Chris48

Yet another update. I've just been renewing Skoda Connect on my wife's Karoq and they are offering a month's free trial. For anyone who is unsure, that sounds like a very worthwhile deal. Already it's clear that the traffic information is more detailed than TMC.

Just reread this thread and realised that @joek666 already mentioned tethering so apologies! I haven't been idle though - I've written to the Highways Agency to see if they're aware of the issue and to enquire whether they can influence Inrix to reinstate the service previously provided by Trafficmaster. The Agency uses them for their own traffic information so they might be able to have a grown up chat with them. I've also emailed Inrix themselves but I doubt I'll hear anything as they seem geared up to businesses. Watch this space!

Not sure if this has been mentioned elsewhere but another way of getting data to the infotainment system is by tethering a mobile phone. I tried this on my wife's Karoq and the red globe turns white, confirming there's a data connection. You also get "wlan" alongside it, rather than 3g. It's a fairly straightforward process on Android phones where there's a section in the connection settings that allows tethering and Bluetooth linking. However, I didn't manage to get navigation updates... seems I managed to let the Skoda Connect subscription lapse. Yeah I'm in the doghouse!

Thanks @Tell - that's the plan! I had also (possibly naively) thought that the SIM that's built into the car for the emergency call facility and to inform the My Skoda app would also allow data downloads. However, from browsing other forum topics, that appears not to be the case. I'll definitely check the configuration though just in case I've missed something. As noted elsewhere, the Connect site and the people behind it aren't exactly the fount of all knowledge!

Thanks @joek666 I'll certainly give it a dummy run before I commit to another SIM, if only I can find one I haven't butchered to fit into a phone! It's also useful to know how much data the system uses, so that I can source an appropriate SIM. I found one on a well known online retail site that can access all the main networks so that should limit any interruptions of service and I'll post an update when I've given it a go.

Like others, I've been following the thread on the loss of TMC with great interest and I'm extremely impressed with the ability of members to come up with solutions. However, with so many vehicles affected, the various manufacturers could make life so much easier if they would just negotiate a contract with Inrex and give us all software updates... Be that as it may, my 2019 model year Superb 280 with a Columbus system is currently leading me straight into unwanted traffic queues, as is my wife's 2019 Karoq. We already subscribe to Skoda Connect but we're not getting traffic info, presumably because of the lack of a data connection. We're attracted to the elegant (and simple!) solution suggested above by @joek666 and for my wife's Karoq, we'll need a dongle. However, the Columbus unit in my car already has a slot for a SIM card, so presumably I can just plug a data SIM straight in. Just wondering if anyone has done this and, if so, are there any menu options I need to change? Grateful for any thoughts...

Phew that's a weight off my mind! It seems I changed my car at just the right time because my previous Superb will have been affected by the software problem.

Thanks nicknorman - that's useful to know if a cambelt change is recommended!

Might have been worth asking them to use their mystical powers to track down your missing spare...

It's the Skoda dealership in Maidstone and yes, the service manager has his qualifications proudly on display in the office. So I'm quietly confident that once I get past the front desk, all will be well.

Therein lies the rub, as W Shakespeare once wrote! There was a Skoda fixed price offer when I got the cambelt done on my previous Superb and the dealership reckons they made a £200 loss on the deal so they do indeed just pick a number. Having said that, the service desk staff where I now go will always have a chat with the service manager if it's a question they haven't come across before so I'm fortunate in that respect. And the service manager himself is pretty clued up, unlike some I've come across. I think I'd be OK with £275 for the job though... fingers crossed!

It was actually a chat with a friend who owns a Kodiaq that got me started on this mission in the first place. His is a 2019 Sportline with the 2 litre TSI engine and he had picked up the social media reports of DSG problems. He spoke to his usual Skoda service partner in Croydon and they couldn't even tell him which gearbox is fitted to his vehicle which is pretty scary. Needless to say, he won't be going back there. Bottom line for me is that I'm going with the general consensus and getting the job done sooner rather than later. I take the point that my dealer might well say the work isn't needed but I reckon they'll give in gracefully when I wave my credit card at them. And yes, I'll be asking for a detailed invoice and a photographic record that the job has actually been done! Isn't it sad that we can't trust anyone any more... the dodgy dealers of the 1960's seem to be having something of a renaissance.

Thanks dunc69. While I was trying to find information I checked on other VW group sites (specifically VW and SEAT). At the time I didn't know which model gearbox was fitted to my car but I found quite a bit of angst from owners that VW had extended the service interval on the DQ381 from 40,000 to 80,000 miles. I don't typically thrash my cars but I reckon it's sound advice not to leave the service till the last minute. I'll be asking for it to be done at the 4 year point... and then I can look forward to the cambelt at year 5... now where's that Lotto ticket?

Thanks Redboy. I found a table in the depths of another thread that suggested 4 years or 40,000 miles so it's good to get confirmation!

That's good to know - thank you! I'm finding that dealers in general just do the basics so it's sadly necessary to be proactive about additional service items.

Hi all I've been trawling through the forums in an attempt to find out whether or not the 7-speed DSG fitted to my beast is one of the boxes that is prone to problems. It's recently had it's 3rd annual service and the Haldex oil was changed, but no mention of a gearbox oil change, which I understand is needed for some models. I'm keen to keep my car in tip top condition (it's a keeper lol!) so any thoughts as to which box I have and the service intervals would be greatly appreciated. And apologies in advance if I've missed the blindingly obvious elsewhere in the forums!

I've had the app since I got my new Superb in March and it's been working pretty well. However, it decided to stop whilst I was on a trip to the west country and frightened the **** out of me by telling me the car was unlocked. I tried the remote locking but got a message saying that this service hadn't been validated by the dealer. When I got back to the car, it was actually locked. It's now been three days since the info on both the app and the Skoda Connect portal has been updated. I tried a manual sync but no joy. I'm wondering if it's a problem with the embedded SIM card which I've heard of in the context of tracker systems - sometimes the SIM provider reallocates the number because they think the SIM isn't being used, even though it's being paid for. Or alternatively, maybe the Connect portal is down. Any insight would be very welcome!

I've had a good look at mine and they appear to be sealed, i.e. you would have to break them to get at the gubbins inside. But I suspect the joints aren't as good as they should be. I've noticed condensation inside all of the light units on my car - not as bad as Baffy's example but nonetheless present. Not a problem I noticed with my previous (non-LED) vehicles...

Out of curiosity (and to see how long I might have to wait) I've been checking on the availability of the tail light assembly. The outer unit seems to be readily available but the inner (the one on the boot lid) isn't. When you try to order the outer, a message pops up to the effect that you'll also need the inner. Does anyone know if you really need to get both, bearing in mind it's an intermittent fault and both come fully on when the mood takes them?

I've had a similar issue with my Superb Mk III 2.0 TSI 280 4x4 Sportline Plus. I had an alert pop up on the dashboard to check the left rear tail light and it was indeed out. However, when I got to my destination it was back on again. This happened quite a few times so I took the vehicle into my service partner but they couldn't replicate the fault. They did a reset and asked me to monitor. The next time the dashboard alert came up, I noticed that the light had come partly on - back in the day I would have thought it was a dodgy rheostat but I guess they don't exist any more... Pic attached to show what's going on. Back to the dealer once more and this time they believe the culprit is the LED rear light assembly so they're going to replace it - eventually! Apparently the part is on back order and will need to come from Germany, so what with Covid and Brexit I could be hanging around for a while. Fortunately it's being done under warranty - nearly £300 for the assembly is quite a bit more expensive than a bulb... So whilst on the face of it there might be a dodgy batch of tail light assemblies out there, I'm not totally convinced - it seems more like a gremlin in the electronics to me because I would have thought the cluster would be either on or off if it was faulty. As you can see from the image, the light on the boot lid isn't coming on either. Watch this space for updates!

Just popping in to say hello :-) I've been a Skoda fan ever since I purchased my very first brand new car, a Mark 1 Octavia VRS in black - as members will know, that was the ultimate Q car and gave me many hours of enjoyment. Then I had to grow up for a while because of family reasons and worked my way through several estates (Octavia and Superb) until I went to a dealership with my wife to trade in her Octavia Scout for a shiny new one. Whilst I was there, I spotted a beautiful red Superb Sportline diesel in the showroom and wandered over to take a look, at which point a sales guy came out and plastered a huge reduction on the windscreen.Ten minutes later it was mine! I've now traded that in for another Superb Sportline Plus, this time the 4wd 280 petrol in black - another mid life crisis averted... I've browsed Briskoda on many occasions over the years and found it incredibly helpful in dealing with minor issues, so I thought I really should join the clan.