TerenceWallis

Thanks.

Good evening. Yes. The player performs as it used to before demanding a runnung engine and I have not heard any bongs. I give that a thumbs up. As for the chicken brew - Leave it with me. Umm......what days are you NOT there next week. I'll drop it off when I take John for a spin while he can still see trees & things.

I have good news. The cd player has performed without asking for a running engine or making any bongs. I leave it to you Brian in Blandford to decide if this is classed as a success................

Oh......what were the problems then ? As for stop start - No I will not miss it. It hasn't appeared so far and I wondered if it would. In that case I planned to turn it off. I'll report in a week.

AG Falco, the Blandford wizard, scanned the system last Saturday, & took the opportunity to disconnect the smart wire from the negative terminal, so rendering the vehicle as 'normal'. I have had a week of using the cd player, which has behaved normally. Neither I am happy to say have I experienced those bongs. Thank you Brian. If you favour a particular Pub or similar you must let me know. I owe you a drink or two.

The cd player didn't falter today & I didn't hear any bongs. I suggest I post here when either occurs next or at the weekend.

Thank you for this afternoon's scans. It has played for over an hour & I've not heard a bong yet. I read your list of this afternoon's discoveries, & wonder if the disconnection of that second small wire that attaches to the negative terminal should be mentioned ? I should have asked about the likelihood of overcharging with it being disconnected ?

Yes......30 th, 12.30 hrs.......

YES. B T & B at same time will do very well.

Yes - the cd player is the symptom and the new battery does not appear to be the answer. Here's a typical scenario for this past week: I stop at one of my pause-points. The player does 90 mins. I turn it off & go home. I have noticed that when I hear bongs the player will demand a running engine. No bongs = no running engine demand. A key is the bongs and I need to find out what they mean. Skoda haven't a clue. They're the 11v merchants who want to replace the alternator for £500 or so. I don't know how they found 11v but a new altenator is their cure. I don't think this Greenline has 12v sockets but will explore. I'm going to take up the offer of AG Falco's scan & will report here when done.

Right. I'll check this out. The problem is the cd player asking for the engine to be started to save the battery. When this first ocurred I renewed the battery which has been recoded. This request does happen now but far less often & only after some alarm bongs occur. Before all this the player would play for 2 hours at least, and did so yesterday & the past 6 days. As this will suit me again I'm happy to accept things as they are. I tend to go for a non-battery cause as everything else works............now I listen for the bongs to warn me if I need to get my battery cd-player out.

I've been checking voltages under different loads. After an 18 hr overnight rest = 12.6v. 6 mile drive ign. off 12.92v. Dipped h/l, 12.46v & cd player 12.29v. At tickover with all equipment on 14.6v. Just cd player 12.96v....off 12.85v. I have been reproducing similar numbers all week. I have noticed that if I hear bongs I can expect the cd-player to misbehave, otherwise I know it will play for 2 hours, which is all I want. I think the alternator is fine............ Skoda-man in Bournemouth thinks the alternator is playing up intermittently & has suggested a new supplied & fitted specimin could cost up to £500. I saw this horse long before it left the stables & my answer is NO. I have not seen one suspect voltage & I will keep the alternator as fitted. The problem lies elsewhere.

My Skoda visit was delayed until yesterday. They found the battery had been coded so didn't pursue that. I should mention stop/start had been working all week until yesterday. They checked the battery & discovered the voltage was 11 and not the expected 13. The conclusion was the alternator needs to be replaced. My ex-RAC friend thought that was a reasonable conclusion. He had fitted many at the roadside but was shocked when they thought supply & fit might cost £500, as was I. They said they would email me proper details & prices but booked me in on 08/04 for a loan car if I decide to accept their prices when I get them. I'm amazed they want the car all day. I did a quick web trawl yesterday & saw a Bosch item at Europarts for £250 with £100 or so fitting. Prices are less than this depending where one shops. If they really do want to charge £500 or anywhere near that I'll make alternative arrangements.

Today's plans to deal with Bolero have been scrubbed. Skoda rang yesterday. My Greenline is included in a recall for a software update that will take a few hours to do & they want to do it next Tuesday. While they do the software they will check out the Bolero radio/player problem.

Mmmmm.....obsessing & not making sense........

The problem is, I get shed loads of info but I don't know what to look for or have the kit even if I knew. The inner workings of motor vehicles is mostly beyond me and especially the electrics. I'm booked into Skoda Bournemouth on the 12th & have sent ApertureS's observations to the Skoda man who's looking after me. He suggested giving the system time after the coding was done but I'd have thought 2 weeks is long enough. Anyhow he can show these observations to the technician who will be doing the hands on stuff.

Thank you. I must tell you, you are talking in Klingon although I do understand what checking data means. I have asked Skoda in Bourenmouth to fix an appointment for me to go there for someone to do as you suggest. I'll let you know what transpires.

THAT wire from the negative terminal; I've loosened the small grey holding pin, if that's what it's called, but cannot pull the rest apart. I don't want to break it so have stopped trying. The battery today had been inactive for 18 hrs when I checked it with a multimeter. The meter recorded 12.61. That implies a charged battery a watching neighbour commented, and Bolero is the problem. My reading is: the computer has not accounted for the battery registration despite having a charged battery on board. Why is this after nearly 2 weeks ? The problem is with Bolero - but what ? Those bongs are warnings but of what ? I take them as, Bolero has a problem. A scan will hopefully diagnose the fault. My neighbour helps to collect & deliver older people to a Lunch Club in a not new BMW that's new to the driver. This vehicle makes the same bongs. This new owner doesn't know why & simply igores them, because 'The important bits work'. I must ask the neighnour to find out if the BMW Radio/Player works.......

Hello J.R. The Varta battery was 11 yrs old when the cd player asked for the engine to be started. I always drove on dipped headlights and still do. The Varta has been replaced & has been registered. Bolero still asks for a running engine. Start/stop isn't working. On the 9th, the new Yuasa will have been registered for 2 weeks but the system doesn't seem to know about it. A week ago Skoda said Give it time. I think it's had enough time. If you can throw light on my conundrum I'd be grateful.

Please explain why it is 'absolute rubbish' ?

Thanks for info. I'll disconnect it tomorrow & will report events.

Before I disconnect these 2 wires, will you tell me what they do?

Hi. Absolutely. Just tell me which Sat. & I'll be there. BTW = I checked the wire you mentioned & I see what you mean. There are two - brown & red in parallel. I'll attach a photo here with the wire marked in red. I'm sure I can disconnect it. I'll have a go tomorrow if this is the one you mean ? Cheers.

Hi. Skoda cancelled the registration appointment as it had been done & suggested the system just needed time to pick up the new battery. As it's been 10 days now I'm amazed it hasn't already adjusted. How much longer will it take ? Yes to another scan if another is likely to pick up faults. If you want to do it just say date & time & I'll come over. I wasn't aware there was a second wire until recently. I'm not confident about disconnecting anything without guidance. I've only renewed blown bulbs so far...................

These warning 'bongs' have not stopped nor the requests to start the engine. The battery was registered on 02/24, 10 days ago. Can anyone hazard a guess about how long the computer will take to recognise the new battery for Bolero stop it's requests for engine starts ?