docc

Thanks - it's been in use year round ever since purchase. As you say, the costs are minimal.

Good point. The mileage is only around 20,000, but I suppose age matters as much as mileage with most components.

No aircon services?

That was the way I was thinking, but given that the car's nearly 12 years old (very low mileage though) I don't want to skip something that's likely to rebound later in the shape of repairs or breakdown of the system. Thanks.

Yeti now coming up for 12 years old - had it from new. Still a great car. I know that the recommended two year service interval for aircon is way, way over the top, but if everything's working fine and it's used all year round, what do you reckon? Once every 5 years OK? Every 7? Never? Is there any harm to be done by just leaving it alone unless there's a problem?

Going back to this, and having now checked what's been done over recent years, I see that the air filter and plugs were last changed in 2022. That would mean that under the service plan the air filter wouldn't be changed again until 6 years or 60,000 miles after that - so 2028 in my case and certainly not within the period of the service contract. The plugs would be changed after 4 years or 40,000 miles - 2026 in my case, so that would get done. Whether it's worth £158 extra for the Plus service plan in my case is arguable - but it seems not.

No problem. I wish I could! But being stuck with a main dealer, good though it is, they use a very formulaic approach to servicing based very much on Skoda ‘guidelines’. No scope for the commonsense approach your guys use.

From a personal perspective, it’s about the sad fact that not everywhere has local trusted independents. We had one here until Covid, but he closed down after almost 40 years of trusted trading. We used him for our VWs, starting with the Beetle, and had every intention of taking the Yeti to him. Now it’s main dealer only really for most round here, but fortunately they do have a good reputation.

I see where you're coming from, but I've no intention of missing out on any parts required. Just need to make sure that they will actually be done under the service plan because of the 'as required' stipulation. They won't be done unless the service schedule specifically requires it, and I need to check when those extra items were last changed. By the way, the only Skoda specialist anywhere near here charges very little less than the main dealer, and doesn't offer a pickup and collection service.

It's an agreement direct with Skoda I'm afraid. Not with the dealer. Not really negotiable.

I need to check what's been done. Not sure the spark plugs have ever been changed. Maybe not the air filter either. The service record will show if they have, and if they haven't it might make the higher price worth going for. One of the downsides of these contracts though is that it's never very clear exactly how the 'as required' is interpreted. I need to research this! With such a ridiculously low mileage for an 11 year old car service items partly based on mileages can get missed.

Maybe, but it’s £160 or so extra over the two services for - potentially - spark plugs, fuel filter and an air filter. But only what they cunningly call ‘as required’. I suspect on my mileage they wouldn’t be.

It’s had a service in accordance with the official Skoda schedule every year by a main dealer. There would have been cheaper options, but the local dealer has a good reputation.

I have a 2014 Yeti with less than 20,000 miles on the clock - regularly used, no short journeys, garaged, no rust, overpampered. And I have no wish whatever to change it, so it's serviced in accordance with the schedule. This is what appears on the Skoda website, apparently covering all vehicles. Can I assume that it will still apply to an 11 year old Yeti? Just working out whether it's going to be worth going for one of the service plans currently on offer (https://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/servicing-maintenance-offers) at 15% off - probably the cheaper one without the air filter and spark plugs. https://www.skoda.co.uk/owners/servicing-maintenance-fixed-price I'm hoping to get another 5 years out of this car, so I intend that the servicing is done properly, despite its age.

Just returning to this thread to update it - and to say thanks for all the input. When I first saw the Christmas Tree of warning lights I feared the very worst, but the problem was exactly as stated here by so many knowledgeable people - a failed ABS sensor. If I had any mechanical skills it would have been a relatively cheap job, but I don't, so it was a dealer job. £120 for the diagnostics and £500 for the job (including bearing). I know a non-franchised garage would have done it for less (and who knows whether the reported corrosion on the ABS ring really necessitated changing the bearing as well as the sensor?) but we don't have one round here any longer post-Covid so it wasn't really an option. And, rightly or wrongly, I do trust this particular dealer. Anyway - thanks for the information, guys. It was invaluable and reassuring.

Thanks. The wheel sensor’s looking the favourite, isn’t it. It’ll have to be the main dealer round here, but at least if it is that it’s not as catastrophic as that collection of warning lights suggests! I’m lining up that battery replacement. 10 years is pushing it! Halfords will fit a Yuasa HSB013/HSB027 with a 5 year Guarantee for around £120, which is pretty competitive. They should at least manage that without upsetting any of the electronics (how is that achieved?) which stops me from doing it myself these days!

Early days with the EDIAG YA101 OBD2 Scanner - and I need to learn how to interpret it. But the voltage started at 11.9 while I was using it and dropped to 11.7 - too low, I believe. But the battery is 10 years old! Time to be replaced I think. Bosch or Yuasa, I wonder?

Really appreciating all the advice here. The car’s just over 10 years old now, had it from new, and up to now it’s been pretty much fault free - ludicrously low mileage of 17,000 though (all long runs, no short trips)! I do know an auto electric guy with a good reputation. If he puts his checks on it, is he likely to be able to identify the actual fault if it is something like an ABS sensor? Would the AA be able to do the same?

I have a cheap Chinese EDIAG YA101 OBD2 Scanner, which cost about £12, three years back. I've never used it, have no idea whether it's any good, and have no idea how to use it - though I'm sure there are videos online which will show me. Thanks - the battery light's behaving normally.

Thanks - yes, I use a CTEK regularly to keep the battery in tip-top condition. It was fully charged when we set off on the journey, showed absolutely no problem starting, and the fault occurred after 45 minutes' driving. The battery's several years old though - but it gets limited use and I'm sure the CTEK has helped its longevity. Thanks - that sounds promising!

This little lot appeared yesterday about 45 minutes into a journey for no obvious reason, along with a couple of messages: No bend lighting (AFS) function - owner's manual Error stabilization control (ESC) Optical parking system is not available at present The vehicle drives perfectly well, apart from the missing parking system, but obviously something's amiss - though it's a very odd collection of warnings. Before having to get the dealer involved I'd very much appreciate any observations please.

My sincere apologies, guys. A more detailed inspection of the photo taken of the old filter shows that although it appeared not to have been changed, it has. Sorry to waste your time. Car maintenance is still a mystery to me, after various disastrous attempts at it. I had checked this out before posting though, and I gather that some manufacturers, possibly including VW, are only recommending filter changes every other service. Seems crazy to me, but what do I know?

I've been very happy with the dealer so far, over several years, but this time I strongly suspect that the oil filter hasn't been changed. The oil clearly has, which is the main thing, but unless Skoda have started stipulating that the filter doesn't need changing every time on low mileages (very low on this car - less than 2000 a year!) it's been missed by accident or design. I'm not sure which. How critical is it if it hasn't been changed? I appreciate that it's by no means ideal, but how big a deal is it in terms of the longevity of the engine (gently driven, low mileages but always sufficient for the engine to heat up properly!). Or have Skoda started allowing fewer filter changes on their service plans? If I do insist on a new filter, can it be changed quickly and easily, with just a top-up of the oil lost? Thanks for the assistance, as always - if only I understood car engines and their workings!!! Great car though (and all the original advice several years ago was sound and appreciated) - very surprising secondhand values too. A potential classic, I suspect.

I know this is a bit of an old chestnut, but we're talking maybe around £129 now for an air-con service and that's a LOT of money! My understanding (quite possibly wrong!) is that there's no point paying for any air-con top-ups or services unless the system's not cooling the car effectively. What's the feeling here, guys? Last done about 4 years ago, Yeti approaching its 10th anniversary.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. The only time we ever hear this though is after the engine’s switched off and the car’s stationary. It starts a couple of minutes after everything’s switched off and continues for half an hour or so. Both cars do it, and always have. Not remotely bothered about it - just curious!