Shock absorbers

oleard1987

Just had my 151 1.6 tdi octavia back from the NCT and it failed for leaks on the two front shocks and back left
Obviously I need all 4 to be changed 😱
Nct tester assured me this was a common fault with Octavia. Has anyone come across this ?

Ball park how much will it cost to fix all 4 ?

colm_mcm

For a recognized brand, you’d be talking around €350 for the parts and maybe another €150 in labour, assuming you’re not paying top money for labour.

Alanstrainor

Moved to the main forum.

If the rears are fine I can see no reason to replace them yet.

colm_mcm

Back left failed though, best to replace both back.


Kinda concerned now, I have a 151 Octavia going in for NCT

oleard1987

Yeah always driven Octavia but this one seems to be nothing but trouble ,just hit 70km today and so far I the timing belt and water pump done and now the shocks
Really thinking of ditching skoda

colm_mcm

Why did you have the timing belt done?

Toyotafanboi

This is a sticky one and can depend on the tester to an extent. Those shocks are very very prone to misting, compared to other brands.

VAG specify that a misting of oil around the top of the shock where the piston enters the body is part of normal shock absorber operation and not only normal, but unavoidable. You'll get some testers who consider a little dampness around the top of the body to be a leaking shock, where really it is just operational, by VW's standards anyway and a fail for this might be textbook but it's a little unfair.

By VAG standards, the entire shock body has to be wet with oil or showing visual drips and runs to be considered leaking, this is obviously an NCT fail anyway but it isn't too popular to find them in this condition. It is really popular to find them "misted" though.

Either way, you've failed now so you're going to have to get them done I'd say. I know this site is Newzealandish but it gives good images of a misted shock vs a leaking shock.

https://vehicleinspection.nzta.govt.nz/virms/in-service-wof-and-cof/tb-general/shock-absorbers

Oops!

What values does the test sheet show for the suspension test? The above example is spot on.

i57dwun4yb1pt8

i have a 152 fabia and recent service noted ' leaking shocks'

on a 4 year old car ..that i carefully look after

this list is now
1/ peeling laquer
2/ broken handbrake handle
3/ broken drivers door internal handle ( a blatant safety issue )
4/ leaky shocks ( it passed its first nct a few weeks ago however )

pure and utter ****e is what skoda are.

greasepalm

Dont matter with the nct as we had a honda civic fail on drivers front shock leaking and imbalance 6% so we washed it down and no sign of leakage and put back in for retest.Failed on shocks as they wanted new ones.
We have another nct fail on rear shocks on a hyundai accent think its 2008 so its rear shocks needed.
We had a 3 year old clio in to check for noise in front suspension and when up in the air both front shocks were dripping oil out at the bottom so no wonder it was doing a noddy impression and the mileage was 1800 km and not covered under warranty+ needing 2 drop links.

oleard1987

colm_mcm wrote: »

Why did you have the timing belt done?

The coolant temperature was going sky high and constantly overheating (another common fault)so while he was doing the water pump he done the timing belt

JohnBoy26

colm_mcm wrote: »

Why did you have the timing belt done?

I've seen waterpumps go in these and golfs at around that mileage, well before the timing belt interval but better to get belt done at the same time.

Anyway for shocks on these i'd recommend monroe.

Stallingrad

Is there anyway to clean any misting prior to a test as a preventive fail?

colm_mcm

Stallingrad wrote: »

Is there anyway to clean any misting prior to a test as a preventive fail?

My thoughts exactly!

Toyotafanboi

Blast them with brake cleaner, then give the arch a good rinse out afterwards.

Stallingrad

Someone should send this link to the NCT folk:

http://www.theuniversalgroup.com/shock-absorber-inspection-misting-versus-leaking/

Toyotafanboi

Two things to bare in mind here though, OP's shocks could be genuinely leaking, we dont know and it's hard enough to get lads working on them to make a good judgement call, never mind seeing it filter down to NCT's.

I dont know if it's how they specify them to be built or how they want them to feel but VAG products seem much more susceptible to this than other manufacturers. I know they dont make their own shocks but they obviously have a say in what way they want them produced.

This like looks like a very old version of a VW workshop manual.

http://www.vwgolf.org/leaks_at_shock_absorbers-1838.html

oleard1987

Well just had my 1st quote in from a skoda main dealer in Cork city and they are looking for €768 euro inc Vat
Considering i can get 4 shocks for €315 euro ,nearly 400 for labour

Toyotafanboi

Doesn't sound dear for dealer rate labour. An hours or so per corner.

It doesn't really warranty bringing to a dealer though, does it?

Odyssey 2005

I got 2 monroe shocks last week for the rear of an 07 Octavia for €74.

oleard1987

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

I got 2 monroe shocks last week for the rear of an 07 Octavia for €74.

Do mind pm'ing where

grogi

Odyssey 2005 wrote: »

I got 2 monroe shocks last week for the rear of an 07 Octavia for €74.

Monroe - wouldn't touch with a stick, especially at Irish labour rates.

KYB, Sachs or Bilstein - shocks from those brands only.

CoBo55

JohnBoy26 wrote: »

I've seen waterpumps go in these and golfs at around that mileage, well before the timing belt interval but better to get belt done at the same time.

Anyway for shocks on these i'd recommend monroe.

I thought they were recalled or goodwill offered for that water pump issue.

JohnBoy26

grogi wrote: »

Monroe - wouldn't touch with a stick, especially at Irish labour rates.

KYB, Sachs or Bilstein - shocks from those brands only.

Why?

Monroe are a great shock imo. I know someone who has been fitting them with years and they have never had to have one returned.

Kyb in my experience are ok but i'd put monroe ahead of them as you get an extra year warranty with monroe and I think they are better quality tbh.

JohnBoy26

CoBo55 wrote: »

I thought they were recalled or goodwill offered for that water pump issue.

Maybe they did, I don't know tbh. The cars i've seen it go on were fairly fresh at the time, only two to three years old.

oleard1987

So have inquired to 7 garages and received a response back from two

The Skoda garage at €768 and another brand mechanic at €450 including VAT
PRICE BREAKDOWN

Pair of front shocks €190
pair of rear shocks €120
Labor (2 hours) €140

seems very good to me ,Have one last shot to get it lower as a friend of friend works at a motor factory and might be able to source them cheaper and a Skoda tech who works at Skoda garage above might do a favor

colm_mcm

Try and find out what brand they are fitting.

oleard1987

colm_mcm wrote: »

Try and find out what brand they are fitting.

just to see what type or if they are a crap brand ?

colm_mcm

Yes. Cheapest isn’t always best for you.

oleard1987

colm_mcm wrote: »

Yes. Cheapest isn’t always best for you.

just reached out to see hat type of shocks they use and will let you know

Toyotafanboi

The OE are Sachs but maybe they're best avoided given the situation :pac:

colm_mcm

I’d still be keeping them.

oleard1987

colm_mcm wrote: »

Try and find out what brand they are fitting.

Just received the reply and they said they use Monroe when available

grogi

oleard1987 wrote: »

Just received the reply and they said they use Monroe when available

While technically true, it didn't answer you question - did it? I guess they quoted you for Monroe, but will use whatever they can find in the depot.

oleard1987

grogi wrote: »

While technically true, it didn't answer you question - did it? I guess they quoted you for Monroe, but will use whatever they can find in the depot.

Yeah i was thinking that , i will book the appointment but stress that Monroe be used and if they cant ill go somewhere else