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Well after 13 years of Yeti ownership I am reluctantly moving on. I’ve had 2 Yeti’s, the first was an Elegance model 1.2 TSi DSG bought new in 2012 and the second bought new in 2017 when I learnt that Skoda were discontinuing the Yeti. Another 1.2 TSi DSG in SEL Drive trim with all the extras. That Yeti is coming up for 8 years old so reluctantly time for a change. Without a doubt in over 60 years of driving the Yeti was one of the best cars I have ever owned and both have been utterly reliable. So many months ago the search for a replacement started in earnest, my requirements (I thought) were fairly basic - could be a bit bigger but had to have a light bright interior with light leather seats, an automatic but not a pure EV and good to drive with a high seating position for my older bones! Simple I thought, how wrong I was, it seems almost all cars nowadays have funereal dark interiors with black headlining and black seating and dashboard. Volvo (XC40) used to make it with a beautiful pale interior, no longer, now it’s black unless you get the very expensive top of the range model. Same with Skoda, VW, Mazda and most other makes -WHY? The cars with light interiors were few and far between, tried and liked the Lexus LBX but my wife found the passenger seat uncomfortable after 20 minutes or so, looked at Honda’s and eventually visited a Mini showroom where they had one of the new Mini Countrymen, in one trim level it had a pale interior, pale headlining and could be spec’d with pale leather (imitation) leather. Test drive was illuminating, very comfortable ride and excellent performance and most of the niceties I wanted with a higher option level. So on Monday I am swapping my Yeti for a new Countryman. I will be sad to see the Yeti go but I have reconciled myself to the fact that there will never be a proper replacement for the Yeti, why Skoda lost their uniqueness and just cloned VW models I will never know. However, now looking forward to getting to know the Countryman and all its modern tech! So after 13 years it’s goodbye to everyone on this forum, it’s been a source f information and fun for the past 13 years -good luck for all you Yeti owners. You’ve got one of the best cars ever made - as a past Editor of AutoExpress told me.

I will certainly haunt the Yeti forum to see how you are all getting on and, if anyones interested, could post a comparison of likes and dislikes between Yeti and Countryman after a few weeks?

and finally git a picture of Amber in there This was us loaded up for a week in Arran (myself, GF & her mum + Amber)

I collected my Octavia Vrs tsi a couple weeks ago and love it!

Nice, dry and not too hot. Perfect opertunity to get the car done... Exterior- ✅Rinsed ✅Snowfoamed ✅Rinsed ✅Washed ✅Fallout remover ✅Rinsed ✅Washed ✅Rinsed ✅Dried ✅Machine Polished ✅ Paint Sealant Treatment All redone in time for the impending Scottish, never ending winter... Interior- ✅Vacuumed ✅Rubber mats washed ✅Cleaned ✅Glass cleaned ✅Fresh air freshener

Don't go Expatman, you can still be part of the forum here and I'm sure I speak for everyone here in saying you're correct, the Yeti was just THE BEST.

I found some freebies on the back seat, a brake servo pipe and dipstick tube: So i wasted no time fitting both, the tube that was on the car was in really bad state. I wonder how much of it ended up in the sump... Servo pipe was also replaced. This is what the old one looked like. I reckon someone damaged it when replacing the air filter..: This is all the effort I'm going to put into this build thread for now. If there's enough people wanting to see more and commenting I'll keep going...

I agree but its amazing how well they continue to run and have undiminished fuel economy or power in all but drag race conditions, todays schmoo does not seem to smother engines like back in the day when a decoke was needed well before 40K miles. You are lucky that the throttle valve is upstream, mine was much peppier after I de-schmoo'd it but the ports and valves will no doubt be like yours yet its coping with the extra power after the remap.

@Oslo11 If you don't make a habit of it, then I can't see this one off incident making a difference to the function or the life of the clutch.

Standard check in.

More to the point, what proof or what "recreational" content was in those chocolates? 🥴 😁

If you think the difference between a 45° slope (now down to 30°, 25° and I dont know) and what will almost certainly be less than 15° (building and access to highways regulations) is pedantic then we will have to agree to disagree. It is relevant because the load transferred and heat dissipated by the clutch is very much dependant on the gradient, you say it is a steep slope so the clutch smell is to be expected, I have read reports that the 1.5TSi engine has a flat spot at low RPM and has to be revved slipping the clutch to avoid stalling on hillstarts, I think there was a recall for a software update so I completely understand why you had to abuse the clutch in the way that you did, I have had to do the same myself against my will and the sickening smell that lingered was doubly sickly to me.

Tried on the 17" wheels and All Seasons but back to 16" and narrower for a bit of a softer ride. And better in the wet.

God there are some pedants on this forum, never known anything like it. sometimes my car has a smell like burning clutch, usually if I’ve given it some extra gas pulling away or on a hill start. unless it keeps happening a lot then I wouldn’t worry too much.

Hope so; but my optimism doesn't stretch to imagining that the inlet valves look more like the second photo than the first. The throttle valve looks a lot better, upstream of the soot source, but still getting a clean later.

Do you mean the first and second column: Minor increase in fuel economy at the expense of a minor decrease in comfort

As expected, (electric) EGR valve not looking pretty at all, and several chunks of carbon fell out before I got it off.

I have broken the parking ticket holder on my 2022 Karoq. I know it is screwed in behind the A pillar trim but don't want to chance breaking the trim when removing it without some knowledge of how it comes off. Does anyone know how to safely remove and re-fit the trim piece without damaging it and anything else into the bargain? Thank you.

Going on your definitions above then my Self Charging Niro lies between the Mild and PHEV as it can certainly drive on the seperate and proper electric motor. Oh, and it's got a light coloured roof lining!

I used to own an ALH back in 2018. I've amended it now.

Perhaps the something wrong is your judgement of level using the dipstick? You think you overfilled the vehicle, you do not say how much you siphoned out or how much you added so it was an unknown quantity. You subsequently sucked (not siphoned) out 4 litres and drained a further 0.5 litre from the drain plug which would be around the correct volume, I am assuming it was the sump and not transmission drain plug. You refilled with only 1.5 litres of oil which is far less than the required volume and would not show on the dipstick but you say the dipstick showed over-full, you did wipe it first before dipping? 1.5 litres would be just enough for oil to circulate and develop enough pressure for the low speed (under 2K rpm) oil pressure warning to not declench but once above 2K rpm the high speed oil pressure warning came on as it should. From all that you have said your engine contains 1.5 litres of oil and should be topped up to the correct level.

Also @LightE I can't remember the standard number 😞 but a BSI kite marked pen gauge can be obtained for about £5,

Perhaps I should have added that PHEV can be plugged into a charger to charge the battery - much like a pure EV but with an ICE back up!

Mild hybrid does not have an electric motor capable of moving the car, frequently it's just a beefed up starter motor that just adds a bit of power to the petrol engine on start off. A full hybrid car has powerful electric motors that can move the car without the petrol engine. PHEV’s have a much larger battery that can power the car for many miles without the petrol engine being used. Three different systems entirely.

Over the air updates are not available on the Octavia 3.

The 20 plate has a GFP, the 19 plate doesn't.

Well this proves that everyone has their own view on motors! The Mini Countryman is a petrol car, it drives like a petrol car, sounds like a petrol car and goes as far as most petrol cars on a tank of fuel, replenished in minutes. It maybe a mild hybrid but to all intents and purposes it is a petrol car. In terms of test drives I tested all the cars I tried on the same route, a route I drive on everyday and has a great mixture of very bad surface parts, speed bumps, normal urban driving and faster dual carriageway parts. The Countryman performed well on on all sections, certainly not hard or “crashy” suspension, in fact surprisingly smooth and refined. Brakes were just - well - brakes! performed as well as current Yeti without any hint of grabbing or anything untoward. Of course it’s not an electric car or full hybrid so why would you expect there to be any possibility of “one pedal” driving? My wife has a spinal problem so is very attuned to the comfort of car seats, she found the passenger seat to be very comfortable and supportive, as did I, guess it’s a case of some seats suit some people better than others. I am not tall and with the seat in a normal position could easily reach the central control screen. There are so many variants on the centre screen but major elements always are in the same place so although I would prefer physical buttons and knobs I didn’t find the touch controls difficult to master. To be honest once the climate control is set and other variables set the only changes I would make on the move would be heated seats! I set the controls on my Yeti and don’t think I have changed anything for months or, maybe, years! Similar with gear changing paddles, my Yeti doesn’t have them but I can shift to “Sport” or change gears using the stick if I want. I think I might have used those functions once or twice when I first got the car, since then I simply put it in "drive" and go, certainly won’t miss them. I looked at the new Mini but it was too low for us and the firm ride was not to our liking. But as I said - everyone to their own likes.

I think 18" will unbalance the ride personally, as it will certainly make it harsher.

I have a THS twin pass setup on my black VRS. A few others also run them because of the fitment. I didn’t want to see the piping or anything that would give it away as an intercooler is installed.

Yes but sadly

EGR = Exhaust Gunge Recovery?

ETA: just beaten to it! 😄 Bear in mind July(?) last year VWSkoda for UK finally came in line with Europe and admitted to the the belt change at 15yrs/180k-miles(?). Too late for us as the robbing bastards took £429 off of us, I wished I'd researched the subject more then, such is life. Give the whole belt a good visual check. Bear in mind things like tensioners and pullies can have issues or need replacement, see this post for good details of the ease of belt inspection. - https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/485097-cambelt-change/page/2/#comment-5567999

Owners choice on when to do. VW Group could not care less once cars / engines are out of the Manufacturers Warranty & T&C,s.

Because it has dedicated pins for that purpose? You cannot just connect a switch in parallel. You need one switch in parallel for lock, and one in series for unlock, because switch in the lock motor works connected to ground - locked, disconnected from ground - unlocked. The older 6-pin unit you posted earlier worked the way you'd need, precisely because it didn't have this capability. Btw, what kind of electrician "who knows Fabias and Octavias" cannot read the VW-standard wiring diagram?

Cleared the codes yesterday. Tried the car this morning and the fault wasn’t present anymore.

When I was picking up my car, the dealer has specifically warned me that there could be some funny smells from engine, transmission and brakes during the run-in period. So I would not be concerned in your situation.

Easy job to do. It took me about an hour from start to finish to get the both sides done in an un ergonomic environment (on ground level without a proper car lift). And while at it, I also installed the red Powerflex version of the pendulum mount insert (or what ever it is called).

3 Weeks ago today I bought a 24 plate MY23 Superb 1.4TSI IV SE-Tech spec with 38 miles on the clock, approx £14k off list price. Now back from holiday with 1800 miles done, loving the car. I would think it's one of the last Mk3's registered, imported 29 April, registered 30 May.

+1 to what run4mo says above. If you’re going to get it done then take it somewhere that knows what they’re doing. Get the bus/train/lift home and leave it with them it’s not a quick job. If it was mine, I wouldn’t get it done yet but I understand reasons why for peace of mind you’re thinking of replacing it.

If what has been written in a few VW Group forums is true, then it sounds a lot like it would be a good plan to suffer the inconvenience and time wasting, and get it booked into either a proper VW Group dealership, that can confirm that it has the correct kit to carry out this job on this engine, or find a proper VW Group Indie that can confirm that they have the kit that VW Group claims is needed or maybe even some aftermarket equivalent kit, I think that Laser Tools now supplies a kit for EA211 engine belt changing - this is certainly what I plan to do when the mileage of my wife's 2015 Polo gets "on a bit" currently only at 51,000miles. There is some chatter that it is only the 1.0TSI etc that has variable cam timing on both cams that can end up in a less than satisfactory state after the belt has been replaced - and I certainly do not want my wife's car to end up like that as it performs very well right now! Edit:- sorry, I've deleted that "Edit" as it was meant for another posting I was replying to when I got an alert to @classic's responds to this posting!

The newer models have a revised bush with a thicker ferrule, which seems to wear worse than the old type.

awesome report. I just installed one , not quite the same method but this guide was invaluable. Took me ages, afternoons standing in the rain soldering and struggling with interior trim fixings and a fck-up which knocked out my instument cluster (just a fuse, no speedo unit surgery). Works well but my rear headliner looks like someone's head has crashed into it...never mind

I'd imagine the 140k you mention is based on a dry belt remaining dry, in normal conditions, and not unduly affected by other factors, such as a dousing in oil. Your belt has been contaminated. Like @seriesdriver I'd be having it changed if it were me. Not worth the risk IMO. Gaz

Hi, exposing rubber based belts to used engine oil wont do them any good, if it were mine I probably would change it if a mechanic I trusted had said it was sensible to do so. but the final decision is yours.

Hello I join the group with my Skoda superb combi style 2.0TDI 190CV DSG Columbus navigation, digital speedometer, panoramic sunroof, aux heating, matrix headlights... in love with it

When I fitted the mk4 Golf steering wheel into the Caddy I did not seriously attempt getting the centre horn push to work. I had got used to using a horn button on the dashboard, and given the (mostly self-inflicted) difficulty I had getting the wheel fitted, I had no reason for expecting that the horn push would be straightforward. Then one day I was in the workshop doing something else when I noticed that the gap between the rear face of the Golf wheel and the sprung horn contact might just be conducive to a simple fix. I had a standard Felicia wheel in the garage, and it took only a couple of minutes to remove the horn contact ring from that, and barely longer to size it up against the gap it needed to fit into and confirm that it looked about right. Good enough to take the wheel off and have a closer look. Both the Golf wheel and the Felicia contact ring have three unevenly spaced mounting holes, which looked as if they were at approximately the same spacing, but the holes are not on the same PCD so I could not simply bolt them together. All I had to do to get round this was to open up the holes on the wheel a little with a drill, and then use flanged screws to attach them together. With that done, in classic Haynes manual style, reassembly was a reverse of the process involved to take it apart. I retained the dashboard mounted horn button as well, partly because it was there already and there was nothing to be gained from removing it, but mostly because my eldest grandson likes to go in the workshop and sound the Caddy’s horn, using that button, so I definitely do not want to spoil his fun.

in google play store you can see the app details: Tracking & explore - now available in SK, AT, FI, DE (descoped), PT, CH, SI, GB, FR, IE and ES

Lonely forum for me..... Anyways found a source for MIB firmware updates - follow Mr Fix on Youtube Used an ODB scanner and found an error code B127013 - Impedance Converter for DAB radio 1 - Open circuit. Removed tailgate trim to locate DAB antenna amplifier. Replaced unit 5E5035577B from breaker on eBay - managed to find a brand new genuine part for £25. All fixed now. Relatively easy - once your confident in removing trim (don't be scared of the clicks or worry about break the trim itself).

Pic of my car, picked up last monday but forgot to post.

After spending the last few weeks focused on this, I thought I'd write up my experiences in retrofitting a Columbus headunit with DAB to my Rapid. There's a lot of different posts scattered around so I've tried to collate as much as I can here. Note that I have focused on Swing to Columbus, but most of the information here can be used to go from Amundsen to Columbus too. I'm no good with terminology - what's a Swing headunit? The Swing headunit was the standard option on the Rapid. It has FM/AM radio and a CD drive. It interfaces with the USB and AUX ports below the heater controls (known as MDI), an external Bluetooth (module to provide calls and music playback and displays information on the instrument cluster (known as Maxidot). If you have OEM parkig sensors they will also display on this unit too. If you have a multifunction steering wheel (MFSW) this also controls the unit. And what's a Columbus headunit? The Skoda Columbus headunit was never offered an an OEM option for Rapids but is a popular retrofit option. This headunit is also known as the RNS 510 which is the VW variant of the same headunit and only differs in the backlight illumination (green for Skoda, red for VW) and the startup logo. This is a touchscreen navigation headunit with a DVD drive (you can watch movies on it while the vehicle is stationary) which also interaces with MDI, external Bluetooth and Maxidot like the Swing. It comes with its own SD card slot and a hard drive to store music on. It also displays parking sensor information if you have them fitted, MFSW compatible and has voice control. Additionally some come with DAB / DAB+ and the hard drive can either be a traditional HDD (spindle) or SSD (a big memory card) each with different storage capacities. On top of all that the screen can also either be LCD or LED (newer). Sounds complicated - how can I tell which one I am getting? Best thing is to ask the seller, you can also use the part number to help which is in the form 3TO 035 686 ?, where the ? is one of the following letters: A - first version, SD card slot takes a 2GB card max B - ? C - ? L - LED screen And where do I get one from? You're best bet is through eBay / Guntree. There are many sellers out there, some who are selling their units because they have a new car, some who are refurbishers / ICE sellers. There are VW retrofit specialists who also sell them through their websites. And of course, Briskoda classifieds! Expect to pay £300-600 for one, feature/condition dependant. Anything to look out for? Some units have upgraded firmware which allows "Video In Motion" i.e. you can watch DVDs while driving. Personally I'd prefer getting an unfettled unit as you don't know what the source of the firmware is. Check the stickers are intact on the outside in case the mainboards have been switched or the hard drive has been replaced / upgraded; again personal preference. Aside from that the usual checks for cracked screen, missing buttons, wear and tear etc. Oh, and make sure the unit comes with the code! The code is a 4-digit number specific to the unit and you will need it once you connect it up to your vehicle. Do I need anything else? A GPS antenna for the navigation and if your unit supports it, a DAB aerial too. These are around £10-15 each for the simple stick-on types. The connector types are Fakra. You will also need a new surround which can be purchased from a Skoda dealer (I paid £7.50), part number 5JA858415 9B9. That's quite an outlay for old tech ... It's true that there is no native Apple CarPlay / Android Auto or apps like Spotify and the UX looks dated compared to newer vehicles. However it will depend on your requirements. Some (like myself) prefer to go down an OEM route for the looks and playing nicely with the rest of the car. Some may not be fussed about that and want something with all the latest and greatest tech. Some aftermarket units will interface with Maxidot / MFSW but you would have to wire in a new mic for the Bluetooth as well as GPS / DAB etc. Note that there is a company called Ampire who have an interface which enables Apple CarPlay / Android Auto for the Columbus but it's very expensive (£800 at the time of writing). There is also a Skoda approved Kenwood interface which replaces the navigation with Garmin and adds Spotify (part number ZGB500051259, it's not sold anymore by Skoda but I have seem them pop up on eBay for around £200-250. Food for thought. Any other OEM units I could consider? There is another OEM headunit called the RCD 330 which was/is installed in Asian markets - this has a more modern interface with Android Auto / Apple CarPlay but no DAB and Bluetooth is built-in so you would need another mic. The Rapids could be spec'd with a unit called Amunsden (RNS 310 / 315) which is similar to the Columbus but with a smaller screen, no DVD, no voice control and no hard drive. These are a cheaper alternative but ensure you get one without Bluetooth built-in so that it can interface with your existing BT module (the MAC address on the label of the unit should read all zeros). These come in DAB variants too. There is another unit called Bolero, I don't know much about this but it looks similar to Amundsen but I believe it's older. Below is a table I've put together to compare the different options. Understood. How do I get it installed? Swapping the head unit over is a super simple DIY job, with just a screwdriver required and it should take no longer than 20 minutes to do. You will also need to wire in the GPS and DAB antennas too if you have those, which will take a little longer and depending on where you put them. I spent 90 minutes on mine which is a DAB+ so two antennas to wire in plus the headunit itself. @deanobanks93has an excellent illustrated guide HERE on how to swap the head unit over; although it's a different unit he/she is putting in the same instructions apply. Remove the surround with your fingers / trim tool, remove the 4 T20 Torx screws holding the unit into place, remove the quadlock and radio antenna connectors, plug them into the new unit and screw it back into the housing. Simple enough. What about the DAB and GPS antennas? Let's start with the GPS antenna. This should be stuck on to a metal part of the vehicle. I decided to put mine on the metal on the side of the dashboard. It's easy to get to and gives good reception (more on this later). Some stick it behind the unit on a metal part of the frame too. I'd recommend investing in some trim removal tools which are only a couple of quid from eBay delivered. Remove the side trim using a trim removal tool or you can push it out from the back if you get your hands behind the trim by going under and behind the glovebox where the fuse box is. There's three clips which disengage once you apply some pressure. Once this is removed, you can see the metal where the aerial can be stuck. I put mine on the outside, some have placed them on the inside too. Stick the antenna on then you need to thread the wire through to the headunit along the top of the glovebox. If you have another pair of hands or very thin arms you can just about get it through; however I ended up using a drain unblocker tool which is flexbile enough to poke through the gap while being rigid when pushed; tie the end of the antenna to it then push it along until you get to the headunit. There is a small opening to the left of the headunit where you can thread the wire into. Once through connect to the headunit (the blue connection at the top). I placed my DAB aerial on the top-left corner of the windscreen, it's a stick-on type. You will need to remove the pillar trim using a trim removal tool then feed the wire down the pillar and back through the top of the glovebox. I also tucked my wire at the antenna side into the headliner then down for a neater finish. You can get other types of aerials - I'm considering an all-in-one sharkfin which has FM/AM, DAB and GPS but it would require routing the cables from the back of the vehicle. A neater solution if you can do it (I was quoted around £300 by a local car audio specialist for this). Once done, give it a test - there are settings in the unit which show the DAB and GPS signal strength. Mine were fine for my area. Put all your trim back and get the kettle on - you deserve it. The final optional step is to tell the car that you have Navigation so the Maxidot can display turn-by-turn instructions. This is a case of coding via VDCS, you can look HERE for members nearby who can do this for you if you so wish. Seems doable. How's the unit itself? If you've come from Swing it's a huge improvement. The sound quality is noticeably improved and you now have navigation with traffic, in-built music storage, DVD playback, voice control, an SD card slot and DAB (if you chose it) with a touchscreen interface and you still have all your existing funtionality as it was before. The Maxidot displays DAB stations, and lets you control the music on the new sources (SD / hard drive). You can now also stop / forward / rewind tracks on your connected Bluetooth device and they will stop playing on your device when you switch sources on the Columbus which is another big win if you use your phone to play music; the BT audio mode on the Swing is very primitive and acts like an AUX source. Phone calls can also be initiated on the screen instead of using just Maxidot and you can setup speed dials rather than having to scroll through phonebooks or calling lists. If you have DAB, you probably won't need be listening to FM/AM, so now's the time to ditch the fugly long aerial and replace it. I went with a 3cm stubby variant, very low cost but looks so much better. I don't think a sharkfin would work as the roof is slightly sloped at the back which means it may not sit correctly - maybe one to try out in the future. And any downsides? The main one is the screen - it's resistive so requires some firm presses on the screen, not like your modern capacitive smart phone screens. It takes a little getting used to in this day in age but unless you're constantly fiddling with the screen while driving it's not a huge deal. You always have the option of the voice control to perform those tasks too. The system can take some time to startup compared to the Swing, which I think is to do with loading music from your various sources. On the Swing it seemed to load files from USB once you selected a folder where as the Columbus it seems to do it all on startup. One thing that does annoy me is the right knob in DAB mode - I was hoping that turning it would scroll through my presets but it brings up the manual tuner which is completely pointless. You can use the arrows on the screen and the stalk so not something that keeps me up at night. Anything else I should know? The maps and firmware can be updated, I'm not planning on this as I bought a relatively new unit. You can also change the startup logo. If you want the Bluetooth audio to play from your Spotify app on your phone you may need to open the app on your phone first. I also have a Music app to play locally stored files and the unit picks up whatever app was last used. On my phone at least I have to turn on "Bluetooth autoplay" in the Columbus for Spotify to work, if you don't you have to manually play a track in Spotify first. Thanks, this has been helpful. You're welcome - if you have any questions feel free to contact me. There's also a few ICE experts here who can help. If there's any mistakes in the above please let me know and I will amend.