Occasionally when driving my Superb 2.0 Dti (2013) there is a soft, low frequency 'dong' noise from the speakers, similar to the noise that accompanies a low fuel warning, freezing temperature warning or things like that, although maybe rather softer than those sounds. However no warning light is ever lit up and nothing ever appears on the display.

 

At these times the handbrake is fully released, I'm not exceeding any preset speed warning, seat belts are fully clicked in etc. In fact nothing seems wrong with the car at all.

 

I'm mystified why the noise happens, what it means and what could cause it in the absence of any other indication.

 

Has anyone else ever noticed this?

 

Can anyone tell mem what it might mean?

 

 

Is it due a service?

 

Using Maxidot scroll to 'Vehicle status' and check the number of days/miles left until a service is required.

Is it low tempreture warning. I,e, ice warning on roads

If the temperature "4°" is flashing at the time the sound is heard, it's the "warning it's below 4°" thing. If not that, check the Vehicle Status page in the Maxidot as stated. About all I can think of...

When it happens do you have something on the passenger seat?????

 

Our V70 did this every so often doing a bong thing and saying the seatbelt wasn't done up.... Then i realised it only happened when i had a bag on the front passenger seat and the car thought someone was sat in the seat.

This has happened to me when the radio is on mute, has TP enabled, and goes into an area with no TP signal e.g on the M6 near Tebay. Bongs again when signal returns. Used to drive me mad until driving with my brother we worked it out what it was.

Just a thought

Edited 10 December, 201411 yr by Bristolf2b

Possibly your battery running low? - although admittedly this shouldn't happen when you're running. My 58 plate was fitted with an incorrect battery at the factory unbeknownst to me at the time. If I was sitting on my local rank for half an hour (I'm a taxi) with all the gubbins switched on I'd get a low level bong coming from the speakers (not the dash like fuel or temp etc) and an accompanying message 'low battery' would appear on the stereo display but only for a couple of seconds so I missed it the first few times it happened. Shouldn't happen if you're running but if you've only just started running the battery could be topping up. After 145k miles this is the only speaker bong I've encountered. Others have all come from the dash. Check it out.

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Edited 12 December, 201411 yr by jointintell

Thanks to all who have replied

No its not low temperare (happens in the summer as well)

No its not due a service for at least 18 months.

No not the seat belt - happens with and without a passenger (who does up the belt!)

Battery? doubt it, the cars only a year old

 

Radio + TP? - maybe, I do have TP on most times and have sometimes noticed that pressing the button to see traffic reports tells me there is nothing to show, maybe as theer is no signal. I also use the M6 quite to go from down south up to Scotland so it be be around Tebay that it happens. I'll pay more attention to where I am next time it happens.

Appreciate your comments but my car was less than 3 months old and this problem manifested itself. Still, as you say, it's unlikely.

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I have had this low bong too, usually after about 2 hours cruising down a motorway around 70 MPH.

After many searches the nearest reasonable explanation found...

 It seemed to be the DPF completing a cleaning cycle after cruising at over 2K revs for about 2hours

BDI

I've never had a bong when the DPF cleans, but I have had noises when there's no radio signal with traffic information, so I'd go with that.

Anti-Tiredness-Systems beep?

Anti-Tiredness-Systems beep?

 

Doubtfull, you'd see the "take a break" message + a coffee cup in the maxidot.

Maybe its a systems test, testing the operation of the 'bong' sound.

Just so you know, I'm voting for this thread as "thread-of-the-year". It has me laying in bed awake at night, "I wonder what it could possibly be???"

 

This is better then daytime television! 

 

:clap:

 

:|

 

I'm not alone in this, am I?

 

:peek:

 

Guys?

Wow TT stuck for an answer... I never thought I would see the day  :peek: 
Sleepless nights, find something soft and warm to cuddle up to that should solve the problem 

As said previously

Traffic info lost.. Happens on my car often and it's always related to the signal dropping.

As said previously

Traffic info lost.. Happens on my car often and it's always related to the signal dropping.

Is the traffic info a continuous signal then (until it drops) - ie a carrier wave with no modulation on it until they send a report.

Or is it a wave that only gets transmitted when there is some data to send, like a walkie talkie does?

The latter would seem more likely as the data depends upon where you are in the country, or Europe.

But if that's the case how would the columbus know if the signal has become unavailable if it is not being transmitted all the time anyway.

 

Surely somebody from Skoda reads this forum otherwise it could be just the blind leading the blind.

Can't we have a definitive answer from the makers - preferably the makers ofcolumbus but I don't know how to contact them.

Edited 13 December, 201411 yr by dochsm

The reason I reason I think it's traffic info, is that when I've checked in the past the TP notice on the columbus has gone (I think on the radio screen). I just ignore it now.

Inidentally, just checked the warning noise for low temperature, no seatbelt and handbrake. They are al the same and all much higher pitch and much louder than the quiet 'bong' I hear that I started this thread about. (hink all the 'real' warning noises are more of a 'ding' than a 'bong'.) Odd though that it would use a different noise to warn of a lost traffic signal, especially as there is not much I can do about it.

 

Does anyone have any contact details for the makers of the columbus system? I think I'll try to contact them directly.

Inidentally, just checked the warning noise for low temperature, no seatbelt and handbrake. They are al the same and all much higher pitch and much louder than the quiet 'bong' I hear that I started this thread about. (hink all the 'real' warning noises are more of a 'ding' than a 'bong'.) Odd though that it would use a different noise to warn of a lost traffic signal, especially as there is not much I can do about it.

 

Does anyone have any contact details for the makers of the columbus system? I think I'll try to contact them directly.

 

 

The seat belt noise does actually change the faster you are going.... Starts off the same as the temperature warning and then gets higher pitched when travelling faster.....

 

Regarding the noise you're getting coming from the stereo speakers..... Not odd really as the other warnings are all car related so come from a seperate independant speaker compared to the TP loss warning which is radio related and therefore comes out of the speakers... If you had the stereo turned off you still need to be able to hear the car related warnings don't you???  The point of the TP warning it is to advise you that you have lost the TP signal and will not be getting any traffic announcements. Otherwise you may just assume there are no issues and some people would then be blaming the Columbus for not telling them the system wasn't working.....

Just to confuse the reasons....

 I live in an area with lots of hills resulting in many radio black spots, never had the low bong when driving in my area with and without TP turned on. But I have not heard the low bong since I replaced my Columbus with a Columbus DAB which uses a whip aerial. Reception using DAB is much better than FM , very surprising !

BDI

I've heard the 'dong' before and it's related to TP. The bong is obviously related to connecting/losing signals on the Columbus eg if you're trying to program a new station on the radio i.e when you press and hold a station on the touchscreen you get a bong.

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Funnily enough it happened to me today, turned off tp and it stopped. Must be software prob