Roomster Problems.A list of mine :-)

[cranwellpoacher]

Hi People.

I have owned my Roomster since 2009 when I purchased it from my father. The car had only done 16'000 in 3 years and even now has only 42'000 on the clock.

Along the way over the last 2 years we have suffered a few minor issues with the car, and these are as follows:

Fan turns itself on even when engine stone cold and has resulted in completely flat batteries when we return to the car followed by the enbarrasing bump start along the car park! (Took fuse out to cure it!)

A little yellow light illuminates to tell me (acording to the manual) that the cornering lights are faulty.I don't think i have any and an ECU diagnostic revealed nothing..light on dash goes out approx 1 min after start up.

Annoying rubbery type grinding noise from under drivers floor...think this is the rear console bush perhaps?

radio once stopped working. well it turned on but there was no noise at all...strange! Sorted itself out the next day!

Wear on the outer edges of both front tyres...still sorting that one.

Hate the fuel remaining fuel system.....goes from "you have 25 miles of range" to "you have 10 miles of range" after running my son to school which is a return trip of 6 miles.....?

Why did Skoda decide to not fit a temparature gauge?

Andy :-)

[fabdavrav]

Hi People.

I have owned my Roomster since 2009 when I purchased it from my father. The car had only done 16'000 in 3 years and even now has only 42'000 on the clock.

Along the way over the last 2 years we have suffered a few minor issues with the car, and these are as follows:

Fan turns itself on even when engine stone cold and has resulted in completely flat batteries when we return to the car followed by the enbarrasing bump start along the car park! (Took fuse out to cure it!) Faulty temp sensor/thermostat???

A little yellow light illuminates to tell me (acording to the manual) that the cornering lights are faulty.I don't think i have any and an ECU diagnostic revealed nothing..light on dash goes out approx 1 min after start up. A proper VCDS fault code read will show up the exact code

Annoying rubbery type grinding noise from under drivers floor...think this is the rear console bush perhaps?

radio once stopped working. well it turned on but there was no noise at all...strange! Sorted itself out the next day!

Wear on the outer edges of both front tyres...still sorting that one. Bad alignment failed suspension component like the console bush above??

Hate the fuel remaining fuel system.....goes from "you have 25 miles of range" to "you have 10 miles of range" after running my son to school which is a return trip of 6 miles.....?...Based on current mpg...if you are in traffic and not moving the mpg will be high and it will read this!!

Why did Skoda decide to not fit a temparature gauge? What trim spec level is it???

Andy :-)

[cranwellpoacher]

Hi Fabdavrav. Ok...in no specific order :-)

Skoda Roomster 1.9 TDI October 2006.

Console bush on passenger side was replaced 18 months ago

Sons trip in pretty direct with main roads and almost no congestion....economy (MPG) still approx 42 ish!

Fault code? No fault code was displayed. No log of any error was found.

Regarding trim levels = temp gauge. Since when has having a temp been optional?

Had a conversation with a work colleague who asked the question "So the fuse blows on your cooloing fan and you are on a long journey stuck in traffic without anything to take the heat from the engine...then what?" Is there a safety cut out if the engine overheats due to a blown cooling fan fuse? If not..how does the driver know the engine in in danger of overheating?

Andy :yes:

[fabdavrav]

Hi Fabdavrav. Ok...in no specific order :-)

Skoda Roomster 1.9 TDI October 2006. But what TRIM level eg 1, 2, or 3 ...with that engine a 2 or a 3

Console bush on passenger side was replaced 18 months ago

Sons trip in pretty direct with main roads and almost no congestion....economy (MPG) still approx 42 ish!

Fault code? No fault code was displayed. No log of any error was found. Fault code will not be displayed as it requires a diagnostic tool to read and interogate the ecu's/modules, and using one with show you what fault code caused the light to come on..maybe!

Regarding trim levels = temp gauge. Since when has having a temp been optional?.....External temp gauges I think you only get with MAXI-DOT display (was an optional extra)......do you have button on the end of the right hand stalk to scroll through different displays??? Mpg, trip, average mpg, time for trip, etc as temp could be in those screens if not then only with MAXI-DOT

Had a conversation with a work colleague who asked the question "So the fuse blows on your cooloing fan and you are on a long journey stuck in traffic without anything to take the heat from the engine...then what?" Is there a safety cut out if the engine overheats due to a blown cooling fan fuse? If not..how does the driver know the engine in in danger of overheating? You still have a coolant temp gauge on the dash display use that! The needle should be at 12o'clock

Andy :yes:

[pinkpanther]

My 2012 1.6 CR TDi SE+ (no maxidot) isn't fitted with a temperature gauge either! In its place I have a little blue light, which according to the manual, goes out when the engine has warmed up. A red light then lights up when (or after??) the car has overheated.

A basic water temperature gauge does seem a strange omission on a new car. My 10 year old MkI Octavia does hoewever have a relatively full set of instruments (fuel, water temp, revs and MPH).

Every Skoda I have owned thuis far (x8) has been fitted with an outside temperature gauge, irrespective of the presence of a water temperature gauge on the dash.

As an aside I have the "Torque" Android app which is capable of displying both water and oil temperature (and much more) on the Roomster, via a bluetooth dongle (~£12 on Ebay).

[hertsnminds]

I have to say I have only ever made use of a temp gauge on a car when it had a leaky radiator. On other cars the temp gauge usually sits in one place once the car has warmed up anyway. The Toyota Verso also has no temp gauge just the the 3 light system (blue, off, red).

I know it seems strange to remove the reading as the ECU must be making a note of it (maybe a scangauge would help). Then again we tend to get gunk kits and not spare wheels as standard now and I prefer a spare wheel, so I guess you pays yer money and takes yer choice.

[Calomax]

I think a lot of modern cars just have warning lights instead of a temperature gauge. Our 2003 Kia Picanto was the same. The gauge seems to be going the same way as oil pressure gauges and ammeters etc. I do miss the temperature gauge but I suppose a red warning light is more obvious to a lot of drivers such as SWMBO.

[freelanderman]

I dont like not having a temp. gauge so opted for the scan gauge, which takes no time to fit,plus at a glance I can see coolant temp, battery voltage and boost pressure.Doubes as a fault code reader for engine faults and records very accurate information on fuel economy.

[the_raz]

I was having the radio problem on our -07 1.9 TDI Roomster as well. Sometimes the radio was completetly silent, but shut off the ignition and restart ususally fixed the issue.

[Calomax]

I was having the radio problem on our -07 1.9 TDI Roomster as well. Sometimes the radio was completely silent, but shut off the ignition and restart usually fixed the issue.

That happened to mine during the first year or so. It was eventually replaced under warranty.

Edited 19 January, 2012 by Calomax

[Togo]

I had 2 problems, when I got my brand new Roomster 1.2TSI in October 2011.

The power socket in the trunk did not work.

Fix: the wiring was not attached properly.

Cruise control button "Set (-)" did not work.

Fix: a cable was not attached properly in a multi connector at the steering wheel.

The one thing that annoyed me. Why did the dealership not found it before I got the car?

Edited 18 February, 2012 by Togo

[stratosg]

Because they are more than sure that you will find out what is wrong with your car. Same story as mine, the day i picked up my car I found out that driver's door mirror was out of order.

After few months passenger's door mirror went out of order.

An oil leakage at 10.200Km from oil fumes recirculation pot (or something like that)

An a/c compressor (after replacement we found out it was not the a/c compression, so not a problem though)

Some rattling and cracking almost all of them cured with einszet gummi pfledge and some contact tape.

Everything was sorted out under warranty by my dealer at almost no time. But the major problem all roomsters are suffering from IMO are crappy headlights no matter if they are projector or standard type. The car is now 20 months old with 24.850 Km on clock.

[Lorenzo]

Everything was sorted out under warranty by my dealer at almost no time. But the major problem all roomsters are suffering from IMO are crappy headlights no matter if they are projector or standard type. The car is now 20 months old with 24.850 Km on clock.

Stratos, you are damn right.

However, lately I am reading several posts on various forums, all of them say that you can have real improvements with new generation lamps, eg:

http://www.osram.com/osram_com/Consumer/Automotive_Lighting/Products/Headlights/NIGHT_BREAKER_PLUS/index.html

(Also consider other brands)

Users say the latest models are much more reliable and durable than the previous ones. Prices are also decreasing, especially with internet sellers. I myself am considering the idea, my sight is worsening with age and years of PC work.

[Manatee]

Old thread I know, but the temp gauge thing bugs me a bit as our Roomie doesn't have one either

 

BUT - it bugs me just as much on my Mk2, 1999, MX5. More in fact, as that is more likely to overheat.   That has a water temp gauge, but it functions just like a light.  Below operating temp it says 'C', then when up to temp it points in the middle, when abnormally hot it (presumably) points to 'H'.  That's to say there is no real analogue - it just has three positions. For that reason it has no calibrations either.  The "oil pressure" gauge is the same - no movement at all between 800 and 7000rpm, it just points to the middle.

 

In terms of the information they give, they are no better than lights.  A lot of cars are like this, probably most.  Some MX5ers fit proper gauges, but it isn't an especially easy or elegant swap.

 

So don't feel too short changed by the absence of a gauge - at least it isn't lying to you.  If you do have one of the 'pretend' type for either oil pressure or coolant temp, just make sure you stop the second after it moves off its normal spot - something very unpleasant is probably about to happen!

 

Anybody know whether the Roomster temp gauge, where there is one, is a proper one or not?  Does it actually move around a bit?  I see from the manual that it does have 90 and 130 marked on it, with 10 graduations in between - 4 degree increment seems a bit unusual!