Cabin noises (quality issue?)

[otheos]

After only 2 months (and 2K km) my 4x4 Combi "produces" a screeching noise coming from the rear doors in any possible movement of the car. Accelerating, braking, cornering, bumps etc. Even with the softest handling. :eek:

It started suddenly and I can only corelate it to the temperature rise in the last week (from low tens to mid twenties centigrade), causing the plastic door panels to expand.

It's extremely worrying (I had a Peugeot 405 before so I know what a cabin noise is :() and I'd hate to live with it. I expect standard warranty to cover it though.

Is it common though? Is it a quality issue? Your experience?

Thanks in advance.

[Fabpreza]

My 4x4 estate/combi has done over 30,000km and it doesn't squeak ... yet !

Do you mean from each side of the car's rear passenger doors, or do you mean the tailgate for the load area ?

The easiest way to locate the cause is for someone else to drive the car for you and you sit in the back, listening and pressing the different panels. It can sometimes be something really easy to fix and is often caused by plastic rubbing tightly against plastic. The Octavia is definitely NOT built like a 405 !

Don't panic yet - try and track the problem down first !

[devonutopia]

I had a squeaking noise coming from what seemed to be the rear door, but it turned out to be the brakes because I could stop the noise just by easing the handbrake on a bit (and then it would start again when I eased it off ) Seems to have cured itself though in the last few months :confused:

[KLB]

My hatchback developed a squeak somewhere in the back at about 9-10 months old. The dealer traced it to the mechanism which locks the seat-back in the upright position; a small adjustment cured it.

The central armrest creaks a bit, but it isn't annoying enough to do anything about (yet!).

By the way, does anyone find the central armrest useful? I find it obstructs access to both the handbrake and the transmission selector - I imagine it must be even worse with a real gear lever.

[devonutopia]

armrest? Jesus! how luxurious are these octy's? My Fab's good for access to levers and stuff. Only tiny gripe is the foot resting place to the left of the clutch is a bit narrow and when I drive in my work boots, I cannot rest my foot on it without jamming it between the side of the footwell and the clutch pedal (not safe). Doesn't really bother me though - I can always drive in normal shoes....

[KLB]

Devonutopia:

The armrest is part of the Elegance and L&K trim. Pity it's not an optional extra, as I find it totally useless. It might be a little better on a LHD model, though, as the handbrake is offset to the left. Still, at least it can tilted up between the two seat backs where it's out of the way - not like the central console on a Vauxhall Vectra which I once had the misfortune to hire :(

I find the footwell OK - although it helps to have just two pedals

It's certainly got more room than some of the French cars I've owned - my old Renault 5 had all the pedals offset to the right, which made for a rather uncomfortable driving position.

[SkodiRS]

My previous Octavia was a SLX TDi estate combi and even after being shunted in the back twice (the first time I was pushed into the car in front as well) there was never a squeak or rattle.

The current RS does have a headlining buzz which is annoy but only seems to occur when it's cold; anything from approx. 12deg and below.

I also put this down to the fact that the RS does have stiffer suspension and is more likley to transmits iregularities of the road through the shell.

Other than that no of worries. Thank yourself lucky you don't have a Seat Leon or even worse a VW Golf. Both were worse than the Octavia in the latest JD Power consumer survey. The Octavia came top of it's class and 7th overall.

Cheers.

Adrian.

[DGW]

I find the centre armrest useful for storing parking change and a mobile phone charger, but I wouldn't miss it if it wasn't fitted nor would I recommend one as an option.

[otheos]

Armrest aside , I found it

Aparently the door hinges are plastic, and with the recent expeditions in the countryside, pollen and dust congregates on them, drying the greeze. I took the car to the dealer and he applied some greeze to the hinges that made the noise disappear

Obviously I was concerned that I'd have to take the car for greezing every week or so, but he said the factory applied greeze gries easily and that's it's a standard procedure to re-greeze the hinges at about 1000Km, and it lasts until the next service.

So take note (maybe an addition to the FAQ?)

[devonutopia]

Well done in finding it - i have a weird, quite quiet squeak directly under my dash (semmingly behind the radio almost) - I find the best solution is to turn up the stereo

[philc]

I had the hinge squeak on my L&K. The dealer used some waxy grease stuff (can't remember what they called it) on all the hinges. Apparently, the Octavia body flexes quite a bit on bumpy roads, which causes this sort of trouble.

Armrest? Useful for storing sweeties, but that's about all!

I also had a squeak from the back seat mechanism when I got the car. I rang the dealer, who suggested I pulled the rear seat backrest forward and latched it back "quite hard" to make sure it locks. It cured the problem, but the seat never folded afterwards! It took some obscure bits. especially imported from Czech to solve it! Obviously my "quite hard" was "too hard!"

Ham-fisted Phil:eggface:

[nockmeister]

Oh to have the extra space the central armrest gives...

The thing i miss the most on my octavia (ambiente) is storage space...cant put anything ontop of the dash, with it being curved, you've got the very very small storage bin, that just holds my pda and one cubby hole.

Get rid of the cup/bottle holders that what i say.... and give us more nick knack space.

Hmm the center rest is available from Butts @

[robmawer]

Lack of storage space? With a boot that size?!

I'm not a fan of cubbyholes myself, as their presence encourages people to use them...

Rob.

[devonutopia]

I find the glovebox only has enough room for the extremely FAT logbook,etc, and my CD wallet - and thats about it. I suppose the area around my ashtray is a bit cramped but its got enough room for the "current" CDs that I listen to so often I can't be Ar*ed to put them back in the wallet. My cupholder is normally useless for the drinks I take in the car, so it gets clogged up with useless receipts and packets of chewing gum. The case for the face of my CD player sits by the handbrake which is a bit dodgy because it falls off when I lurch the car around corners, or brake hard.

A thing I like about the boot, although its small'ish, is the hooky things in the side. I got fed up with stuff rolling around the boot so I got an elastic bungee thing and I can wedge everything against the side of the boot, with my map to surround them. Having said the boot is small I got a large Honda rotavator in the boot the other day, with the back seats collapsed. - Also came close to having the rear screen punched out by the handle, but thankfully I prevented it (by driving with one hand on wheel, and the other on one of the rotavator blades - not recommended in highway code )

[Kentish]

Armrest? I find it very useful for sedate cruising, as well as keeping things cold....yes its chilled as is the glovebox.....and adjustable in air flow to them too.

Cheers

[robmawer]

The chilled compartments are only on the Superb though, aren't they? At least,

I've never found mine to get particularly cold, but then maybe that's because

I'd be comparing it to my boot-fridge...

Rob.

[Kentish]

Oh sorry, silly me....

Cheers

[Chrille]

Originally posted by Kentish in this post

Armrest? I find it very useful for sedate cruising, as well as keeping things cold....yes its chilled as is the glovebox.....and adjustable in air flow to them too.

Cheers

Hehe, I got a little confused with the cooled armrest and glovebox before I came to think about the Superb Nice cars indeed.

[Dmac1969vRS]

I think the Fabia when fitted with AC has a chilled glovebox , never heard of a chilled armresst cubby before how cool is that? (groan...sorry!)

PS My RS has a creak coming from the drivers seat , thats the only noise that shouldnt be there so far , not bad after almost 2 yrs.

[Kentish]

Its wonderful, especially as you can adjust the rate of air flow into the said cubby/glovebox.

Only thing is it isnt good for your mobile phone:(

Cheers

[ncarring]

The Porsche 928 had the world's first air conditioned glovebox when it was introduced in 1978 (BBT).

The armrest is a PITA(rm). Mine is permanently folded upright.

[Stimps]

Originally posted by devonutopia in this post

I find the glovebox only has enough room for the extremely FAT logbook,etc, and my CD wallet - and thats about it.

Doesn't your glovebox have the "secret compartment" for the logback?

Having said that, the glovebox isn't huge - I really should get a CD wallet - having the gbox rammed with CD cases probably isn't too wise... :1:

[robmawer]

Isn't the reason the Superb has a chilled armrest to do with the air vents just behind it

for the rear seat passengers? So the air ducts have to pass around there anyway...

Kentish - can you use these chilled storage areas to keep stuff warm as well?

Ah well...

Rob.

[Kentish]

I dont think so...the book mentions something about closing the air supply when not using the air con on cold, or just to stop the air.I think its only supposed to go to 20c below ambient, which is ok for choccy in the summer, but you wouldnt want your choccy in there if there was heat would you:(

I will double check the book later.

Cheers

[robmawer]

Hmm...so it sounds like it could "unofficially" be used to keep things warm...

Mine does to -20C of ambient temperature also, but can also be used to heat

to 60C above. Probably best not to do it when it's full of tins of Coke though

Rob.