Wow Andyvee  thats really opened my eyes to all the possibilities of making my driving experience so much more fulfilling. Sorry or being such a luddite

Wow Andyvee  thats really opened my eyes to all the possibilities of making my driving experience so much more fulfilling. Sorry or being such a luddite

Quite right - no way you would get me in a Google car either, but I don't mind toys - you don't always have to use them!

.........I don't mind toys - you don't always have to use them!

Trouble is, sometimes they seem to be using you...............

I like technology when it is relevant and works consistently.

For the Octavia 3 my problem is that I've found that it isn't. Stuff like the mode settings are pointless to me though I can see why others may be interested.

My issue with the Octavia 3 is technology that doesn't really work. That being driver assist that did two emergency stops for no reason after picking up cars in filter lanes to the side of me, the 'intelligent light assist' that I can't use because it doesn't dip the lights except on long straight roads - so useless on country and Pennines routes which are the only times I ever use high beam anyway.

The panorama sunroof that packed in with a motor failure after being used half a dozen times, and the TPM that has a few days a year where it repeatedly goes off despite no change in tyre pressures, resulting in me stopping at 4 motorway services in one day to check. The cold temp pressure the next day was exactly correct, and hadn't changed.

For me, I wish Skoda had fitted less technology and then spent more on what they did to improve the quality of it.

I suppose it's the old, old story. One man's curse is another's blessing.

I could scrap about three quarters of the fiddly electronic gizmos and never miss them

But my last Mk. 2 had a nice alloy spare wheel as standard, this one didn't have any spare as standard.

Still, taking everything into account I still like the new one and am happy I carried on with Octavias.

 

p.s. used the 12 volt socket for tyre pump today for the first time (though hardly any air had gone missing since new) and the 12 volt outlet caused no trouble at all.

(Type pump is an ordinary Halfords job, about 10 years old!!)

Edited 4 February, 201511 yr by ednmra

My highbeam assist works extremely well. The only thing that let's it down is it doesn't appear to pick up cyclists

My highbeam assist works extremely well. The only thing that let's it down is it doesn't appear to pick up cyclists

Well, they don't dip their beams for me so...

[emoji10]

the 'intelligent light assist' that I can't use because it doesn't dip the lights except on long straight roads - so useless on country and Pennines routes which are the only times I ever use high beam anyway.

You just have to accept the fact you are going to dazzle oncoming traffic for half a second as they round the corner. I find on a long straight it is the worse case as it takes ages for them to dip, as the oncoming car/car you are catching gets closer gradually increasing the brightness of their head/tail lights, as there is no sudden increase in white/red light which is what the camera looks for.

I am giving high beam assist another chance at the moment.

The problem I have with it is its varying reaction times....its noticeably worse on very bendy/undulating roads where its blinded the hell out of people for a number of seconds before catching the appropriate amount of light source (whereas I am trying in vain not to pull the stalk to cancel them but goes against my better judgement). Also coming up to T junctions you just end up with mains beaming straight out into passing traffic, the lights only dipping once at a practical standstill.

TBH I am not sure if the camera unit as part of the lane assist package (that as a consequence of its mounting sits flush on the windscreen) is perhaps a little more capable than the rear view mirror mounted one as fitted to the Elegance as standard or if it works equally well with either?

Edited 5 February, 201511 yr by pipsyp

I am giving high beam assist another chance at the moment.

The problem I have with it is its varying reaction times....its noticeably worse on very bendy/undulating roads where its blinded the hell out of people for a number of seconds before catching the appropriate amount of light source (whereas I am trying in vain not to pull the stalk to cancel them but goes against my better judgement).

TBH I am not sure if the camera unit as part of the lane assist package (that as a consequence of its mounting sits flush on the windscreen) is perhaps a little more capable than the rear view mirror mounted one as fitted to the Elegance as standard or if it works equally well with either?

 

I didn't know there were 2 implementations. I thought all HBA equipped models had a camera on the screen (same one used to read road signs/do lane assist as you say)...?

 

If there is a RVM mount option it can only be a light dependant resistor or far less sensitive camera, so would be FAR less capable than the camera which definitely is sensitive to red/white spots of light - I can drive at green traffic lights/under most yellow/orange street lamps and the HB stays on.

 

Edit: found this thread -             #10            

I didn't know there were 2 implementations. I thought all HBA equipped models had a camera on the screen (same one used to read road signs/do lane assist as you say)...?

If there is a RVM mount option it can only be a light dependant resistor, so would be FAR less capable than the camera which definitely is sensitive to red/white spots of light - I can drive at green traffic lights/under most yellow/orange street lamps and the HB stays on.

Yes indeed there are two but its definitely some form of camera in the rear view mirror, inside the unit there definitely appears to be some form of lens. Whilst it likely uses the same mounting as some earlier HBA VAG implementations I suspect the tech housed in there is different

I didn't know there were 2 implementations. I thought all HBA equipped models had a camera on the screen (same one used to read road signs/do lane assist as you say)...?

If there is a RVM mount option it can only be a light dependant resistor or far less sensitive camera, so would be FAR less capable than the camera which definitely is sensitive to red/white spots of light - I can drive at green traffic lights/under most yellow/orange street lamps and the HB stays on.

Edit: found this thread - #10

Yep they are the two mirrors. The HBA only version I am sure has some form of camera but can only operate HBA, it cant do anything else but I suspect that is more likely down to the lack of an appropriatw controller than anything and not a weakness of the actual camera unit.

Hmmm. I do not collect my Elegance with HBA until March 1st so cannot check its HBA operation until then. I do not want to blind other road users if the systems reaction times are too slow.

 

If you find it does blind others can you disable the function within the cars infotainment - or whatever they call it - and just have  auto on lights along with DRL and then control High/Low beam via the stalk as you would normally?

 

HBA sounds great on paper but maybe not so in practice........ :think:

Hmmm. I do not collect my Elegance with HBA until March 1st so cannot check its HBA operation until then. I do not want to blind other road users if the systems reaction times are too slow.

If you find it does blind others can you disable the function within the cars infotainment - or whatever they call it - and just have auto on lights along with DRL and then control High/Low beam via the stalk as you would normally?

HBA sounds great on paper but maybe not so in practice........ :think:

Yes you can disable it in the infotainment, effectively then getting regular high beam control.

You can do the same with the rain sensor too which is nice....not sure why but the auto wiping in mine does have a bit of a mind of its own too often wiping the screen dry for periods even when it stopped raining or just not kicking on soon enough when it does rain...and thats on maximum sensitivity.

Mine normally dips just before an oncoming car comes into view when I'm on a twisty road. Some times I just catch a glimpse of the other car then it dips

I agree with the originator.

 

Had my Vrs for 4 months now and done 7,000+ miles. i did buy VCDS so I could have a fiddle and set it up the way i wanted but here's my view o nthe various gadgets

High beam assist - Possibly useful for those that are not fully concentrating on their driving. I can react quicker to turn on/off.

Lane assit - Now permanently off as I find it corrects too much and it just makes me nervous. i might use it if landing at Heathrow late at night after a days work..Could be good for that.

Dipping near side mirror - useful but not a must have.

Trafic sign - Good

Cruise - My old Ford would cancel if i tapped the clutch..With this one i have to touch the brake which could be dangerous for cars behind or flick the switch. Not as good as the Ford.

Haldex traction thing....This seems totally useless. But then my fun car is an old Scoob where you don't have to consider traction in any sutuation !

 

My main gripe is still with the steering. No idea what the fuss is about with dual rate or whatever..Shame they didn't spend that money on giving it some feel/feedback. Still nervous to push on as i have no idea if impending loss of grip would be felt!

 

Overall, this is way better than the 320d touring I had before. Love the throttle response...

Cruise - My old Ford would cancel if i tapped the clutch..With this one i have to touch the brake which could be dangerous for cars behind or flick the switch. Not as good as the Ford.

I guess they can't please everyone. I don't mind this and actually think it's useful and inevitable:

Using ACC on a manual the system wouldn't work if it switched off cruise control when pressing the clutch as you wouldn't be able to shift down to get back up to speed.

This already bugs me a bit on the A3, since resuming a previous cruise speed setting won't work if you have to shift gears in between. On my DSG Scirocco I also need to deactivate cruise by pressing the brake pedal or flick the switch.

You just have to accept the fact you are going to dazzle oncoming traffic for half a second as they round the corner. I find on a long straight it is the worse case as it takes ages for them to dip, as the oncoming car/car you are catching gets closer gradually increasing the brightness of their head/tail lights, as there is no sudden increase in white/red light which is what the camera looks for.

 

It usually doesn't even do that. It stays on most of the time. Even if it did take a second or even 1/2 a second, that's dangerous on 60 MPH Pennine roads, the drops are quite substantial to say the least. I turn the high beam off before the cars coming the other way are even at the bend. I don't want to kill someone by blinding them and causing them to drive into some ravine.

It usually doesn't even do that. It stays on most of the time. Even if it did take a second or even 1/2 a second, that's dangerous on 60 MPH Pennine roads, the drops are quite substantial to say the least. I turn the high beam off before the cars coming the other way are even at the bend. I don't want to kill someone by blinding them and causing them to drive into some ravine.

Sounds like its not working properly, mine dips before I can see the headlights of the oncoming car (the lamps themselves not the light cast by them)

Same here, I have just driven over Woodhead Pass and they dipped before I could see the headlights of the oncoming cars at bends, the cone of light was sufficient to trigger it to turn off.

Then again I have adjusted the lux levels on mine with VCDS

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Mine only dips as the light come into view, but seriously fast. I often predip manually if I can see them coming from the light cast around the corner tho.

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Sounds like its not working properly, mine dips before I can see the headlights of the oncoming car (the lamps themselves not the light cast by them)

Same on two different cars over 33,000 miles. Tried on both Snake and Woodhead passes. Even got to the point of an oncoming car having come round the bend, and on the straight 300 yards or so and it still never dipped the beam. It only works reliably on motorways and straight roads like the A50/500. No longer used as found it to be dangerous to other road users.

Strange as it works perfectly on mine

Trouble with all this automated stuff is you can forget you don't have it if you get to drive some other car. e.g. When I first had reverse beeping I liked it a lot but had to remind myself it wasn't on various rental cars I had on holiday. Same with auto dipping - if you get very used to it, it is possible to forget to dip manually if driving some other car!