Paul R T

Hi All I have recently changed my 2016 SEL Exec 190 Estate for a nearly new 2023 L&K CR200 Estate. Being the L&K it has most of the bells and whistles that you could possibly want, except for one. My SEL Exec had the ‘Traffic Sign Recognition’ as an optional extra, which I found extremely useful, particularly touring in France where speed limits frequently change randomly between 90, 80 and 70km/hr on open roads. I have been disappointed to find that this function is also an optional extra on the L&K and is not fitted to this car. Does anyone know if it is possible to activate or retrofit this function? Cheers Paul R T

Hi I can't comment about cruise control when towing, as I never use it. However, when towing our caravan with my 2016 Estate, I do periodically get a bulb out warning for an indicator, even though all is working normally (checked as soon as possible after the warning). Cheers Paul R T

Hi The electric tailgate on my 2016 Superb SEL Exec Estate (63k miles) has suddenly stopped working. I have followed a recent thread about the struts, including a useful link to cheaper replacements on Ebay. My symptoms are as follows: When the tailgate is fully opened and the closing button is pressed and then released, there is a short bleep followed by two clicks. However, the tailgate does not lower. On occasions it lowers a little and then stops. When the tailgate is closed and the opening button is pressed there are two clicks, but the tailgate does not open itself. Before purchasing replacement struts and getting them fitted by my usual independent garage, is there any way of checking that it is these that are at fault? I am aware that there is a control module, but I don’t know where it is located. I have also heard that the system can be ‘reset’, but other than setting the height of opening (which I have tried) I can find no reference to this. Any help in a diagnosis would be much appreciated. Many thanks Paul R T

Hi All, I had the issue of the annoying service reminder near the beginning of the pandemic. I recall posting a question on this forum as to how to get rid of the reminder. A reply I received was as follows: "I've researched this topic extensively and several methods are suggested. As far as I can make out, for Superb iii with conventional dash, the method is something like Sit in car, doors closed, bonnet too. Press and hold SET button under dash clocks, turn on ignition (don't start engine), still holding down SET, wait until a "Reset Oil service?" message appears in the dash, continue holding SET and eventually a "Reset Inspection service?" message appears, immediately release the SET button and then press it again and release to do the reset. Not sure if it acknowledges, but then turn off the ignition. Note that resetting this way will set the interval to fixed. Never done it yet on my Superb so no guarantees. " It worked perfectly on my 2016 Superb III Estate. Hope this might be useful. Cheers Paul R T

Hi I tow a caravan with a 2015 Skoda Superb Estate Mk3, using Milenco Grand Aero mirrors. I did have a problem several years ago with one mirror fixing slipping off the door mirror at speed. The problem has since been entirely solved by the use of the Milenco Aero F pads, which have a small ridge on the face of the pads, which fits into the indentation on the door mirrors on the Superb. You can find them on the Milenco website where they are stock number 4664. By the way, I have found the Grand Aero mirrors significantly better than the standard ones, giving you a floor to roof view. Cheers Paul R T

Hi All, Just to update. The police have let me know they are taking no action on the alleged incident, which prompted me to start this thread. To quote: “This investigation originated from an allegation that a driver failed to stop and exchange details following a road traffic collision. Our enquiries have not produced sufficient evidence to support a prosecution against any person involved and there will not be any further action by the police.” It really does show the value of having a dash-cam, although it is the first time I have had to use it ‘in anger’ in the 5 years it has been installed. I will continue to be wary of any attempt by whoever is the ‘third party’ to claim against me, if the police have given him/her my name and address. Thanks for the responses and various advice. Cheers Paul R T

Hi All Thanks for the responses. Not a lot more to report at this stage. I responded immediately to the NIP and informed them that I was the driver, as required. I attached a letter explaining the movements of my vehicle and that I had absolutely no knowledge of any incident. I later emailed the police asking for any evidence. They responded saying that they do not release any details while a case is live. I have now been able to download to my tablet front dash-cam footage of the journey, including entering the hospital car park at low speed, reversing gently into a parking space, and later leaving the car park again at low speed. I have today sent an account of this footage to the police. I await any further developments. I remain puzzled, but have a growing suspicion that a third party is trying to blame me for damage to their vehicle caused otherwise. Cheers Paul R T

Hi All Last week I had a perfectly normal, incident free, trip to our local community hospital for an out-patients appointment, using my 2016 Superb Estate (50k miles, in pristine condition). Drove there, parked in the hospital car park, and then drove back without any incidents whatsoever. However, yesterday I received from the police a notice of intention to prosecute for driving without due care and attention, failing to stop after an accident, and failing to report an accident. All supposed to have taken place in the hospital car park within a time period, which overlapped with my visit. I wonder if this is some sort of attempted insurance scam seeking to claim against me for, perhaps, existing damage to another vehicle. However, it is not a scam I have heard of previously. Has anyone else come across a similar example? Thanks for your help. Cheers Paul R T

Hi I quite agree with Busdriver. We have only been caravanning for 20 years and now tow with a Superb Estate SEL Exec 2016 (190) (FWD). I previously towed for 5 years with a 2010 Superb II 170. They have both been excellent towcars with plenty of power and torque when required, and also extremely stable even in testing side winds. We normally tow 4-5k miles a year (not in 2020), both in the UK and France. I have never had any issue with the rear springs or dampers. The only modification I have made is to fit all season tyres (Vredenstein Quatracs) which help in towing on wet grass across CLs and CSs in winter. Happy Caravanning (when we can) Cheers Paul R T

Hi Freelancegamer, You could try the procedure for removing the 'inspection service due' warning, which I successfully used on my 2016 Superb. It is was in a thread in early October, where I was advised as follows: "I've researched this topic extensively and several methods are suggested. As far as I can make out, for Superb iii with conventional dash, the method is something like. Sit in car, doors closed, bonnet too. Press and hold SET button under dash clocks, turn on ignition (don't start engine), still holding down SET, wait until a "Reset Oil service?" message appears in the dash, continue holding SET and eventually a "Reset Inspection service?" message appears, immediately release the SET button and then press it again and release to do the reset. Not sure if it acknowledges, but then turn off the ignition. Note that resetting this way will set the interval to fixed. Never done it yet on my Superb so no guarantees." It worked for me. Cheers Paul R T

Hi DrVenkman We have been caravanning for nearly 20 years, both around the UK and in France and Spain, usually towing about 5k miles per annum (but not this year!). We currently tow a Coachman Pastiche 460 (MPTLM 1350kg) with a 16 plate Superb III SLE Estate 190 manual. For the previous 5 years I had a 2010 Superb II Estate 170. They have both been excellent tow-cars. There is plenty of power and torque when you need it and they are extremely stable even in some vigorous side winds. There can be some confusion about ‘kerbweights’ with Skodas. The brochure quotes a ‘kerbweight’ without a driver, whereas the owners manual quotes an ‘operating weight’, which includes 75 kg for the driver. (The two do tally.). The latter operating weight including a driver should be used as the ‘kerbweight’ for matching purposes. As you will be aware, it is usually recommended that the MPTLM of the caravan is less than 85% of the kerbweight of the towcar. With the 170 we towed a Coachman Pastiche 460/2, which had a MPTLM of 1420kg, which was a 92% match. I never had any indication of instability (and I tend to tow fairly briskly). I believe that the Superbs are particularly stable towcars, which has contributed to them winning towcar awards on several occasions. As regards the tow-bar fitting, it is best to get it done by a tow-bar specialist, rather than a Skoda dealer. Make sure that you specify a full electrical connection including charging the leisure battery and powering the fridge while towing. I don’t think there is any need to worry about any cooling prep. Normal fast motorway towing may produce oil temperatures around 105 degrees and ours has, for a short while, climbed close to 120 on the long inclines on the A75 in the Massif Central in hot weather, but the water temperature stayed constant. Nothing to worry about. Best of luck in finding a good car and enjoy towing with it. Cheers Paul R T

Hi Xman, Many thanks for your precise instructions. That worked perfectly. Cheers Paul R T

Hi All, I think this issue may have been addressed here in the past, but I can’t find it, and it might be of interest to others, particularly this year. I have a 2016 190bhp SEL Executive manual estate. I normally do around 15k miles per year, many of them towing a caravan, both in the UK and Europe. It is set on ‘variable’ servicing, but I normally have it serviced annually due to its use for towing. However, this year, due to Covid 19, it has done less than 7k miles since the last service (and done very little towing). The annoying screen reminder that the ‘inspection service’ is due shortly has now started to appear. Is there a process for cancelling this without a visit to my dealer? Thanks for any info. Cheers Paul R T

Hi Sandgroper, Re car alarm - before shutting drivers door and locking the car, press the button halfway down the driver's side B pillar (yellow light then comes on). This deactivates the interior monitor. We do this, as we leave a dog in the car on the short crossings. I believe this also decativeates the tilt/movement sensors. Certainly our alarm has never gone off on a ferry having done this. Cheers Paul R T

Hi Sandgroper, We have been caravanning for nearly 20 years, both around the UK and in France and Spain, usually towing about 5k miles per annum. We currently tow a Coachman Pastiche 460 (MPTLM 1350kg) with a 16 plate Superb III SLE Estate 190 manual. For the previous 5 years I had a 2010 Superb II estate 170. They have both been excellent tow-cars. There is plenty of power and torque when you need it and it is extremely stable even in some vigorous side winds. Thus you should have no problems at all. The only issue worth a mention is the fitting of extension mirrors. I use Milenco Grand Aero mirrors, which, in my view, are well worth the outlay. I did have a problem two years ago with one mirror fixing slipping off the door mirror at speed. The door mirror is slightly bevelled and also has an indentation between the body of the mirror and the rim. The problem has been entirely solved by the use of the Milenco Aero F pads, which have a small ridge on the face of the pads, which fits into the indentation on the door mirrors. They seem hidden on the Milenco website and I have not seen them well publicised. I got mine from www.thecaravanshop.co.uk. The other tip is to attach the mirrors sometime before you travel and then re-tighten the fixing screws just before take-off. The rubber always compresses slightly further. Bon Voyage. Cheers Paul R T

Hi Alec M, Sorry to be late to this thread. Firstly to say that I have towed a 1350 kg Coachman Pastiche 460 for the last 2+ years with a Superb III 190 Estate manual, towing about 5k miles per year, both around France and the UK. I have found it an excellent tow-car with plenty of torque and power when you need it. It is also very stable, even in challenging side winds. Thus I am very confident you have made the right choice of tow-car for your Trigano. As regards your issue on your drive, like others, I would strongly suspect that the caravan brakes did not release, even though the handbrake was released. From your recent post you clearly understand the intricacies of the operation of modern caravan brakes. However, I note that you left the handbrake applied after the service and it subsequently snowed/froze. There is always a possibility of the shoes freezing to the drum in these circumstances – or some damp in the Bowden cables connecting the handbrake to the brake drums freezing and not allowing the brakes to release. I also had a similar issue at about this time last year (after a cold spell). When I came to connect the van up for a trip the brakes were jammed on in the forward direction, even though the handbrake had been left off. After much juggling backwards and forwards with the motor mover they eventually released themselves. I have never discovered the real cause of this and it has never done it again. There is, however, an interesting recent post on the Caravan and Motorhome Club Forum about brakes jamming on if the Alko ATC self check has been interrupted. May be of interest to others. However, I don’t think the ATC is fitted to the Triganos. Happy Caravanning. Cheers Paul R T

Hi Keble6, Just press the orange button half way up the drivers side door pillar before you close the door and then lock it normally. This disables the internal sensors. Cheers Pàul R T

Hi, Just to say that I have had positive experiences at Progress Skoda in Letchworth. I live in Digswell, Hertfordshire and bought my first Superb Mk 2 Estate second hand from a Skoda Dealer in Reading in 2011. I subsequently had it serviced at Letchworth. They always seemed professional and to know what they were doing. After 60k miles I had an intermittent fault in the EGR system, which only appeared when I was towing the caravan quickly. They successfully identified the component causing it and replaced it. I have never had to wait long for a service appointment with a courtesy car and their service reception has always been very efficient. Last year I traded in the Mk2 and bought from them an ex-Skoda Mk3 Superb SEL Exec Estate with 3k miles on the clock. My dealings with the sales team were positive and professional. They have since serviced the car and I have experienced no problems so far. My next-door neighbour has also dealt with them over several years with an Octavia and two Fabias. He also has always found them OK. Cheers Paul R T

Hi Dave, We have been caravanning for 15+ years, both around the UK and in France and Spain. We currently tow with a 16 plate Superb SLE Estate 190 manual. For the previous 5 years I had a 2010 Superb II estate 170. They have both been excellent tow-cars. There is plenty of power and torque when you need it and it is extremely stable even in some vigorous side winds. As you are aware, there can be some confusion about ‘kerbweights’ with Skodas. The brochure quotes a kerbweight without a driver, whereas the owners manual quotes an ‘operating weight’, which includes 75 kg for the driver. (The two do tally.). The latter operating weight including a driver should be used as the ‘kerbweight’ for matching purposes. With the 170 we towed a Coachman Pastiche 460/2, which had a MPTLM of 1420kg, which was a 92% match. I never had any indication of instability (and I tend to tow fairly briskly). I suspect that the Superbs are particularly stable towcars, which has contributed to them winning towcar awards on several occasions. Thus it is probably safe to exceed the 85% recommendation by a margin. If you want further checks and reassurance you can enter the details of the car and your proposed caravan(s) into matching information on whattowcar.com or on the Caravan and Motorhome Club website. The latter is available for club members only. Welcome to caravanning with a Superb. Cheers Paul R T

Hi Jeff A, I am very surprised you have stability issues towing with a Superb III. I have towed over the past 10+ years with a Mondeo Estate, then a Superb II estate (manual 170 on 17” wheels) and now a Superb III estate (manual 190 on 18” wheels). I have towed our Coachman Pastiche 460/2 (MPTLM 1420kg) widely around the UK and in France and Spain. I have always found the Superbs extremely stable, even in some vicious cross winds. Also I tend to tow ‘making progress’. I have not noticed any difference between the 17” and 18” wheels on the two different Superbs. However, you might want to check the rear tyre pressures you are using. We are just two plus a dog; I used 40psi on the 17” wheels on the Superb II and now use 38psi on the 18”wheels on the Superb III. Other than that, I assume you have done all the usual checks on the loading of the caravan and its nose-weight – and the tyre pressures on the caravan. At the risk of teaching grandmothers etc, did you also ensure that any paint was removed from a new towball to ensure that the hitch stabiliser is not contaminated? Finally, I don’t have DCC on my SEL Exec model, but the mode control does affect the power steering. I find that using the sport mode does tighten the steering response and I prefer this both for towing and solo driving. I do hope you get it resolved and can enjoy towing with the Superb as much as I do. Cheers Paul R T

Hi I also struggled when I had to access the fuse box - the fact that it was cold and wet at the time did not help! I did not find the 3D picture in the manual to be very clear. I found that to release the brake rod you push the outer end up (at 90 degrees to the line of the rod). This then clicks the end out of a small slot into a larger one. You can then pull the rod outwards from the glove box to release it entirely. The box will then drop down and it is easy to release it from the retained tabs. Hope this helps. BTW the reason I had to access the fuse box was that the heated front seat on the drivers side came on and I could not switch it off. Thus I needed to remove the fuse to disable it. I have not yet takeen it back to the dealer to sort this. Anyone else had this happen? Cheers Paul R T

Hi LakesPuma, The car was a very low mileage ex Skoda management or ex demo. Thus there was not the option of a factory fitted towbar. I had an aftermarket one fitted by my local towing specialists, GT Towing at Hatfield, Herts, whom I have used several times before. Not cheap, but it is fine. I was initally concerned as the factory fitted option is supposed to beef up the cooling, but I don't know what that means in practice. Anyway the car has performed very well towing. When climbing the long gradients on the A75 autoroute across the Massif Central in France in hot weather, the water temperature never shifted from normal; the oil tempreature went up a bit - to 120C max, but immediately came back down when you were able to ease off. So quite happy with it. Cheers Paul R T

Hi, We have been caravanning for 15+ years, both around the UK and in France and Spain. We currently tow with a 16 plate Superb SLE Estate 190 manual. For the previous 5 years I had a Superb II estate 170. They have both been excellent tow-cars, but the 190 is the best. There is plenty of power and torque when you need it and it is extremely stable even in some vigorous side winds. I tend to tow fairly briskly, but I get 27-30 mpg when towing, which is an improvement on the old 170. There can be some confusion about ‘kerbweights’ with Skodas. The brochure quotes a kerbweight without a driver, whereas the owners manual quotes an ‘operating weight’, which includes 75 kg for the driver. (The two do tally.). The latter ‘operating weight including a driver should be used as the ‘kerbweight’ for matching purposes. Thus the TSI 280 4X4 DSG Estate has a kerbweight of 1635kg, giving an 85% figure of 1389kg. The 190 SLE manual Estate has a kerbweight of 1525kg, giving an 85% figure of 1296kg. However, we tow a Coachman Pastiche 460/2, which has a MPTLM of 1420kg, which is a 92% match, and I have never had any indication of instability. I suspect that the Superbs are particularly stable towcars, which has contributed to them winning towcar awards on several occasions. Thus it is probably safe to exceed the 85% recommendation by a margin. My final thought is that you mention you are considering the 280TSI. Most caravanners tow with diesels as the engine characteristics are much more suited to towing with bags of torque low down the rev range. The 190 CR is particularly good in this respect. Best of luck and welcome to the joys of caravanning. Cheers Paul R T

Hi again Sk1, Can't really help on your last query. As an ex- demo model, I had no idea whether it had the towbar prep, but I suspect not. I left the fitting expertise entirely to my local towbar specialist, GT Towing, (near Hatfield, Herts), whom I have used several times in 15 years of caravanning. They had obviously fitted several towbars to Superb 3's before mine. The outcome with all the gizmos working as they should was entirely satisfactory. However, it was not cheap - 790 quid, but I gather the time involved is much longer than on the Superb 2. Cheers Paul R T

Hi SK1, I bought a ex-demo 16 plate 190 SEL estate in July, having previously had a 2010 CR 170. I had a Westfalia towbar fitted by my local towing specialist, and have just returned from 2,500 miles of towing round a pretty hot France. I was very pleased as to how the car performed - more power and torque than the 170, better towing economy, and perfectly stable in cross winds. I was slightly concerned that an after market towbar did not include the changes to cooling that is referred to in the brochure for a factory ordered towbar, but water temperature kept steady at 90 and oil temperature did not exceed 120 on the most demanding autoroute gradients (A75 over the Massif Central for those that know it). So,all in all very pleased - a really excellent towcar, and very good solo also. Cheers PaulRT