tubalcain

Mine has covered just under 16k in two years. We use my wife's Micra auto for short journeys and the Yeti for longer trips to our home in La Vendee, to friends elsewhere in France and the out-laws in Pembrokeshire. Thinking of ditching the Micra (1996/ 36K miles) but wonder about the DPF issue if used frequently for shopping trips of 2 to 3 miles. Love the car and the 140 diesel/DSG combination for long journeys. Currently returning an indicated 48 mpg. The Yeti spends roughly 6 months in the UK and 6 months in France where consumption always seems to improve and the diesel is less expensive???

Shown on France 2 last night, Sarko driven in his chaufered car at 190 kph in a 130 kph zone. As for gendarmes; my wife was 'buzzed' by two motorcycle cops on Thursday whilst driving within the 90 kph limit around La Rochelle at the 'heure de pointe' - no blue lights, no sirens - they just wanted to get past so hooted several times and glared. Nearly a brown trouser moment!

Came out Hyper U hypermarket (Lucon, Vendee, W.France) to find a guy peering into the car. He told me his son had recommended he consider it as his next car. Showed him around the car, demonstrated some of its features and he was impressed enough to say he was going to book a test drive with the local dealer. He was certainly very complimenary about the car.

I must add my appreciation to GIZMO for help with my towbar coding. This has been by far the most friendly and informative forum I have used. Long may it continue.

Hi Johann, can you remember what the the 'totally irrelevant' box was? My son is joining me in France tomorrow with his VDCS to try and sort my coding out since this is where I keep my trailer. He is fairly new to the system (though he has tweaked his Seat Leon with it) so it is unlikely that he wull have the relevant information. Grateful for any pointers. I am hoping to be able to set up the 'teardrop' wipe too - have you managed that on your Yeti?

I too have had no repsonse from SUK to the same question. As others have stated, SUK seem unable to give detailed information about their products which, in the case of the towing setup leaves customers with many doubts about safety and security when towing. I have found exactly the same with dealers and service technicians and have reported the problem to Honest John who writes a motoring problems column in the Saturday Telegragh, I suggest others do the same. I am sure that it is not confined to Skoda or even VAG.

Apologies RSMarco, I guess I am just a confused old bu@@er.

Quite simple really. If , as you say, Skoda, (as part of VAG) do not understand the process involved in safely fitting and coding towing equipment to their own vehicles, it represents a lamentable lack of technical expertise and should be quickly resolved; surely not beyond the wit of a world-leading manufacturer.

The experience of many posting on this thread appears to be that neither speicialist towbar agencies nor Skoda service centres have a thorough understanding of the correct procedure for fitting equipment to a Yeti (and probably other models and marques too) but are happy to charge customers for a botched job. Towbar preparation or not, a significant number here have reported problems with coding and with the actual fitting of towing equipment. If, for example, the Electronic Stability Program does not recognise that there is a heavy caravan or trailer being towed (at legal speeds up to 130 kph or 81 mph) and an emergency occurs, who is responsible for the disaster that may follow? What would be the attitude of insurance companies or accident investigators. In short, whose responsibility is it to ensure that your vehicle is safe and secure when towing after you have paid so-called experts to fit the equipment? I have seen enough accidents involving caravans to know that the results can be disastrous since control is so quickly lost and the towed vehicle virtually disintegrates on impact shedding its contents across the carriageway. I have asked Skoda UK, my local Skoda dealer and the company that fitted my Westfalia car-specific towing equipment what the definitive requirements are. I am still waiting for a satisfactory response as, it appears, are a number of fellow posters on this topic. How when and where can we get satisfaction?

Same problem here. Had the Westfalia towbar and model-specific electrics fitted by Autoroofs of Leicester, recommended by Listers Skoda of Coventry. Their first attempt was aborted - they brought the generic wiring not the dedicated harness. Second attempt was completed but their fitters had no means of testing the rig - no lighting bar! On the third attempt, a fitter arrived with a lighing bar and all appeared OK but needed coding. Listers Skoda charged £47 for this service but the rear parking sensors remain active with the trailer hitched. I'm now in France until September and not inclined to spend more having the coding attempted again by Skoda in France. I copied the following below from the Westfalia manual which may be of help. My son arrives shortly and will bring his VCDS to try and sort it out.IMHO, Skoda and their dealers couldn't organise a panic. I am appalled at the casual and inept way this was done. I have emailed both the Skoda dealer and Autoroof and, guess what - no response. Text copied from Westfalia installation download 1. The vehicle’s gateway has to be coded as follows using a service tester to extend its functionality to the use of a towing hitch: • Address word "19", diagnosis interface for data bus. • Select function 007 coding (service $1A) “reading/writing long code”. • Select address word “69“, trailer function. • Change to “Coded“. • Continue the coding according to the menu. • Function “06” Exit output. 2. For vehicles fitted with Park Distance Control II or Park Assist, code the control unit in the self-diagnosis using the VAS tester: • Address 10 (Park Distance Control or Park Assist) • 08 Code the control unit • Change the code value: Byte 0 Bit sample xxxxxxx1 (x: enter the available values in the entry field). To do this, switch to entry mode [bIN]. I hope this makes wense to someone out there in the ether.