Paul_Bowden

I've done a search ('folding', 'retracting' etc) on this topic, because I'm certain it's come up in the forum - and I've seen it - before, so apologies if this post is unnecessary. I mentioned in a recent post that my local (France) garage - non-Skoda specialist - had had some difficulty resetting the computer, after a minor service and I wonder whether this is why I find that my wing mirrors now no longer fold back against the car, on pressing the key central locking button for a couple of seconds, as they used to do. I've had a look at the MFD options, but not been able to bring this little feature back; it's not a life-changer, but I did like it! Any thoughts very welcome.

Gosh! Thanks for all the additional replies! In fact, the Renault garage nearest to us is exceptional for the courtesy - nay, real friendliness - of all its staff, who go out of their way to help and are (as far as I can tell) utterly honest; these are not necessarily the qualities one most often finds in French garages! Many thanks for the recommendation of a specialist in Thouars: although we're further south (near Lezay), this would not be far off are usual tracks. It will seem a bit wimpish, but one (not the only one) of the reasons for avoiding the main franchise (in Poitiers) is my doubt that they will actually heed my telling them NOT to do the emissions modification, which I see no reason for. Incidentally, I've got another query, which may well be linked with the computer-reset problem yesterday, but I'll post that separately shortly. A massive thank you to all who have (once again) provided such a range of helpful information.

SOLVED! Many thanks to graham47 for suggesting the b****ing obvious! The mechanic assured me that there was no way he could do it via the MFD thing, even though the chosen language for everything is French. To be fair, it did take a little bit of digging, but it's very simple and now done! Thanks very much again, Graham

My local garage in France (a Renault franchise) has just done a minor service on my Yeti, but they were unable to reset the computer, which is still warning that a service is due (the car is on a fixed service régime.) The mechanic reckons that it's probably because they don't have dedicated VAG/Skoda diagnostic stuff, but says a colleague who's a bit more technically savvy will have a look next week. I thought it would be worth asking whether anyone here knows a way to reset the system, either for the owner or for the garage to have a go.... Any info/thoughts very welcome! Thanks

Thanks to FlinstoneR1: all that really does make sense and convinces me. (Incidentally, the grandfather clock anecdote is crucial: I am HOPING (if my family read this) that I might actually receive one of said items for my next birthday which, having an 0 on the end, is a Significant One!)

Thanks to all three (so far) of you for helpful advice. Re the spare wheel kit (which I'm thinking of buying from Horton's (but I'll check eBay too) in July), is the loss of boot space very noticeable? I know it's a slightly stupid question, as I know it levels the space more or less with the sill, but I'd just be interested to know whether the space feels significantly reduced! Re sourcing tyres in France: it looks like 123pneus is definitely worth a try. But my last two punctures both destroyed the tyres and it was impossible to get either Continental or Michelin where this occurred (deepest Morbihan once and here in Poitou the second time); in the event, I had to get something fitted (Barum on both occasions) and then wait - once a week and, second time, two weeks! - for Michelins to arrive. I think that a proper spare kit - even with an 80 kph speed restriction - will make things a whole lot easier. Thanks again to all.

The only real problem I have encountered with my Yeti 2.0 tdi is the lack of a spare wheel. The difficulty is made worse by the fact that, here in France, the Michelin tyres which I prefer- completely counter to what you'd expect - are extremely hard to come by; other 'good' brands can also be difficult to find at short notice. I am tempted to buy the spare wheel kit which is sold by, for example, Horton's, at around £215 and which comes with a 16" Continental tyre and involves sacrificing some boot space (apparently, it brings the floor up to the level of the sill.) Does anyone have any experience of buying this kit? Or any other comments?

To Steph64 Notice that you're in SW France and just wondering whether you also actually have a Coyote or whether your post is about mounting GPSs in general? I'm already inclined to go down the route you suggest (beanbag mount from Amazon.fr, Norauto or even Leclerc has some, I gather), but knowing it works with the Coyote would be the decisive factor. Thanks and best wishes

Just got home from a day driving to La Rochelle - sunny, but not amazingly hot - with Coyote wobbling about and sliding off dash. So very glad to get home and find such helpful replies, for all of which I'm grateful and all of which I'm going to check out; further thoughts welcome. (Another instance where this forum has been a brilliant source of info and support.)

I've recently bought a Coyote GPS driving device (immensely popular here in France, but hardly at all in the UK) and am getting nowhere trying to fix it securely to the dashboard of my Yeti. The permanent little self-adhesive magnetic base is absolutely rubbish and it just topples over, when there is a bit of vibration or, especially, when the sun shines on it. I don't want to use the alternative, which is designed to slot into the ventilation grille. French forums are full of people making the same complaint, but there doesn't seem to be a definitive solution. As it is just like many other Satnavs - small, rectangular - , I wonder whether anyone else has a solution?

WG14*** PETROL BLUE NEAR POITIERS (FRANCE) 5 August 2014 Almost never see Yetis around here (it's Dacia Dishcloth territory), so was surprised and pleased to see a GB-registered - and Petrol Blue one, exactly like my own - one on the tiny roundabout at the north end of the shopping estate at Chasseneuil-du-Poitou yesterday afternoon. We passed very closely, but also very briefly, and I'm not sure either of us registered each other's presence until we'd passed, but it was a real pleasure.

Am also in the Vienne - Chauvigny - and agree about the absence of Yetis in particular and Skodas in general; this seems to be Dacia territory. Did see one French-registered one and gave a friendly wave, but my (French) wife had to break it to me that the gesture I got in return was not quite the one I was hoping for!

Particularly in reply to 33q, I have no sympathy with those who drive excessively fast and tend to avoid doing this myself, as I think 38 years of driving 25,000 miles a year in the UK without a single ticket would suggest (incidentally, I used to live in a village on the Notts/Leics border (see your post!)) However, I have been guilty of minor infractions in France: always where the speed limit has been 70, 90 or 110 kph (so, not urban areas, where it's 50 or 30 kph) and never exceeding it by more than 7 kph. These have cost me dear (300 euros in total) and you are entirely entitled to say that it is my own fault, but I do not think that acting on a satnav warning to decrease my speed by 4-5 kph, which would have avoided a penalty, would honestly have made me a more unsafe or reckless driver!

With the holiday season approaching, I thought it might be worthwhile passing on a bit of information about subjects which seem to worry UK motorists, including my own family and friends. I do so with a slightly heavy heart, having just received my SEVENTH speeding ticket, after two years of living in France (in 38 years of driving in the UK, I got……. 0/zero!) AND because my French Yeti's Amundsen satnav does not alert me to the cameras, which are far less obvious than in the UK. SATNAVS AND SPEED CAMERAS etc. The last gendarme who stopped me was extremely friendly (still gave me ticket though!) and we chatted about the widely held belief (in France, as well as in UK) that satnavs which list cameras are illegal. He said that he is sure that they ARE NOT illegal but that. most importantly, it is absolutely against the law for police officers to enter and search a car, without cause (which examining a 'suspect' satnav would not be) or a warrant; their touching a satnav, or asking a driver to present it, would be an infraction of the law on their part. He patrols an accident-prone tourist-heavy north-south autoroute and says that he has NEVER heard of any motorist having any problems for having a satnav which lists cameras - indeed, he assumes that almost everyone does have them. Incidentally, he recommended I get the 'Coyote' system, which he says he's got in his own car, so I am going to look into it [any advice/expériences welcome!] BREATHTEST KITS He also mentioned (and this I already knew) that there is absolutely no point in worrying about having an 'ethylotest' breath-tester either, about which a lot of fuss was made a couple of years ago, when they were theoretically required (and were heavily pushed at the Channel ports.) No one has them, the police aren't interested in checking for them (he says); in his view, the law was all so that the politician who introduced it could do a favour for his chum, whose company produced the breath testers! HIGH VISIBILITY JACKETS are required and are obviously a very useful safety accessory, anyway. The same goes for the accident warning triangles. STOP! If you come up to a 'Stop' sign at a junction, then stop! Wait at least 2 seconds before starting off again. And all this, even if you can see utterly empty roads for 10km in all directions. During my time here, this seems to have become an obsession with police/a nice little earner for the French state. If you DON'T stop/wait 2 secs/restart, you risk a fixed-penalty ticket of (I think) 90 euros. Hope this helps.

I have a Petrol Blue SE Ambition and, to be quite honest, didn't really want Petrol Blue, preferring a solid blue (can't remember now what it is called); I was overruled by my wife. It is, you are right, enormously difficult to capture the colour in photos, simply because the hue changes a great deal, according to the light: it can appear anywhere on the spectrum (using the term loosely!) from a sort of deep royal blue to turquoise, almost greeny-blue. Attached are two photos I took and posted last year (ignore the silhouette of the idiot with the camera on one!) I'd be happy to go outside and PM you some others, if you like - it's brillliantly sunny here at the moment. I am now a convert and really like my choice - the only negative is that it seems to me to show every speck of dust. The interior of mine is dark fabric, so perhaps someone will be able to post the exact combination you're considering.