[njv555]

Originally Posted by njv555

Totally stuck with Skoda. They have ordered the compressor today. It's Sanden make. They took 2 days to confirm the part to be ordered. And the sad part is that I need to wait till this Friday, another 4 days, to know the arrival date!

Finally Octy arrived back to me today late evening after the compressor replacement. The AC cooling is much better now. Will update the full status after along drive in next couple of weeks.

Meanwhile, is it better to take the extended warranty for 5th and 6th year? They are quoting 55k+GST, which will be around 65k for 2 years.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Timothy

The alarm theft activation still hasn't been solved inspite of having taken the car twice to the service centre. The funny thing is that the alarm gets activated only in the afternoons They can't seem to find any problem with the car.

Do you think the fault could be with some internal motion sensors and something to do with the rising temperatures in the afternoon ? Has anyone ever experienced this, ever ?

This afternoon the alarm kept going off every 3-4 minutes and finally I had to deactivate the internal sensors from the car settings menu.

Anyways to park the car in shade and check? Heat could be the cause. Internal sensors maybe causing alarms to go off due to heat waves. They are motion based.

[Timothy]

Hi everyone,
An update on the strange case of the auto-theft alarm going off. Took it took Skoda last week and it was with them for 2 days and as one would have expected, the alarm never went off while the car was there. They kept it under the hot sun, in shade.... but the car stayed completely silent:-)

To cut a long story short, basically the problem was that I was keeping both the keys together and this was causing the alarm to go off and the problem was accentuated since the battery of the main key was replaced in Jan. during its first servicing & the replacement key had a weak battery. This was creating a problem with the car's auto theft alarm software. They replaced the battery of the spare key and asked me to keep in a cupboard, away from the main key and Lo & Behold the problem was solved !! At least for the last 5 days, haven't faced the issue and keeping my fingers crossed not to invoke Murphy's law !

On another note gentlemen, I notice the leather seats of my 1.8 Tsi L&K getting a bit dirty, especially the drivers seat. Can the learned folks advise on the best way to clean them and the product to use, if any.
Many thanks in advance. Cheers !!

[SLK]

Originally Posted by Timothy

basically the problem was that I was keeping both the keys together and this was causing the alarm to go off and the problem was accentuated since the battery of the main key was replaced in Jan. during its first servicing & the replacement key had a weak battery.

Really? I remember you said it went off when your wife had taken it to her workplace, she also took both keys together?

There seems little merit in this solution itself, but if it actually works, it is the best!

[Timothy]

Originally Posted by SLK

Really? I remember you said it went off when your wife had taken it to her workplace, she also took both keys together?

There seems little merit in this solution itself, but if it actually works, it is the best!

Hey SLK, glad to seeyou reading my posts in detail, and that's what had struck me also. Ok, so here is the long story now...

Actually when the car alarm was going off at her work place, she was obviously using a single key, but at that time an error had crept in to the car's auto theft software memory. It showed up when they scanned the car during my initial visit & post that she did not use the car till the problem was rectified. The error was only in the memory and not in the car itself, they confirmed this to me.

But erasing the bug from the memory still did not solve the problem as the car was parked at home for observation and the two keys were still kept together, with both the key batteries replaced, now.

It's only after the third visit, they asked me not to keep the 2 keys together, that the problem disappeared. I think Its for the same reason that the alarm did not go off at the service centre, as they had kept one key with guard at the gate and the other one was with the supervisor on the shop floor.

Just FYI, they had involved engineers from Skoda also on the WhatsApp group they created and inspite of going through all the processes specified by Skoda, they couldn't find faults with anything in the car . They did quote past instances of an electric transformer close by or high tension cables going overhead from where the car is parked, having caused the auto theft alarm to go off. The did ask me to change the parking position of the car but since the problem got resolved by keeping the 2 keys apart, I didn't do that. Cheers !!

[Lambydude]

Hello Octavians,

I have car detailing query. Have a black Octavia TSI which just completed 2 years. I wash it myself and use Jopasu and hence doesn't have swirl marks. Paint quality is reasonably good.

However, I'm having this itch to do detailing thinking that what if I'm not realising that my car paint has faded. Let me be clear that as of now I don't feel the paint has faded or shine has gone.

Now whenever I have visited a car detailing shop they have tried to over sell the services and tries to the sell the costliest options. I don't want to spend much and I'm looking for some reasonable detailing options because that's only what my car requires at this point in time.

Can anyone suggest me some basic detailing options that I can ask for? Maybe at a cost of 6-7 K INR.

Thanks!

[Behemoth]

Originally Posted by Lambydude

Hello Octavians,

I have car detailing query. Have a black Octavia TSI which just completed 2 years. I wash it myself and use Jopasu and hence doesn't have swirl marks. Paint quality is reasonably good.

However, I'm having this itch to do detailing thinking that what if I'm not realising that my car paint has faded. Let me be clear that as of now I don't feel the paint has faded or shine has gone.

Thanks!

I had a Black Skoda Yeti and the paint quality is pretty good. What I used to do was get it professionally washed and waxed with turtle wax once in three months. That is good enough to keep it shining and fresh. You really don't need ceramic coating at this stage. If after 4 years of ownership you feel that the shine has reduced, you can get it done then. That will refresh the shine and remove any swirl marks (if any) by then. That coating will keep the car fresh for another 2-3 years. I also have a Skoda Laura (9 years old now) in Rosso Brunello colour and the paint has lasted well and there is no discolouring or fading or corrosion anywhere.

[MDK]

My initial ownership experience and opinion about Skoda Octavia 1.8TSI.

Background:

This is my first ever endeavour of writing my thoughts about any product leave aside a machine and that too a car. Now this is the magnificence of team-bhp that a naive and not so expert can share his opinion about cars on this platform. Before I start with my review, I shall like to emphasize the fact that by any means this is just my opinion and not an evaluation of a beautiful product called ‘Skoda Octavia 1.8TSI’. This machine has been very nicely and in a very elaborate manner discussed by the experts and senior members of our group.
To begin with I shall like to give you all a brief insight into the background of buying the Octavia 1.8TSI whom I have fondly named as “The Masakali”. Before this I had blissfully owned Skoda Yeti, fondly named “The Gattu”, for more than 5 years (bought in 2012 and sold off in 2017) and driven approximately 80000 kms. The main reasons for parting away from yeti were:
• Need for an automatic gearbox.
• After the infamous diesel-gate controversy about VAG vehicles, my yeti was also recalled for some software upgrade and after that I felt some loss of power in my vehicle.
So, one fine day I listed my yeti on OLX (after getting some atrocious quotes from local dealers and alike) and very next day got a call from a Colonel in the Indian Army who came all the way from Pune to Chandigarh and drove it away.


(Parting shot a night before its journey to Pune).

With yeti gone at such a short span of notice I was literally without a personal vehicle so went straight to Skoda showroom to get the Octavia. I had my eyes fixed upon 1.8 TSI (after a short drive of one of my friend’s car) but for reasons best known to the sales executive, he was persuading me to go for the 2.0 diesel car. Besides being a customer of Skoda, I was asking for a reasonable discount as well. As the case could be the things did not materialise and I went to the very next showroom and bought Crysta 2.8G (our work-horse). I got the Crysta home but I missed the “wow factor” in it. I do not mean to offend Crysta owners in any way but somehow it never appealed to me as a two million rupees car (some other day on it, if I happen to pen my thoughts). Long story short, come 2019 and I was again at Skoda showroom to buy 1.8TSI.
Options tried/available:

• Hyundai Tuscon- Strong contender, good package overall. I don’t know why but I am a hesitant Hyundai buyer. Also the test-drive vehicle was not available and the sales person never bothered to call us back to book a test-drive of the car. So neither did I show any enthusiasm for it. And snapped.

• Pre-owned Audi A3: One of my friends was selling his car that he had driven for less than 2 years with around 20000kms on board. The proposal was quite promising but I found the car to be a bit cramped from inside. Also I am not a very brand conscious fellow to spend 20 lakhs on a car just for the 4 rings.

• Pre-owned GLA: Another friend of mine while upgrading to GLC was selling his 5 years old 55000kms run GLA. I liked the car but was put off by the fact that periodic maintenance of the vehicle will be approximately Rs.45K-55K. I never bothered to look its way.

• Altis/Elantra/XUV 5OO/Compass/City: Nothing came close to Octavia, especially after the test-drive.

• Honda Civic: This car held onto my thoughts for a few days but sheer driving pleasure of Octavia just blew the bubble of Civic into tatters.

Now let us be very realistic, the options or alternatives are all good in their own ways but when you like something then you just try to play a small mind game with yourself to justify the product you are going to buy in a given case scenario. Henceforth, here comes Octavia Style 1.8TSI, nom de plume “The Masakali” home.


The prime reason not to go for the L & K variant was the sun-roof. Although I do miss the Canton’s distortion free music and ambient lightings but I have been saved from the scorching sun literally taking a seat in your car as an unwelcomed and annoying guest. I definitely echo the thoughts of many fellow bhpians that sun-roof is not a very practical accessory in the Indian automotives industry.

Likes (these are the points that appeal to me personally and not necessarily are the qualities of the vehicle):
 Quad-light configuration: That front facia with DRLs puts a smile on my face every time I admire her in the parking.


 Turning radius: With a 5.2m of turning radius, it is a breeze to park and reverse this car into tight corners. It really boggles me the way VAG cars keep their turning radius so precise. The yeti had a turning radius of 5m only. While just for the comparison a Jeep Compass has a turning radius of 5.7m, one of the reasons that drove me away from it, given the size of the Jeep.

 Good overall visibility: Once you get your seating right after playing with the three buttons by the side of the seat, the blind spots can easily be reduced though not eliminated given the driving habits of the two-wheelers on our roads and the urgency they usually show while riding their bikes.

(No blind spots- well almost)

 Front parking sensors: These pieces of instruments are such a boon while parking or for that matter driving into tight corners that you feel in total command every time you press that one “P” button on the central console or engage the reverse gear when these get activated automatically giving a company to their rear counterparts and reverse parking camera.

 Wide opening doors.

 Design of the alloy wheels: If you are obsessed with keeping your rides spick and span, then you are going to bless yourself every time you have to clean the brake dust off these alloys.


 Fit and finish of the product: It gives a premium feel when you step into its cabin. With a 20.5L price tag OTR (that includes PMS pack for 4 years and 6 years warranty), show me a car that can give you such an ambience. I bet it is difficult to find a good opponent in this regard. My humble Crysta 2.8G has a plastic button on the hand-brake leave aside the rest of the cabin. And mind it that both the cars cost me almost the same after I tried my best to put some premium products into the Crysta like leatherette seats, component focal speakers with door dampers and what not. Phew.

 The way it drives: Now we are talking business. Much has been written, loaded on you-tube and other social media platforms about the way 1.8TSI drives. But it is only when you actually ride one then you really come to know what the commotion is about. Believe me or not this unit can give a run for the money to a car that is a segment above its category. In a straight line it can touch insane speeds in a quick succession. Similarly on the winding roads it is a hoot to drive. Keep it in the sports mode, rev up the engine and enjoy the music from the exhaust note. The only fly in ointment is that being a front wheel drive and with a modest suspension setup, tuned more towards comfort, the rear end does tend to sway and needs input from the steering constantly when driving on twisty roads. It may take a while to get used to this mechanical bridging but once you start spending time with it and train yourself to the setup, the synchronization of man and machine can be addictive. It can also be driven like a sober, quiet and obedient cart doing your routine chore and delivering a decent mileage of around 11-12kmpl in the city only to be issued a ticket for over-speeding when you think you are driving as sedately as morphine.

(Sedans may be finding it hard to hold ground in the current scenario but this beauty will always find its admirers.)


Dislikes (or should I say things that could have been better):
o Ground clearance: It does scrape the belly in case you are not careful while cruising across the illogical and absurd speed breakers.
o Rear seat comfort: The under thigh cushioning is not very supportive when compared to Altis. Besides, the transmission tunnel does not let the three passengers sit comfortably on a long drive.
o Build quality: Coming from Yeti (that gives you a feeling that one is sitting in a tank) the overall build quality is a tad let down.
o Small pockets in the rear doors: The rear door pockets can only hold 500ml bottles. I wish they were wide enough to hold 1L bottles.


o Infotainment system: The screen attracts dust and shows smudging after every use. Also it takes a while to boot up after switching the power on, especially when you play the media through Bluetooth.
o Space in central console: While charging the phone or when the phone is connected through cable for car-play, I feel the space is at a premium. The wire happens to dangle around the gear lever and can be a bit annoying.


o Dummy switches: Seems like I could have paid more to buy more gadgets to fiddle with.
o Under-seat parcel tray: Yeti actually spoils you by its simply clever innovations and the parcel tray hidden under its front passenger seat is sorely missed.
o Boot lip is quite deep: It needs quite an effort to lift a heavy luggage into the boot and out of it.

o Engine oil dipstick: It is beyond my logical thinking to comprehend the twist in the dipstick. I mean why it cannot be just straight like in all other cars. It is difficult to pull it out and place it back.

o No hood insulation under the bonnet: It is there in the diesel cars and deliberately not put into the petrol cars. I understand that its functionality is more in the diesel counterparts but it gives a clean look to the whole engine bay.

o Negativity around a product: The Skoda horror stories, after sales services hit or miss, the mechatronic failures etc., all these news tend to seed a doubt in your mind and this psychological barrier sometimes does not let you enjoy the product to the fullest.

Ownership experience:

In my 2 months short of 2 years experience with Octavia, I have driven it approximately 16000 kms. During this period the car has gone for 1 periodic maintenance service scheduled in May last year and I was asked to pay for the battery that needed to be replaced in the remote key. Although I did not feel the need of changing it as it was working nicely but service executive said that it had flashed up on the scanner. I had to pay Rs. 450/- for the battery that strangely lasted for 4 months only and I again got it replaced (this time from outside) for Rs.100/- only and it is still going strong. Funny but it is true that these subtle instances do leave a mark behind.

Besides this there have been no other significant issues that I had to face thus so far but it is too early to comment upon such things. I do notice a bit jerky gear shifts in the lower gears when up-shifting/ down-shifting between 2nd and 3rd gears and it is more pronounced with sudden acceleration inputs as if the gear box is not fully prepared for it. This happens while the car is in drive mode. I have not noticed this kind of jerkiness in sports mode. Being read about DQ200 I try to take all possible standard precautions like putting the gears into manual mode in stop-go traffic, driving in sports mode in the hills, preparing before overtaking while in drive mode, calculated acceleration inputs according to the traffic and road conditions. But I am still keeping my fingers crossed.

The COVID era forced all of us to stay grounded and hence the road trips have been less frequent over the last one and half years or so, still our family never let a chance slip away to go for a drive in our Masakali.
I have not made any modifications, swap tyres or added accessories to my car as I do not have the requisite acumen to fiddle with the original concept.


I hope to keep this car for a few years, till I get something more exciting or scintillating product in my given price bracket and shall keep posting more on it as and when the time will permit.
A couple of more pictures before I conclude this chapter.

[MDK]

Thanks GTO. Iam too excited to see my first ever post on the homepage of 'THE TEAM-BHP'.

[createrkid]

Originally Posted by MDK

My initial ownership experience and opinion about Skoda Octavia 1.8TSI.

Congrats! The Octavia is truly underrated. May you have a pleasant ownership experience and do update every now and then

[drpras]

Excellent review!..octavia 1.8 tsi owner here
While I totally agree to all ur pros. I have to tell the octavia has been quite heavy on my pocket since my ownership began 2yrs back. It started right from the first month- a major coolant leak, which set me back by 50k.( Being a certified pre-owned car it was just outside the extended warranty period , however the cost came down after a lot of haggling with the higher officials at skoda ).

Service / maintenance Cost is one area I think skoda is very quickly catching up with the big Germans!.

Don't get me wrong it's still a love hate relationship and all the hate vanishes the moment I step on that pedal!. No doubt, It can give the Germans a real run for their money. Again as you mentioned the build quality or the build finesse rather is what sets it a level below the bigger competitors. While that step on the pedal does give you a big smile, A little squeak or the famous rattle of the sunroof gently reminds you not to get too far ahead- It's still a skoda,but a real good one.!

[hdman]

Great review. Have always loved this car but never got a chance to get behind the wheel. Wish you many happy miles!

[animeshc]

Congratulations! As I own one too, a friendly warning that you might find it difficult now to finalize your next car upgrade (The dilemma of what next after Octavia, specially that you are not after the brand badging), but till then have fun

[theMandarin]

Originally Posted by theMandarin

Got a new battery today and the key is functional again. Didn't have to do the synchronization either.
Its a bit surprising that the battery from the spare key didn't work but maybe its a sign that it may also be almost exhausted.

Originally Posted by nma83

Interesting, can you tell me the brand of the battery and where you got it from?

This may be too late to be useful but the battery that i got was from Panasonic.
Got it for Rs. 100 but its cheaper if you buy a 5 pack on Amazon.

Originally Posted by Karvel

Hi Octavians,

Had anyone got a scratch guard / screen protector for 2017 model touchscreen?

Originally Posted by SLK

Used this to cut out a film. The good part, it doesn't catch fingerprints and oil and dust. The bad part, at very particular angle of sun (happened once in a month with me so far), the film reflects and the screen appears faded.

https://www.amazon.in/CVANU-Transpar...176155&sr=8-22

I purchased this around 2 years ago and its been holding on without issues.
RUIYA 2017 2018 Skoda Infotainment System Amundsen Octavia 8 Inch Car Display Navigation Screen Protector

Note that its a tempered glass screen protector rather than a TPU film. I got it for Rs.1000 then.

Something similar from a different seller:
TUTA Screen Guard - Compatible with Infotainment System of Skoda Octavia

Now a question of my own.

There are now quite a few cars from the VW family that use the digital instrument cluster. Has anyone come across a screen protector for this display?
This is what i'm looking for:
PET film Screen Protector - 10.25inch Car LCD Instrument Display 2019

Cant have it shipped from AliExpress but i think there may be some local sellers now considering the expanded customer base.

Please share if you've found anything similar for the Octavia or other models.

[Lambydude]

Originally Posted by graaja

Check out the Yokohama Advan V105. They have a good balance between sportiness and comfort.

Searched almost all tyre shops in Bangalore. No stocks of Michelin or Yoko Advan series. My requirement is something similar in characteristics to Michelin PS4. Plan to go with stock size.

Now the remaining options are
1. Yoko bluEarth GT - I like Yokohama and had a very good experience using A Drive in my old Rapid. However, a bit doubtful as this is an Indian made tyre. Wondering if it will be of the same level as imported Advan series

2. Continental UC6 - another option and have good reviews on Team Bhp thread. However, I have heard lot of tyre bulge issues with Conti MC5. Not sure of that trait is carried on to UC6 also

3. BRIDGESTONE B290 - many dealers in Bangalore suggests this. Read reviews that the noise on rough roads is on the heavier side.

4. MRF Perfinza - MRF dealers have been promoting this big time. However, I take their views with a pinch of salt. Not sure of MRF tyre will be of the same league as Yoko or Michelin.

I'm leaning towards UC6 but for the tyre bulge issues. Yokohama BluEarth GT is new to the consideration set and as the tyre itself ii's new, not much reviews available online. One advantage is it is cheaper than the other 3.

Appreciate any advice to help me decide on this.