ADOKS13

E n d o f story. Earlier today my colleague and I plugged-in the Vag-Com dongle and using the VCDS software succeeded in clearing the System Reset Indicator. Thank you to everyone who tried to come up with earlier suggestions.

Hi - Tilt. This morning I followed the YouTube video you posted on how to reset the service light for an Octavia MkII Facelift car. It had NO effect. PikPilot - I ran again the dashboard sequence on my car using the knurled knob. The screen sequence/contents are as follows, after holding down the button and switching on the ignition:- Screen#1 - displays:- time of day, remaining distance that can be covered with this tank of diesel, spanner and SERVICE - message. Screen#2 - allows for the hours to be altered. Screen#3 - allows for the minutes to be altered. Screen#4 - displays a clock symbol and in my car's case (-196). Return to screen#1. That is it. I think your video depicts a much newer car than my '09' model and in the intervening years the electronics capability might have been improved and extended. However, I now believe what screen 4 is telling me is that the computer 'thinks' it is 196 days since anything was done to the car - this is not the case. Is it likely Skoda have built a 'trap' in their software meaning if they think a vehicle has grossly exceeded a visit to their dealer - this could be the reason why I cannot get rid of the dashboard message ?

Thank you PikPilot and Tilt for your latest replies. I am bowled-over by your responses and contributions to try solving my car's problem. Tomorrow I will follow the steps to see if any of your suggestions work. My immediate answer to the idea that the dashboard push button may be at fault is, it enables me to scroll through all of the (limited) screens on my car; and, in addition the stalk on the right of the steering column enables me to achieve the same results. However, I believe not all Octavia II facelift dashboards are alike (as witnessed by the YouTube videos being different from my car). I am truly exasperated by this situation.

Thank you Varooom and RootToot for your interest. Varoom - The person I have in mind who owns the VCDS capability is a contractor and is working away from home at present. When he gets back, if all else fails, I will ask him for his help. RootToot - I am aware of the Mr Fix YouTube video. It was uploaded on December 11, 2014 and I surmise was 'shot' from a later model car than mine i.e. the dashboard layout is different. But, the sequence of:- button; ignition; release button; twist; switch off and on - is the same as I have used in years 1,2 and 3 of ownership and which worked on my car. I am afraid I am repeating myself, but, now this same procedure does not work any more !

Thank you PikPilot and Tilt for your continued assistance. My car is an '09' reg. The dashboard display is very elementary i.e. there is the main screen that shows the spanner and the message 'service.' In addition, there are three other screens that show fuel/distance capabilities; etc. These function whether accessed from the knurned knob on the speedo screen; or, the push button on the right hand stalk - show all that can be seen. I am well aware from watching YouTube videos of cars with say a '16' registration that have a mult-function line display and a list of tasks that can be completed by pushing buttons, it is possible to clear the service message. With the best will in the world - my car does not have these features, nor, capabilities. I am stuck with what I have and as stated previously, no combination of switching on the ignition while holding down the button; turning it one step to the right; etc., etc - make any difference. Hence my problem.

Thank you PikPilot for your followup. I do not have notification of the days and miles until the next service !! Instead, after switching on the ignition and waiting for the glow plug light to go off, a 'spanner' is lit on the screen followed by the hard message 'SERVICE.' That's it.

Hi - PikPilot - Thank you for your information. I have already tried the method suggested by Tilt both before, and after, a journey. Neither made any difference - the Service indicator is still showing. Similarly, I only began trying to clear it in the first place after it came on the display (and not merely because I had just changed the oil). My car does not have the optional multi-function display. I really am in a quandary !!

Hello again Tilt. You asked me to identify the model of my car. It is an:- "09" Skoda Octavia Series II (facelift model) Elegance TDI - 1.9PD. The owners handbook gives no mention of resetting the "Service" light when it comes on the dashboard; nor, for that matter, does the Haynes Workshop Manual. I don't know if you have any other source for your beliefs on how to carry out the procedure. But, I hope so.

Hello - 'Tilt'. Thank you for going to the lengths of checking your manual and publishing the information for me. Strangely, these are exactly the steps I have gone through (as learned from YouTube owners) in years 1; 2 and 3 of ownership, and they worked. Now, they have no effect !! I think maybe the reply from 'Nige8021' may have come into play i.e. the car has gone past 30,000 since the dashboard was reset by a pukka Skoda dealership. I am going to give your instructions another go because, in the past, I have done the procedure when the car had not been on a journey - but just parked unused on the driveway in the morning. "Fingers crossed" - many thanks.

I may be able to borrow an OBD2 connector and download the Ross-Tech VCDS software. Nige, is it necessary to purchase for $199 the key to be able to use the programme - my friend has never got it to work and can't advise me; and, says he got stuck on the interface to the PC port download.

Thank you for replying to me and the 'hint' that there may be some explanation between the differences in the service setting - I hadn't thought of that. So far as I am aware, the setting has always been for a "fixed" schedule. But, because of Covid lockdown and now the cost of fuel the car has only covered approximately 3000 miles in each of the past three years. Therefore, this begs the question - why has this issue only cropped-up now (total mileage 146,000) and not in 2020, '21 when the distance covered has been similar. If there is some special re-set procedure that I am not aware of, please let me know.

For the past four years of ownership I have changed the oil and filter myself on my 2009 Skoda Octavia 2 and have followed YouTube owners instructions to successfully reset the dashboard service message. However, now, I am finding it impossible to clear the message. I have tried every procedure mentioned on YouTube - to no avail. Please can someone tell me how to get around this situation ?