Collected my new Roomster SE 1.2 TSI last week and drove from London to North Yorkshire and back at the weekend. So far very favourably impressed. I was a bit apprehensive about the small engine (I'd ordered the 1.6 back in February and was given the facelifted 1.2 version without any option!) but I think I needn't have worried. The engine pulls smoothly and cruises at motorway speeds without undue fuss or noise. It averaged 46mpg over the whole trip (including some local ferrying of family around the country lanes).

A few things in the manual still puzzle me, presumably because of the creaky translation from the Czech. It's not immediately obvious to me what a "safe securing system" is - in spite of the manual explaining that "locking the vehicle from the outside causes the door locks to be automatically blocked". Am I being dim?

Then there's the function of the button in the middle of the driver's door. When I collected the car they told me you had to push it to suspend operation of the alarm system if you remove the key and leave the car unlocked (e.g. if you stop for fuel and leave the family in the unlocked car). Can't immediately find an explanation in the manual. So far I haven't touched the button and no alarms have gone off. When I have half an hour to spare I'll do some tests to find out what (if anything) it does! Unless someone here can tell me.

I find the LCD display on the instrument panel a bit baffling and again the manual isn't very helpful: it could do with a clearer explanation of the sequence of information sets displayed after successive presses of the button on the end of the wiper switch. I suppose I'll get used to it in time. (In which connection, something odd happened on the way back from Yorkshire: I stopped for fuel and a few minutes after I restarted the fuel gauge part of the display simply disappeared; all the figures were still displayed, but the fuel gauge graphic was missing. Just blank space. After I got home and unloaded the car, I restarted the engine and the fuel gauge was back. I hope this isn't a foretaste of electronic weirdness to come.)

I have the button on the door on my Fabia. What it does is disable the motion sensor inside the car when the doors are locked, not unlocked. So, you stop for fuel with say a dog in the car. Press the button within 30 seconds of removing the key then get out and lock the doors and the dog moving about wont set of the alarm.

Open your window a bit and then do the above without pressing the button and then poke your arm in and wave it about, the alarm should go off, press the button first and it doesnt.

Collected my new Roomster SE 1.2 TSI last week and drove from London to North Yorkshire and back at the weekend. So far very favourably impressed. I was a bit apprehensive about the small engine (I'd ordered the 1.6 back in February and was given the facelifted 1.2 version without any option!) but I think I needn't have worried. The engine pulls smoothly and cruises at motorway speeds without undue fuss or noise. It averaged 46mpg over the whole trip (including some local ferrying of family around the country lanes).

I think you should be delighted that you got given the TSI rather than the old 1.6! The new engine is cleaner on C02, better on fuel, more driveable and I suspect quieter too!

No way you'd have averaged 46MPG on the 1.6 fresh from the factory (if ever)

Be good to see some pictures of your car; seen a few facelift Fabias but not Roomsters yet.

lemonvrs:

Thanks for the explanation. It makes sense. Since I don't have a dog (or any other wildlife) I'll have to think of a novel application for the motion detection suppressor!

OctaviaT81:

I've put a few pix here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/49631258@N00/?saved=1

I must admit I can't easily see the difference between the previous version and the facelifted Roomster. But then, I'm a beginner at this game.

I'm sure you're right about the new engine compared with the old 1.6. It sounds very smooth - reminds me of the Honda Accord I had 20-odd years ago, which I used to compare to a sewing machine!

Looks smart in silver

The facelift changes are mainly to the front of the car (headlights, grille, bumper) and to the interior (new stereo, dash pod, climate control) apart from the obvious mechanical changes related to the new engines.

In my opinion the new front end makes the Roomster look a bit sharper and less bulbous than the pre-facelift car.

I have the button on the door on my Fabia. What it does is disable the motion sensor inside the car when the doors are locked, not unlocked. So, you stop for fuel with say a dog in the car. Press the button within 30 seconds of removing the key then get out and lock the doors and the dog moving about wont set of the alarm.

Open your window a bit and then do the above without pressing the button and then poke your arm in and wave it about, the alarm should go off, press the button first and it doesnt.

The difference is that pressing the button then locking the doors will still set the deadlocks while disabling the motion sensors so if, for example, you leave a child or a dog inside and something goes wrong, it would be very difficult to break in to rescue them. Double clicking the key will lock the doors but take the deadlocks and the motion sensors off so would make it easier.

Personally I always double click if leaving a dog in the car, and only use the door button when leaving the car on a ferry car deck so any sea motion won't set the alarm off.

Curiously my door button has a boot lid icon so they must have fitted the wrong one in the factory.

I don't know if your display is the same as mine. If so the sequence on number 1 is [a] temperature, current MPG, [c] average MPG on the current journey, [d] miles left on the amount of fuel left in the tank, [e] average Speed, and [f] miles on the current journey. Number 2 is the same except that [c] [e] and [f] are between resets. I usually reset it each time I fill up.

I might not have got the sequence absolutely right as the car isn't handy to check.

I've never had the fuel gauge go blank though. I think you should report it if it happens again.

Thanks for the further explanation, Calomax. And the display sequence. I'll have to sit and work out if mine is the same (preferably when not driving up the A1).

My door button doesn't have a boot-lid icon but one that could well indicate a motion sensor! But it's easy to see how they could get confused on the assembly line, producing a wide range of variants. My owner's manual includes on page 39 a section on a boot-lid release in that position on the driver's door. It's also wrong - even if the button DID open the boot - in that it repeatedly refers to "vehicles with central locking" instead of referring (in at least some places) to "vehicles WITHOUT central locking". I suppose it's because I'm a sub-editor and spend my days sorting out just such mistakes in other people's publications that I notice these things and grieve over them! Most people would just dump the manual and drive the car.

Good evening or maybe good morning, I' d like to ask if there is the coolant temperature gauge on the dash panel or not. And if not how can you know the temperature of the coolant. I'm asking because last summer my octavia's thermostat broke down and left open and the temperature was always below 90 degrees C.

Now I ordered an 1.2 Tsi 77Kw (105Hp) Roomster, trim level Style, this is how they called it here in Greece and there is no coolant indicator except the red warning light. I am really in a very very bad mood and very frustrated .

Edited 15 June, 201016 yr by stratosg

There isn't a temperature gauge on my Roomster (the SE 1.2 TSI). Other trim levels or other country versions may vary, I suppose.

I actually have two temperature warning lights - a red one to show if it's overheating, and a blue one that comes on when the engine is cold but goes off after a few minutes once the engine has warmed up. Though I'm not sure what you are supposed to do about having a cold engine, other than keep driving!

There isn't a temperature gauge on my Roomster (the SE 1.2 TSI). Other trim levels or other country versions may vary, I suppose.

I actually have two temperature warning lights - a red one to show if it's overheating, and a blue one that comes on when the engine is cold but goes off after a few minutes once the engine has warmed up. Though I'm not sure what you are supposed to do about having a cold engine, other than keep driving!

Thanks for your reply. The Style edition is something between S and SE. I hope my car is equipped with blue and red warning lights. Till now pre face lift Fabias and Roomsters are equipped only with red warning light. Unless if the car is equipped with a maxi dot instrument panel which is fitted with analogue coolant indicator plus warning light.

Thanks for your reply. The Style edition is something between S and SE. I hope my car is equipped with blue and red warning lights. Till now pre face lift Fabias and Roomsters are equipped only with red warning light. Unless if the car is equipped with a maxi dot instrument panel which is fitted with analogue coolant indicator plus warning light.

Hi,

recently driven a couple of 2009 Fabia II 2 TDI's and these had the blue warning light for the coolant, one stayed on for a while as it was a cold day.

As an additional note my wife currently drives a new shape Corsa which only has the red warning light. This has only lit up once putting the car in limp mode; due to the servicing garage not topping it up properly after draining down, so they could remove a hose for access. From this experience I completely agree a proper gauge is best.

Regards,

TP

Thanks for the further explanation, Calomax. And the display sequence. I'll have to sit and work out if mine is the same (preferably when not driving up the A1).

My door button doesn't have a boot-lid icon but one that could well indicate a motion sensor! But it's easy to see how they could get confused on the assembly line, producing a wide range of variants. My owner's manual includes on page 39 a section on a boot-lid release in that position on the driver's door. It's also wrong - even if the button DID open the boot - in that it repeatedly refers to "vehicles with central locking" instead of referring (in at least some places) to "vehicles WITHOUT central locking". I suppose it's because I'm a sub-editor and spend my days sorting out just such mistakes in other people's publications that I notice these things and grieve over them! Most people would just dump the manual and drive the car.

Now that I've been in the car I found I'd missed the last thing in the sequence which is the time driven on the current journey on number 1, and since the last reset on number 2. Number 1 resets itself if the car isn't used for 2 hours.

Good evening, I have one more question. What is the wheels bolt pattern? Is it 5X100 or 5X112?

Thanks in advance.

Thanks for your reply. The Style edition is something between S and SE. I hope my car is equipped with blue and red warning lights. Till now pre face lift Fabias and Roomsters are equipped only with red warning light. Unless if the car is equipped with a maxi dot instrument panel which is fitted with analogue coolant indicator plus warning light.

Hi

I have a pre facelift Roomster in "3" trim with blue and red warning lights. I would have only got a temp. gauge with maxidot.

Today I asked the main Skoda importer and he informed me that the "Style" level have the blue and red warning lights. I will know for sure next week when the car will come to me.

Now let someone tell me, if he knows, what is the bolt frame of the car. 5X100 or 5X112.

what is the bolt frame of the car. 5X100 or 5X112.

That's Greek to me

Sorry, I don't understand either.

Five bolts per wheel, perhaps? Yes, definitely.

Their spacing? No idea how that is measured!

Sorry.

Today I asked the main Skoda importer and he informed me that the "Style" level have the blue and red warning lights. I will know for sure next week when the car will come to me.

Now let someone tell me, if he knows, what is the bolt frame of the car. 5X100 or 5X112.

Hi,

these links might be of help

My link

My link

Regards,

TP

@ The Plumber

Exactly as it is written at your second link under the "PCD Notation". Thanks. Both links are more than interesting. So I'm asking again. The Octavia 1U has PCD 5X100 so does the Fabia 6Y. Does anybody knows the PCD of the new Roomster 1.2 Tsi ?

@ Calomax

Of course, don't forget I'm Greek. :rofl: :rofl: and I speak perfect English

@ The Plumber

Exactly as it is written at your second link under the "PCD Notation". Thanks. Both links are more than interesting. So I'm asking again. The Octavia 1U has PCD 5X100 so does the Fabia 6Y. Does anybody knows the PCD of the new Roomster 1.2 Tsi ?

@ Calomax

Of course, don't forget I'm Greek. :rofl: :rofl: and I speak perfect English

Hi again,

would think the spacing would stay the same as the pre facelift, which according to mytyres is the 5X100

My link

Regards,

TP

Thanks for your reply.

@ Calomax

Of course, don't forget I'm Greek. :rofl: :rofl: and I speak perfect English

That was why I made the joke

The wheel nut space is the same 5/100 for 16/17/18" most alloy manufactures (http://borbet002.mx-live.com/default.aspx) will give you the details.

The new Roomster drivers manual/manuals are a good read: CPU controlled RHD light selection, although the procedure is more akin to starting a EuroBus jet.

Still have not got mine yet.

JD

Edited 27 June, 201016 yr by JDW