Front assist radar - no cover 'dome'

[snownrock]

Hi,

Picked up my new elegance yesterday and once home realised that my front assist radar unit in the lower grille doesn't have a dome fitted. I am left with a very expensive and delicate looking piece of electrical equipment on prime position for stone damage. The brochure seems to suggest this is the standard fitting, it looks very fragile to me.

 

My brother in law's golf with the same system has a black polycarbonate dome over the unit which seems more practical.

 

I could swear earlier brochures showed the same on Octavias, but its seems to have changed recently? Anyone else concerned by this? Photo below.

 

[sworrall]

they are all coming with the rectangular unit now instead of the round dome unit in the brochure.  I assume its an upgrade to the old one.

[meta55b]

Bit off topic, I would love to see what the hatch and estate VRS would look like in the brown colour on your car. I honestly think they would look good.

[FTM]

saw a new GTD in the car park at lunch time and it looked just like yours

[J8mbo]

they are all coming with the rectangular unit now instead of the round dome unit in the brochure.  I assume its an upgrade to the old one.

I haven't seen an Octavia with a domed radar yet but all 13 plate Golfs I've seen have.

Now I'm seeing 63 plate Golfs with the flat plate radar like the OP.

[Neily03]

I'm guessing they've just changed to a different radar or supplier....

[boff180]

Mine is a flat plate too, I was initially a little concerned that the sensor is exposed and vulnerable but so far it seems quite hardy.

[Huskoda]

Time will tell how long these last. I don't feel particularly optimistic. Anyone want to start a bet on how long before we have our first forum post about a damaged one?

 

I'll bet they'll be expensive to replace and not covered by any warranty.

[gadgetman]

Looks the same as the TV advert

[lfc958]

Have you contacted SUK asking if there should be a protective cover & expressed your concerns, over its vulnerability & possible warranty cover ( phone & in writing asking for a response ). ?

[Neily03]

Time will tell how long these last. I don't feel particularly optimistic. Anyone want to start a bet on how long before we have our first forum post about a damaged one?

I'll bet they'll be expensive to replace and not covered by any warranty.

Doesn't the same apply to any area of the car that can get damaged? You could smash your sump on some debris on the road and right off your engine....... Is it skoda's fault for not fitting sump guards? A rock could go through the radiator, condenser and intercooler....... Should the font of the car be covered by a 2" plate of steel?

I'm sure the radar is more than up to the job of day to day use and stone chips etc.....

[Stuarted]

Doesn't the same apply to any area of the car that can get damaged? You could smash your sump on some debris on the road and right off your engine....... Is it skoda's fault for not fitting sump guards? A rock could go through the radiator, condenser and intercooler....... Should the font of the car be covered by a 2" plate of steel?

I'm sure the radar is more than up to the job of day to day use and stone chips etc.....

.

Comparison with smashing the sump on a rock does not seem a very logical.

If the sump were so vulnerable that it could be severely damaged by a commonplace everyday hazard like a flying road chip, then you would indeed have a legitimate complaint against the manufacturer.

The same applies if an expensive item like a radar detector is susceptible to damage in normal, everyday driving.  It is not being suggesting that a radar detector has got to be protected against unusual hazards like a major impact - just protected from predictable, everyday ones like flying road chips. 

[Neily03]

.

Comparison with smashing the sump on a rock does not seem a very logical.

If the sump were so vulnerable that it could be severely damaged by a commonplace everyday hazard like a flying road chip, then you would indeed have a legitimate complaint against the manufacturer.

The same applies if an expensive item like a radar detector is susceptible to damage in normal, everyday driving. It is not being suggesting that a radar detector has got to be protected against unusual hazards like a major impact - just protected from predictable, everyday ones like flying road chips.

And like I said in the last line of my post the radar will be spec'd to be durable enough for every day conditions, like stone impacts.

[TudorM]

How'd you know it is easily damaged by stone chips? Have you tried it? It might as well be made from very tough plastic and it will be fine unless you hit a cow with it... :P

[Stuarted]

And like I said in the last line of my post the radar will be spec'd to be durable enough for every day conditions, like stone impacts.

.

You hope.  Do you know this, or are you just hoping / guessing?

All that the OP requested was some reassurance (which seems quite reasonable, in the case of a new, hi-tech, expensive and fragile-looking device) from an official source such as the manufacturer.

Much better than waiting until it gets damaged and having the manufacturer say "Yeah, it is very fragile.  The slightest impact will destroy it. and that should have been obvious to you.  Tough luck.  £500 for a replacement, please."

 

[TudorM]

And how does it help him if I tell him that it would fall to pieces if a mosquito hits it?

[philhoward]

In that case the phrase "fit for purpose" comes into play - in UK consumer law, anyway.  I'd say its common sense that something mounted on the  front bumper must be able to withstand its location within reason.  OK, you don't get a smashed light from a stone replaced on warranty, but if it fails thanks to some small insects, then thats not fit for purpose in my book.

Edited 17 October, 2013 by philhoward

[Stuarted]

In that case the phrase "fit for purpose" comes into play - in UK consumer law, anyway.  I'd say its common sense that something mounted on the  front bumper must be able to withstand its location within reason.  OK, you don't get a smashed light from a stone replaced on warranty, but if it fails thanks to some small insects, then thats not fit for purpose in my book.

.

Indeed.  Especially if it become apparent that it could have been fitted with an effective protective cover, as some versions seem to be.

[boff180]

I've e-mailed Skoda UK this evening asking whether the radar should be covered or not.

 

Ta

 

Andy

[CumbrianYeti]

.

Comparison with smashing the sump on a rock does not seem a very logical.

If the sump were so vulnerable that it could be severely damaged by a commonplace everyday hazard like a flying road chip, then you would indeed have a legitimate complaint against the manufacturer.

The same applies if an expensive item like a radar detector is susceptible to damage in normal, everyday driving.  It is not being suggesting that a radar detector has got to be protected against unusual hazards like a major impact - just protected from predictable, everyday ones like flying road chips.

Slightly off topic but on a lighter note, my friend did a couple of years ago manage to smash his sump on his Mk5 Golf GTI on a cats eye!!!

[rover220]

I've e-mailed Skoda UK this evening asking whether the radar should be covered or not.

 

Ta

 

Andy

 

why? its quite apparent its a new design across the whole range.

 

if they felt it should have a cover it would have come with one

[TudorM]

Since none of us here is part of the engineering group who designed this Front Assist system (is there?), for all we know, what we're seeing could very well be the protection cover and that the actual radar is underneath. That's my guess anyway.

[boff180]

why? its quite apparent its a new design across the whole range.

 

if they felt it should have a cover it would have come with one

For clarification and tbh the images in the original brochures with the dome added to the look of the car and looked superior to the current "slab" sensor.

 

For all we know yes this is the new design. For all we know a batch have gone down the production line without the covers.

 

It happens, my father worked at Land Rover on production for 15 years; he once was sent up to Edinburgh to check out a car that had been delivered which was part of an entire batch of production that had something missing!

[silver1011]

The part will have been designed to a set specification.

 

That specification will be at a level that allows for reasonable wear and tear and will have been proven out through lab tests and miles on a test mule.

 

Just like a headlight, it will withstand most impact forces typical of a fast moving projectile like a stone.

 

As with everything in life it isn't possible to plan or build in sufficient component cost for every eventuality. There will be certain stones/debris that can and will damage the sensor.

[drewpost]

I have it and it's certainly a slab. I also saw a 63 reg Golf with the exact same slab.

I wonder if anyone has ever looked under the dome on the other ones. Is if covering a sensor or is actually the sensor?