[itwasntme]

Originally Posted by satish_appasani

Thank you for the info. Can I just change the one damaged tyre and pair it with my Michelin in the rear. My Michelins have only 7000KMS on them. It doesn't make sense to replace the non damaged tyres.

What about the spare? I'm assuming it's the OEM Goodyear one.

Frankly, I don't think having a single tyre from another premium brand will make a major difference under normal driving conditions. I'd buy the UC6 but look at MRF Perfinza too. Another good tyre and very cheap if I recollect.

[kpzen]

Originally Posted by satish_appasani

On my one year old Onyx I replaced OEM Goodyear tyres with Michelin Primacy 4 size 205/55R16 91W. One of the tyres had a crack recently. None of the dealers have Michelin Primacy 4 in stock and there is no guarantee when they would be available.

Hi Satish,

You should be able to get the 205/55 R16 Michelins. Stock is coming back as per the import info.

Suggest you to wait and ask dealer to place the order.

[deepfreak15]

Two years and 20,000 kms (blame the lockdown) later my Dad was not happy with the fact the car was not being utilized the way it is meant too, so he asked me if I would like to use it for a bit and rack up some Kms. Challenge accepted, cooked up a reason and decided to make a round trip twice in a span of 5 days, Bangalore-Kanyakumari - Bangalore -Kanyakumari - Bangalore (Yup, you read that right ~3000Kms in 5 days).

Sadly the car was not up to the task .Having completed the first leg of the journey, just before the start of the final leg at 5am in the morning I notice a puddle of oil under the engine bay. Trust me, this is the last thing you want to see just when you are about to load your bags in the car. I frantically tried to locate the source of the leak but couldn't and a million thoughts were running in my head, frantically trying to figure out where I must have scrapped the car and for the life of me I couldn't recollect any such incident. I checked the engine oil level and it was optimal, turned on the car and no warning lights . So on a wing and a prayer I left from Bangalore to get the car checked at Salem and decide the next course of action. True enough midway I get a low coolant warning and then it hits me, this isn't an engine oil leak but a coolant leak. I open the reservoir and the level looks ok but I decided to err on the side of caution and fill about 100 ml of water. The error light disappeared and I managed to reach Salem with no issues.

Some time ago I posted on this same thread the car battery had died on the 13th month in spite of periodically running the car and Mr Uday from the Salem service center was extremely helpful and managed to get it replaced under warranty. So I made an appointment with him again and he had the car lifted on the ramp in front of me so we could both take a look. I literally let out a sigh of relief when I saw there was not even a scratch on the engine bay guard. I was told to leave the car and continue on my journey and they would keep me posted. I have never had a cause for concern with S7 cars and they constantly followed up with me on the state of the diagnosis and what the most likely outcome. Since it was over the weekend I got a call on Monday telling me a faulty Thermostat Housing would have to be replaced. I was told it would take a week to source the part and fix it. One of the reasons I am comfortable with Mr Uday is he has the good sense not to harp on things like "We are doing this for free/ under warranty etc.." He was apologetic that the car would be in the service center for a week, but hey there is only so much good customer service can do to negate a sub standard product.

So instead of racking up Kms in the car I ended up unravelling some of its weak points and I am in no way pleased with this car anymore. Everyone knows that when you start looking at something under a microscope you will find a million flaws but sometimes something pushes you to put the product under the microscope in the first place. In my opinion, this is a very crude product from the VW stable. Constant engine drone, tire noise and wind noise can get to you on long highway drives. The only saving grace for this car is the rear seat comfort and that humungous boot. Though none of those two points can negate the fact that this is the first car we have ever owned that had to sit in the workshop over night for non accidental repairs. I can neither recommend this product to anyone nor would I be at peace every time I take the car out, always dreading what nasty surprise is in store for me . I could be over reacting and over thinking this but judging by the number of issues reported for the 1.8 TSI I can be forgiven for reacting this way. We have decided to stick with this car for the time being and will be making a few tweaks (Cladding under bonnet and tire swap) to see if the car can be made bearable, especially for those long highway runs. Currently the car is back with us post being at the service center for a week with the thermostat housing replaced under warranty.

[Sumesh_Jazz]

This post is regarding some issues I am facing after the first service of the Octavia 1.8 TSI Onyx variant which I purchased in Nov-2019. I had great experience with the car in the first year in every aspects, be it the stellar performance, the ride comfort or the high speed stability. Although the best part about the car could be the performance from the TSI DSG combo, what I always noticed and enjoyed was the silky smooth suspension of the car. It was a joy to ride over slightly bumpy or uneven roads and the way the suspension dismissed the undulations/smaller potholes in the terrain was truly delightful. It could be the multilink independent rear suspension that comes with the 1.8 TSI providing the smooth experience. The car completed nearly 7200 km in the first year and there was no slightest of any rattle or vibration from the car.

All well and I took the car for the first service last month from Stellar Skoda, Ahmedabad. The jobs suggested by the service advisor included engine oil change, and replacement of oil filter, air filter and pollen filter which are mandatory jobs as listed by Skoda in their website as well. These jobs were costing nearly Rs.8300. Apart from these, the service advisor at Skoda suggested for wheel alignment and balancing, engine bay cleaning (3M) and windshield polishing. Out of these I opted only for wheel alignment and balancing for which they were charging Rs.1646. It was nearly 11.30 AM by the time the job card was finalised and they asked me to collect the car the next day.

I received the car next day after servicing. Everything appeared fine on visual inspection and I drove back home. There was heavy traffic on the way back and I did not notice anything abnormal in the car with respect to noise/vibration or alignment. I received a feedback call from Stellar Skoda the next day for which I gave very positive response. Post the lock down I have been using the car only for short drives with family and mostly once a week. Few days after the service, I took out the car for a ride with family on the highway. On the open highway I noticed that the alignment is not proper and the car is tending to deviate to the left whenever I took my hands off the steering wheel. I also started to experience a noticeable change in the suspension. The suspension felt much more stiffer compared to earlier and it was slightly annoying over bad patches which was never a concern earlier. Added to that I also noticed vibrations from the left and right ends of the dashboard whenever I drive over bad patches which again was something which wasn’t there earlier.

Now what I doubt is that something has gone wrong when they carried out the wheel alignment. With some google search I found that wheel alignment essentially involves corrections in the suspension setup with respect to the toe, camber and caster angles. What I speculate is that the improper corrections made during wheel alignment might have led to stiffer suspension and that is further resulting in to vibrations and more rattle sounds.

Since I am no expert at this I am unable to figure out what could have gone wrong. I will be taking the car back to the service centre for examination. Can anyone help me with the situation? Your valuable suggestions will be really helpful for me.

[SLK]

Originally Posted by Sumesh_Jazz

Now what I doubt is that something has gone wrong when they carried out the wheel alignment.

Never ever get alignment done from Authorised service centers.

Now, you should find a good tyre shop, which has new equipment (there is nothing called proper calibration in India, so a new equipment is the only way!!) and get alignment done.

[Tojo_GotBhp]

Originally Posted by Sumesh_Jazz

I will be taking the car back to the service centre for examination. Can anyone help me with the situation? Your valuable suggestions will be really helpful for me.

It's mostly the alignment that has gone wrong. The fact that this was carried out at the authorized service centre makes it more possible. Wheel alignment, balancing and related works carried out at service centres are usually shoddy in nature.

These are best carried out at places that exclusively deal with tyres. Try getting the alignment and balancing checked at any nearby trusted centre. You can find one by browsing through the Team-BHP directory.

However, you've already paid for the service and you deserve the refund for the shoddy work carried out. I am assuming that the service centre would have handed over a printed sheet having the data regarding the changes they have made to the wheels. Compare them with the new alignment data.

[Merril]

Originally Posted by Sumesh_Jazz

This post is regarding some issues I am facing after the first service of the Octavia 1.8 TSI Onyx variant which I purchased in Nov-2019.

Sumesh - I would suspect this is a bad alignment job done by the service center. Unfortunately, quite common.

My suggestion would be to get a specialised outlet dealing with tyres and alignment to do this and see if the alignment issues go away.

Typically a bad alignment would cause the car to pull to a side or make the steering a bit different. I havent seen major suspension behaviour changes due to these issues though. However, doing the alignment outside would fix one set of issues. If the suspension changes persist, you could troubleshoot easier.

[rutvij]

Originally Posted by Sumesh_Jazz

Your valuable suggestions will be really helpful for me.

As suggested by all you need to get you care checked at a specialised place. You can check with Pramukh Wheel Care, Opp. Star Bazar. They are very professional and very good in what they do.

[Sumesh_Jazz]

Originally Posted by SLK

Never ever get alignment done from Authorised service centers.
Now, you should find a good tyre shop, which has new equipment (there is nothing called proper calibration in India, so a new equipment is the only way!!) and get alignment done.

Thank you for the valuable advise, I suppose I should not have gone for the wheel alignment as the car completed only 7200 kms and there was no sign of any misalignment or vibration earlier.

Now if I am going for the alignment and balancing from outside the service centre, I am not sure whether that will result in the warranty being void. The balancing if required will involve attachment of weights on to the wheels and I am not sure whether Skoda can view that as a reason to deny the warranty cover in future.

Originally Posted by Tojo_GotBhp

It's mostly the alignment that has gone wrong. The fact that this was carried out at the authorized service centre makes it more possible.
Try getting the alignment and balancing checked at any nearby trusted centre. You can find one by browsing through the Team-BHP directory.

However, you've already paid for the service and you deserve the refund for the shoddy work carried out. I am assuming that the service centre would have handed over a printed sheet having the data regarding the changes they have made to the wheels. Compare them with the new alignment data.

Thank you and I am planning to get the alignment rechecked from outside centre. Again not sure about any relation it may have with warranty

They have shown me the datasheet of alignment at the time of delivery, however it is presently with them as a service record. They told that it can be shared. I would be trying for refund of the charges if the issue is not sorted out. Thank you for pointing out that.

Originally Posted by Merril

Typically a bad alignment would cause the car to pull to a side or make the steering a bit different. I havent seen major suspension behaviour changes due to these issues though. However, doing the alignment outside would fix one set of issues. If the suspension changes persist, you could troubleshoot easier.

Thank you for the suggestions. Yes, I was only assuming that the suspension change I am experiencing could be related to improper alignment. Some online information says wheel alignment involves corrections in the suspension setup.

Originally Posted by rutvij

As suggested by all you need to get you care checked at a specialised place. You can check with Pramukh Wheel Care, Opp. Star Bazar. They are very professional and very good in what they do.

Yes, thank you for suggesting a reliable centre in Ahmedabad.
I can get the alignment data sheet from Skoda service centre. There wasn't any issue with respect to alignment before the servicing. So should I be trying to restore the settings to the original based on the datasheet? Is that possible and would that work? Please suggest.

Thanks and regards
Sumesh

[Tojo_GotBhp]

Originally Posted by Sumesh_Jazz

Yes, thank you for suggesting a reliable centre in Ahmedabad.
I can get the alignment data sheet from Skoda service centre. There wasn't any issue with respect to alignment before the servicing. So should I be trying to restore the settings to the original based on the datasheet? Is that possible and would that work? Please suggest.

Thanks and regards
Sumesh

AFAIK, it shouldn't void the warranty. Myself and several other members of the forum have been getting the alignment/balancing done from outside and never faced any such issues.

Next time they ask you to include these services, politely refuse and tell them that you'll get it done in the next service. There are several examples on our forum itself where perfectly running vehicles were ruined after having these services carried out at the authorized centres.

Btw, 7200km is good time to get the wheel alignment/balancing done. It's advised to follow a 5000km interval for obtaining the best life out of the tyres. Even a slight change in alignment which in usual case can't be noticed as there won't be evident vibrations or pulling to any side, can cause un-even wearing of tyres.

No need to worry about the alignment values. Just tell the alignment centre about the make and year of your car and they'll be having all the required data in their computer.

Thanks.

[Sumesh_Jazz]

Originally Posted by Tojo_GotBhp

AFAIK, it shouldn't void the warranty. Myself and several other members of the forum have been getting the alignment/balancing done from outside and never faced any such issues.

No need to worry about the alignment values. Just tell the alignment centre about the make and year of your car and they'll be having all the required data in their computer.

Thanks.

Thank you for the suggestions and information. I will be trying to get the issue resolved from outside centre.

The not upto the mark workmanship at these services centres is a major issue when it comes to maintaining such well crafted cars.

Thanks and regards
Sumesh

[lokii_83]

Originally Posted by Sumesh_Jazz

Thank you for the suggestions and information. I will be trying to get the issue resolved from outside centre.
The not upto the mark workmanship at these services centres is a major issue when it comes to maintaining such well crafted cars.

Thanks and regards
Sumesh

My car also having ODO 8K, and in the recent one year service, asked them to skip wheel alignment. Thinking to do this in 10K mark, outside a reputed centre. Does 10K mark fine or what's preferred intervals for these VW/Skoda cars? I use 80:20, in highway vs city.

[Sumesh_Jazz]

Originally Posted by lokii_83

My car also having ODO 8K, and in the recent one year service, asked them to skip wheel alignment. Thinking to do this in 10K mark, outside a reputed centre. Does 10K mark fine or what's preferred intervals for these VW/Skoda cars? I use 80:20, in highway vs city.

There is another thread on wheel balancing and alignment which I came across later. There members are suggesting to go for alignment and balancing at an interval of 5000 kms. However there are different opinions on this interval. Every 5000 kms may not be very practical.

Thanks and regards
Sumesh

[Pancham]

We did our first long trip in the Octavia (1.8l TSi). We planned a 3 day trip to Gopalpur by the Sea (Orissa) which was a 1,230 km round trip. The car was just perfect for the trip. The only (few) times I had my heart in my mouth were when we hit the sudden rough patches (and speed breakers) which were not visible from a distance on the otherwise smooth highways. This was in Orissa specifically.

Surprisingly, the West Bengal highways were much better. Overall, there were many diversions on the way and with each one there were some pretty steep speed breakers. We had to slow down and I had to be a bit more careful. Otherwise, the car performed perfectly. We completed the onward journey of 600km in 11 hours (approx.). I will share some pictures here for your visual pleasure.

One surprising part was that the car could have completed the entire 600km in one tank. We did not do it because we were concerned about fuel quality in Gopalpur so we tanked up in Bhubaneswar.

Another good part was FastTag. We covered some 18 toll plazas and each one accepted the tag. No issues anywhere.

Onward journey stop. We stopped for coffee and homemade sandwiches. No outside food. It was raining in Kolkata when we left. Who does not like a dirty Octavia.



While entering BBSR - Approaching dusk.


The Octavia resting after completing a flawless 600km journey. Nice and dirty.


Some stats:


In case you are wondering what the road condition was like. (There were lots of bad patches too).





Misc.



Return trip details:

[Deep Blue]

Into the second year of my ownership, my Octavia TDI which has run 15k kms has required a replacement of the gearbox.

The car per se did not throw any symptoms. It was running fine. The rats had chewed of a wire in my other car, i10. Just to check, I was peering into the engine bay of the Octavia to see if rats have effected any damage in the Octavia. Instead of rat damage, I find an oil leak on the top part of the gearbox casing in a sort of cup-like recess in the casing





If I wipe it off, it slowly reappears after running for about 60-70kms, a little earlier if I use the sport mode. The oil leak is a trickle and I have not seen any staining of my garage or hospital parking slot floor. There have been no underbody hits as well.

The car itself never manifested any symptoms. Gear shifts were as before. There was no difference in the sounds nor did any new sounds appear. Neither were there any warning lights in the dash display.

The first service was done in March 2020, just before the lockdown. I assume it was not there then.

Anyway, I checked into the TAFE Access service centre at Mangalore. They suspect an oil seal to have given way. Based on company instructions, the gearbox was replaced under warranty. The whole process took about six weeks. Two weeks including Deepavali holidays for diagnosis and about 4 weeks for the gearbox procurement and replacement. There was no stock of the gearbox available in India and it had to be imported.

The irony of my situation is that I opted for the diesel Octavia hoping to avoid the problematic DQ200 box and still ended up with a gearbox issue. The service executive at TAFE, Mangalore said, they have not seen this problem and Skoda technical team too was surprised(probably, that it occurred so early)

I have run nearly 500kms since getting the car back. The car seems to be running fine except for some creaking noises when the car goes over humps. I guess suspension bushes might be the issue. Again, seems premature in a 16k km run car. Skoda's quality standards seems to have taken a nose dive.