New form of road rage!

Re: New form of road rage!

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:21:09 GMT

[quote user="Mark Hedberg"]

I like a regular automatic, what I hate are the automatics that attempt to imitate a stick shift. They never get it right and I don't want a space between the gears when i'm driving auto. Just shift like it's supposed to...y'know, automatic? I know how to drive a stick and when I want a stick, I'll get a stick.

[/quote] The clutchless manual system you get with modern automatics is a novelty for the first few drives then it gets left in auto. I had a 'moment' with the Octavia I hired, without realising I had knocked the lever over into manual when I stopped at a peage booth and couldn't work out why it wouldn't change as I pulled away with the engine screaming, I realised what I'd done soon enough, but my BMW auto had an over-ride on the manual selector so it wouldn't let you bounce the valve seats off!

Re: New form of road rage!

Mark Hedberg — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:52:10 GMT

Re: New form of road rage!

Bob Russell — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:50:55 GMT

Stretched version of the latest Golf according to Which?

http://www.which.co.uk/cars/skoda-octavia/

I have to say I love the Yeti and it has been washed twice since I got it. That is the same number of times my Subaru was washed in its lifetime!

Re: New form of road rage!

Martin Atkinson — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:11:34 GMT

[quote user="Anthony Dennison"]The Octavia is basically a VW Passat with a slightly different windscreen shape[/quote] Sorry to disappoint you but the Ocatavia is Skoda's version of the Golf, the Superb is the Passat clone. Plus Skodas are variations of the previous model in the VW/Audi range so you're lagging 3 years behind in technology so that's how they keep the price down. That all said the build quality is superb and I am sorely tempted. I have a 5 year old Subaru Legacy estate which I have loved but now seriously thinking of a 4x4 Octavia estate. I had one as a car hire at the weekend, albeit in left hand drive in France, so I had an extended test drive. I hated the auto box though, the change was abrupt when put under pressure especially on mountain roads even in sport mode and I thought the diesel engine was a bit unrefined, so I would go for a petrol,manual, especially as I do a relatively low mileage.

Re: New form of road rage!

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:37:50 GMT

Theoretically blanked EGR valves could be an MOT failure, but since it is invisible and to find out they would have to start stripping them down they could never find out. With a diesel engine they only measure smoke density and that would not change with blanked EGR valves it might improve (EGR valves recycle exhaust gasses back into the engine and may increase the density of diesel emissions).

That's from my local garage and MOT place. He said if I get mine blanked don't tell him!

(I am going to )

Re: New form of road rage!

Clive Ansell — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 14:35:29 GMT

I am sure reading somewhere that deactivating or bypassing the EGR valve will become an MOT failure in its own right, regardless of the emissions test.

If that is the case would reactivating it just for the test be an offence?

alternatively, if it's faulty fit a new one. Although my car is still under warranty, a new one is about £80 and I would fit it myself.

I have recently replaced the coolant sensor on my partners VW Golf, apart from the temperature gauge not working apparently the information from it is needed by the ECU to function correctly and control gas flow. works fine now.

Re: New form of road rage!

Rob Reid — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 11:56:26 GMT

Yes it's an MOT failure as it effects your emissions. (Or alternatively get it blanked, unblank it for the MOT and then reblank it again!)

If it happens, take your car out and drive it at 60-70 in 3rd for a few minutes and that usually gets rid of the fault, you'll need a good stretch of dual as might take you a while to hit 70 with car in safe mode even in 3rd.

Re: New form of road rage!

Clive Ansell — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 11:24:57 GMT

[quote user="Michael Woodhouse"]

Or get the EGR valves blanked!

[/quote]

I seem to remember reading somewhere that it is/will become an MOT failure to do that. Just go and give it a good high speed blast instead.

Re: New form of road rage!

Michael Woodhouse — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 11:18:30 GMT

Or get the EGR valves blanked!

Re: New form of road rage!

Clive Ansell — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 11:18:13 GMT

I think it is worse with only short journeys where the engine is not reaching operating temperature for very long. In my Audi manual it states "if the particulate filter warning light shows, go for a good 20-30 minute motorway run keeping >2000rpm"

The last 3 weeks I have been working only 2-3 miles from home, the engine never really gets hot and fuel consumption has plummeted to around 45mpg. Diesels love being hot and worked hard, not designed for pottering around really.

I agree about using better grade fuel. I spent about 2 months last year using only BP premium diesel, and the increased mpg more than offset the extra cost.

Re: New form of road rage!

Rob Reid — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:58:57 GMT

One word of warning for us economical diesel drivers. A lot of newer diesels (especially VW, Skodas and Seats as they are all essentially the same) get problems with a valve in the exhaust gas recirculation system staying shut as the emissions aren't consistently high enough for the computer to think that it needs to stay open so it shuts and eventually gets clogged. This then logs as a fault and the car reverts to a safe mode where the turbo won't work etc. If this continues the valve needs replaced (about £270 before labour.) To prevent this you should thrash the engine a little every now and again to open the valve and flush it out.

Re: New form of road rage!

Bob Russell — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:46:53 GMT

Hate to take the shine off the Octavia 'love-in' but I bought the Yeti! We are in the middle of the New Forest and have a long track that quickly becomes impassable in the winter without 4 wheel drive. It only has 18% (I think) write down in the first year because i bought it just before the threshold ended.

My driving behaviour has changed quite dramatically and I find myself driving more like a granddad and less like an old boy-racer!

I got the fright of my life when I pressed the cruise control button by mistake!

To use a phrase much used by my daughter - the 'radio' is awesome! All my cr*p music is loaded onto SD cards and I can chose from thousands of tracks. It is like getting into a comfortable armchair and is a bit of a wrench when I have to get out!

Bl**dy sad git!

Re: New form of road rage!

Rob Reid — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:42:05 GMT

Love the mpg stat on my trip computer - I think these things are making for more annoying drivers (myself inculded in this bracket) in a good way though. I take great pleasue in sticking rigidly to the speed limit, especially when there's some boy racer or a beemer stuck right on my bumper.

Nearly bought a Yeti last year - loved the way it drove and handled on test drive but the boot was just too small. Like the Octavia and the new Rapide looks great value even if they're not very interesting!

One tip I would give if you've got a newer diesel is not to use low grade supermarket fuel. Despite what they advertise they don't put all the additives into the fuel so your engine just ends up getting clogged. The better quality diesel may cost you more but I find you actually make it back in better economy as it is utilised more efficiently.

Re: New form of road rage!

Clive Ansell — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 09:18:36 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

I have just become a proud Skoda driver! I am saving up for the anorak but have the woolly jumper.

The new car has a display that shows my fuel consumption at that instant and for the total journey.

My latest daily project is to get to work with the best fuel consumption possible. Every time another driver does something that reduces the fuel economy my blood pressure rises.

[/quote]

Good choice. I test drove the Octavia diesel in 2011 and was impressed with it. Had a short list of that one, Peugeot 207, Audi A3, and VW Golf. Went for the Audi in the end, more a case of heart ruling head as all were good cars. One of the biggest deciding factors for me was economy, along with a CO2 emission of <110 g/km to qualify for 100% first year writing down allowance for tax. That threshold ended on 31/3/13 and has now been reduced to 95g/km until March 2015.

I confess to being a fuel saving geek too, and my cars gadgetry tells me when to change gear, to close windows to improve efficiency, and even has a start/stop function that switches the engine off to save fuel if in a queue. Best to date is 76mpg, and optimum speed for fuel efficiency is 58mph. Cruise control uses less fuel than manual driving.

It does surprise me that given the very high price of fuel that peoples' driving behaviour has not really changed; driving too fast, sudden braking, rapid accelerations, poor maintenance all use far more fuel.

Re: New form of road rage!

Sarah Wheeler — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 21:25:57 GMT

[quote user="Bob Russell"]

Nope got the diesel 4x4!

[/quote] The Octavia??? I am so jealous, I have an Octavia hatchback and my next one will be the 4 wheel drive. Had It four years, it's a great car.

Re: New form of road rage!

Bob Russell — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 17:26:00 GMT

Nope got the diesel 4x4!

Brilliant car and most people don't remember the bad old Skoda days!

Re: New form of road rage!

Richard Carter — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:47:46 GMT

Don't buy the petrol version - loves fuel - even in this day and age!!

Re: New form of road rage!

Anthony Dennison — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:06:31 GMT

My dad does exactly the same thing. Even spends long journeys behind lorries to reduce air flow becoming an issue...

So far he's got around 70mpg I think, perhaps higher (I switch off when he starts wittering on about it). Seriously though, skoda's are great cars. The Octavia is basically a VW Passat with a slightly different windscreen shape, and Jeremy Clarkson thinks the Skoda Yeti is the greatest car ever made

Re: New form of road rage!

Alison McIntosh — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:26:43 GMT

Skodas are awesome! I've had mine for 6 years (2nd hand when I got it) and it has been fab- excellent fuel consumption on my epic locum road trips, no problems at servicing- plus I drove it into a crash barrier and it survived with only a few scrapes. Mine is too old to have clever stuff like up to the second fuel consumption computer readings but I will come and join you in your skoda-anorak-nerd corner :D