Over the past few months my Skoda Superb Estate has been performing worse and worse from cold starts, with what appeared to be misfires or fuel starvation until it had begun to warm up. At its third variable service earlier this year, I mentioned this matter to the Skoda dealership but they were not able to reproduce the problem, since they never started the car from cold. This major service included many extra items and cost me over £800.

As part of the service the fuel filter was changed, and I can see part number 3C0127434 on the itemised bill of work. However, last week the general clatter from a cold start was so bad that I booked the car in for investigative work at a different Skoda dealership, and they have determined fuel contamination, requiring a full system flush and another new filter. This second garage have said that the existing filter is blocked with an oily-greasy substance, the diesel in the tank "smells odd", and that the whole repair will cost around £350, plus £49 for the initial diagnosis work.