Baxlin

Admittedly mine was the plug and play version for my Amundsen unit, but I couldn’t get it to work at all initially. I was convinced it was installed correctly, and that all the connections were secure. However, with nothing to lose, I pulled the glove box etc out, undid all the connections, and redid them, and it then worked perfectly. I have no idea which connector was to blame, only that one of them was! Also, I made sure that when I pushed the unit back in, it didn’t foul any of the cabling, as this might have pulled a joint slightly out of place. Possibly worth a try? Hope you can solve it.

We had a 61 reg 1.6 diesel Fabia, used mainly for short trips, so it wasn’t an unusual occurrence for the DPF light to come on. We have a local by-pass so a couple of laps in third gear at 2500-3000 revs dealt with it until the next time.

SUCCESS!! So, after a rainy few days, I was able to look at this again. I took the glovebox out and pulled the infotainment unit out again, and unplugged all the connectors. Plugged them back in, getting what seemed the same clicks as they went in place, and the camera worked. Had a bit of trouble getting the removal tools out, but well worth it. Excellent picture, and it has the ‘steering’ lines, which is good. Thanks all Malcolm

Sorry about all these posts! I’ve now got the plan view of the car to shrink to the left when reverse is selected, but still no picture. (There’s nothing blocking the lens, thought I’d better mention that!)

Both connections are tight, the fuse is OK, everything else on the screen works as before. Anyone any ideas? Disappointed is an understatement!

Update: I managed to do the boot end of the job without removing the upper (hard plastic) tailgate trim at all. Truth is, I couldn’t work out how it came off! Also, I didn’t remove the lower one completely, just wedged it out of the way. The WD40 into the gaiter worked well, and I used a lace curtain wire to feed the cable through the tailgate. I went the upper route for the cabling, very straightforward, thanks. BUT: I can’t make it work! Apart from there being no camera picture, everything else works just as it did before I started. So it must be the camera’s connection. So it’s back to the boot to make sure that one’s OK. If it’s not that, I have no idea what’s wrong. Watch this space! (That’s all I can do, there’s nothing else new for me to watch! 😩)

Sorry about the photo quality, but this is my dash cam. It’s the second car with DAB it’s been fitted to, it just about killed the signal in my new Lexus, but it’s perfect in my 18 reg SE L Octavia 1.4 TSI. Not being very helpful, I know, but I can’t see any brand name on it, and I bought it in 2015. The reason for posting is that it’s not necessarily just the camera at fault.

Very good point. memo to self: don’t ask for advice then ignore it!

Well, the camera arrived safely today, complete with unit removing tools, and the tailgate handle is the same shape/size as on the car, so it looks like I ordered the correct one. Thx again Weyland. The trim removing tools came earlier in the week, and I’m intending to use net curtain rod to feed the cable through. So I’m all set to go, apart from plucking up courage to start taking the car apart! (I assume all who have done this have informed their insurers, what has been the general response?) Malcolm

Loving my Octavia 3, but just one niggle. If every other manufacturer can have the wipers parked below the bonnet level, yet still be able to lift them to clean the screen, why do Skoda have to have this awkward ‘service’ position for the wipers? (apologies if this is in the wrong thread)

My 3 yr old one was the same: yes, brolly and scraper in their right places, so I put the warning triangle and the first aid kit I’d bought for my previous (non Skoda) car in the appropriate (but empty) straps in the Octavia. And the hi-vis vest went into the pocket in the front of the driver’s seat, with a spare in the glove compartment. These will go to my next car whatever/whenever that is!

FWIW, on my (admittedly aftermarket) reverse camera on my Volvo, the picture was greatly improved at night by increasing the wattage of both reversing light bulbs, even though the camera had LEDs around the lens. I wasn’t too worried about the extra heat, as they’re not on for very long at a time: not sure about the legality of having 21w reversing lights though, instead of 6w... Of course, this might not be possible if the rear light cluster is all LED

OK Ken, let’s agree to differ, and leave it there. Malcolm 🤝

Assume = ass of u and me - so where does that put you as well? 🤫

From Eden Tyres website

I agreed with this for years, but was put right by an Advanced driving instructor. Can’t remember the reason, but it made sense at the time!

I must have been lucky - my new-to-me 18 reg Octavia 3 SE L came with full size spare, with jack etc in its polystyrene insert, just like in the old days! (And the umbrella was still in the passenger seat cubby...)

Having just bought my Mk3, no, I’m not going to change for a mk4! 🙂

I’ve recently bought a March 18 reg 1.4 TSI SE L DSG (what a mouthful!) on what I took to be a general consensus on here and other forums that it was the better engine/gearbox combination. Have to say so far I’m delighted with it, the performance at least as good as my previous car, a manual 2ltr turbo diesel Volvo, and the mpg is noticeably better.

Yes, my 18 reg Octavia, but I find it doesn’t like to engine stop when Cruise has a speed selected. Re your choice of cars - 3 of the cars we’ve had with stop-start are the Skoda, Mrs B’s Note, and a Lexus IS300h! FWIW, the Lexus hybrid returned the worst mpg of the 3, the Skoda 1.4 TSI by far the best, so you win some, you lose some...

Brilliant How-to, many thanks, Weyland. I’ve today ordered a camera through the link in post #1. Estimated arrival 10th May, so beware, I’ll probably be asking questions not long thereafter! Not yet decided whether to go up or down with the cabling: when installing other rear-end mods in the past - sensors, towbars etc - I’ve always gone along the floor, so I have to say I’m currently favouring that, as I’ve already run the wiring for my dashcam up the A pillar.

Enjoy! I suppose I’m following you, a couple of cars behind: I’ve just got rid of horribly unreliable D3 engined Volvo C70 (although I will miss the folding hardtop), and bought a 1.4TSI DSG Octavia. Loving it so far!

With hindsight (of course) cheap at the price, because of the inconvenience. Having made that unhelpful comment, I sympathise with you, I have never spec’d a towbar on a car, always fitting my own, both ironware and electrics. I wonder if any of those were illegal for this reason, never having checked, just advising my insurers...

Wish I’d known you were selling! I’ve just bought an 18 plate Octavia with beige interior, I’d been looking for one for a while, but couldn’t find an estate, so bought a hatch. The only ‘jarring’ bit is the black steering wheel, even though the carpets and other trim are black.

Driving home yesterday, I noticed the digital clock was showing the wrong time by an odd amount. So once home I took the manual indoors to have a read of how to adjust it, but there’s no mention of this. But when I went out in the car again, the correct time was showing. A quirk of GPS/internet or whatever the car connects to?