1.2 Tsi And Dsg Ecu Updates

[Yeti-RS]

I have been getting letters from skoda about new deals since buying my car, usually about 20% off rubber floormats or some silly Yeti meeting for PR reasons.

Its been........ oh 4 months since i bought the car and so far it hasnt missed a beat, only fault is the vibrating when crawling in traffic which can get really bad the longer it happens for.

Anyway i pop into a Skoda dealer just to see the new Fabias and one of the sales guys alerted me to a new ECU update for the gearbox, supposedly ridding the vibration and glitchy response.

I thanked him and called up my Skoda dealer to book my car in and they hadnt a clue what i was talking about, after explaining that i was told there was an update they told me to just pop in.

So i did this afternoon, i arrived and of course nobody spoke any bloody english :( but in my limited chinese i explained that my computer needs updating, so they plugged in a diagnostic machine and made it clear that they would 'fix the problem' so i had to call my wife (who is actually taiwanese) she told them what needed doing and they had NO idea what she was taling about.......... 'update?'

Eventually a mechanic got the jist of it as he recognised that i had a 7 speed DSG and that VW have been updating cars with them installed on almost a monthly basis!.

So this giant machine on wheels got pulled over (running windows 2000?????! ) and hooked up to my machine, i could watch the whole process, it recognised my car and went online and discovered 2 updates, one for the engine and one for the DSG.

Took about 20 min's and that was it.

Nobody knows what these updates do, nobody knows when an update is released......... im quite shocked really, i find it hard to believe that Skoda keep their dealers (main dealers here not a small shop!) in the dark, so i assume its stupid Taiwan all over again.

Can any dealer confirm this?

is it possible to know what the updates fix?

Only done 20kms since having it updated, i have noticed its smoother and faster on the gearchanges than before, seems to cut to a neutral quicker when the accelerator is released, also lets the clutch out smoothly on take off which has the unfortunate side effect of reducing wheelspin........ what i like a bit of hooligan launching every now and then!.

Edited 7 February, 2011 by smellybumlove

[JonA]

I'm not sure how things work in :yes: Taiwan, but here is how it works in Norway, and I guess the rest of Europe:

Customer "checks in" at the Skoda service point, and gives a description of the cars problem to a "customer advisor".

Mechanic/Tech starts with punching the car data into the dealer network system ElsaPro. This system consists of lots of different sections like Wiring diagrams, repair manuals etc. Another important section is called SHT (service handbook technic).

The contents of SHT is car specific, and consists of common faults and repair solutions for the car defined in ElsaPro the repair solutions is called TPI's.

If I was to check the O.P.'s car I would look in SHT for a TPI related to gearbox problems, and IF there was a TPI for your cars specific problem and the solution was a software update, I would find it here. The TPI's seldom give a very good description of what is altered in the new software, it just states that the solution is to "install" new software.

The installation of the new software is done via a dealer diagnostic computer which is connected to a Skoda server in Germany or CZ. The dealer diagnostics is connected to the car, all the cars systems is checked for stored information/faults, and then I start something called SVM (software version management) which is a program in the computer. Here, I have to define which ECU that is to be updated (02/Gearbox electronics in this case) A username and password has to be typed in, the diagnostic computer reads the software version in the gearbox ECU, and compares it to the newest version on the Skoda server. IF the server has a new version of the software, the diagnostic computer asks if I would like to proceed with the update. Software is loaded into the gearbox ECU via the cars diagnostic port.

Perform basic settings of the system updated if it is needed, and test drive the car. Finished.

Sorry for the poor english and the messy explanation, but I hope this helps a bit :yes:

Jon A

[The Plumber]

Perfect explanation from my view point Jon A and thanks for sharing.

Also reflects my own experience, although sadly I've yet to find a software update that actually cured a reported problem, even if that was the recognised fix for those symptoms :wonder:

TP

Edited 7 February, 2011 by The Plumber

[Yeti-RS]

Thank you, that sounds exactly right, i saw the password screen a few times!.

My head cant get around this update thing, 20 years ago you bought a car and it ran fine and is probably still running fine, now they release cars unfinished and have to update them at a later date???

I also find it hard to believe that VW/Skoda have a dedicated department that try to improve old models by updating the ECU's!.

:S

Just sounds a bit strange, i dont mind it so much, but it would be nice if (like a PC update) it told you what the update fixed!.

[Llanigraham]

But 20 years ago most cars didn't have computers!!

They don't release cars unfinished, just that as production continues things alter slightly, so they have to be changed, or more commonly improved. In the past this didn't happen because our cars were more simple. However I can remember when I had my Skoda Rapid that having the rear suspension arms changed for an improved model, and that wasn't on a recall, and was in the 80's. That car certainly didn't have a computer!! It shows just how big a jump there has been in car technology.

Comparing it to something similar, when you get a Microsoft update on your computer that doesn't tell you every little thing it has altered, just that it has performed an update. That is exactly what Skoda does when they plug you in.

And this is from a Luddite!

[kibby]

If you ask for a ECU update check between services is it the norm to be charged by the dealer.

Do they automatically check for updates if you get non related warranty issues dealt with or

again would this be considered a chargeable item.

If software improvements are available as suggested in this post I would have thought it would be

good practise to offer it if you visit a dealer for any service (not sales) reason to cement your

hopefully long term relationship with the dealer.

SORRY....originally posted in wrong forum item.

Edited 8 February, 2011 by kibby

[Llanigraham]

Kibby,

most dealers will automatically update any systems when they have the car in for a service and it is plugged in for the checks. If they don't it can cause them problems later, plus the manufacturer can know if it isn't done and query why it wasn't.

Don't know about the VAG system, but with LR if it finds an updated download it will often do it before anything else, as that may clear any problems in the memory.

[kibby]

Are they really that good??

When I queried a dealer a little farther away from me than the local one... the response was "we check the chassis number to see if anything requires updating"

I pretty sure I read on this forum that this is not foolproof in picking up all

available updates (including Bolero) and the car needs to be physically connected to the computer/diagnostics to check for all available updates.

It would appear to be the lazy method to come back with 'no updates available for

your chassis number' when maybe there are some available.

Anyone had any updates done and what are they supposed to correct?? (UK)

Edited 9 February, 2011 by kibby

[Trevorminor]

I cannot understand what your complaint is.

The end result is what you wanted and any confusion seems to stem from language difficulties that cannot really be blamed on the mechanics at your local dealer.

Why didn't you have the work done at the first dealership that advised you of the update? They clearly spoke English and would have been able to explain to their mechanic what you wanted.

Oh, by the way, could you possibly change your username? Others have mentioned it but it really is quite offensive!

[hmibennett]

I cannot understand what your complaint is.

The end result is what you wanted and any confusion seems to stem from language difficulties that cannot really be blamed on the mechanics at your local dealer.

Why didn't you have the work done at the first dealership that advised you of the update? They clearly spoke English and would have been able to explain to their mechanic what you wanted.

Oh, by the way, could you possibly change your username? Others have mentioned it but it really is quite offensive!

+1 :wonder:

[Llanigraham]

Oh, by the way, could you possibly change your username? Others have mentioned it but it really is quite offensive!

+2!!

I've asked in the past.

[900000]

+2!!

I've asked in the past.

+3

And in order to change your profile name you just need to become a Freedom member and you can change your profile name at will!

[sebast]

+3

And in order to change your profile name you just need to become a Freedom member and you can change your profile name at will!

+4

[Rob666]

+ 5 I'm surprised the mods allowed it in the first place.

[kibby]

Back to subject...anyone had any updates and what where they supposed to fix.

I like to see something that reduces the 'approach a roundabout' problem (unexpected accelerator behaviour)

or one that improves the mpg (we achieve about 38 mpg on mixed 20 mile round trip and longish motorway/

A road driving.

Was expecting to achieve 40mpg but from comments here it appears only likely if you don't do any shortish trips.

[kibby]

Back to subject...anyone had any updates and what where they supposed to fix??

I like to see something that reduces the 'approach a roundabout' problem (unexpected accelerator behaviour)

or one that improves the mpg (we achieve about 38 mpg on mixed 20 mile round trip and longish motorway/A road driving.

Was expecting to achieve 40mpg but from comments here it appears only likely if you don't do any shortish trips.

Edited 12 February, 2011 by kibby

[bohmer]

Back to subject...anyone had any updates and what where they supposed to fix.

I like to see something that reduces the 'approach a roundabout' problem (unexpected accelerator behaviour)

or one that improves the mpg (we achieve about 38 mpg on mixed 20 mile round trip and longish motorway/

A road driving.

Was expecting to achieve 40mpg but from comments here it appears only likely if you don't do any shortish trips.

I don't know if you have a DSG model, but we have had no problems at all with roundabouts, and have had no updates done since new. We collected ours last summer, and when it was warm weather we were getting in the low 40's quite regularly, even on 20 mile trips. A few 200 mile journeys of mixed motoring gave us an average of 43mpg on the maxidot. This winter the outside temperature has made a big difference naturally, with longer warm-ups giving us similar results to you. Although the engine appears to warm up quickly, if you monitor the oil temperature(don't know if you can on your model), it takes a long time to get to normal operating temperature from cold this time of year. I think Llanigraham brought oil temperature up on a previous post somewhere, and it really seems to make a difference when measuring fuel comsumtion.

Basically we are satisfied with our figures, given the performance of the engine, and the size of the vehicle, which we still find amazing.

In comparison, my son's Honda Jazz 1.4 CVT Auto was only giving 29mpg on short journeys from cold in the cold weather, 47- 50ish in summer.

Hope this helps.

I have been consciously trying to stop looking at the real time MPG figures on the maxidot, years ago when I started motoring you usually had no idea what you were doing per gallon, just as well probably, as I dread to think now what my 3.5 V8 Rover was doing on short trips!

[gav611]

hello im a dealer and we have a customer who has this problem with his yeti can anyone supply a tel number or contact info of the dealer that has had this done so i can fix are customers car many thanks gavin

[Tech1e]

Kibby,

most dealers will automatically update any systems when they have the car in for a service and it is plugged in for the checks. If they don't it can cause them problems later, plus the manufacturer can know if it isn't done and query why it wasn't.

Don't know about the VAG system, but with LR if it finds an updated download it will often do it before anything else, as that may clear any problems in the memory.

We are not supposed to update any ecus without instructions from Skoda via tech support or by a tpi. Sometimes on some models an update might be available but it might not be suitable.

[Tech1e]

hello im a dealer and we have a customer who has this problem with his yeti can anyone supply a tel number or contact info of the dealer that has had this done so i can fix are customers car many thanks gavin

You should contact technical assistance via DISS on ElsaPro.