King of the Rank! Skoda Octavia- Fresh from its victory at Crail!

[Inspector Morose]

 

 

 

Midlands Massiv approved.

[fraser.innes.3]

that may be something that needs doing.

 

until I can see if it'll bleed up I'm no doing anything else

I have had some success with soaking the contaminated shoes in water for a couple of days. As the fluid is hydroscopic, is is absorbed by the water. Oil/grease contamination can be burnt off using a blowtorch.

 

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk

[320touring]

My Octavia ALH manual has been re-mapped by myself. I saw a 1.2 second reduction in 1/4 mile times, and about 1 sec drop in 0-60mph.

 

However, my 60ft times didnt really improve.

 

I reckon it was a combination of the car being mapped for 200ft/lb from 1500rpm, and really crap tyres on the front.

 

As I read more into the mapping software, it became apparent that you could create a launch control map- essentially limiting the level of fuelling available at a standstill, then phasing in more as the car got underway.

 

I had a try at doing it tonight, and it makes a helluva difference: launches are consistent with minimal wheelspin.

 

Feels a bit odd to go foot flat to the floor with the clutch down, and only have it rev to 1600ish

 

the real trial will be in the rain!

 

Stock map (I.E. no Launch Control)

 

 

Modified map

[beko1987]

Your like the octavia magic man!

[320touring]

Your like the octavia magic man!

LOL! no quite- I just have a cheap shitter of a car that I'm not too fussed about breaking, so just experimenting.

 

T'was Dink of this parish that put me onto the mapping software - so its all his fault;)

[Dave_Q]

Feels a bit odd to go foot flat to the floor with the clutch down, and only have it rev to 1600ish

 

GR102.5 4 MOT SMOKE TEST

[320touring]

GR102.5 4 MOT SMOKE TEST

Next up EGR shenanigry FTW

 

It can go for its MOT with the stock map on:)

[Dave_Q]

The thing with all the remap malarkey is, it only LOOKS complicated.

 

The engine only really uses less than 10 lookup tables to determine how much fuel and boost to chuck in, there is open source free software to decode them for you and you can read/write to your ECU with a £10ish cable from popular auction site.

 

People who make a living doing this want to make you think it's high level tech wizardry, when really most of them are flipping charlatans who just up everything by x% without much real understanding of engines etc.

[Dave_Q]

Next up EGR shenanigry FTW

 

It can go for its MOT with the stock map on:)

 

Don't see why you can't send it as is - might confuse the man when he tries to do the max revs procedure for the smoke test, but as you have some understanding of AFRs etc I wouldn't think it would fail (on emissions at least!)

[320touring]

Don't see why you can't send it as is - might confuse the man when he tries to do the max revs procedure for the smoke test, but as you have some understanding of AFRs etc I wouldn't think it would fail (on emissions at least!)

If I sent it stock they wouldnt want to shoe fuck out it roon the yard;)

[320touring]

Minor update on this today- Got to the bottom of the rattling noise from the boot area, even when empty- a good few shells and other assorted stuff in the spare wheel well. Cheeky shotgun shell too?


Stripped down the other rear drum and got the Wheel Cylinder swapped over- Glad to have some peace of mind, and would have been rude not to as new ones were £8 each


Also got the sock filters for the WVO set up, 10micron on the Right, 5 Micron on the left


The bottle on the right contains the oil as bought, the bottle on the left is after the 10 micron filter- good improvement:)

[320touring]

back down to mid 50s with the last tank- 22 runs at the 1/4 me will do that to your mpg!

 

Miles: 673.2

Gallons: 14.06us/11.71imp

 

mpg 47.89us/ 57.5mpg imp

[320touring]

Hammered this down to a Classic Car show near Chester a couple of weekends back-

 

performed without fault, and papped a happy 63.08mpg for the 766 miles covered:)

 

To this end, I'd decided that I should actually see what she is needing to see her MOT in Dec.

 

All the brakes have been done, so my focus was more on the suspension and exhaust.

 

All 4 tyres could do with replacing soon-can get them for circa £35 a corner (Uniroyal rain experts) in super comfy 195/65/15.

 

Onto the suspension then..

 

Front arm rear bushes

 

 

Balljoints

 

 

the front bushes seemed fine too- no real deflection when a jemmy was applied- so it looks like both front arms are in servicable condition.

 

The CV boots were spot on, as werr the track rod ends. That said, the front tyres are feathering on the inside edge so tracking could do with being done - likely pick it up when doing the tyres

 

 

The ARB droplinks looked ok, but are so damn cheap they may get done regardless

 

 

It seems the big issue with the suspension is that after 190k miles the dampers are pretty much done..

 

this was the best looking of the 4.

 

Replacements come in at circa £150 for 4 Bilstein B4-not too bad. Big buggeration will be trying to get the 13 year old bolts to shift from topmonts and the lower mount points.

 

They seem to be a common failure point- but replacements can be collected from the dealer.

[320touring]

Next up was the exhaust -

 

Been blowing really badly since I got the car- turns out it was due to the fact that the front section of pipe was in no way, shape or form attached to the rest!

 

it had been previously bodged with jubilee clips and a roll of metal.

 

Nae stuff in stock to fix it today, so faffed it back together as well as it could be.

 

 

A replacement appears to be about £50 - again, swearing at bolts is the likely issue

[320touring]

As part of the general going over I did the usual fluid level checks.

 

Coolant/brake fluid all spot on, jowever the Oil level was ABOVE maximum..

 

This is a sign that the WVO is getting past the piston rings- and collecting in the sump.

 

The car is still running well, no obvious running issues and no MPG drop

 

Obviously this is not ideal! I took the most sensible path possible, based on the fact that it is a supercheap beater -

 

I dropped some oil out the sump and topped it up to max with fresh oil.

 

 

Over the last 4000miles it appeared to be approx 500ml- will keep an eye on it.

[Lacquer Peel]

Eep. I haven't noticed the oil rising in my Volvo yet, that might be because it's leaking out of the valve cover gasket.

[320touring]

Eep. I haven't noticed the oil rising in my Volvo yet, that might be because it's leaking out of the valve cover gasket.

Meh fuckit:)

 

tbh as it was such a cheap car I'll likely just run it to mot time and see the state of play

[320touring]

Last tank in.. 953 miles on 77.24L

 

Not bad for drag racing and lots of Motorway work at National speed limits:)

 

5.03 L/100 km

46.73 mpg (US)

56.11 mpg (Imp)

[Lacquer Peel]

Where can you get Rain Experts for £35?

 

Very good MPG, PD and common rail diesels are barely more fuel efficient and sometimes worse.

 

 

My Volvo is still proving quite thirsty, I guess cold starts, relatively short journeys, a big engine and an automaric gearbox don't help.

I wonder if the 4 pot TDI would drop straight in...

[320touring]

https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/uniroyal/rainexpert-3/195-65-r15-91v-79924

 

they're now 36.19...

 

aye its doing ok so far-my br's one has deeedied

[Richard]

Where can you get Rain Experts for £35?

 

Very good MPG, PD and common rail diesels are barely more fuel efficient and sometimes worse.

 

 

 

My Volvo is still proving quite thirsty, I guess cold starts, relatively short journeys, a big engine and an automaric gearbox don't help.

I wonder if the 4 pot TDI would drop straight in...

 

The 850 generally shows mid-40s if I don't rag it too much. Maybe it helps that nearly every journey seems to be to either Wales or Skye.

[Lacquer Peel]

https://www.tyreleader.co.uk/car-tyres/uniroyal/rainexpert-3/195-65-r15-91v-79924

 

they're now 36.19...

 

aye its doing ok so far-my br's one has deeedied

 

What happened to brutha_touring's one?

[skattrd]

Last tank in.. 953 miles on 77.24L

 

Not bad for drag racing and lots of Motorway work at National speed limits:)

 

5.03 L/100 km

46.73 mpg (US)

56.11 mpg (Imp)

 

I thought these had 55l tanks like the boring?

[320touring]

I thought these had 55l tanks like the boring?

they do indeed- just tracked what I papped in on the fly then brimmed it today with wvo:)

[320touring]

Well she was grumpy to start this morning on a 90/10 wvo/derv mix..

 

4degrees was the temp.

 

time to go to 75/25 I think

[skattrd]

Winter I usually run 50/50 in the boring, 80/20 in summer. I don't like grumbly starts.

[320touring]

Winter I usually run 50/50 in the boring, 80/20 in summer. I don't like grumbly starts.

I'm thinking I can foce the glowplugs to cycle for their full term (30 secs or so) using vag com

[320touring]

I have hopefully* ordered new shocks and topmounts for this via ebay - but i sont know if the payment completed successfully!

 

 

fingers crossed, as the dampers are fucked.

 

Now to work on some more mapping options;)

[320touring]

Had this drag racing again at the weekend and ran a PB of 16.677 @82.4mph

 

this was in part due to some lightening by removing the rear seats/emptying boot/removing spare wheel etc.

 

Another thing that contributed was swapping to front tyres with some actual rubber in them- meaning it can actually get off the line!

 

 

I'll upload some pics when at the PC

[320touring]

I think I will try some underhand tactics on my next go, no seats other than drivers, carpets out, spare wheel out and some proper tyres lol.

 

I am determined to beat you with the xantia, but I have to beat will's 205 first hahaha

woop!someone is now addicted to drag racing;)