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In the UK (I can't speak for Italy) we have a subscription to Skoda Connect services provided for the first year with a new car. We also have to register our Skoda ID, and can see what services are provided in the infotainment system. The green LED is presumably showing that your internet connection is active, and that you can use the SOS button to report an accident or breakdown from your car. Again, I'm not familiar with the Scala, but I would expect your owner's manual to give you full details of the Skoda Connect services. It's surprising that your maps haven't updated themselves from 19.11. When my car was delivered in November 2020, it took some months to update but because of our covid lockdowns I wasn't able to drive it very much and assumed that was the cause. Perhaps you need to visit your dealer and check with him? Chris

Hi sine_nomine, First of all you're more likely to find people who know about the Scala in its own forum at BRISKODA - The SKODA Forums for Owners and Fans, But if your car has USB-C ports rather than SD card slots, it sounds like you have a 3rd generation infotainment system... which if it is like the ones fitted in the Karoq, Kamiq and Kodiaq get their map updated automatically via the car's internet connection. Again, in the Karoq you can look at the System Information to see the installed map version. In my car it has updated a couple of times and is now using version 21.02 (I think). However this varies between countries and I don't know if you are in the UK. Many of us have tried to update the maps manually via the USB-C ports, but the only owner who has succeeded was in Russia and my understanding is that their cars don't have the online updates activated. We have been told that UK cars will be able to get updated maps via the USB-C ports in the future but have no idea when yet. Best Wishes, Chris

I have previously advised new Karoq owners how to download copies of the owner's manual, and that it contained much more information about the infotainment systems fitted to their cars. But today I have discovered that Skoda have changed their website so that PDF copies of the owner's manual are no longer provided. Instead all you can do is read a digital version on screen. I have objected about this to their 'Chat' Customer Services agent who confirms this, but suggests I might be able to download a PDF copy to my phone! And since this would be pretty unreadable, hopefully copy it to my PC, and then save it out or print a copy for reference! This seems to be making owner's manuals very user UNfriendly to me, and another case of Skoda being Simply Silly! So If you need reference material about your present or new Skoda, be prepared to have to read a digital copy on screen rather than get a PDF copy to read at your leisure! Chris PS: Having now accessed the owner's manual on my phone, I see that there is no way to download a PDF copy that way. Perhaps I'm too 'old-school' but I much prefer to have paper copies to browse and refer to that have to navigate digital copies of manuals. Hell I can even remember getting my first IBM PC at work with Windows 3 on it, and opening a box with a shelf-full of A5 manuals to go with it!

Aircon drips are more common when it has been working hard, and I'd expect to see that under the bonnet rather than the boot?

It's the standard European trim levels (with a new 'Clever' trim added recently) and is also used in Ireland. It's also interesting that the 2.0TSI engine isn't offered in the Sportline as it is here.

The facelifted Karoq is due to be announced this autumn, but Skoda France have updated their Karoq brochure (here: Catalog and prices KAROQ - ŠKODA (skoda.fr) ) which shows that in the meantime there are only minimal changes to the present car. In fact as far as I can see, the only changes are that Emerald Green (2A2A) and Meteor Grey (F6F6) will be discontinued from the 1st of July. Chris

The Area View camera option was added to the UK Karoq for MY21, and it's great!

I've had that message pop up once, when I was still driving around Staffordshire. But as it was daytime I didn't see the headlight beam. Having reset then in the menu it hasn't reoccurred so I'm putting it down to yet another software glitch - like the one that thinks one particular 30mph road has a 45mph limit!

You can get small USB-C flash drives like this MyMemory 128GB Dual USB-C & USB 3.1 Flash Drive - 200MB/s £20.99 - Free Delivery | MyMemory that will plug into a PC using one end to load your music onto it, then plug into the Karoq using the other end to play it back. They even fit under the sliding lid to the phonebox compartment.

In other Skodas the heated rear window element is also used as the DAB aerial. So the better reception could be because there is a bad connection between the heated rear window element and the radio - or because the aerial is higher up when the boot is open?

As far as I know it's not fitted to Karoqs with the electric tailgate - we just have a choice of buttons to press

All cars have a unique 17 character identity code – their Vehicle Identification Number or VIN. For Karoqs this is displayed at the bottom lefthand corner of the windscreen, on a sticker at the base of the middle body pillar, and stamped into the righthand suspension turret under the bonnet. It takes the form: TMB LJ7 NU 7J5 012345 and can be decoded as follows: The first 3 characters are TMB for Škoda cars. The 4th character tells you the chassis type: J = left-hand drive FWD, K = right-hand drive FWD, L = left-hand drive 4x4 and M = right-hand drive 4x4. The 5th character tells you the engine: E = 2.0 TSI 190PS, G = 1.6 TDI 115PS, J = 2.0 TDI 150PS, M = 2.0 TDI 190 PS, P = 1.0 TSI 115PS, R = 1.5 TSI 150PS. (Anyone know the code for the 2.0 TDI 115PS engine or Russian 1.6 MPI engines?) The 6th character tells you how many airbags the car has: 2 = 2 front airbags, 4 = 2 front and 2 side airbags, 5 = 2 fronts + 2 sides + 1 knee airbag, 6 = 2 front airbags + 2 sides + 2 heads, 7 = 2 front airbags + 2 sides + 2 heads + 1 knee airbag, 8 = 2 front airbags + 4 sides + 2 heads, 9 = 2 front bags + 4 sides + 2 heads + 1 knee airbag. The 7th and 8th character tell you the vehicle model: NU = the Karoq (2017 on). The 9th character is a check digit to validate the code. The 10th character tells you the car's model year: J = MY2018 (ie manufactured between summer 2017 and summer 2018, K = MY2019 (ie manufactured between summer 2018 and summer 2019, L = MY2020 (ie manufactured between summer 2019 and summer 2020, M = MY2021 (ie manufactured between summer 2020 and summer 2021. The 11th character tells you where your car was built: 0 to 4 = Mladá Boleslav, Czechia; 5 = Kvasiny, Czechia; 7 or 8 = Vrchlabi, Czechia; B = Solomonovo, Ukraine; H = Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; J = Osnabruck, Germany; K = Kaluga, Russia; N = Mladá Boleslav, Czechia. Then finally the 12th to 17th numbers are the unique production number for that production line and year. If anyone has a character in their VIN not listed above, please give me the details so I can update this guide. Thanks Chris

Also known as driving according to the conditions!

Indeed, I bought my last two Golf MPVs (a Golf Plus and then a Golf SV) because their extra height made entry and exit much less stressful on my back. And although they were tall FWD cars, I had no problems with wheelspin either! Now I have a Karoq because MPVs are getting rare beasts, and I must admit I pushed the boat out a fair bit when I chose it I doubt I've tested the all-wheel drive system yet, even in the snow this winter, but it's a lovely car to drive and I love the Area View 360 degree camera option!! Chris

Does it have the memory settings to go with the powered seats perhaps? Other than that it could be body coloured rather than black?

The owners manual should tell you if it was possible to connect mobile phones that way, and if so how you would go about it. So if you look for the appropriate settings in the menu system you should get the answer I think.

Yes, I even remember having cars where you could turn the dashboard lights right down - in fact I'me trying to remember if my MG TD (1950 version) even had lights on the dials?!

Well it certainly doesn't sound right! I've never experienced the Front Assist coming on in mine. You should be able to adjust the sensitivity in the menu system (look for driver assistants) but as you've only had it for a month I'd suggest you contact the seller quickly. (I'm assuming you bought it from a Skoda dealer).

I've had the message saying settings have been changed and do I want to confirm them perhaps once every few weeks recently - which I'd assumed was down to me changing settings in the Connect app but that may be coincidental. But no other problems. I've read that other owners have had to reset the system as you describe so it sounds like that is the way to go. As cars get increasingly computerised we'll just have to get used to rebooting them now and then I guess.

Alas my planned holiday to Brittany to see the first few stages of the Tour de France has been cancelled so I have no evidence of this :( Chris

I'm pretty sure that if you're on the extended service scheme, the oil will last for a year and a half or so, depending on the type of driving you do and the length of your journeys. Unfortunately though the trips I've been making during lockdown - 16 miles a week to go shopping - are bad news for car engines and their oil! The new VW 508 oil with its reduced viscosity are all down to reducing fuel consumption and emissions of course, and we can only hope that there isn't any increased wear in the engine. But others have reported that dealers are still using the old spec VW 507 oils when they replace it. So who will get the blame if engines are damaged by using the wrong oil?? Chris

Just checked the latest UK brochure, and you're correct it's not shown there. Skoda just provide the legally required version. But there are add-on ones from Michelin etc who fit special valve caps with pressure sensors and a display panel in the car. I've always found the ABS -based system adequate and am wary about the extra sensitivity of direct pressure reading systems. Chris

From memory, it's available as an option if you require that. But my only experience with the Renault system was in a hire car in Corsica... when it would light up like a Christmas tree when one side of the car was bathed in sunlight! Chris

I noticed that on mine too. Weird but seems to be consistent behaviour. Chris

I had that today as well. It only updates when the car is stationary and the ignition switched on - mine only took a couple of minutes and when completed said it had corrected a couple of errors and updated the shop. it's not the navigation software as that was unchanged for me.