Yogi-Bear

Don’t conflate and confuse data with method of delivery. The traffic data is no longer being delivered over ‘the radio’ (a simplification) because it is no longer being broadcast by the data provider in that manner. This method of delivery was free to you because it required nothing else. The traffic data is still available via ‘the Internet’, which is why it works when you provide an Internet connection via your phone. Cars with built in SIMs can get it from ‘the Internet’ because they have built in connectivity. However, this data is only available if you have an ‘Infotainment Online’ subscription, no matter if your car has a built in SIM or not. edit: the reason TMC isn’t crossed out when receiving data via the Internet isn’t because your car is suddenly receiving TMC again… it’s because VAG have a poorly coded UI that uses TMC to indicate traffic data is being received, whether that’s actually via TMC or via the Internet. Your car won’t be receiving it via TMC because the data isn’t being broadcast via the TMC channel it listens in anymore.

I don't. Nope. The licences were paid for by the vehicle manufacturers. The document you posted about licensing even says that explicitly. It even states, in the very next sentence, how long the vehicle will continue to receive the service for... And this is precisely what has happened. (Edit: and cars are only set up with one or other of the systems/providers - not both. Manufacturers won't pay 2 x licence fees for the same thing just in case this happens!). Don't believe everything you read on forums 😉. How can it possibly start working again if the traffic information is no longer being broadcast? Yes, but cars are configured to listen for it on a certain channel. If it is no longer being broadcast on that channel, then the cars do not receive it. This ties in with the TT forum post I linked to - changing the configuration to listen for TMC messages on the other channel (the one INRIX use) appears to fix the problem because the car is now receiving the data from INRIX. But nothing you do will enable a car to receive traffic on the channel that was used by Trafficmaster, because it's no longer being broadcast on that channel. Having thought about it, I suspect that VAG (and the other impacted manufacturers) will just shrug their shoulders - if they were to provide a software update to change all existing cars over to INRIX, they'd have to pay the licence fee for each existing car. And I don't see them doing that... However, as I said, just because the licence fee hasn't been paid for a particular car, doesn't necessarily mean that car cannot be configured to receive the messages...

I'm not disputing that. But your assertion - or question - about it disappearing from VAG vehicles due to licensing is wrong (or if it was a question, the answer is no). It's got nothing to do with VAG not paying for the licensing anymore, or anything like that. The service simply ceased to exist, therefore any cars that used that service (i.e. all VAG cars to that point) no longer receive any information because it isn't being broadcast - not because they don't have a licence. And just because a service requires a licence to use it legally doesn't mean it's technically impossible to receive that service without a licence. See also the TV licence and the ability to receive and watch broadcast TV without one.

INRIX isn't new. There were always (afaik) two systems, until Trafficmaster shut theirs down. Which one was used is/was down to the manufacturer. VAG have never used INRIX. TMC has disappeared from VAG cars because they used Trafficmaster, and the service doesn’t exist anymore - it’s got absolutely nothing to do with licensing, cars are set up to use one or the other. VAG could move over to INRIX - see that link to the TT forum I posted, that suggests a simple coding change can be done (which I suppose means a software update could do the same, maybe). Whether or not new VAG cars now come with that change and use INRIX, I have no idea - but the fact that someone got it working in an old VAG car suggests either the license fee has been paid by VAG and new cars do use it… or there’s absolutely no technical enforcement to check if the receiver of the information is from a manufacturer who has paid up.

I wasn't taking anything out of context. I was simply clarifying that it isn't just VAG customers and providing more information explaining the cause of all this. If I insulted you in any way, then I'm awfully sorry.

For what it's worth, it may be possible to use VCDS to change the system to use the INRIX system. See this thread: https://www.ttforum.co.uk/threads/fixed-rds-tmc-no-longer-working-in-uk.2032197/ Edit: and in case anyone is interested... some background reading on the switchover to DAB and impact on TMC etc. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7b576a40f0b64646935832/Traffic_and_Travel_Report_1_.pdf

Not true... anyone who used the Trafficmaster service. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_message_channel United Kingdom The INRIX[67] provides a commercial TMC service, iTMC in the United Kingdom. It is broadcast nationally on Classic FM and other commercial radio stations. The BBC Charter prohibits it from carrying a commercial service. ITIS provides traffic data on RDS-TMC to major automotive companies (BMW, Mercedes, Toyota, Ford, Renault, Jaguar Land Rover and others). The price of the service is included in the price of the car or navigation system. This system uses Floating Vehicle Data, which include positional information from over 160,000 fleet vehicles fitted. The data is complemented by journalistic or "Incident" data provided by Trafficlink. Trafficlink is owned by ITIS and provides traffic and travel bulletins to BBC Radio and to over 95% of the UK commercial radio stations. Incident data includes road works, accidents and closures. Trafficmaster, a Teletrac Navman brand, operated a national service using local and regional radio broadcaster Global Radio which provided reception across mainland Britain. This system used road-side infrastructure to measure vehicle travel time between sensors placed a few miles apart, and used number plate recognition technology. Data sources used by Teletrac Navman included Floating Vehicle data from fitted telematics devices, 8500 under-road inductance loops, over 1800 CCTV cameras, Congestion Zone charging cameras, Police control rooms plus a proprietary network of ANPR and IR sensors cameras across the road network. Teletrac Navman provided traffic data on RDS-TMC to major automotive OEM brands including VW, Audi, Skoda, Mazda, Chrysler, Honda, Seat and Vauxhall. Teletrac Navman also supplies the Department for Transport with historical traffic data for modelling purposes which is used by central and local governments and their sub-contractors when analyzing road network improvement opportunities. The Trafficmaster service via RDS-TMC was withdrawin at the end of March 2023.

Yeah… think I’m done with any need for 7 seats, at least until grandkids start appearing (not for a while yet though, hopefully!). And a hybrid would suit me perfectly - 95% of the journeys I do would be on the electric power only, but having the engine for long trips and holidays would be ideal. Try as I might though, I still can’t get myself to like the new design. The inside is ok, but I just don’t like the outside. And the pricing doesn’t make it stand out in the value category anymore. I’ve still got 16 months on my current PCP, but I don’t think I’ll be getting Kodiaq #3, and that makes me a bit sad because I’ve absolutely loved the first two…

In my experience, plug-in hybrids need plugging in to charge. They can recoup some battery power when braking, but the engine doesn't recharge the battery in the same way as in a mild hybrid. For what it's worth, my first Kodiaq was a 150bhp TSI, and it coped perfectly well with the Pyrenees.

With the virtual cockpit, the only way (or, at least, the only way I know of) is to dig into the menus and do it that way. It's bloody annoying.

May or may not be a daft question, but where in the world are you...? Simply trying to work out if it could be absolutely nothing to do with the car: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cne900k4wvjo

That'll be a Mk1. This is the Mk2 section of the forum. But then I've just noticed that the title is "Mk2 (2023- )", which isn't right because it's now 2024 and the order books have only just opened. A tad confusing...

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/skoda/kodiaq-suv/ tl;dr - Pros: Massively flexible, lots of spec choice, sensible interior, smooth to drive Cons: Not as good value as it used to be, not particularly exciting

https://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/servicing-maintenance-fixed-price Your local independent may be cheaper, they may not.

It's also there for the SE L in 5-seat guise, as PHEV is only going to be available with 5-seats. I wonder if that means we're going to get the choice of 5-seats across all the trims for the first time in the UK...? Or will they not offer the PHEV on the higher trims (SportLine, L&K) and remain 7-seat only for them...?

Pretty sure front and rear sensors were standard on quite a few models, certainly pre-facelift (before 2021). Possibly post-facelift too, but the chip shortage just as the facelift was launched really messed up the specs. The optional park assist adds side sensors as well as autonomous parking - maybe that would be a better option to look for than the cameras? And I think the L&K is the only trim level that had Area View (the 360 cameras) as standard.

Can't help you directly, but worth bearing in mind that order books for the new Mk2 have just opened, so unless Motability can still supply a Mk1 (no idea when you'd be ordering it...), no-one will yet have experience and/or photos of what you'll get. However, the boot is supposedly bigger on the Mk2, so if someone comes along and says they can fit everything you're on about in their current Kodiaq, you should be good to go. That is if you can stomach the rather high prices Skoda are charging for the Mk2 - which I would expect (all things being equal) to carry through to the Motability scheme, at least to begin with (new model demand and all that).

I’ve got older ones that are still going strong after 5 or so years - the 66 and original Mini. The app does all the magic of syncing & overlaying the rear image onto the front one when you export saved videos. In my old bear, I ran a USB cable all the way from the rear through the boot and under the bottom of the door trims on the left side, and the front one down the windscreen trim, hardwiring them both into the fuse box. With the USB port in the mirror on the facelift bear, I just use that and the 12v socket in the boot.

Yeah... I think it's Amazon's silly pricing algorithms gone mad - probably lack of supply pushing the price up as there is a new version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-BoostCharge-Wireless-Charging-Compatible-Black-dp-B09F8RLBQY/dp/B09GRJ2S8X/ref=dp_ob_title_ce?th=1 Edit: or the non-powered version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Belkin-MagSafe-Magnetic-Holder-iPhone/dp/B095Y6M8J2

Wow. Can’t believe that’s from Amazon and not a third party rip off merchant. It shouldn’t be anywhere near that. And I have it on the middle vent next to the screen…

I have Garmin webcams - they’re not paired in any way to each other, and the one I have for the rear is a small one with no screen. The only wires are for power. The app on my phone connects to both of them for config, downloading images etc.

It's never been /that/ bad when properly raining... it's when it's a bit damp and so it wipes across an almost-dry rear window that's the biggest issue. Anyway, sounds a million times better than the original (not exactly a challenge), so I will have to overcome my lethargy and replace mine at some point.

If anyone could reprogram a key to open another vehicle, that would be a major security hole. I’m not even sure dealers can do this, and they may well refuse or be unable to reprogram a key and only be able to supply a new key preprogrammed somewhere else (the factory).

Wowzers… 1.5l mild hybrid SE L with options to match (and, admittedly exceed in some cases) my current vRS costs near enough £48k, which is more than the list price of my vRS was with its options. I completely understand why they do these options ‘packages’, but it does mean that if you want one thing, you tend to end up paying through the nose for it because you also have to have options you don’t want. All manufacturers seem to have cottoned on to this though - it would seem the old a la carte menu of options is a thing of the past. (Incidentally, a fully kitted out new Countryman JCW is the same price as that)