been in. Spacious, premium, but lacked the power in 2019 and there was no official confirmation about the launch of the automatic. Kept waiting for a few months to see if they'd announce the automatic.
6. Skoda Octavia: Well, you all know how it went. I could not stop smiling after the test drive. I probably slept that night smiling, and I'm sure I woke up the next day with a smile.

I knew that if I had to buy a car, it had to be the Octavia even though it was super expensive considering that my budget was 15 lacs. Despite every warning against the horrible Skoda aftersales and unjustified spending on such a depreciating asset, I took the call when my wife said "I've never seen you smile like this. You should buy it. We'll see as it comes." and a few other friends said "If it makes you that happy, go for it."

Skipping the details about weeks of negotiating between multiple Skoda dealers in Bangalore, Mysore and Kerala in August/September 2019, I decided to go with Vinayak Skoda, Bangalore as they quoted the best price (I'm sure most of you facepalm-ed now). At that point, I was unaware that Vinayak Skoda was taken to court for fraud. Anyway, I booked my Black Octavia L&K, 1.8 TSI which got delivered on 02/October/2019 (Yes, on a public holiday). Everything from the time of delivery until the time of typing this post has been horrendous.

The delivery:
I was so excited to drive the car that I decided to let go of the swirl marks they made on the piano black B-pillar, and mostly because I was sure that it's an unavoidable tale of piano black atrocity that the car manufacturers are doing these days. Then they just handed over the key and the car manual and said that the insurance and other documents are inside the pouch. This is where I was a complete idiot. I was so careless that I did not notice several things which I will explain later in this post. There was no basket of goodies. The sales executive I had the entire dealing was not present. There was a person I had never seen before plus some housekeeping staff and security guard. From then, I've been plagues with issues after issues.

Issue 1: Horrible wheel alignment.
A few days after I took delivery is when I got the chance to drive the car on a highway instead of hay stacked Bangalore traffic. I immediately noticed that the alignment was off. I made sure that the tyre pressure was right before I took the car back to Vinayak Skoda. They asked me to leave the car there for a day. From 9 AM to 7 PM, the alignment could not be fixed. They asked me to go the next day. I took the car on the next weekend. 9 AM to 7 PM, they finally said they fixed the issue. This time, they had lifted my car and had unbolted and adjusted a lot of things on the engine and chassis. I have no idea what they did. It looked like the fix was alright, but the steering was a little tilted while the car went straight. They assured that it won't cause any problem, and I left it as I was super tired of spending 2 full days there.

Issue 2: A stuck passenger side door handle.
I noticed a few days later that the front passenger door handle was stuck and needed heavy force to open it. Took the car in again, they removed the whole panel and lubricated it. It seemed fine, only until I drove long distance in the sun only to realize that the grease oozed out and covered the door on the outside when the car got hot on the highway. I kept wiping the grease every time I drove the car in the sun until there was no more grease to ooze. I didn't want to go back and open the whole panel again as I had lost trust in the service already.

Issue 3: A wiper as good as a log
I noticed that the wiper was as good as rubbing a log over the windshield as it only worsened the visibility. Went to Vinayaka again. They replaced the wiper blades for free.

Issue 4: A random noise
A few weeks later, I started hearing a rattling. I tried my best to understand where the noise was from and suspected the doors to be the issue. But after 2 weeks of diagnosing, I realized that it was coming from the sunroof.

Visit i: They said it's the rubber beading noise, I proved them wrong. They said there could be something stuck inside, so cleaning would fix it. They did, it was not fixed. They said they will try lubricating. It was the end of the day.
Visit ii: They lubricated. It was not fixed. They said they need to remove and refit. It was the end of the day.
Visit iii: The removed and refitted. It fixed the issue. It was peaceful in the car once again..............only until I went on a long drive again. Ironically, the sunroof now makes noise if it's in the sun for a few hours. Something gets heated and rattles all the time.

Issue 5: Backseat rattle
Before I could fix the sunroof noise, a new noise started and I realized that it was from the back seat.

Visit iv: By this time, Vinayak Skoda had shut shop so I visited Tafe during the start of the pandemic. Since there wasn't enough sun to heat the car, they could not find the noise from the sunroof and hence were helpless. But they fixed the noise from the seat in record time and I was impressed until I got home and realised that they had just wrapped insulation tape on the seat hook. At least it solved the problem.
Visit v: I moved back to Calicut, my hometown in Kerala by end of June. Took the car to EVM Skoda, Kochi to talk about the sunroof noise. Unfortunately, the weather was not in my favour, so the car was not hot enough to make the noise yet. They cleaned and lubricated it anyway in the hope of getting it done. Drove back to Calicut a few weeks later in the sun and my old friend was back. The noise is as clear as always.
Visit vi: As EVM Skoda, Calicut has started operations in a limited capacity, took the car there last weekend. They drove for a while and heard the noise. Since they are expecting to complete the work of their new service wing sometime next month, I'm planning to take my car there for one final fix.

Issue 6: Insurance
The entire problems have now completed 1 year. My car is due for its scheduled maintenance, and insurance renewal. This is when I took out the insurance paper Vinayak Skoda had kept in my user manual. And this is when I realized that it was only a cover note, and not the insurance copy itself. I called Bajaj Allianz to get the document sent over, and to my surprise, they had no record of insurance under my car's registration number, chassis number, engine number nor my mobile number. I legit assumed that they cheated. I tried calling every Skoda contact I had, called Skoda India customer care, and none of it mattered. A gazillion calls and no one knew what happened to my insurance. I took a wild chance and called PPS Skoda, Bangalore who opened instead of Vinayaka in the hope of getting some help from there. To my extreme luck, the lady in the insurance department in PPS Skoda is the same lady who signed my cover note from Vinayak Skoda. She finally managed to somehow find my insurance. Apparently, all I needed was the cover note number which 3 Bajaj Allianz executives I spoke to failed to know.

Things I did right during the delivery

1. Checked the ODO to make sure it was not driven for long.
2. Checked the body to check repaints/scratches.
3. Checked the chassis number, engine number, mobile number, address etc. on the insurance cover note (Thinking it was the actual insurance copy).
4. Checked if all the mentioned accessories like cushions, floor mats, spare wheel, tool kit etc. was present.
5. Checked if sunroof, lights, brakes etc. were working.

Things I did horribly wrong during the delivery
This is where I was nothing short of a real noob and an idiot. This is my first car, and a lot of basic things I had to check during the delivery did not happen, mostly out or excitement and impatience to start driving.

1. I shouldn't have taken delivery on a public holiday. That's probably the reason why the right people were not there.
2. I did not pay attention to the fact that they did not do the usual things done during delivery. Like a gift basket, explaining details about the car purchase, talking properly, checking the given documents etc.
3. It was like buying vegetable. Went there, they gave the car, I left.
4. Failed to notice that they had given only the cover note, and not the insurance. I just blindly believed when they said that I will have all necessary documents sent to my address. Other than the RC, I received nothing.

Conclusion:
I have written numerous emails to Skoda India for all the issues I've had. Their responses have been subpar so far. It's been a year of disappointment. That is, except when I'm driving the car. Every time I'm behind the wheel, I almost forget every other hassle that I've had so far. I keep forgetting my pending sunroof issue. I'm hoping that this visit will sort it out once and for all. If it does not happen, the next stop is consumer court.

[andafunda]

Originally Posted by anaghp

TLDR:
- Amazing car
- Horrendous experience (Ongoing)

This is one reason why I am not even considering another Skoda to replace my old one. Everytime I enter the Autobahn service center in Mumbai I feel like I'm about to be fleeced. They once tried to charge me 20K to replace all ABS sensors - my FNG took them out, cleaned the contacts and put them back in for 1% of the price!

Absolutely top notch cars with a few reliability issues, but pretty bad support / service experience. The CEO being chummy with a few enthusiasts/replying on Twitter doesn't compensate for the lack of care about service issues.

[axe_deo]

I am being offered two year maintenance package from SKODA for 5th and 6th year for Rs 31444/- by JMD Skoda in Mumbai. The cost of 5th and 6th year service adds up to around 31000/- as per the skoda website. Should I go ahead and get this package as the price is not very attractive? Or am I missing something. The terms and conditions of the maintenance package are in the document attached below. Please advice.

[Dr.Vikas]

Friends,
What do you think of an Octavia 1.8 tsi giving FE regularly around 14 kmpl & occasionally 15+ kmpl also ?

I'm getting it regularly with my L&K (2017).

Initially, I was worried to see just a single digit figure often in the display of instrument cluster. Then I started exploring things on forums and also following the all well-known 'basic' driving habits which anybody would hardly like to adopt while driving a Skoda.

I use to drive just 8-10 kms for my routine daily commute. So practically, it's quite obvious of getting the FE figures on the lower side, still I thought of giving a try for some possible improvement.

The first thing I did in this regards was, the removal of Snow Grate from the Air Intake assembly. Anyhow, the part has not at all of any use in our geographical conditions. However, I didn't notice any obvious change in the engine response, performance and acceleration after the mod.

Second important thing I did in relation to improve the FE was, I increased the tyre pressure to 35 psi from the previous 32/33 (as per the recommendation).
And immediately, I noticed the FE figures entering into double digits, in the tune of 11/12 kmpl.

Then I started doing some simple experiments with my driving habits like just driving sedately with some judicious use of brakes and further avoiding any undue pressure on the A peddle. These small changes 'did' a large difference in the end result and thus the FE has then started showing significant improvement finally.

Today, I took the car for a 60+ kms drive, 90% of which was on almost 'nonexistent' roads with slow moving traffic due to the work in progress and still the car returned an impressive FE of 13.8 kmpl !


The car has done just 14+k kms till date and the third annual servicing is due in November.
Eagerly waiting to see some further improvement then..

Few pics of the instrument cluster display and the last one is of Snow Grate-

[Karvel]

Originally Posted by Dr.Vikas

Friends,
What do you think of an Octavia 1.8 tsi giving FE regularly around 14 kmpl & occasionally 15+ kmpl also ?

The first thing I did in this regards was, the removal of Snow Grate from the Air Intake assembly. Anyhow, the part has not at all of any use in our geographical conditions. However, I didn't notice any obvious change in the engine response, performance and acceleration after the mod.

Second important thing I did in relation to improve the FE was, I increased the tyre pressure to 35 psi from the previous 32/33 (as per the recommendation).
And immediately, I noticed the FE figures entering into double digits, in the tune of 11/12 kmpl.

Then I started doing some simple experiments with my driving habits like just driving sedately with some judicious use of brakes and further avoiding any undue pressure on the A peddle. These small changes 'did' a large difference in the end result and thus the FE has then started showing significant improvement finally.

Good to hear about this FE improvement. 14+ for city driving on petrol is a good one.

About the removal of the Snow grate, will this not impact the structural stability of the paper Air filter above, as there might not be support below? Or these two are independent - no physical contact?

Driving habits make a lot of difference. I do get consistently about 20+ in my TDI AT, and now during this lockdown due to lower traffic volume, getting about 22+ consistently. This is after crossing the infamous Kherki toll twice a day for the office run. Will post the pics a bit later.

[Dr.Vikas]

Originally Posted by Karvel

Good to hear about this FE improvement. 14+ for city driving on petrol is a good one.

About the removal of the Snow grate, will this not impact the structural stability of the paper Air filter above, as there might not be support below?

Thanks Karvel for your appreciation.

According to my little research & understanding, it doesn't have any impact to the structural stability of the air filter. In fact, the filter rests snugly onto the border of the air intake chamber and the cover provides enough support to the entire assembly. It's a widely followed DIY modification that allows the engine breathe freely.

[how_you_doing]

Originally Posted by Timothy

The price seems fine, as the on-road price in Delhi for the car was 28 Lacs when it was phased out earlier this year. With regards to the condition of the car, you would know better as you have not posted any pics.

Originally Posted by akshay_b

I think I've met with this seller in RT Nagar who had a Style Octavia 1.8TSI a few months ago. I can tell from the background in the pictures

Hi, I have short listest another 1.8 TSI Petrol Octavia Style Plus 2017 (this model is from July 2017, before L&K was launched) with asking price of 16.5 Lakh by the Dealer. Do you think this is a good deal and I should go ahead with it?

Type - 1.8 TSI Style Plus
KMs - 32k
Fuel - Petrol
Colour - Grey
Year - 2017

The car is still under warranty and it seems I can get it extended till 2022 based on what I have read in Team-BHP.

I am a little concerned about Skoda reliability. My usage is around 600-800 KMs per month and currently, I drive a Hyundai Verna which is 8 years old and has been extremely reliable.

[CJ0010]

Hello,
I bought a Octavia 1.8tsi in the month of february and I’ve driven around 4500kms till date because of the lock down and continuous duties at work. I have faced the following issues over
1). Allignement was off when the car was delivered and it was very obvious on a highway drive. The same was corrected and a sheet with the acceptable values were given to us. When I had driven around 1500 kms I went to local tyre dealer to get a quote for Michelin PS4 and asked him how much he would offer for the tyres on the car and the guy who assessed it said that the alignment was off and rear left tyre is scrap with uneven wear. I called up Gurudev motors and gave the car for a alignment check. They returned the car saying the alignment was fine, although they didn’t give an answer as to why there was uneven wear and tear.
2). The sunroof rattle has been increasing over the past few months and I’ve accepted as a part of driving the car.
3). The wiper blades where really bad and since the first drive on a rainy day was 6 months from the date of purchase I was denied warranty.

4). Coming to the main issue
I went on a 3 hour drive this Sunday and it involved some enthusiastic driving on curves. When I had reached my destination and was parking the brake pedals just went in flat and there was no braking for 20 seconds and then the brakes returned to normal back again. I kept the speeds low and drove back to my place and the brake fade did not happen again.

However, I’m very concerned about the break issue and I would like to know if anyone else has faced any similar issues. Read a post on briskoda about break fading in a Octavia and was wondering if something needs to be done.

Thanks in advance

[Timothy]

Originally Posted by how_you_doing

Hi, I have short listest another 1.8 TSI Petrol Octavia Style Plus 2017 (this model is from July 2017, before L&K was launched) with asking price of 16.5 Lakh by the Dealer. Do you think this is a good deal and I should go ahead with it?

Type - 1.8 TSI Style Plus
KMs - 32k
Fuel - Petrol
Colour - Grey
Year - 2017

The car is still under warranty and it seems I can get it extended till 2022 based on what I have read in Team-BHP.

well if it is July 2017 bought car , then you can get the extended warranty till June 2023 i.e. total 4+2=6 years. Price wise 16.5 L seems OK.
Do your due diligence and check the service history record and for any abnormalities reported. You will be covered for almost 3 years under warranty so should be fine. All the best. Cheers !

[akshay_b]

Originally Posted by how_you_doing

Hi, I have short listest another 1.8 TSI Petrol Octavia Style Plus 2017 (this model is from July 2017, before L&K was launched) with asking price of 16.5 Lakh by the Dealer. Do you think this is a good deal and I should go ahead with it?

If you're referring to the Grey Octy on OLX with the registration number ending with 0229, I was interested in this car a few weeks ago as well. Sree_hari82 was kind enough to pull up the service history for me from a Skoda A.S.S. It seems all regular services have been carried out on time and the last service was done in June 2020. The bumper has been changed once due to a minor accident.

I'd highly recommend you to get the car thoroughly checked at Skoda before you finalize. Also get the extended warranty pack like Timothy suggested.