DerekU

I just used the word "catastrophic" because I'm quite fond of it 😀 not because your postings gave any such impression. Prior to buying a Fabia Mk4 I owned a 2021 Hyundai i20. This had a dashboard button for rear window 'defrosting' and had heated exterior rear-view mirrors. However, although the i20 Owner's Manual covered the use of that switch, no mention was made that the switch also turned on mirror heating. It regularly caused confusion among i20 owners. Personally, I prefer the Skoda separate switches approach, though adding a heating-on tell-tale light on the mirror switch would be an improvement. No mirror heating means that, when the weather is wet, rain collecting on the mirrors will obscure vision and won't be dispersed rapidly by air passing over them. That's when mirror heating earns its keep.

To the best of my knowledge no Skoda car (historically or current) has a tell-tale light to indicate that its exterior heated rear-view mirrors are turned on. As the mirror-heaters only operate when the car's engine is running (as stated on the image provided by Stonekeeper above) its hardly catastrophic if one forgets to turn them off (which I often do). There's a longish posting about this on the Enyaq forum (though I don't know if all of the technical information is correct). https://www.enyaqforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=1775

If you wanted the plastic cup-holder insert, the Part Number is 6VA8625319B9 Additionally, there is a rubber 'mat' that fits into the bottom of the insert and its Part Number is 6548633019B9

If the Skoda UK website is to be believed (!!!) all MY2025 Fabia models (cheapest to most expensive) marketed in the UK should have, as standard, a "Central console with removable cup holder and storage box". Apparently, for a while in the past, the Fabia MK4 cup-holder insert was not fitted as standard in some countries (eg. Australia) and needed to be specified as an option. Odd that your car has no front-console cup holders, but still has a removable plastic insert. I could understand getting rid of the plastic insert completely to save a little money, but keeping the insert but deleting its cup-holders would hardly be a selling point.

Not sure who sent you that link, though I provided it on 19 November 2024 when you asked about parking windscreen wipers i(in the 'service position') when snowy weather was likely. https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/528129-i-cannot-remember-how-to-park-my-wipers-ready-for-the-snow/#comment-5898185 The SKODA Storyboard homepage is here https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/ and - as it has a search capability - is potentially useful for things other than windscreen wipers.

This 2019 Fabia Mk3 forum discussion may be of interest https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/467597-new-fabia-owner-clutch-concern/

This September 2024 discussion on the forum relating to Volkswagen "T-Cross" models highlighted the same 'no gear-number in D' issue that you've asked about. https://www.tcrossforums.co.uk/threads/2024-dsg-1-5-cockpit-gear-number-display.1351/ From the many online discussions about this, the present position appears to be that recently built VAG cars with the 1.5 litre EVO2 motor and DSG now show D, E, S1-S7 or M1-M7 on the Virtual Cockpit (VC) display, whereas same-model, slightly older, cars could show D1-D7, E1-E7, S1-S7 or M1-M7 on the VC. As the issue apparently is VAG-wide and affects Audi, Seat and VW brands as well as Skoda, I'm doubtful that Skoda's infoline will be in a position to provide a credible reason why things have changed and (I suspect) might well refer you to VW.(In fact, it might be worth you contacting a Volkswagen dealership yourself to see if they can provide any sort of explanation other than "That's the way it is". No longer being able to display D1-D7 or E1-E7 on the VC seems to be a VAG-wide 'limitation' and not a 'fault', so I can't see VAG dealerships putting effort into exploring the reasoning behind the change. If suitable diagnostic equipment were used to compare the software of a 2023 Monte Carlo (that shows D1-D7 or E1-E7 on the VC) with that of a 2024 Monte Carlo (that just shows D or E) it might be possible to spot differences in pre-set options or coding that might allow the earlier gear-number display to be re-enabled - but persuading a Skoda dealership to carry out that experiment would be difficult.

This German video of a 2023 Fabia Monte Carlo 1.5 TSI with DSG transmission being driven at high speed on the autobahns is perhaps more legible than the one KaroqCZ referenced and clearly shows D1-D7 appearing on the Virtual Cockpit (VC) display as well as S1-S7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBJ7rD2N1WE Conversely, this German video of a 2024 Fabia Monte Carlo 1.5 TSI with DSG transmission and VC being driven on country roads clearly shows just D being displayed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uc03_vu2Pg It may be concluded then that displaying D rather than D1-D7 is a feature of Fabia Monte Carlo 1.5 TSI DSG models from 2024-onwards and not unique to KaroqCZ's vehicle.

As 2024 Fabia Mk 4 models with DSG but without the Virtual Cockpit (VC) show D1-D7 on the dashboard display and it's evident know that Fabia Mk 4 Monte Carlo models with the same specification as KaroqCZ's car used to show D1-D7 on the VC, there's no logical explanation as to why his car's VC just shows D. The idea that deliberately showing just D is to to reduce driver-distraction is basically flawed. If that were the case, wouldn't Skoda choose to just show S and M rather than S1-S7 and M1-M7, or remove gear-related distraction completely by showing no gear-number? Like KaroqCZ's dealership, I can't see any credible reason for deliberately replacing the D1-D7 readout with just D (but keeping S1-S7 and M1-M7) and, when this strange omission has been discussed on this and other VW Group forums in the past, no credible explanation has ever been forthcoming. It will be interesting to learn what the Skoda infoline's response will be...

Having looked at videos of left-hand-drive Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo cars that have the 1.5 TSI motor and the Virtual Cockpit (VC) being driven, it is evident that 2023 models could display D1-D7 DSG gear-selections on the VC. As your car is a 2024 model, it looks like only D being displayed on the VC is a quite recent change (as you've said). Suggest you ask a Skoda dealership about this just in case it is peculiar to your car and whether the dealership can check/modify the software so that D1-D7 are shown.

KaroqCZ This 2021 BRISKODA forum discussion related to Octavia Mk 4 models that had a Virtual Cockpit (VC) instrument-cluster displaying the same 'no-gear-number in D mode' that you highlighted in your initial posting. https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/489629-gear-selection-display-on-virtual-cockpit/ One posting in the discussion said when you select Sport mode the indicator changes to S and it shows the selected gear e.g. S2, S3, ... Also when you shift gears manually M2, M3, ... but not in normal mode The Fabia Mk 4 was first marketed in 2021. Since then, it's likely that the majority of Fabia Mk 4s sold that had a DSG would have had a 'conventional' instrument-cluster (not a VC) and - as I said earlier - my 2024 Fabia DSG's conventional instrument-cluster DOES display D1-D7. I'm guessing that all Fabia Mk 4s with a DSG + VC combination (or possibly just every Mk 4 with the 1.5litre motor, DSG and VC) that have been sold since 2021 have never displayed D1-D7, but you are the first owner to draw attention to this. If you carry out a GOOGLE-search using gear selection display on virtual cockpit you'll find a fair amount of moaning about this omission. This link discussed using the OBDeleven tool to hack an Audi's software, but does not appear to have been successful. https://forum.obdeleven.com/thread/15293/gear-number I can appreciate that it would be considered important for a driver to know exactly which gear a DSG transmission is in when the car is in Sport (S) or Manual (M) mode. When in Normal (D) mode, the driver will have chosen to pass gear-shift control to the DSG, so the D 'gear number' should matter less. Conversely, as a geeky driver, I'm fond of seeing which D1-D7 gear-number the DSG has selected and when it does this. If my car's instrument-cluster only displayed S1-S7, M1-M7 and D, but not D1-D7, I wouldn't be concerned enough to want to change that. And if my Fabia had the higher performance 1.5 motor with DSG and a VC, but only a D gear indicator, I'd still feel the same, particularly if a change demanded 'hacking' the software. But I'd definitely still wonder why, if S1-S7 and M1-M7 could display on the VC, D1-D7 did not.

Complaints about the lack of a 'gear-number' showing on a Virtual Cockpit (VC) when in normal "D" mode with a DSG transmission go back at least 7 years where some other Volkswagen Group brands are concerned, and there is online discussion about enabling the capability by using a tool like OBDeleven. The issue seems to be confined to the VC as my Fabia's non-VC instrument-cluster displays the gear-number in D, S and M modes.

My Fabia's Owner's Manual includes a section headed "Automatic activation of lights" and this feature's functionality is described as shown below My understanding is that (if a Fabia Mk 4 has this feature) it is brought into play by moving the lighting switch to its AUTO position and moving the windscreen wipers switch to its INT position. (I've not experimented...) Skoda belongs to the Volkswagen Group that - where cars are concerned - includes the Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Cupra, Lamborghini, Bentley and Porsche brands. Skoda tends to be at the back of the queue where development and innovation are concerned, which may or may not be a bad thing. What it does mean though is that if difficult-to-use controls or glitchy electronics appear in Volkswagen-branded models, these will eventually get ported to Skoda cars. So there's no point blaming Skoda - it's Volkswagen that is the culprit.

This link may be of interest https://club.autodoc.co.uk/review/parts/pollen-filter I don't know how the placements in the list were arrived at (based on the number of sales?) and the quality reviews are hardly scientific. (When a product is advertised as 'OE quality', my immediate reaction is to ask "Says who?")

I notice you complained about the condensation issue in 2023 https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/488582-interior-condensation/ To quote the French writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr - Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose .

I'm pretty sure my 2024 Fabia's Valeo-made cabin filter is the activated carbon type. This old link may be of interest regarding the Crosland brand https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=28684 A properly designed/manufactured cabin filter should be effective and still permit a good airflow. I've no personal experience of the Halfords-sold Croslands cabin filters, but if you find that the airflow is significantly better than it was with the original filter, you may perhaps wonder whether the Croslands filter (made in China?) is doing a good job. Unless I'm confident I can obtain a car part that is superior to the OE part, I'll normally fit the OE part and source it as cheaply as possible.

Car servicing in Israel (for Skoda vehicles at least) is clearly significantly different to the UK's, where the expectation is that servicing work carried out by UK Skoda dealerships can be trusted and will be more comprehensive (though generally more expensive) than servicing performed by non-Skoda workshops. If you have your Fabia serviced during its warranty period by a non=Skoda workshop that you trust, so be it. And, if that workshop allows you to provide the parts you have sourced yourself that you know meet Skoda's specification, I don't think anyone would try to persuade you that you should use an 'unprofessional' Skoda workshop that you fear might damage your car, use unsuitable parts or do the work badly.

The following work is what Skoda's UK website advises should be carried out as part of an Oil and Inspection service.

This video may be useful https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lsYCFlpoE8 As a weedy and weak octogenarian (with my rough-sex days long past) I try to be gentle with car-related tasks nowadays. So it would be more apt to say that I've found carefully and tenderly refitting the aero trims "awkward" rather than "difficult".

Just to emphasise that - when using the hook-tool - the tool should be positioned close to the centre of the aero trim as shown on this drawing. IAEFRTFM 😀

The 'hook' tool was originally designed to remove wheel-bolt caps https://shop.wingsskoda.co.uk/products/skoda-removal-tool-for-original-caps-1 The Fabia Owner's Manual suggests using the wheel-bolt wrench (assuming the car has one!!) to provide more tugging power, but using two hook-tools with a tube/dowel through them should work OK. The tricky bit is getting the aero trim to detach from the centre opening in the wheel: once that's done, removing the trim's 'arms' from the wheel's rim should be straightforward. I made my own pullers. (See my June 2 postings on this forum thread) https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/523977-aero-covers-removed/#comment-5856202

More exciting stuff here... https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/skoda-world/innovation-and-technology/tips-tricks-windscreen-wipers-and-sprays-deserve-care-and-attention/

If your Fabia has 'full house' KESSY, the door handles will have a visible sensor where indicated here Deactivating keyless locking is mentioned in the Fabia's Owner's Manual (Page 27 in my car's hardcopy Manual) but this advises that deactivation is only temporary. There's a fair bit of online discussion about permanently disabling keyless locking using OBDeleven (or similar electronic tools) but received wisdom seems to be that keyless locking and keyless starting are inextricably linked and hacking the software coding relating to keyless entry will also impact on keyless starting. It's also evident that care needs to be taken when modifying code to disable an unwanted/disliked feature as, even when this action proves successful, it may prove tricky to reset the coding at a later date to re-enable the feature.

This earlier discussion relates to removal of the Aero wheel trims and includes references to several other relevant forum threads. https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/523977-aero-covers-removed/#comment-5856202 KESSY was discussed here https://www.https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/514483-2023-keyless-entry-question/briskoda.net/forums/topic/514483-2023-keyless-entry-question/ My 2024 Fabia SE L has keyless ignition (ie. there's a push-button not an ignition switch). But my car's door unlocking and locking requires buttons on the remote key-fob to be pressed, not merely by having the key-fob in proximity to sensors in the door handles. Skoda's 'genuine' KESSY (Keyless-Entry-Start-and-Exit-System) is described here https://www.skoda-storyboard.com/en/kessy_en/

The Lane Assist entry in my Fabia's Owner's Manual says "The system is designed primarily for driving on the motorway", but fails to add "in all other cases it will infuriate most drivers". A major selling-point for cars recently sold in Europe is the vehicle's EURO NCAP safety rating and 'Lane Support' is one of the features that contribute to that rating. It's described on this 2014/2018 link. https://www.euroncap.com/en/car-safety/the-ratings-explained/safety-assist/lane-support/ The Fabia Owner's Manual explains that Lane assist always activates automatically when the ignition is switched on (though - apparently - that's not the case in some countries). EURO NCAP now mandates that Lane Assist MUST self-enable each time a car's ignition is turned on (It's not Skoda being bloody-minded!) though EURO NCAP also allows a driver to switch it off and, with my Fabia, this can be via the steering-wheel's buttons or through the infotainment screen.( It should be practicable to 'hack' a Fabia's software coding using VCDS or OBDeleven diagnostic tools so that Lane Assist is permanently off or its last setting is retained.) As I loathe Lane Assist and dislike Start-Stop I try to remember to turn off both before I drive the Fabia and, during a 40-mile trip made a few days ago, this meant going through that irritating procedure six times. While switching off Stop-Start is via a dedicated button and easily done while driving, I find fiddling about with the steering-wheel buttons distracting (unlike my 2021 Hyundai i20 that had a dedicated button for Lane Assist). During that trip with the navigation system on but no destination set (I knew where I wanted to go and was just interested in how accurate the speed limit data was. Answer - not very!) a message appeared on the display screen on the lines of "What would you like to do" with an accompanying woman's voice quietly asking the same question. Does this indicate that my car has a female AI personality?