[Gannu_1]

Originally Posted by kapiljolly79

Strange but do you know that there is no way to get in the car if your FOB battery goes kaput. Any comments?

I also realised that if your cars battery goes kaput, how do you get in to unlock the hood??

Remove the plastic cover for the cylinder lock on the driver side door, to reveal the key slot. Use the key to unlock the car manually.

Like this:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=cVzBYnahGUQ

[kapiljolly79]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Remove the plastic cover for the cylinder lock on the driver side door, to reveal the key slot. Use the key to unlock the car manually.

Like this:

Thank you. Managed to stumble on the same video post the quote. But thanks.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by kapiljolly79

Strange but do you know that there is no way to get in the car if your FOB battery goes kaput. Any comments?

Probably works as in the video posted, but the Octavia manual mentions that the handle needs to be pulled before dislodging the cover.

› Pull on the handle.
› Push the vehicle key into the recess on the bottom side of the cover in the region of the arrow and fold it upwards
› Insert the vehicle key (the buttons facing upward) into the locking cylinder and lock/unlock the vehicle

This is on Page 240 of the PDF version of the manual that I have, listed under "Emergency locking and unlocking"

[rutvij]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

Remove the plastic cover for the cylinder lock on the driver side door, to reveal the key slot. Use the key to unlock the car manually.

Like this:

This was explained to me at the time of delivery of the car. I was also told about the exit from the boot in case the doors don't open up and you are trapped inside the car.

[srikhk_1965]

Source

ŠKODA sells over 100,000 cars for the first time in March; best month and best first quarter ever
By: News Release in News Releases, OEMs and Markets News Releases April 13, 2015

Record quarter: 265,100 ŠKODA deliveries (up 7.2%)
Record month: ŠKODA sells more than 100,000 cars in one month for the first time, with 102,100 cars sold in March
ŠKODA grows in Europe and China in the first three months of 2015
Double-digit increase in new ŠKODA Fabia sales in Central Europe
ŠKODA have reaffirmed their path of growth with the best first quarter and the best month in the company’s 120-year history. Between January and March 2015, the Czech carmaker delivered 265,100 vehicles to customers – 7.2% more than in the same period last year, and a new record for the first three months of a year. The brand even achieved a new record in the month of March alone: for the first time in one calendar month, the brand passed the 100,000 cars-sold mark – in fact, 102,100 people opted for a ŠKODA last month. The new ŠKODA Fabia has received a very warm reception by customers across Central Europe with an increase in sales well into double figures. In June the new ŠKODA Superb is set to be the next milestone in ŠKODA’s model campaign.

[kapiljolly79]

Ok. update after having driven close to 800 kms now. Am running 225 pirellis on this car. mileage stays above the 10kmpl range averaging a meager 27kmh. Which for a car of this size is actually very good mileage considering 27kmh is mostly delhi traffic with a little area to stretch itself when it hits gurgaon.

Thought I heard a sound but it turns out to be the turbo solenoid thats a little sizzly, audible at every upshift especially after you drop your windows. Checked a brand new car and it had the same effect. So no issues on the car and am loving every bit of it.

Managed to hook up the vcds today and do a few alterations such as tail lights on with drl, fan speed display on auto aircon, both rear fogs on. But two tricks, one being staging and the other being volume of fuel kept giving errors and I couldnt get those done. Tried both pre 15 and my15 settings but to no luck. So will have Autopsyche look at it when I visit him later sometime.

Discussed the installation of the paddle shift steering with Skoda techs and they are ok as long as its a genuine skoda product. Chuffed with that result. Eagerly await its arrival from prague as tracking shows its in customs.

No sounds or rattles yet and hopefully none should arise as the build seems perfectly solid. Black is black and yes, keeping black looking black also requires some attention. So have bought chemical guys leather cleaners and conditioners, speed wipe spray and the regular micro fibres to keep the car clean.

To sum it up, Skoda has outdone themselves this time with a great product and I have to say they have shown a great change in attending customer queries. My doubts on the turbo sound was immediately attended to and a senior tech from Skoda patiently did a once over on my car and cleared my doubts. So I am not surprised about the fact that they are seeing better days in sales now. Thanks Adi Petrolhead for helping me out over with the vcds. Cheers

[sleepyk]

Does anyone have an idea as to how long Skoda will be offering the Zeal edition?
Asking this because I will be buying a car in 2-3 months.

Have any of the 1.8 TSI owners been facing any mechatronics or DSG issues? Please do share, because that DQ200 and Skoda's ASS are a huge source of anxiety for me, as a prospective Octavia owner.

Also, does replacing the Bolero head unit with something better end up voiding the warranty?
It's a shame Skoda doesn't officially offer an upgrade, especially when they do so for the Vento.

[adi_petrolhead]

Originally Posted by sleepyk

Does anyone have an idea as to how long Skoda will be offering the Zeal edition?
Asking this because I will be buying a car in 2-3 months.

Have any of the 1.8 TSI owners been facing any mechatronics or DSG issues? Please do share, because that DQ200 and Skoda's ASS are a huge source of anxiety for me, as a prospective Octavia owner.

Also, does replacing the Bolero head unit with something better end up voiding the warranty?
It's a shame Skoda doesn't officially offer an upgrade, especially when they do so for the Vento.

You should inquire the period of sale of Zeal variants at Skoda customer care only, they will give you the right answer. Dealers don't know these things.

No major issues reported till now.

You are advised not to replace the Bolero unit because Skoda has a system in place which protects the user from upgrading the HU. You will be able to remove and install lets say a Columbus unit, but the Navigation and other features will not be plug and play. You'll have to do a connection with the fuel sensor to show that the car is out of fuel so that the system will automatically navigate to the nearest fuel pump, that's how people in Europe have got the Columbus(Skoda) or the Discover(Volkswagen) units to work properly. Its pretty darn silly in my opinion and so I dropped the idea a long time ago.

Other hardware upgrades are fairly easy and plug and play, for eg. steering wheel change.

[Axe77]

Is there a big difference in the ongoing maintenance costs & routine parts costs of a D/AT vs. P/AT?

[srikhk_1965]

Hi,

After going through options-cum-reviews in D1/ D2 segment, kind of converged upon to Skoda Octavia 2.0 TDI ( AT ) - Zeal Edition.

Since it is a corporate purchase, there is a budget cap. With in this cap, just looking for a good diesel automatic sedan.

Once the category is selected, there was not too much of choice. Team BHP reviews definitely helped to pick Skoda Octavia over cousin VW Jetta. It was around the same time, Skoda launched zeal edition. Took a test drive in a non zeal edition vehicle. I am yet to see a Zeal Edition either in the showroom or on the roads let alone test driving one.

Booked the vehicle with TAFE ACCESS, JP Nagar, Bangalore. Selected WHITE color. The vehicle will be ( most likely ) delivered within 3 weeks.

The dealer has already shared VIN / Engine number of hte vehicle.

I would like to thank Team BHP for helping me to evaluate the vehicles in an objective fashion.

[Hawkeye269]

I'm getting closer to issuing a cheque for a 1.8tsi AT Elegance Zeal in white, and am in the final stages of negotiations with two local dealerships to ensure I get a good deal.

In the meantime, I've gotten answers to some of the queries I had posted earlier, and would like to share what I learned on the off-chance that there are others who might be interested in the same issues:

Originally Posted by Hawkeye269

1) Logistics charges: I tried negotiating this down and even referenced the Supreme Court decision, but unfortunately the dealers (specifically Senator Goregaon) don't seem to be budging.

If you hang in there, and with a bit of negotiating skills, you'll find that the logistics charges (Rs. 6,000) do ultimately get waived.

Originally Posted by Hawkeye269

2) Insurance: there is more flexibility on insurance, and it looks like this is negotiable. I'm hoping they'll match an external quote, especially if it's with the same insurer (Bajaj Allianz in the case of Skoda).

As others had mentioned in response to my initial query, it's relatively easy to get the "stealership" to either agree to match an external quote or to source one's insurance from a third party provider.

Originally Posted by Hawkeye269

3) Extended Warranty: the consensus on the forum seems to be that the Skoda extended warranty is only available if one takes insurance cover through the dealer. Is this indeed true? Would love to hear from people who obtained insurance cover externally and also managed to get Skoda extended warranty.

***Important Clarification*** It is indeed possible to obtain insurance cover independently and still get Skoda extended warranty.


And now a couple of points in relation to tyres. IIRC the consensus on this forum appears to be that Pirelli tyres are the best option if one's looking to upgrade. Two questions:

1. which model Pirelli (or other brand?) tyres should I be looking at, given that my priorities are as (i) first and foremost: ride, safety, comfort and handling (for city driving); (ii) second: stance and looks; (iii) lastly: of least importance is price.

2. where in Mumbai should I be going to get my new tyres changed? I'm looking for a reliable and honest shop that will pay a good price for the OE tyres and not overcharge me for the upgrade.

Thanks, guys, would really appreciate your assistance!

[kapiljolly79]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye269

1. which model Pirelli (or other brand?) tyres should I be looking at, given that my priorities are as (i) first and foremost: ride, safety, comfort and handling (for city driving); (ii) second: stance and looks; (iii) lastly: of least importance is price.

Thanks, guys, would really appreciate your assistance!

I have only one suggestion here. The P7 is the tyre to go for. The other is size and that comes down to two upgrade sizes: The 215/55/16 or the 225/55/16. The tyre apps will not recommend the 225/55 as its 3% larger. But that doesnt really change much here as you have a powerful car with all digital readouts.

What will matter is the stance. The 215 look ok and are a sufficient massage to the eyes but the 225 totally satisfy both looks and broadness of the vehicle. Price difference is huge but worth the extra. 225 is my choice and in use by me too. practically no drop in fuel average but great grip.

[Hawkeye269]

Originally Posted by kapiljolly79

I have only one suggestion here. The P7 is the tyre to go for. The other is size and that comes down to two upgrade sizes: The 215/55/16 or the 225/55/16. The tyre apps will not recommend the 225/55 as its 3% larger. But that doesnt really change much here as you have a powerful car with all digital readouts.

What will matter is the stance. The 215 look ok and are a sufficient massage to the eyes but the 225 totally satisfy both looks and broadness of the vehicle. Price difference is huge but worth the extra. 225 is my choice and in use by me too. practically no drop in fuel average but great grip.

Thanks, Kapil, do you have any pics you can share of the P7 225s on the Octavia? Also, what is the approximate price differential between the 215s and the 225s?

[kapiljolly79]

Originally Posted by Hawkeye269

Thanks, Kapil, do you have any pics you can share of the P7 225s on the Octavia? Also, what is the approximate price differential between the 215s and the 225s?

Here you go. I paid about 16k for the set replacement of 4. You will have to check what you get in Mumbai.

[Hawkeye269]

Originally Posted by kapiljolly79

Here you go. I paid about 16k for the set replacement of 4. You will have to check what you get in Mumbai.

Thanks, Kapil.

Does anyone else have thoughts on tyre brands, models and sizes when it comes to upgrading from the stock Octavia rubber?