chills

I only had a view of some of the electronics and software stuff, not the mechanical. The last ones I saw being discussed is that an MoT will look at and check the version numbers of software/firmware installed. These would have to be up to a certain level to pass the MoT (obviously dependent on version of car) Also checking cars had had all the (firmware/software) recalls sorted. Now this will screw any 3rd party software an owner had added. IT will also cause a problem for people modifying cars and swapping parts from other vehicles. I stopped paying attention in 2023 so I am not sure where it has got to. This is usually working a decade ahead of the law(s) as the automotive world has to design in these things and deploy them. Also, this would as discussed need a big change at MoT Stations. The methods of doing it all were still being thrashed out when I came off the group doing it. We seem to be heading to Authorized Service centres and the lost of small garages and the smaller MoT stations. Apparently it is "progress" despite having been involved in automotive Sw and electronics (trying to make it safer) the Money and companies have different objectives.

If you say so..... I will wait until I see the Insurance companies reaction after a claim goes in. However, there are a lot of changes coming down the line for MoT's

They will keep UK cars in line with EU rules as the UK automotive market is still part of the EU and given the polls... the UK is likely to rejoin the EU in some form or another. Besides, both industry and the Universities are demanding closer ties to the EU as well as being in lock step on many of the EU regulations. The problem of ACC was discussed at length in 2012-13 about harmonizing EU motoring laws because for ACC: what is the required distance between vehicles? I recall being on a panel at a conference where this came up (In Coventry, I think). You might need your ACC to change the gap in different countries. If you drive with a UK car to France, then into Belgium, Netherlands and Germany, that would be four possible changes to the legally required gap in one day. Possibly without stopping or restarting the car for three of them. You are going to say: "What legally required gap?" This comes down to the Highway Code, and equivalent in other countries, Stopping Distances, your insurance companies, and the risk, all of which will be expensively discussed in court. The automotive companies will reduce their risk of being sued by ensuring the gap is at least the minimum required thinking distance. Note: as this is a "driver aid" and the driver should be able to take over at all times should the aid fail. Therefore, it is not a Critical System (BTW the same applies to ABS and other driver aids) read the small print in the full details buried on a web page somewhere as indicated in your owner's manual. :-) 2o or so years ago I was working on an industry-wide project with one of the subbies who was also doing the R&D for forward-looking radar for acc and lane assist for a major car manufacturer and did some of the first trials in the UK. Many of the hypothetical (he said) problems were discussed over coffee and at lunch. These were the technical problems ever mind the legal, which came up a few years later when it was determined to be technically possible in mass production vehicles. My own Karoq has CC and I use it, but I would not have ACC or Lane Assist.

Now no longer available :-( (May 2025) Can anyone else recommend a different one they have used and is known to work?

In another thread, today about adding soundproofing to a Škoda.... If Insurers are getting like that, imagine what they will do with an Engine swap. Quite apart from the problems with the software which is as important, actually more so, than the mechanical parts. .

In another thread, someone was asking about swapping an engine in his Karoq for a VWGolf or Audi..... "So i'm wondering if it is possible to swap out the 2 litre petrol engine to the one used in the golf R or even possibly Audi's 2.5 five cylinder." And most in the thread were saying "go for it" and the MoT and insurance won't be a problem....!!!

It is. It got me worried when I first saw it. I think it happens every time you start the car and it goes off after a while (a minute or so?) and is apparently normal operation. I.e. the radar settling down. At least you are not waiting for the 6.3v heaters to warm up.... I have stopped noticing it because it isn't red or amber or flashing. It took me a while to find out what it was.

I don't think it is an official Škoda diagram. Someone has done it because there wasn't one.

Is it on here?

It is this one? This is the front assist unavailable, It appears in white for a period of time when the car starts. A minute or so. Whilst looking for the image this one below came up Which is Lane Assist not available. I don't have this, but I assume it would be white if active (and without the !). Hope this helps.

This is what I was saying in the thread where someone wants to swap engines for one not normally fitted to his car! (I think an Audi Engine to a Škoda!)

I am now retired, so I have lost visibility. I do miss the conferences as apart from the formal presentations there was a lot of informal chat. Thus, you got to know where things were going in 5 years time. At least the directions. Hydrogen power will be major. Interestingly, the Intelligence Services had an interest in this group. Hacking vehicles at all levels is a problem. I recall one scenario was extending a known vulnerability that could be used to remotely stop the vehicles. The original attack was to stop one vehicle, which worked. It was in the industry news and I think made it to some niche care and technology programs on TV. The people who did it did a presentation to one of the conferences. The extension, not described by the time that did the hack but someone else with extensive, knowledge of it, was that the hack was not car specific. Therefore, you could do it to all the cars connected to one server. IE city or metropolitan area in the USA. The US cites are on a rigid grid system in the centre's. Therefore, if you triggered it to get all the cars of that make to stop on a 4 way intersection having just turned right(?) it would block the intersection if done at 08:30 or 09:00 local. It was estimated that there would be 1500 of that make in the city in the rush hour. This would grid lock all the roads in the city centre. If you do this in the summer when it is hot, there is a serious problem. The city in question only has about 12 hours food and water in it at any one time. It would take more than 12 hours to clear the 1500 cars that were stationary with the brakes on. Can you imagine a city like LA in grid lock with temperatures and temper rising out of food and water (but not short on guns).... The good news is that since the start of this year the chance of doing it has reduced by 40% :-) One of the things being discussed was that an MOT will check the version numbers of ALL the firmware in the car. This was discussed at length. Input from car companies, the Tier ones and the government. This is an extension of the MOT by plugging into the OBD with interrogation SW to get the firmware versions. The suggestion was that any SW that was critical and not up to date (or subject to a recall) would fail the MOT. It was also discussed that the MOT station could do the firmware updates. Pro's and cons to this and, obviously, it probably would not be free. That was, depending on who you asked. Some thought it could be done automatically by the MOT station, but then you have time and access problems... Discussions were on going last time I checked, but it wasn't going away. There was some discussion as to what happened to chipped cars and cars running unauthorized software and parts.... The car companies liked this as it would root out unauthorized (fake/counterfeit) parts, as did the insurance companies. It means that if you fitted something unapproved and had a crash, they don't pay out. The police also like this as a way of "keeping the roads safer".... Something else that had been discussed years previously was if the airbags went off in an accident, the car would "phone home" automatically" that was also though far-fetched when it was first proposed but is standard now. BTW, if the EU decides to do it all the car companies will fall in line, and it will happen in the UK because all the car companies and tier 1's are pan-European. Though, HMG were in favour of the checking the software anyway. BTW, if anyone remembers the Toyota Unintended Acceleration debacle in the USA in 2014 that was blamed on the in car software, as was the VW emissions scandal recently. Unfortunately, NDA's will stop the reality of both coming out. As I am not going to the US any time soon, I would suggest the Toyota software was A problem, but not actually the cause of the problem.

No, I am talking from many decades' knowledge of automotive firmware and the legislation that is on the way. Until last year, I was a member of this https://aesin.org.uk/ since it started.

They are going to be......

I am sure there is, but.... this will require firmware changes on some of the computers. Also did he tell the insurance company, and what were the new premiums like? How did the MOT test go? Modern cars are mechanically quite simple but are controlled by complex software and about 150 to 200 computers. This is the more difficult side. Any mismatch in firmware (software) can cause serious problems.

Not a good idea because all the firmware and sensors will be for the original engine. It is not as simple as just swapping the mechanical bits these days. Even if it is possible you will have to declare it on your insurance (expensive and even more so if caught without telling them) and then there is type approval for the MOT.... Will a garage give you an MOT on it?

Amazon and eBay seem to do a lot of genuine spares at much lower prices than dealers but make sure you check part number. As it is a new car, 2024 as is mine, it is worth fitting original parts. Especially when you come to sell.

Well, they are but it took a long while for battery technology (and motors) to get to the point where they are where we are with EV's and not all looking and driving like milk floats. However they are likley to be eclipsed by hydrogen vehicles in the next decade. In future there will be a mix of EV's and Hydrogen.

That is a 2015 I have a 2024 Karoq with a stop-start 1.4 engine and a whole load of electronics and software along with DRL. The Fabia may well be able to handle it but I am less sure of the Karoq. Most laptop computers have a battery power and health meter. That gives more than just the charge. I would think this would be a screen buried in the vehicle information somewhere. Most will ignore it but nerds.... sorry, I mean the inquisitive and socially well adjusted members of this forum, will avidly study it. Agreed. I suspect there is a wide hysteresis loop on the oil temp and it will have to stray a fair bit for some time before it starts t register on the gauge. Just trying to think if there is even an oil pressure light. There must be one if it falls too far when the engine is running. However with the stop start engines I assume it is not activated in the stops. Unlike the 1960's when there were two wires from the gauge to the dial these days there is a computer at the sensor and a network cable to the ECU and another network cable to the display computer. So three computers all processing the signal between the sensor and the display you see... Allegedly its progress if you trust the programmers.

That is why it is best to use a trickle charger rather than a fast charger. I have never used the fast or rapid charge settings on battery chargers. The problem with some "smart" chargers is they can decide to "fast charge" for themselves. At least with the "dumb" chargers, it was a physical slide switch. For battery maintenance, I can see why you suggest the 4A over the 6A. Especially if these "smart" chargers are not that smart. (Next they will claim they have AI in them😀) If, as suggested by others, Škoda charge £40 for a battery conditioning and top up when they do the servicing, the 4A charger at £30 is a bargain. At the moment, I do a lot of short journeys but every few weeks a couple of journeys at 70 and 160 miles, usually in daylight. So I am hoping that the long journeys do the top-up. However for £30 and the o-rings to hard-wire in a good battery contact it is a no-brainer really and the short urban journeys do a lot of stop-start. Given the "toys" in most cars these days, you would have thought that a battery condition screen in the infotainment would be standard. Like the fuel/speed/distance information.

What is the added versatility of the 4A over the 6A?

Agreed. However, Corporate VAG is probably thinking "storm in a teacup that will go away in a couple of weeks" without them having to admit they screwed up or that there was a cyberattack. What VAG corporate (actually most corporate media teams) don't realize is actually standing up and saying we made a **** up will show them in a better light than trying to hide it. The cover-up is usually more damaging than the original incident. If it were not for the current level of cyberattacks, I would 100% say it was a defect in the software and or a glitch in updating the servers.

Fair point. I would not use a triac on its own... Last time I used one was for an ignition circuit. Probably better using a Thyristor.

Why would I do that don't need them. I assume you have them as part of your job?

I don't have the wiring diagrams for the Škoda's. However, my claims are based on my working experience.