ejstubbs

I generally leave the DSG to do its stuff without interference, which it does in a satisfyingly unobtrusive way. I only ever use the manual shift to select low gears for engine braking on long, steep hills. I use sport mode even less frequently, usually when I'm stuck behind a slowcoach on a twisty road and I need to have quick access to lower gears when an overtaking opportunity arises.

Nobody ever starts a thread saying that any aspect of their car is faultless - pretty much all you ever see is people reporting things going wrong. It's just the way it is. FWIW I've had no problems with the AdBlue system on my car to date. Just topped it up this afternoon, in fact. Dead easy and spill-free if you use the VAG dispenser bottle (but refill it with AdBlue from a supermarket or car accessory place that's doing big cartons on special offer).

Where did Kenny say that his dealer was West End Skoda? My experience with them has been that they refuse to do anything to the Haldex beyond the VAG mandated oil changes - no chance of them even admitting that there was a filter in there. When the Haldex clutch pump died on my 2010 Yeti they were dismissive of all my attempts to persuade them to do anything that might reduce the risk of a repeat failure, so I took it to Autohaus and gave them the money to do all the work. How to lose a customer... They should have lots of practice at getting Haldex oil changes right, though, since IME that's all they ever do with them.

If you just want to look at the error codes then there are cheaper alternatives, primarily the ones which use a wireless ODBII adaptor working with an Android/iOS app. I'm an Android user so what follows is all Android - you'd have to research iOS options yourself, or take recommendations from someone who knows. Most often recommended for Android seems to be Carista, the makers of which also offer a bluetooth ODBII adaptor which is guaranteed to work (some of the third party ones don't implement the full ODBII protocol suite so can miss some error codes). Carista can also change some settings not accessible through the Maxidot e.g. setting the Maxidot speed display to mph, needle sweep on ignition on etc. However, Carista is charged on a subscription basis so if you just want it for occasional use then it may work out pricey. I spotted the error code on my Yeti using Torque Pro, which is a one-off cost, and a third party ODBII adaptor bought through Amazon that claimed to have full protocol coverage - but to make sure I tested it with an app called ELM327 Identifier which runs a series of tests through an ODBII adaptor so you can verify its coverage of the protocol options. Both the above diagnostic apps, and most others that are good, also allow you to clear an error code. Obviously, if the fault is persistent then the error code will reappear sooner or later. When my Haldex failed I was seeing the error All-wheel-drive system: 00448 - Haldex Clutch Pump (V181) in Torque Pro. IIRC that's an intermittent startup check error which says that the Haldex clutch pump is showing as open circuit, when in fact it's just gummed up with carp due to the filter not having been changed. The Haldex won't work when that error is found. I cleared the error using the app and the Haldex operated again, but the error reappeared fairly quickly and I ended up getting the pump replaced and the Haldex serviced properly (which I now do every time it's due - which means taking it to an independent garage, since my local dealer refuses to believe that anything beyond the VAG-mandated service actions are required). Other apps, and other approaches, are available but in your place I'd be inclined to save the big bucks for the work that may need to be done to make the Haldex healthy again.

Normal connector yes, but it seems at least likely to be an attempt at ensuring that whatever connection is made, it is made with the correct polarity/orientation. Conversely, that kind of layout - with diverse sizes in no obvious pattern - would seem to make even less sense for a heat sink. And it would be pretty unusual IMO to surround a heat sink with a plastic shroud like that, given that it would limit the air flow around the "fins" (though I admit it might offer some physical protection).

But AFAICS the mistake which they have admitted making basically destroyed the differential. They may deny draining it, but there was "hardly any" oil in it when the OP took it back so... IMO they aren't behaving in quite such a "nice and genuine" way as the OP believes. Asking the OP to pay for a replacement when it's their fault the original became irreparably damaged sounds like some serious mickey-taking to me. I'd be seriously considering setting Trading Standards on to them, they love this kind of thing.

Strange. I have that rack (Thule Velospace XT) and my 125cm wheelbase (pretty slack geometry) eMTB with semi-fat 2.8" tyres (Nobby Nics, like yours) fits just fine using the supplied straps. The straps are intended to pull inwards on the wheels, not straight down through the contact point like on most of their roof-mounted carriers. You're supposed to rotate the ratchets so that the straps pull radially on the wheel rims. I can't see wheel rail extensions for the Velospace XT on the Thule web site (they do sell an additonal rail and clamp bar to allow a third bike to be carried). I agree it's a tad weighty - as you say, Thule do sell a wheel that fits under the rack to make it easy to move around - but I can still get it on and off my Yeti's (removable) towball single-handed without much bother.

Completely agree with this; it's the one thing that's badly wrong with the Yeti's Stop/Start system IMO. (I don't have any complaints about Stop/Start otherwise.) I don't understand why it's like that: you can't accidentally put the 'box in Drive* without putting your foot back on the brake pedal, so you're not going to shoot off in an uncontrolled fashion if you just release the handbrake and press the accelerator. Plenty of other cars with Stop/Start systems are quite happy to sit in neutral with the handbrake engaged and the engine temporarily stopped (I've even been told on other forums that I don't understand how to drive my own car because their car behaves the logical way whereas my Yeti uncontrovertibly doesn't - which is bl00dy annoying!) I'm pretty sure that the Golf I rented in Italy a few years back kept the engine stopped when in N with the handbrake on, so why does another recent VAG model not do it? I wonder whether it's a software thing that could be changed using VCDS? As it is, I have got in to the habit of putting the selector lever all the way to P if the engine stops and it's obvious that I'm going to be at a standstill for more than a few seconds - but still with the handbrake on because I'm not keen on relying on the locking mechanism in the 'box to keep me stationary, especially on a slope. (Doubtless someone is now going to tell me that this is not a good habit after all...) * My comments are all based on my DSG-equipped Yeti, but AFAICS it would be the same for a manual: you'd have to depress the clutch to engage a gear so you can't slip out of neutral without the car knowing about it.

AFAICS they are the Satellite trim which AFAIK wasn't offered on the Yeti. That site does also have the Rif, at around the same price: https://eshop.skoda-auto.cz/cs_CZ/celoplosne-kryty-kol-rif-70j-x-16/p/CDB800001 Have to say I'm not taken with the look of the Rif. But I'm not all that fussed with looks anyway: I tend to go for the cheapest ones that the missus thinks look more or less OK, since the local scrotes seem to have a bizarre habit of nicking wheel trims one at a time. I'm currently running a set of black wheel trims that cost me less than £20. These have two benefits for me: the scrotes don't seem so keen on black ones, and you can use ordinary black cable ties to stop them popping off of their own accord rather than having to source silver ones (otherwise it looks a bit naff - er, hang on, didn't I say that I wasn't that fussed about looks?)

I reckon the battery connections on the bike are already pretty watertight - well , they are on mine (which uses the Bosch CX drive system). Bikes, especially MTBs, are very likely to get wet while being ridden, and the seal between battery and the battery holder on my bike doesn't seem to be designed to keep water out to any great extent - at least going by how much water accumulates in there when I hose (not power wash) the bike down after a muddy ride with the battery still in place (because it's muddy too!) The battery connections on my bike are protruding, so the "socket", which might otherwise be a moisture trap, is on the battery itself - which can be taken off and put in a warm place to dry out if really necessary (not easy with an entire bike!) It probably wouldn't hurt to wrap a cloth or maybe even some plastic or a bit of clingfilm around the battery connection when transporting the bike sans battery but I've never bothered and mine's not died yet. In fact I am repeatedly impressed by how resistant the drive system and its ancillaries are to the elements. I've ridden through unexpectedly deep sumps where the (dirty) water has come up a fair way over the bottom bracket - which means that the motor has been providing drive while at least partially submerged (not to mention the wet shoes!) - and the thing has just kept going. Which is as it should be, really - but it's nice that it is. On the subject of dimension: Thule apparently suggest a maximum bike wheelbase of 122cm for the EasyFold XT, which is right on the limit for my bike (if anything it's actually a bit more than that). I seem to recall now that I did consider the EasyFold when I was looking to get a towball bike carrier, but the higher cost vs the non-folding VeloSpace, plus the fact that the VeloSpace was specced up to 130cm wheelbase, swung it in the end.

I carry the battery inside the car when I transport my e-bike. (In fact pretty much the only time when the battery is on the bike is when I'm riding it.)

Looks pretty tidy. Can I ask what the limit is on the wheelbase of the bike it can safely carry? I ended up getting the non-folding Thule VeloSpace XT carrier - which is a bit of a beast, it must be said - because my e-MTB has a particularly 'lazy' geometry (quite the modern trend as I understand it). The clamps on your carrier look the same as the ones on mine. They aren't compatible with my downtube or my crossbar, but they fasten very securely around the seat tube. As you say, the carrier is designed so as to have only one clamp per bike carried so I'm happy with that. It helps that the frame they're attached to is higher and wider than the one on your carrier - obviously they had to compromise a bit to get the compactness on your model. The frame on mine can at least be folded down, or even removed, which does help make it less awkward to store in the garage. I can't imagine that they've found a solution to the thing getting covered in clart driving around on filthy/damp roads at this time of year, though!

If you're stationary with your foot on the brake and the engine is stopped then I don't think moving the selector from D to P will do much if anything to the actual gearbox. I'm willing to be corrected but I'd be pretty sure that all that would be happening is that the computer would get a rapid series of different instructions about what it should make the gearbox do when the engine restarts, each one of which will override the previous one, so the only wear it might cause would be to the selector. Prepares to be shot down in flames...

I've been told that this isn't the case with the Stop-Start system in some other makes/models of car i.e. you can put the selector in N, put the handbrake on and take your foot off the brake without the engine restarting. In fact I had quite an argument with someone on another forum about it: they wouldn't believe that all Stop-Start systems didn't behave that way. I do see it as a shortcoming in the way Stop-Start is implemented on the Yeti since, as e-Roottoot says, it means that the only way to avoid unnecessarily dazzling the driver behind you in a stationary queue of traffic is to put the selector in P. Since the car complains when you drive off with the handbrake still on, it obviously does know when the handbrake is on. It seems rather penny-pinching (or just short-sighted) not to use that in the logic of the Stop-Start system.

It's common, full stop. It's been discussed on here before: https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/262559-yeti-mot-fail/ - and that's just a Yeti thread. There are similar threads on the other Skoda model forums, and if you look further afield on forums relating to other manufacturers' cars. This AA article is a helpful explainer if the thread linked above is too long to wade through: https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice/service-repair/coil-springs-breaking. Summary: "the simple fact is that springs are lighter, thinner and don't cope as well with salt and rust." Note that, being the AA, this is general i.e. non-manufacturer-specific information.

That's exactly the same bike carrier I have (and is the one that I fitted to the car to prove that the 13-pin electrics were fine when the MoT guy tried to fail my car last month - see recent thread). I think for MTB-style e-bikes you have to have something fairly large because such bikes tend towards having a long wheelbase these days. I haven't found it too onerous to move about - what I found helpful was to remove the large U-shaped bar to which the bike retaining arms are attached when storing at away. It makes it less awkward to manhandle and store, and a tad less heavy. It's just a couple of thumbscrews with big plastic knobs on that you need to deal with to remove and re-fit it. When I got the eMTB I did start off by carrying it on the roof but it was really too long for my Thule roof carrier, and it was a beeyatch to lift up and down even with the battery removed. Best thing I ever did in terms of bike transport with the Yeti was getting the towbar fitted. I wouldn't be over-keen on having my eMTB - which I think I indicated before is quite heavy - on a rack that was resting on the tailgate. (I have had a bad experience in the past when I accidentally let a tailgate supporting three bikes on a carrier slam shut on my finger. With the towball mounted carrier there's a handy pedal that unlocks the carrier and allows you to fold it out of the way of the tailgate without taking it off the towball.) Edited to say: It's a Thule VeloSpace XT 2 bike carrier. I got mine from (shock horror) Halfords with 10% off for AA membership. Shop around and you can find them online for under £400. Pricey but I reckon it's worth it.

According to the Certificate of Conformity for my 2017 Yeti, for 215/60 R16 tyres the wheel spec is 7J ET45. These rims will also take the 205/55 R16 that you need if you ever want/need to fit snow chains. I run Goodyear Vector Gen 2 in that size all year round and I've never noticed any deficiency in the car's steering response.

So the Yeti was in to my local dealer today to have the headlight aim checked. Their comments on the invoice (a copy of which will be presented to the MoT garage): "Checked and found no fault with headlamp aim and it is within MOT specification. Carried out guided fault finding and no faults recorded. Checked head lamps and level sensors. All OK. No fault found at time of test." I shall be having a "conversation" with the MoT garage tomorrow...

Thanks, but those are twice as expensive or more than the ones available online. I am also unsure how they'll respond if a car that was failed due to a (non-existent) fault with its 13-pin socket turns up for the re-test with a 7-pin socket. Easier this time I time I think to fit the bike carrier and let them try to argue that the lights don't work on that. Since they are supposed to test the vehicle "as presented" I don't see how they can object to the bike carrier being in place. I'll get one of the £5 adapters anyway so's to be ready for the next MoT. I have downloaded the DVSA complaint form already, just in case they do kick up a fuss at the re-test!

Unfortunately I can't find anyone who can ship me a 13-pin to 7-pin adapter in time to get the car re-tested before its MoT is actually due. I think I'm going to have to take it for the re-test with the bike carrier fitted and tell them to "test that". Since it's a re-test they should only be looking at the light board, they shouldn't need to test the operation of the lights on the car (except the headlights) so they shouldn't need to unplug the 13-pin connector. I am currently trying to speak to the DVSA to find out if they regard that as acceptable but, after spending six minutes navigating through ACD menus and listening to the same recorded information about MoT tests and coronavirus after each selection I have now been sat listening to their execrable 1950s-lift-musak hold music for a further ten minutes and counting, and I'm losing the will (maybe even the desire) to live...

Seriously? Even more farcical.

I just spoke to the guy who fitted my towbar. He confirmed that the standard MoT testing tool for 13-pin connectors* is not fit for purpose. Apparently it uses LEDs to indicate which lighting circuits are working. As anyone who has followed the many threads on here about retro-fitting LED lights in place of incandescent bulbs will be aware, the ECU thinks an LED is a failed bulb. As a result, it disables the lamp in question. So the testing device works on older towbar installations where the lighting circuits are not monitored by the ECU, but not modern ones where the connector is properly integrated in to the car's wiring loom How kind it is of our legislators to pass regulations which they fail to ensure are enforced properly... His suggestion was to take the car back for its free re-test with the cycle carrier fitted so that the tester can see the actual lights on the actual light board actually working. Which I will do, but it will be a bit of a PITA to have to remember to do that every time it needs an MoT, or else take the risk that the MoT tester doesn't know that the tool he's supposed to use is a crock. I've also got it booked in to the local dealer on Thursday for a headlight alignment check. I shall make sure that I get a clear report from them as to what they find. * He also said that 7-pin connectors don't need to be tested as part of the MoT. Go figure...

I've just checked the lights against the fence at the end of our more-or-less level drive. The atartup "dance" was performed as expected (once I'd turned the ignition on - I actually do so little night driving that I'd forgotten they didn't do it until the car decided that you were actually about to start driving!) Oddly - given what the MoT report said - the offside beam cutoff seemed to be ~1.6cm lower than the nearside beam cutoff with the car sat ~70cm from the fence. When the car was ~8m away from the fence both beam cutoffs were ~5cm lower. Do those numbers seem OK, allowing for the somewhat crude measuring system I used (steel tape & 80cm spirit level)? I also checked for ECU error codes using both Torque and Carista. Carista reported an error code relating to the front passenger door (not sure what - my subscription isn't up to date). Torque reported nothing. Looks like I'll be on the phone to my towbar fitter & Skoda dealer in the morning...

I'm going to check all that this evening. If there was a fault and they'd defaulted to the low position then it would be even more difficult to understand the tester reporting it as being too high. If nearside and offside measure out at the same level then I shall be very suspicious. I'm going to get try to get the guy who fitted my tow bar to come and check the connector, just in case there is something gone awry that I'm not spotting. I'm also inclined to see if my dealer, or some other local specialist, can do a headlight aim test. If both report back NFF then I shall be having words with the place that did the MoT. I think a free re-test (which they have already offered) and a refund of the test fee as recompense for the time and trouble they've put me to would be reasonable.

Well, that's just great Maybe I'll just leave the bike carrier on and connected next time so they can see it for themselves. The fail notice does specifically refer to the rear fog lamp: I checked and the one on the lightboard works fine. The one on the car itself is disabled when there's something plugged in to the socket - which is what's supposed to happen. Maybe the tester got confused? They said they'd give it a free re-test within ten days but I can't see any point if they'll just fail it again on something that's working entirely correctly. So much for cut-price MoTs - I only took it there because the next service isn't due for another month and I didn't want to pre-empt that just for the sake of an MoT, which I fully expected it to pass. Looks like I'll have to take it to the dealer anyway if that's the only way to get the headlight adjusted (which is about as far from "simply clever" as I can currently imagine).