If the "recall" is the same as the one I have performed on a few Yeti's at work, it's supposed to fix a "faulty bulb warning" that the driver shouldn't have been warned about/ warning about a faulty bulb that actually is working the way it should.. The flash file is called change of rear light parameters if I remember correct. From what I know, the change of theese parameters is not supposed to fix the headlights as well, but we never know exactly what the reflash does, so you might be lucky :yes: Let's hope so! :yes:

At the same tme the smell of diesel exhaust was discussed. Apparently there are some rubbe flaps relieving pressure in the car when shutting the back doors, which may stick and let exhaust into the car - we agreed to let me document the situations better and then try to fix both at one time.

Not had a exhaust smell in the car, although as posted previously the exhaust can have an unusual odour to it (DPF?). This is noticeable obviously if your stood at the back with the engine running.

The flaps you talk about I occasionally hear rattle behind the bumper when I shut the rear door, particularly the one on the right. Think there directly under the lights.

TP

Just my thoughts on this .....

... but my assumption is the lamp start should wait for the battery voltage to be back up after engine start - or delay the lamp start during engine start. ......

The saga continues..................

I was wondering at what point the headlight checking software becomes enabled. Is it after engine start? or at the point just before the key is turned to start the car? If it's the latter then it would make sense that the load of starting the car is pulling down the headlight voltage - ( in my experience most headlights dim a bit when you start a car). However if the headlight checking software is "active" only after the car is started then this hypothesis fails.

Regardless of above it appears, from the forum comments, that Xenon lights have different start up characteristics to "standard" bulbs, so maybe it's a case of the software needs to wait a fraction longer before declaring a bulb failure, or perhaps checking more than once before declaring such an event.

Graham

As I've said before, in common with many new cars, the headlights are designed to extinguish completely during starter motor engagement to conserve battery power. The Xenons on my Fabia vRS did the same.

What happens with the lights set to 'auto' is:

1. Ignition on = headlights on

2. Starter motor engaged = headlights off

3. Ignition key released from 'start' back to 'on' = headlights on

JonA, i do not think it is the faulty light indication you refer to. The light fault indication actually functions correctly. When it detects a xenon light fault it comes on and stays on after the lamp eventually lights. It is supposed to be a volatile indication (meaning that it disappears when the fault disappears and the engine has been turned off.) This is the way it works.

To try to summarize the article provided by TP, which really addressed not automotive, but AC powered HID light systems, the sequence of lighting an HID lamp is as follows:

1. High voltage spark - 23,000 volts or so - which flashes across the electrodes in the bulb and starts ionizing the xenon gas.

2. Warm up at a lower voltage with a limiting control of the current to protect the bulb.

3. Running, where the control is to maintaing both a set voltage and current to maintaing the light output at the design level.

My understanding is that 1 and 3 functions are OK. You can clearly see the initial bright spark and the lamps function when lit. I believe that the problem is in phase 2, and caused by a fault circuit, which detects a too low voltage. That it only affects one of the two separate lamp systems is a bit of a mystery, but one ballast controller may be a bit more sensitive than the other, witin production tolerances.

My understanding is that the software fix should have been included on my car from the factory, but was not, and specifically addresses this issue. How it addresses the issue I do not know. Speculation would suggest that just a slightly longer delay in the fault circuit might be all that is needed - or a combination of time and voltage settings. After all, I think we are talking of times from a fraction of a second to a few seconds during engine start.

Aerofurb, turning the xenons off durig engine start does not seem feasible, unless a warmed up xenon bulb lights off much faster than a cold one. The warm-up sequence takes several seconds, longer than an engine start. Halogens or other incandescent bulbs don't care if the voltage drops a bit, they just dim and come back to normal brightness as the voltage is restored. The automatic turning out the headlights during engine start is probably more to provide the starter motor with the highest voltage available than any concern over the lightbulbs.

TP: The small is reminiscent of the smell from a kerosine heater in my first digs in Bournemouth, back in 1963. The heater was necessary, as ther was no cetral heating and I was there in January and February. It is definitely not raw diesel oil, but combustion gases. It could be the vent flaps, but this morning, it was definitely coming through the facia heater vents, so mostly not likely from the rear of the car. I will need to analyze further, but suspect something like a hose clamp in the EGR or other area of the exhaust. The complexity of the engine plumbing makes it really diffcult to figure out - let alone see which of the myriad of hoses does what.

Aerofurb...... The automatic turning out the headlights during engine start is probably more to provide the starter motor with the highest voltage available than any concern over the lightbulbs.

As I've said before, in common with many new cars, the headlights are designed to extinguish completely during starter motor engagement to conserve battery power. The Xenons on my Fabia vRS did the same.

See, that's what I said! :yes:

TP: The small is reminiscent of the smell from a kerosine heater in my first digs in Bournemouth, back in 1963. The heater was necessary, as ther was no cetral heating and I was there in January and February. It is definitely not raw diesel oil, but combustion gases. It could be the vent flaps, but this morning, it was definitely coming through the facia heater vents, so mostly not likely from the rear of the car. I will need to analyze further, but suspect something like a hose clamp in the EGR or other area of the exhaust. The complexity of the engine plumbing makes it really diffcult to figure out - let alone see which of the myriad of hoses does what.

Hi Agerbundsen,

yes burnt gas smell with me but not an engine odour I have come across before.

On my 140 and I would think yours is the same the turbo-supercharger sits at the back of the engine near the top under a heat shield. On the right hand side (your passenger side) I noticed there's a high temperature 'V band' clamp joint. We had these on aircraft gas turbine (Jet) engine hot air off take pipework, used to give us problems including leaks.

Issues revolved around joint and or clamp not seated properly, clamp bolt not torqued up (this might have been down to a worn friction nut) or clamp bolt over torqued often leading to clamp failure (cracks in clamp segments).

Just a thought and something you can at least see some of it.

Regards,

TP

As I've said before, in common with many new cars, the headlights are designed to extinguish completely during starter motor engagement to conserve battery power. The Xenons on my Fabia vRS did the same.

See, that's what I said! :yes:

Gotcha- also the first time.

My thought was if it is reasonable/practical/possible with the Yeti Bi-xenons, which take some seconds to warm up and function? Is it good for the bulb? The concern here also extends to auxiliary lighting, like additional driving lights. Xenon would be superior to mixing in halogens, but are they suitable for road use, where they would go out if the headligts are dipped - maybe in some cases with some frequency.

With halogens, there is clearly no bulb related reason to turn the lights off during engine start - only starter voltage.

The sequence with the xenons as I perceive your description is switch to second notch - lamps come on and all the other electrical consumers as well - switch to third notch, starter engages and lamps turn off - when switch is released, it goes back to 2nd notch and lights come on again. Xenons now have to go through a second start sequence. maybe if they are already hot enough, the initial spark at high voltage is bypassed.

My perception of the Yeti sequence is different: The lights are not switched off during starter operation.

Edited 13 January, 201016 yr by Agerbundsen

Come on you guys, get your white overalls on, strip it down and make a fix for Mr Skoda. My faith is in you. Could the smell be Ozone, due to the high voltage arcing?

Come on you guys, get your white overalls on, strip it down and make a fix for Mr Skoda. My faith is in you. Could the smell be Ozone, due to the high voltage arcing?

yessir, Anthony, getting kitted up right away. :wonder:

I am familiar with the weird pungent smell of ozone prescence, that is not it.

I s'pose there could be arcing between the ballast and the bulb if there is damaged insulation or a bad connection, but the intended arcing is between electrodes inside the bulb. Leaks not possible with the bulb functioning.

It WILL get sorted, don't worry. We just have to resort to a little brainstorming in lieu of full design information. ( Or as my old US boss used to call it: Mental masturbation.)

"As you were" :cocktail:

Okay, in the interests of fact finding..

Happened to be parked against a semi-reflective sign at the local Co-Op this evening so tried the engine start with lights in 'auto' experiment (this time I did it on purpose - honest. No really...):

1. Lights 'auto'

2. Ignition on

3. Side lights and Xenons come on

4. Engage starter

5. Xenons extinguished, side lights stayed on

6. Engine starts

7. Release key back to normal position from 'start'

8. Off side (right hand) Xenon only lit up. No warning light though

9. Engine off

10. Lights off

11. Engine start

12 Lights to 'auto'

13. Both Xenons lit up fine

So, this time it was the left light that didn't light up, other 3 times it's happened it was the right hand light. Lights definitely extinguish when the starter motor is engaged, as I said before, Fabia did the same.

Okay, in the interests of fact finding..

Happened to be parked against a semi-reflective sign at the local Co-Op this evening so tried the engine start with lights in 'auto' experiment (this time I did it on purpose - honest. No really...):

1. Lights 'auto'

2. Ignition on

3. Side lights and Xenons come on

4. Engage starter

5. Xenons extinguished, side lights stayed on

6. Engine starts

7. Release key back to normal position from 'start'

8. Off side (right hand) Xenon only lit up. No warning light though

9. Engine off

10. Lights off

11. Engine start

12 Lights to 'auto'

13. Both Xenons lit up fine

So, this time it was the left light that didn't light up, other 3 times it's happened it was the right hand light. Lights definitely extinguish when the starter motor is engaged, as I said before, Fabia did the same.

As you described except :

5. Xenons dim - but do not turn off.

8. Right Xenon regains brightness. Left one stays off.

I have agreed to the software change. We will se what it does.

As you described except :

5. Xenons dim - but do not turn off.

8. Right Xenon regains brightness. Left one stays off.

I have agreed to the software change. We will se what it does.

I'll get someone to stand in front and watch them - from the reflection I could see, they went off but I stand to be corrected but not blinded hence finding a helper!

I'll get someone to stand in front and watch them - from the reflection I could see, they went off but I stand to be corrected but not blinded hence finding a helper!

Not arguing with your description, just stating my perception of my Monster's behaviour.

My Yeti is like Agerbundsens and does it like this:

-Light switch in auto

-Ignition on until "pre glow" period is over (about 1-2 seconds if the engine has been pre warmed using the Webasto heater) Xenon lights does their "self leveling dance".

-Turn ignition key one more notch to activate starter motor, Xenon still on. Starter motor runs with xenon lights on.

-Release ignition key when the engine has started, headlamps still on.

I haven't had any light related problems with my Yeti

My Yeti is like Agerbundsens and does it like this:

-Light switch in auto

-Ignition on until "pre glow" period is over (about 1-2 seconds if the engine has been pre warmed using the Webasto heater) Xenon lights does their "self leveling dance".

-Turn ignition key one more notch to activate starter motor, Xenon still on. Starter motor runs with xenon lights on.

-Release ignition key when the engine has started, headlamps still on.

I haven't had any light related problems with my Yeti

My 1.8TSi is similar as JonA's exept for the "pre glow"

seo

Well, now I'm really confused! I got a pair of my highly trained co-workers (they don't like it when I call them minions...) to watch tonight and I did a 'start in auto' thing. Result: nearside (lefthand) headlight stayed on and bright throughout, the offside (righthand) extinguished and stayed off until after engine start and the lights were switched off and back to 'auto'.

So now I haven't got a clue what they are doing so will shut up and await the results.....

Problem resolved.

The dealer downloaded a software fix from Skoda. The download was so fast that they could not follow along with what it actually does - but it is resolved. Presumably JonA's flash file fixing some rear light issue also - which I am not aware of.

The Exhausr gas smell had become quite a bit worse, but it was also resolved. The Plumber gets high marks for remote troubleshooting.

The V-Clamp, holding the front exhaust pipe onto the turbo outlet had dropped the bolt and was leaking. New bolt inserted and tightened. Voila. I will go in more detail in a separate post, as it could be helpful to others.

Edited 20 January, 201016 yr by Agerbundsen

fingers crossed and touching wood I haven't had that issue raise it's head on mine.... :no:

great to know there's a fix to one of the few blots on the snow-monsters book :thumbup:

Problem resolved.

The dealer downloaded a software fix from Skoda. The download was so dast that they could not follow along with what it actually does - but it is resolved. Presumably JonA's flash file fixing some rear light issue also - which I am not aware of.

The Exhausr gas smell had become quite a bit worse, but it was also resolved. The Plumber gets high marks for remote troubleshooting.

The V-Clamp, holding the front exhaust pipe onto the turbo outlet had dropped the bolt and was leaking. New bolt inserted and tightened. Voila. I will go in more detail in a separate post, as it could be helpful to others.

I was told by my dealer today that the headlight fix is going to be a new cpu. One is ready but is undergoing an extended test before being released in a few weeks!!!

Regards

Mike

Good news on the horizon then, best James gets the kettle on for my visit then. Thansk for the update agerbundsen. Killy - interesting that your dealer is goin for a new cpu?

Edited 19 January, 201016 yr by aerofurb

The software update for the xenon lights also added some extra functions to the Multidot display. There is now an Audio page, which I have not completely explored, but it repeats the settings of the radio in the Columbus and seems to allow you to select the pre-programmed radio staions from the RH stalk under the steering wheel.

It also has a navigation page, which gets an accurate time form the Columbus and shows cardinal directions next to the time at the top of the display. In the center pane, it shows location by roadname and heading as well as a few other bits of data from the Columbus when you are not navigating ot a waypoint. If you are navigating to a waypoint, it duplicatesd the detail instructions from the Columbus in B/W - very clear and easy to read without taking your eyes off the road. You can now leave the Columbus to show a full screen overview at your preferred map scale and get the next move in the Multidot display.

This may be a standard function if the Columbus is factory installed - which mine was not for excise tax reasons.

I do not know if this was part of the upgrade as such or if the Skoda computer just recognized the Columbus' prescense whent the car was hooked up.

In any case - useful additions, particularly the Navigation stuff.

Edited 20 January, 201016 yr by Agerbundsen

Just wondering if this may be subject to a recall or shoud individuals take there SM back for repair. An ideas ?

Just wondering if this may be subject to a recall or shoud individuals take there SM back for repair. An ideas ?

No recall, it was a software bit that was left out of the normal installation for some reason. It was apparently just updating the software to what it should have been.

If you do not have the problem, no reason to do anything. If you have the problem, you can now get it fixed in a very short time.