Skoda Trouble........

[securespark]

Ok, Everyone can laugh at me now...

The Skoda broke down today. Alternator light came on, slowly followed by many others. Apparently, when the supply voltage drops, systems pack up, and their respective warning lights illuminate...

Trouble is, you end up losing all systems (if the warning light is on, the feature is inoperative).

The dealer diagnosed a faulty alternator and fitted a new one under warranty. Trouble is, it took the battery with it, and it needed a new one of those too.

35 miles later, alternator warning light on again....they are still looking for the cause.

Good news: I've got a 54 Octavia hatch with the 2.0 140 diesel as a courtesy car!

WOW!! I thought my 110 shifted, but this flies! Super "kick in the back" acceleration!

Poor William complains he felt sick on the M-way, though! Must slow down....

I'll be reluctant to take it back.

 

[AdamW]

I'll be reluctant to take it back.

Then you better make sure your car stays broken!

Anyway, I thought you would be pi**ed off seeing as you need the estate for work?

Reckon you might consider getting the old girl tuned when she comes back from the garage? Remember there are plenty of people keen to take your money to make your VAG diesel go quicker now! But you KNOW you want the vRS. Come on, get a petrol engine, join us...

One of us, one of us, one of us...

 

[david and julie]

I know of one dealer who would vary the courtesy cars depending on your own.

If yours was a new car they used to give you an older basic model so you were glad to get your own back.

Whereas if yours was 2 or 3 years old they would give you the latest/plushest /fastest model. You would be suprised how many then go on to buy a new car.

The exception was the bodyshops, but then they don't usuallly sell cars.

 

[pipme]

That's great, the THIRD occurence of problems, and no-one got hurt, told you so !! ... you'll be ok, for a while now SS !!

 

[securespark]

Hope so, Pip!

David, Yes, I am very impressed by the new one and want it now! Trouble is, (nearly) three bratlings are screaming for the dough as well!

Been out in it a lot more today. Very impressive, but the 6 speed box is a bit alarming - I'm reluctant to throw the lever into a position where many find reverse....!

I'd love to wait for the estate and trade mine in, but not a cat-in-hell's chance. I have to put at least 160K on it before I get a new one.

Adam

Yes, ideally I need an estate, but the boot in the hatch is so vast, that it passes the test. The only drawback is the courtesy car has no rack, so ladder jobs are OOTQ.

 

[AdamW]

I'm reluctant to throw the lever into a position where many find reverse....!

Never driven a six-shifter myself, but when a colleague had a 6-speed Mondeo diesel hirecar I told him that he would put it in sixth when he wanted reverse, and sure enough he did. Took him a while to get the hang of it!

David, do HGVs use an H-pattern? I know you get them with 16-forward gears, does that mean you have 8 gears on the stick with a second stick for a reduction box or what?

 

[david and julie]

Yes Adam they use an "H" pattern although they are not all the same.

Taking your 6 speed as an example. Many would have 6 gears and one splitter, which halves a ratio. In use the gear knob would have a button or small lever which is used to operate the splitter. With the Splitter off you have 1+2+3+4 etc, splitter on you have0.5+ 1.5+2.5+3.5 etc.

In normal use the driver would stay in High range and only use 6 gears because it is easier, however on steep hills,or heavily laden, he uses the splitter to get the best ratio.

In this instance the gearbox would be termed 6 over 6 or range change.

These gearboxes mean less work for driver and are smaller and lighter because there are effectively 7 gears giving 12 ratios, instead of 12 gears.
(this not strictly true but is a way of explaining)

A google for range change or splitter will probably explain better than me!

Many of the bigger ones now are sequential or even auto in some instances.

 

[david and julie]

Adam.

Just found this.

http://www.scania.co.uk/Our_trucks/NTR/transmission/8_speed_range_change/

Should explain how it works. The splitter is at the back away from the clutch in the piccy.

 

[pipme]

Excellent site, Dave.
Goods vehicle is a pretty high tech piece of kit nowadays.
See the exhaust brake, plus other retarders - mentioned.
What happened to the old 'Eaton' was it ? two speed axle ?
Found this :-
http://www.tecumsehuk.co.uk/tec1/eatonf.htm
Not commercial but interesting :- http://www.hewland-engineering.co.uk/svga/homeIE.htm
Well trained, experienced commercial vehicle fitter with the necessary kit must be a good trade ... scope for moonlighting I would have thought.

P

 

[david and julie]

pipme.. Eaton were taken over by Dana, have a look at this and search for eaton.

http://www.dana.com/

Hewland brings back memories of wining straight cut gearboxes and screaming minis.

Truck fitters earn around £12-£15 an hour, they are expected to have a class 1 and be able to weld/ burn etc and do some metal fabrication too. I am not sure about moonlighting because...

Every repair/service or safety check on a commercial vehicle is recorded in it's own record book. This will include everythingeven down to a blown bulb or fuse ever done to that truck. It is also signed by the fitter/inspector of the work. VOSA can, and do, come and check these records and any trucks you have at anytime without notice. They also check and keep all records when you go for the MOT test.

The normal procedure is for the inpector to record all his findings there and then onto a laptop. If you were stopped at a checkpoint in say London on Monday and they found say a bulb out they would enter that in a laptop. If you were then stopped again in say Leeds the following week, they would put your details in the laptop and the faulty bulb would come up.

All these records are kept forever, including the name of the fitter doing the foreigners!

 

[pipme]

Cannot pop the odd gearbox in on the side then ?
Wonder how they keep track of bearings etc ... I mean we, in aerospace, must be / have been the most regulated of all, every item in engines part numbered logged etc ... but, where there is a will there is a way .. Or more to the point where there is a buck or three to be saved ......

 

[david and julie]

I don't think they are as keen as in aerospace and wouldn't be bothered if you fitted a second hand gearbox. They just want proper records of what was done, when, and by whom.

The Sowerby Bridge incident really shook the industry.

http://www.ejallen.co.uk/EJAllenRTA.htm#HGVBRKE

Like you say where there's a will

 

[IanDB]

Like you say where there's a will

...... there's relatives!