I recently bought a CD Rom from eBay titled "Skoda EPC".

It contains parts listings for Skoda (all models, as far as I remember) & I thought that it would be useful to have as a resource.

I went to install it the other evening, but it stopped with the message that it requires a certain screen resolution, 1280x?? if I remember, but obviously don't! - I do know that I didn't have that resolution option on my display menu.

Is there someone, (computer techie) who would like a copy of it to see if they can set it up & get it working?

Let me know if you are interested.

John.

1280x1024, by any chance? Either a limitation in your graphics card or your monitor...

I thought the Skoda parts CD needed a licensing dongle to work - sure someone on here who runs it at home will know.

I'll check if any of my home computers can do that screen resolution, if so I'd be willing to try and get it working...

Rob.

Is this similar to ETKA, the parts list that Rob was talking about? ETKA needs a dongle.

Is it anything like the CD listed here ? Says no mention of needing a dongle, though it doesn't say it *needs* 1280x1024, just that it's advisable.

Also says it's a 3rd party CD, so it might be possible that it doesn't need a dongle if it's not Skoda's own.

Either way, my monitor will run at 1280x1024 - how much do you want for a copy John?

Rob.

I fell victim to one of these illegal ETKA CDROMs for my VW. It does require 1280x1024 to view the entire window and is a pirated version of software only legitimate service departments should have.

That being said, once running at the required resolution it's quite a wealth of information. My only wish is that I could have obtained it legally such as my Bentley CDROM for the Passat.

One thing puzzles me...

Why are VAG so keen to keep ETKA to themselves?

I wouldn't have thought a parts catalogue would have any commercially-sensitive information in it. (OK, I know that it's more than just a parts catalogue, but I can't imagine it containing anything which would cause the collapse of the VAG empire if it was disclosed.)

p/s/ I thought the freedom of information laws in the USA meant that VAG couldn't legally keep ETKA secret...

It cost's them a great deal of money to prepare / update ETKA -- so you can understand why they get peeved when copies are being bandied around.

Originally posted by skodaw in this post

It cost's them a great deal of money to prepare / update ETKA -- so you can understand why they get peeved when copies are being bandied around.

But why?. It's a lost cost - they would have to prepare/update it regardless of who gets to see it.

My opinion only - but I reckon that if they made it public, they would recoup more in goodwill than it costs to make extra copies. Hell, even selling copies at a nominal price would make a profit!

Impressive... you've heard of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). However, it's not a law that liberates privately owned, copyrighted information. In a nutshell, it's the law that the US government has to abide by to make information owned by the people available to the people... unless it happens to help a terrorist fix his VW.

So that takes us back to ETKA as a privately owned chunk of info. Well, obviously people want it so a price could be placed upon its value. Why do they want it? Well to fix their cars of course! But doesn't that undermine other moneymaking opportunities? By not selling the information, VAG effectively maintains their service and parts businesses running. I don't know about the UK, but private garages are far less expensive than dealer service... and if every garage had an ETKA, they'd have access to information that would make their work as reliable as the dealer.

Why do I have one? Because my own two hands are the cheapest work there is!

(But I still wish I could have obtained a legitimate copy instead of financing a pirate!)

Does the ETKA contain parts information, or actual detailed servicing "guides"?

If it's a glorified parts listing, then surely making it public would mean more people could see little add-ons they fancied, and then go and order them?

Think it's just parts, basically a list (with diagrams) of how the car is put together. Wouldn't tell you how to service it, but you could think of it as a Haynes manual without the instructions...

Rob.

Porsche have a similar thing, called PET. It's very useful. It shows you where parts should be, what order they are assembled in, the part numbers, the variations by model year etc. etc. etc.

Oh and it needs 1280x1024 to run (allegedly)

Have seen at my dealers when we were looking how much it was going to cost me to replace the air vents I'd screwed up (don't ask!) - at the time I thought the 'exploded' view was pretty cool

Shame us poor customers can't get our own copy without getting into pirate copies, etc...

Originally posted by Stimps in this post

replace the air vents I'd screwed up (don't ask!)

You know you're going to have to now... there'll be no peace until you do!!

It doesn't require a donggle. There is a software equivalent on the CD if you have problems. May be an issue with screen res, but I ran at 1280 anyway

Its good for the Octavia as there is no workshop manual (avaialble to the public )for the car so the exploded view pictures are as good as you will get at the moment.

Good for getting part numbers a nd rough idea of price as well. Oh, and covers all VAG era models (mine even has 2004 MY on it )

Attempt at respraying wasn't it?

Rob.

Like the one about the silver-look vents? :p

Rings a bell...

Rob.

sssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhh!

Originally posted by Stimps in this post

Does the ETKA contain parts information, or actual detailed servicing "guides"?

If it's a glorified parts listing, then surely making it public would mean more people could see little add-ons they fancied, and then go and order them?

Like Rob said, it's not much more than an illustrated parts listing. Unless your definition of 'not much more' doesn't cover breakdowns into year, model, and engine/transmission codes which are often quite valuable to know. The drawings are fantastic to have in understanding how a susbsystem is assembled or serviced.

Do you guys have anything like "Bentley books" as we do from Bentley Publishers? Their website is http://www.bentleypublishers.com/... and they have forums like these to trade barbs with the techs. I see they don't have a Skoda section, but I'd imagine much of the VW and Audi technical sections would apply to the late Skodas. Ah, parts bins...

(Oh yeah, my ETKA covers every VW from 1973 to 2002... it's kinda cool looking at the diagram of how my Super Beetle's heater ducting should have looked. I was a teenager and had no idea how to fix the poor rusty rattletrap!)

Think we can get Bentley Books here. Haynes do much the same, and promise to allow you to dissamble and reassemble the car in easy to follow steps. Haven't produced a manual for the Octavia though - been tempted by the VW Golf Mk4 one, but I can imagine finding that all the differences are the bits I'd want to mess about with...

Rob.

Sco - I know from other forums you guys are very keen home mechanics - do you generally start working on your own cars from the day you get them brand new, or do you wait until the warranty expires? Do you get warranty on your cars? Is it invalidated by non-dealer "interference"? Pardon all the questions - one answer will probably cover em all

To be perfectly honest, I've never owned a new car. But, I'd have no fear of working on them from new if I had. A few of the fellows I run with have brand new cars that they're spooked to chip or tune out of fear that their warranty will be voided... but the dealers seem to find other excuses for not honoring the warranty anyway! Some fellows called them "stealers" instead!

My Passat was not covered for the (infamous) failed waterpump at 62K for the simple fact that I was the third owner. Second owners get half the original warranty and anyone else is left out to dry. Yet just last week I got a letter to add a protective plate to the fuel filler above the right rear wheel. It was a safety recall and performed free of charge. Being the third owner suddenly didn't matter... but then again a waterpump going bad might not kill me in a fire!

Let's just say I have 76K on the car now and a box full of belts and new tensioners for a diy timing belt job coming soon. (Gonna replace the clutched A/C fan with an electric one too... no more hot engine waiting in the staging lanes at the racetrack!)

Originally posted by Sco in this post

My Passat was not covered for the (infamous) failed waterpump at 62K for the simple fact that I was the third owner. Second owners get half the original warranty and anyone else is left out to dry. Yet just last week I got a letter to add a protective plate to the fuel filler above the right rear wheel. It was a safety recall and performed free of charge. Being the third owner suddenly didn't matter... but then again a waterpump going bad might not kill me in a fire!

I suppose this is the downside of the extra protection you get from the Magnuson-Moss act.

AIUI, you can chip your cars without affecting the warranty on any non chip-related faults. Over here, Skoda UK can declare the whole warranty void if the car is modified in any way :(

Chipping here depends largely upon the dealer. Some dealers haunt the enthusiast forums and are known as 'mod friendly' and welcome you to their shop, even courting business by selling pre-modded cars. Liberty Auto in the mid-west US does some nice VWs and Nissans with full warranties.

Then there are some shops that sniff your mods and immediately go on the offensive to ring up charges you cannot fight because you've modified the car. I've been the victim of my car becoming the lunch limo filled with monkeys having fun with my APR software in the name of "road testing" the waterpump. I got little more than an apology from them for the McDonalds sacks they left littering my car.

I won't leave the car unattended again now that the suspension matches the engine!