TheWanderer

Guess who's just jinxed themselves! 😄

Anyway this is what my phone sits in when in the car. An automated Baseus wireless charger cradle attached to a Brodit Clip. It charges at 10w, even though it's attached to a 60w adapter. But it also allows the phone to be connected to the USB port or charger via USB as well with no issues.

The screen isn't always off, that's settings dependant. Also it depends on what you want to use in AA. I tend not to use it as I don't have any need to as most of the time if I do a long journey I do know in advance where I am going and what I want to listen to if anything. I can also get Google to launch things via voice commands so in reality it is pretty superfluous, I use Waze more than anything if I want to be kept apprised about traffic information, however I try my best to choose the quicker and quieter routes for my journeys of over 100 miles.

I'd suggest having a word with your dealer to see if actually exists on your car and if it does, has it been activated.

I think that a wireless charger may struggle to maintain the battery as an S20 will only charge wirelessly at 10w. You're going to need something else, just to keep the battery level stable a wireless charger isn't going to cut it. I use waze and have my S20+ on a wireless charger attached to a Brodit Clip and it struggles to maintain the battery level.

If so then that's really going to cane the battery life, your going to need to have a fairly good charger attached to compensate for the power being drawn.

Maybe for security reasons you have to use the QR code to connect to it?

Definitely WiFi in the car? I would suggest getting your phones firmware updated via the settings menu on your phone or Smart Switch. I know that Android 12 is available for the S20 range as that's what I have have been using for a few weeks now. After that you're probably going to find another version of Android Auto. Also your phone locked or unlocked aka sim free. Check in Settings.

Do you have Smartlink?

In the car have you scanned for WiFi or turned on your phones WiFi?

It can be an expensive lesson if you are pulled over by the police and they check it, they can forcibly remove it by getting it peeled off there and then or issue a rectification notice, fine and possibly penalty points as well. Ask yourself is it really worth it? Do you want to be a target for the police and drive a pimp mobile?

It's £20 for a laptop cd drive on Amazon that's powered by USB If you really want to have a CD player.

What I would suggest that you do is get your printed order/invoice and make arrangements for the car to be returned to the dealer for them to activate it FOC as you're either paying or have paid for it as part of the sales contract.

Just buy an economy pack of tranquillisers for your shattered nerves if the threads on here are anything to go buy. Good luck.

Have you tried using an external DVD drive intended for a laptop? They're about £20.

So want one, but can't do it with the current situation of the Mk4. 😥

A slightly redacted copy of the email that I sent to the dealer this morning, well 0045! Hi [redacted] It's nothing you have done, it's just the amount of chats that I have had with Mk4 owners who have been forced to reject their cars because of the large number of technical issues with software and their cars having to have significant hardware items replaced because of faults. There are issues with speeds being shown in Kilometers per hour instead of Miles per hour, headlights having the wrong focus for this country, camera issues, adaptive cruise not allowing them to pass on the inside of other traffic without slamming the brakes on, emergency brake applications at speed and random for no reason (downright dangerous), SOS calls being made at random, infotainment systems being replaced and the list goes on. It's taken a year to get my car sorted out and it's working well at the moment and I'm relatively happy with it, although I don't trust it one jot, but it's working and that is the main thing. Like I have said with all of the significant issues that I know about from Mk4 owners are having and Skoda not giving a damn about sorting these pretty major and significant problems out with these critical systems and also from what I can see of it, treating owners not only with contempt, but as guinea pigs to test their software and hardware out on, I don't want to take the risk on a car that has so many problems. So I hope that you can understand why I don't want to proceed with it, because I could find myself in the same position as they've been in that I would have to reject the car, leaving me with no car at all. If and when they actually get the cars critical systems working properly and reliably with none of the problems I have mentioned occurring, I'll consider having one. So for the meantime I'm keeping my existing car. Yours. [Redacted]

Have any you folk used/bought an extended warranty from them? They seem reasonably priced, but I thought that I'd ask for personal experiences before making a purchase. Thanks.

Having looked around for something else that I would like and failing, I've notified the dealer that I won't be proceeding with the purchase of a Mk4 as I don't want all of the software and electronic systems issues that it currently has and as my Mk3 is now running well having had all of the electronic gremlins sorted, I'll be keeping it. Also I don't want to be locked into deal for a car with known software and electronic system issues that Skoda seem to be in no hurry to rectify.

Had a Kia before and never again. A fuel habit which would put a Hummer to shame.

Need an automatic (DSG or similar). I haven't driven a manual boxed car in nearly 20 years.

Well I haven't made any decisions yet. These software issues are really bugging me (no pun intended) and putting me off, but the valuation of the car is making it tempting, especially with all of the problems I've had with my current car, just to get shot of it would be a bonus. However the dealer has said that they will be able to get my PCP extended as a result of the long delivery times and delays. I have now discounted the Jag which has gone out of my price range now when it comes to the petrol engine derivative. The BMW is borderline due to configuration issues. The only thing I can find is the new (MY22) Focus ST that's broadly similar in spec and a bit cheaper to buy, but I find Ford's manufacturers ratings rather poor rather off putting. Had a look at Golf GTi, but they're silly money and as they're of the same "family" I suspect that they will be experiencing the same issues as Skoda. Completely and utterly confused now.

Well I've had a good long discussion with them and they've guaranteed me £12½k for 12 months time, because that's how long the waiting list is for an RS! In 12 months time I'll have paid off just under another £5k of the PCP. I'm required to pay a £1k deposit to initiate the order. However I'm now seriously split, because the availability of a Jag to a similar specification is the same 12 months, it's a little more, but I won't get the same offer as Skoda. BMW wouldn't let me build a car to anything like the specification of my current car because it won't allow me to due to supply issues. So I'm now thinking with that in mind that in 12 months time, they really SHOULD have got to grips with the gremlins and software and it may well arrive as a Mk4.5! I specified the wireless charging, spare wheel, DCC and winter pack, travel assist + quartz grey paint. I was going to have Mamba Green, but it's a solid colour rather than metallic and I'm seriously interested in the Phoenix Orange, but not sure whether I can live with it on a day to day basis. So all in all, all I have actually achieved is to confuse myself even more! 🙃

Two conflicting views 😄

I've been offered £22k for a Mk3 RS by WBAC, going to see what a dealer will offer me this afternoon against a Mk4 RS. I've got about £12-13k left on my pcp, but I'm wondering if I'm doing the right thing even considering a Mk4 with the current situation regarding the Mk4 software reliability issues. What would you do?