Phil-E

You either need a resistor fitting to trick the car or the bulb warning for the number plate bulbs with VCDS deactivating.

If it's just generic OBD fault codes you want to read and clear etc then a cheap Bluetooth OBD will do the trick. Making actual programming changes required VCDS or OBDeleven etc.

Electronic Stability Programme. So having the car recognise that it's towing something changes how these systems react. They can also detect if the car/van is swaying and bring it back under control.

I really don't think you'll have a problem. The first gear in the 7 speed is very short so is more than suited to hill starts etc. The TSI will kick out more than enough torque to keep up. Obviously you may find it revving a little higher than usual but that's not a bad thing. Also, the DSG changes gears super quick (as fast as 8ms between changes) so there should be no drop in power when it's needed. My only concern with the non-genuine Skoda towbar will be the lack of trailer assist. Since the factory setup adjusts the ESP and ABS systems to compensate for towing. But as long as you're driving carefully and paying attention you shouldn't need to rely on these systems.

I've not had to do an emergency stop on one but certainly stopped quickly on them (while wizzing around and having fun of course) and they feel super stable. I think because they are so heavy the weight is down low, the wheels and tyres are relatively big and you tend to lean back slightly with most of your weight towards your back foot.

Yeah that's one thing I've noticed here. Cars are a little more expensive to buy but are generally better specced. Xenon lights are a super popular option.

If they're anything like the ones here, the brakes are very powerful. They also have regenerative braking. Front and rear brakes. And when you brake you can feel the Regen kick in. Also when you release the throttle the Regen Kicks in but not as strong and you can slow to a stop. Going down hill they use Regen to keep in to the speed limit. They also use GPS to automatically drive slower in the pedestrian zones where you're only allowed to drive at walking pace (7kmh).

Here in Germany they actually have tiny little number plates and they're registered with the same state department as cars (registered as a vehicle). It's a legal requirement to have insurance. But they're exempt from TÜV (MOT). So the UK needs to try and do something similar.

I really don't think it's a good idea for the UK! Here in Germany it works as we already have an amazing cycling infrastructure with almost always having separate cycle paths, lights and priority over other road users at junctions etc. In the UK it's just chaos sharing the roads with other road users. And having these scooters wizzing through traffic is just going to be a nightmare!

I was wondering the same. The FL has the full AFS II xenons as standard, correct? With cornering function etc. Seems like a big downgrade.

There's no such thing as excessively shiny... I'll do it with the machine next time and see if I can get some more shine from it!

I think they are different. You'd also potentially need a need windscreen as the sensor is bonded to it and the mirror mount is also maybe different.

Gave the new car a wash and polish today. My process is probably fairly simple in comparison to others and all done by hand (although I do have a basic halfords machine polisher but the paint is in pretty good shape). Powerwash 1x wash with Micro fibre wash mitt Rinse 1x wash with Clay wash mitt Rinse Dry Autoglym Paint Restorer Poorboys Black Hole Meguiars tech wax 2.0 Autoglym bumper/trim gel Turtle wax window polish IMG_20200627_110400 by Philip Embleton, auf Flickr IMG_20200627_104159 by Philip Embleton, auf Flickr

So I'm back in a Skoda finally. 1.4 TSI 122 DSG Family. 1 owner from new with full Skoda service history (apart from the last service done at the dealer we bought from). Specs are: AFS II Xenons Dual zone climate with heated seats Rain sensor Auto lights Cruise control Maxidot Factory tinted rear windows 4 electric windows Variable load surface in boot (not sure what it's called in English) Swing radio (ugh) Factory fitted removebale tow bar Stuff I've done: Rear LED number plate lights (the full replacement housing with built in LEDs) LED sidelight bulbs (although don't think they're canbus as the warning is on- they're Osram) Cheap bluetooth kit plugged into the Aux socket for now VCDS: AFS II enabled (yeah, it appears this isn't actually enabled fully from factory) Refuel quantity CH/LH via fogs XDS Differential enabled Cruise display (didn't work 😔) To-do: Full set of interior LEDs ordered from ebay LEDs for the DRL ordered Canbus sidelights Rear boot trim protector in silver ordered Heko wind deflectors ordered A few scratches to touch up (touch up pen set ordered) Android stereo/sat-nav at some point Gave her a wash and polish today (washed, washed again with clay mitt, autoglym paint restorer, poorboys black hole, meguires tech wax 2.0) Had a maiden voyage down to the Mosel region last week. 3 adults, dog, boot full and 3 bikes on the tow bar. Performed well. Did just over 40mpg which wasn't too bad especially considering the higher (or no) speed limit here. IMG_20200627_110400 by Philip Embleton, auf Flickr IMG_20200627_104056 by Philip Embleton, auf Flickr IMG_20200627_104129 by Philip Embleton, auf Flickr IMG_20200627_104117 by Philip Embleton, auf Flickr IMG_20200627_104159 by Philip Embleton, auf Flickr

But also don't forget you probably need a lighting board with a rear mounten rack too as it blocks the lights etc.

In all honesty a tow bar is the way to go if you can. It's the most secure way, less drag and also opens up the option of luggage racks, trailers etc.

If it's had front end shunt then the intercooler and/or hoses are probably damaged and it's leaking boost.

I retrofitted it to my previous Octavia. It worked very well. Never had any false alarms. And the one time it did ping up a warning was while on the motorway. I pulled in at the services and checked the pressures and the rear right tyre had indeed gone down. Turned out to be a screw right in the middle of the tyre. It's obviously never going to be as accurate as the full system with the sensors on each valve but when it detects problems such as this it can literally be a life saver.

The "reset" methods posted above do next to nothing. They just reset some learned values but make no real difference to the actual internal functioning of the gearbox. The proper procedure with VCDS actuates the clutches and gears etc and re-learns clutch engage points and pressures etc. I did it once on my previous 6 speed DSG after an oil change. Felt very weird sat there with my foot on the brake as it switched through all the gears etc, clunking and engaging the clutches etc.

So I've just checked the info I have in German about the AFL (Advanced Front Lighting) which obviously relates to LHD vehicles. AFL on LHD turns the left hand side headlight to the left and down. So it seems normal if your RHD is turning the right hand headlight. I think you would probably need to disable the AFL altogether.

Took the plunge this morning and enabled AFS II 😁👍 I parked in a dark covered car park and put tape on the wall to mark the current position. Changed the coding, did the basic settings and I think it worked. I assume nothing shows up in Maxidot menu?

I'm looking at a Pumpkin PX6. Nice big screen. Integrates with the CAN system and a decent spec (4gb of RAM and 64gb storage).

Ain't she pretty!?

Good news 😁👍