TDI VW engines and Skoda electricals

[K1W1]

I have two questions for the people who are VW and Skoda experts.

1. How long do the VW TDI engines take to fully bed in?
- My last two diesel engines (one a Land Rover and one a BMW) have both taken 12,000-14,000km before they have really felt fully seated and have achieved maximum performance and fuel economy. Are VW diesels the same?

2. The Octavia wagons have a 12v electrical outlet in the rear but the hatches don't. Does anybody know if the wiring for the 12v socket is actually in the hatches behind the trim?
- I'm assuming that it may well be and that all I might have to do is find the orphan socket and plug an outlet into it but confirmation would be great.

Thanks in advance.

[Maverick]

2. The Octavia wagons have a 12v electrical outlet in the rear but the hatches don't. Does anybody know if the wiring for the 12v socket is actually in the hatches behind the trim?
- I'm assuming that it may well be and that all I might have to do is find the orphan socket and plug an outlet into it but confirmation would be great.

No chance, VAG don't put in un-necessary wiring and connectors. If it doesn't plug into something it won't be there.

[gregozedobe]

1. How long do the VW TDI engines take to fully bed in?
- My last two diesel engines (one a Land Rover and one a BMW) have both taken 12,000-14,000km before they have really felt fully seated and have achieved maximum performance and fuel economy. Are VW diesels the same?

It depends on what you mean by "fully bed in". IIRC the boffins over at the TDI club forum ( http://forums.tdiclub.com/ ) say that the compression on most TDIs increases up to something like 40-50,000 MILES ! I thought my 5 cyl TDI was a bit freer after about 20,000km of highway driving.

A lot would depend on the running in regime that was followed initially, and then the driving style and traffic conditions.

[K1W1]

Thanks for the replies I'll assume I've got a least 10,000km of improving performance and economy ahead of me when the beastie actually arrives.
I will also have a poke around behind the trim on the OS of the boot area just in case there is an orphan connector there. Sometimes you get lucky.

[woofy]

I thought someone said the wiring was there. And I also remember someone posting their visit to the SKoda factory and finding that they put all the same wiring in on each model, just not all of it is used. In my classic 6 the plug for the luxury subwoofer is in the wheel well as is the holder.

[K1W1]

I thought someone said the wiring was there. And I also remember someone posting their visit to the SKoda factory and finding that they put all the same wiring in on each model, just not all of it is used. In my classic 6 the plug for the luxury subwoofer is in the wheel well as is the holder.

That is what I would have expected. From a logistical point of view it would be far simpler and more cost effective to have one wiring loom and just plug the appropriate options in where required.
On my Land Rover the wiring connectors for the heated seats are under the carpet but Heated seats were never offered as an option in Australia.

[Maverick]

That is what I would have expected. From a logistical point of view it would be far simpler and more cost effective to have one wiring loom and just plug the appropriate options in where required.

VAG have multiple wiring looms for each model and each spec depending on the options. There are sometimes 7-8 different variants for a car for each particular loom.

Having one wiring loom that fits all applications would add to the cost of the car a substantial amount both in weight and cost, don't forget that VAG sell cars all over the globe with many different options.

On my Land Rover the wiring connectors for the heated seats are under the carpet but Heated seats were never offered as an option in Australia.

Low tech manufacturing techniques, this is one of the reasons why they're losing so much money. VAG have some of the most advanced manufacturing plants and techniques in the world.

[boris]

The wiring looms are made specifically for each vehicle and its matching specifications. Thats the reason why if you need to order a complete body harness there is a longer wait as its custom made to the VIN.

Cheers,

Boris