Austin 7

I switch back and forth between summer tyres on 17" wheels and winters on 16". The 16" wheels/tyres give a slightly less harsh ride over sharp edged bumps, ruts and ridges. It feels like someone has draped a thin rubber sheet over the road. The underlying Yeti ride quality remains, i.e. fidgety on lumpy and undulating roads because of the firm dampers and strong anti-roll bars Skoda fit to counteract the raised C of G. This is true of most SUV's however. There is a little more dive on braking and roll on roundabouts, and the response to steering a little less incisive, I assume this is all due to more flexible tyre sidewalls. However, you soon get used to it.

Hi If you fit a single mass flywheel, the gearbox will be subjected to higher peak torque as the cyclic fluctuations aren't smoothed out. So even if you are prepared to put up with the increased noise and vibration, the gear teeth might not. Remapping will increase torque, which will further eat into any margin of strength the gearbox might have.

Hi umpie This warning light is oddly named, maybe a translation error. It means that there is a fault which makes the vehicle no longer comply with its emission standard. So not necessarily the exhaust system as such. The only way to get more detailed information is to have the stored fault code(s) read. One thing that can trigger it on the 1.2 TSi is a misfire due to deterioration and break down of the plug lead insulation. The HT voltage will sometimes spark to the nearest metal instead of firing the plug. I believe Number 3 in particular is routed near the exhaust and doesn't take kindly to being cooked. Modified ones are now supplied as replacements. I suggest you check all the leads visually. The plugs are supposed to be changed every 40000 miles, and wide gaps from worn plugs will increase the firing voltage and aggravate this problem.

If you get interaction between different sets of lights, it is very often a sign that a common earth connection is bad or missing. The current from one bulb or set of bulbs cannot flow directly to earth, but finds a path "backwards" through another bulb or bulbs that share the same common earth. This is very commonplace with trailers, where one pin of the trailer plug performs the earthing function for all the trailer lights. If the pin corrodes or the wire drops off you get the effect above. Since the bulbs are in series, they don't get full voltage and therefore don't glow as brightly as they should. On the Yeti, it may also play havoc with the bulb failure monitoring system.

Having researched this MOT and 13 pin Trailer socket tester subject, it would appear that this farcical situation has been going on for over 5 years ! Apparently there ARE socket testers on the approved list which use incandescent bulbs and therefore work properly. I guess your MOT garage has somehow never woken up to the situation. Some folks plug in a cheap 13 pin to 7 pin adaptor prior to the test, the socket then counts as 7 pin and doesn't need testing. Logic and MOT's don't necessarily coincide !

Hi The self levelling will affect both headlights equally. It's driven from a sensor with alittle arm linked to the rear suspension. I believe the individual headlight units still have mechanical up/down and left/right adjustments by hex key, in addition to the "software" setting for levelling. Unfortunately I have no info on which screw is which, so it's a case of trial and error. I vaguely remember seeing a story that the official MOT approved trailer socket tester gives the wrong result. A case of common sense having to over-rule what the "computer says" !

Hi The Yeti doesn't have a choke as such, but the engine management may temporarily set a faster idling speed when cold, I assume that's what you are referring to. The alternator should charge the battery even at normal idling speed, and you should measure about 14.0 to 14.5 volts with the engine running. It could be that your battery was already on its way out, and the extra current drain of the dashcam (there will be some even when the car isn't running) is taking its voltage too low. You shouldn't see much less than 12.5 Volts on a good battery when it has been sat for a while with the engine off. The problem with tired batteries is that the voltages once charged may seem OK, but their energy capacity in Ampere Hours drops to a much lower figure and they have no stamina. If you imagine a tiny motorbike battery fitted inside a large case you will get the idea. If your car is a good starter and it's summer, you can get away with abattery in this condition for a while, but you are on borrowed time.

"I'd have thought it would cause a continuous noise" When I had a stone in a front brake, the noise would come and go with cornering, braking and reversing. The stone that came out had been "tumbled" to the size and shape of a small pea, with a metallic appearance. Presumably, as it rolls around it can get sidelined for a while and then drop back down later into a position that causes mischief. I guess it all depends on the original size and shape of the stone.

Hi I'd be inclined to eliminate the obvious by carefully checking for a small trapped stone somewhere in a caliper or between disc and dust cover. You may need to take the wheels off to get a good enough look.

Hi You are getting a power failure that affects multiple items. This implies that a break or short circuit is happening fairly close to the power source (battery/alternator). The power comes back on again, so it's not a blown fuse. It's affected by vibration/rough roads. So, the things to check are any heavy duty electrical connections, starting (as Weasley suggests) with both the battery terminals. If no problem there, look further afield for any loose connections or (less likely) places where insulation has worn through resulting in a short circuit. Electric power steering is quite a "big hitter" for current demand, and will have thick cabling. I don't have access to the Yeti manual at the moment, but suspect that it is either unfused or fed via a maxi fuse. These are often situated on a plate right next to the positive terminal of the battery. Check that all the nuts are tight here.