Ok.... I have black hose and no cover on a pre-Aug build vehicle, so I guess it half fits for me.

..but... what a very Monty Pythonesque reason !

Out of interest, I just checked my alernator visually, and despite heavy rains and mud on road etc it looks like new

Would have been more cost effective to hide the shiny pipe with a sheath over it surely. The cover is clipped into place on the radiator support so must have cost more to produce initially, and why is it shaped to carry water away as it does.

Possibly the reasons as stated but I'm not totally convinced. No mention of it stopping water ingress either. Was this metioned in your email to them?

Mick

My 75 Elegance arrived today yee hah. Will be picking it up on Sat all being well. Mine doesn't have the cover and does have the black AC pipe. Anyway I'm not going to worry about it. It's warranted for 3 years and I'll just keep an eye on the alternator. I always treat the shiny parts under the bonnet with ACF50 and keep em clean anyway. Reall looking forward to picking it up and hearing that 3 cylinder engine do its stuff. And for my summer fun am also picking up a 98 Reg Z3 tomorrow which will be my winter project.

Mystery Solved ! Response from Skoda below -

Thank you for your recent contact, regarding your ŠKODA Citigo.

In your email you asked to whether or not your vehicle should have an alternator cover fitted. I can confirm that specification

of the Citigo has been slightly modified.

All Citigo's built before the 16 August 2012, were fitted with a silver air conditioner hose. To stop this being seen through

the front grill, the black cover you photographed was fitted.

Citigo's built after 16th August 2012 are fitted with a black air-conditioner hose, so there's no longer a requirement for the

cover to be fitted.

Please be assured that there is no impact on quality, reliability or component longevity from the cover not being fitted.

If you require any additional information please do not hesitate to contact me on the details provided below.

Thank you for choosing a Citigo and I wish you many miles of happy motoring.

Kind regards

Kate Laws, Customer Relations Manager - Executive Office

Well, it's a response, so congratulations!

However, my Citigo was built BEFORE August 2012 and mine doesn't have the cover!

I think it has a black hose though......

wow a 6 page thread all because of a different coloured hose pipe LOL

oh well the question had to be asked.

Good to know there's no issue

So , i guess now we have to see if all Citigos with a cover have a non-black hose pipe then?

wow a 6 page thread all because of a different coloured hose pipe LOL

oh well the question had to be asked.

Good to know there's no issue

Its put my mind at ease a bit

Mystery Solved ! Response from Skoda below -

Thank you for your recent contact, regarding your ŠKODA Citigo.

In your email you asked to whether or not your vehicle should have an alternator cover fitted. I can confirm that specification

of the Citigo has been slightly modified.

All Citigo's built before the 16 August 2012, were fitted with a silver air conditioner hose. To stop this being seen through

the front grill, the black cover you photographed was fitted.

Citigo's built after 16th August 2012 are fitted with a black air-conditioner hose, so there's no longer a requirement for the

cover to be fitted.

Please be assured that there is no impact on quality, reliability or component longevity from the cover not being fitted.

If you require any additional information please do not hesitate to contact me on the details provided below.

Thank you for choosing a Citigo and I wish you many miles of happy motoring.

Kind regards

Kate Laws, Customer Relations Manager - Executive Office

Ours was built week 38 and has the cover..............

Ours was built week 38 and has the cover..............

What colour is your hose?

What colour is your hose?

Silver, just checked.

Silver, just checked.

So, it almost fits with the email explanation then?

Mine's black and i don't have the cover but it's definitely built before the date in the email!

So, it almost fits with the email explanation then?

Mine's black and i don't have the cover but it's definitely built before the date in the email!

Mines silver but built after the date in the email !

Mines silver but built after the date in the email !

Same here. Week 40, silver hose, black cover.

The date build irrelevant to me what I want to know is if everyone with a black hose hasn't got the cover and everyone with a silver hose has. Does the theory work ?

I'm actually quite impressed that Skoda UK came up with a proper answer for you. Kudos for your perseverance and to Skoda UK for responding!

Sounds about right,

Both me and the wife have the basic models (no ac, no pipe) and both cars have no cover :-)

Silver pipe and black cover here. I think I like this combo.

Mystery Solved ! Response from Skoda below -

Thank you for your recent contact, regarding your ŠKODA Citigo.

In your email you asked to whether or not your vehicle should have an alternator cover fitted. I can confirm that specification

of the Citigo has been slightly modified.

All Citigo's built before the 16 August 2012, were fitted with a silver air conditioner hose. To stop this being seen through

the front grill, the black cover you photographed was fitted.

Citigo's built after 16th August 2012 are fitted with a black air-conditioner hose, so there's no longer a requirement for the

cover to be fitted.

Please be assured that there is no impact on quality, reliability or component longevity from the cover not being fitted.

If you require any additional information please do not hesitate to contact me on the details provided below.

Thank you for choosing a Citigo and I wish you many miles of happy motoring.

Kind regards

Kate Laws, Customer Relations Manager - Executive Office

Hmm! Not completely correct though. My Elegance was built 13 June 2012 and it does have the black air con pipe and it is without the cover. So who has the earliest build with this spec?! ;-)

Found it !!!

Here is the pic of the front radiator/grille assembly when it was removed from the car to trial fit the new engine.

This is the non-Greentec 60PS SE. (With the same cover as a 75PS Greentech, my other one)

As you can see, there is clearly a black plastic panel that runs down the driver side where the gap would be left by the offset radiators.

I hope this helps.

Richard.

Bossfox bought his Citigo (now becoming the Citigo-go) back in July, it also has the black pipe and the cover!!!!!! Methinks the reason we are being given is perhaps not quite correct! Damn good try to get an answer though Skodaman, much appreciated!

Edited 26 October, 201213 yr by CortinaGT

It's fortunate for Skoda that, on the basis of their reply, no recall is now required :think:

It's fortunate for Skoda that, on the basis of their reply, no recall is now required :think:

Very convenient !

At least we have a 3 year warranty. If anything goes wrong with the exposed alternators I would have thought it would happen within 3 years. ( I hope ! )

Being slightly sceptical of the reasons given for the "sometimes" alternator cover I noted that on my new 75 Elegance Green Tech that the alternator and all the aluminium surfaces at that end of the engine have the beginnings of corrosion (white fur) already. No problem - a wipe over with ACF50 and all nice and shiney again. I am convinced though that whilst the alternator may not fail, it ain't gonna look very nice after a couple of winters - of that there is no doubt. Anyway I have made my own cover which took 5 minutes and looks as good if not better than the originals. I bought an A5 notebook with matt black plastic outer leaves from Asda - £3. I took out the three screws that secure the top of the grill. I removed one if the notebook covers, cut it roughly to size, bent one edge over and fitted it in between the grill top edge and engine bay front cross member. Just had to make one hole in way the offside grill securing screw. Fits perfectly, looks like its meant to be there and now I feel much happier knowing that no salt spray can now enter that end of the grill. I don't expect any problems but I will keep my eye on the temperature etc. What I am pleased about is that you can't see anything through that end of the grill and it looks better for it.

Our 60PS Greentech built week 43 has the cover and Silver pipes behind.

Oh, dear! Will we ever find the true answer? Not that it matters, really, as it seems with our without all our Citigo's be going well! :-)

Oh, dear! Will we ever find the true answer? Not that it matters, really, as it seems with our without all our Citigo's be going well! :-)

Mine is consistent with SUK's explanation except that it was built after the date that they said they swapped to black pipes, perhaps they have swapped back again.... And yes we love the citigo.