TheWanderer

Because Skoda want to charge a small fortune for additional functionality, functionality which more often than not is a simple software tweak which can be done by someone who knows what they are doing eg a Skoda trained technician who may be interested in getting some extra cash on the side or someone who knows VCDS or OBD11 inside and out and can do the job without any issues rearing their ugly heads. OK, you can do it yourself and at your own risk, but it can backfire and you and you end up with a nasty large and unnecessary bill for a garage to put it right.

That's why I suggested that the OP tried another brand of android phone to see if there's an issue with Google. Because if you get another brand of phone and it works, it's more probable than not that there's a block on any Huawei device using any Google software app, as you correctly say a trigger (checksum or suchlike) in there stopping it from running.

All this will be discussed at detail tomorrow. The quote they gave me namely the Total Selling Price inc VAT and Delivery is just over £36,700. It comes to about £39½k at the end of the 4 year pcp.

I'm lucky it shows my total price (TSP) is just over £36,700 IIRC.

I have a similar problem on my existing car and when it comes back online, it thinks it's 01/01/1970 and around midnight! It's doing the time warp again!

Basically leave it to someone else who actually knows what they are doing. Namely a professional, although that still may have repercussions.

I've been advised by Lookers that if I pay a £500 refundable deposit, that will lock the price at the current level, and if they (I'm assuming they mean Skoda UK) don't accept it and increase the order price I can have a refund and walk away. I will take it that by paying the deposit fee that I have entered into a legally binding contract with Skoda UK (created legal relations) and that fixes the price I will be paying subject to interest.

Basically, this is inviting trouble for car owners who aren't experienced in doing things like this and, as a consequence, end up having electronic issues and the car having to go into a dealership for rectification work which has to be paid for at their own expense.

From what I've been able to find between 2½ and 3%.

Which is odd because they changed that at least twice. 😯

Depends on whether GS were "side loaded" onto the phone or not and whether Google took any action to mitigate against sideloading of GS on Huawei devices and stop apps like AA from functioning. Like I said before the best way to find out would be to get someone with a Samsung or Sony etc device with AA on and plug it into the car. If that functions then there's a reasonable probability that the phone is blocked by Google from using it as it (AA) uses GSs therefore breaching the embargo by US & Western Governments.

Ah... You never said that your phone was Huawei. Huawei is blacklisted by Google services due to the US (and most of the Western world governments) having security concerns and possible security breaches and leaks to the Chinese government and of course Android and Android Auto is run by Google. The best way to find out if this is now the case, borrow a friend's Android phone non-Huawei and plug it into your car. If that works then you will have found your answer.

Well they're going to have to take the hit, because the pcp contract will be for 48 months @ £357.

I have no idea. What they did, all I do know is that it stops the oil sensor failure alarm going off on it. That thing has been replaced 6 times, tested 6 times and it kept failing, so they did something to the wiring harness and I don't get the failure alarm anymore. 🙂

I also seem to recall a setting in the infotainment system regarding USB, but I can't remember what it is or where it is. 🤔

But if you are going into London and ULEZ then with all of the speed cameras you're not really going to use it, ideally find an Octavia TDi for sale and get the registration number and pop it into the ULEZ checker and see what it returns. I wouldn't get a diesel for city driving and loads of short trips as it will probably go into limp mode when the catalyst gets bunged up or it will use more diesel than expected as it does a regen more frequently.

That's unusual for Rezaw Plast. Ive had two liners from them for my Octavia RS'S and both have been excellent and fitted perfectly and at an excellent price too. The only thing I found is that it smelt a bit funny when I opened the package, but that soon went.

If you order something like a car and sign the contract for it and the price goes up, they can't charge you the extra. By signing it you have agreed to form legal relations. Read this article: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5769084/car-dealer-offered-me-a-deal-signed-the-contract-now-he-wants-to-increase-the-price/p3 I'm just about to place an order and seal the deal with a £1k deposit. Once I sign on the proverbial dotted line, the contract is live and legally binding on both sides. If Skoda UK then decide to up the price and try to make me pay the difference then I will cancel the order and contract with immediate effect and get my deposit back. It's a bit like going into a supermarket seeing something that you want at £2.50 and then at the checkout it tries to charge you a fiver, you can say that the price on the shelf says that and that's the price of it, if they won't budge on it, just say in that case I don't want it and walk away. Invariably they'll let you have it for the price on the shelf and take the hit once.

The ECUs aren't all the same, some are unique to certain models, just as cable looms are. They can be vastly different depending on specific order options, engines etc. My car has a special bespoke wiring loom fitted to prevent certain thing's happening with it.

Definitely check the USB settings menu on your phone and a decent quality cable, Anker on Amazon is good, as is Amazon's own brand. As it's an Android device, have a look in tethering settings, another way to access USB settings is to activate developer mode in settings. To activate it. Settings ➡️ About phone ➡️ Software Information ➡️ Build Number. Tap Build Number between 5-7 times, if you have done it correctly the phone will show a small dialogue box, saying Developer Mode is active. So now when you go into the settings menu right down at the bottom you'll find Developer options. In there, there are a couple of USB options, only tinker with settings in here if you know what you're doing. 😉

Unless you do high mileage then a diesel isn't worth it, a petrol engine is better. Here is a ULEZ checker ULEZ Checker. I can't remember what year they started to install DAB infotainment systems into their cars, personally I don't think that it's all that great anyway.

Yeah. The only RS's they had were an iV version which was a salesmans and a very nice black one, which wasn't as well specced as my current car. Also being 2nd hand you don't know who owned it or how they treated it, it could have been ragged up and down the motorway like a loon, but then again it might well have been cared for well. If I buy brand new, I get a factory fresh car, no MOT to worry about, no worries about how it has been treated, a warranty and possibly some services thrown in for good measure. Caveat Emptor is the phrase that pays. The one thing that I am hoping for is that all of the software issues that have plagued other members of the forum, will have been sorted out by the time it arrives, I might even get a facelifted version of it, should there be one.

I had a good nose around a Karoq today and sat in it for a while and it's lovely and comfortable and whilst the increased ride height is quite nice, the large lump/hump of the bonnet is not for me. If the bonnet was slightly flatter I'd probably have gone for it, I guess that I just like the flatter bonnet of the Octavia RS. Thanks for all of your help and input.

Best part of it is that if I put a £1k deposit on it, my monthly payments go up by just a 5 er!

A new order, but they're still offering me that as part of the sales contract! Im stunned. Garlands would only offer £13k. I guess they're desperate for sales. Did have a trip out in the new hybrid RS and that's bloody awesome and fast.