Evening all,

 

I've just picked up a 65 plate Octy estate 2.0TDI and there is one service due next year inside the 3 year warranty.

I'd like to use my much trusted independent local garage for the service but he can't access the Skoda network to register the work.

The skoda agents are some distance away from me living in the sticks, whereas my local is within easy walking distance

Has anyone made a successful warranty claim and yet used independent servicing or is it just too risky?

 

TIA

 

Bob

Is it really such a long distance from Romsey to Winchester that you couldn't have the service done there if they give you a loan car? 

I had not considered that a free courtesy car would be provided. Is this normally included in the service price?

This is only my second car purchased young enough to have a warranty. in 45 years of motoring I have always done my own servicing and hence not used to main agent procedures.

 

Bob

I think it's common place that main dealers will try their best to arrange a hire car.

The posts I've seen on here, 9/10 people are given equivalent spec vehicles when their car is with skoda for whatever reason.

I imagine it'd be down to you asking when you book it in for a service.

Or a lot offer a free collection and return. Or you could wait fot it. A lot of services are done in an hour.

Worth the effort if your keeping the car out of warranty. Remember even after warranty, if you service with Skoda they consider goodwill payments towards large component failure.

Edited 25 November, 20169 yr by glosrich

I had not considered that a free courtesy car would be provided. Is this normally included in the service price?

This is only my second car purchased young enough to have a warranty. in 45 years of motoring I have always done my own servicing and hence not used to main agent procedures.

 

Bob

 

I've used Winchester Skoda for a good few Years and always found them pretty good. If you give them enough notice you can generally get  whatever courtesy car they have available at the time. Personally, I've never got an equivalent spec car (usually a basic Fabia or a Yeti), but I'm not that bothered in what I get and I've never specifically asked for a certain courtesy vehicle. There is usually a small charge for using a courtesy car (some kind of waiver fee for insurance) but I've never actually paid it as the Servicing guy has always waived it when I picked up my car. Replacement fuel is the only thing I've had to spend on a courtesy car.

Thanks for the endorsement of Winchester Skoda. They are my nearest agent, closer than Meadens where I bought the car.

 

I should be able to give them plenty of notice and can be flexible as I'm retired now.

 

Bob

I had not considered that a free courtesy car would be provided. Is this normally included in the service price?

I had my first service done on Tuesday and asked for a courtesy car - I was given a 66 reg Fabia estate which had only done 1200 miles and the only additional cost was the petrol I used (which because I did so few miles and the gauge hadn't moved was zero).

Thanks Petrol Dave. Which garage did you use? I see you are not far from me so looking for reputable servicing agents.

 

TIA

 

Bob

Thanks Petrol Dave. Which garage did you use? I see you are not far from me so looking for reputable servicing agents.

I used Sparshatts of Botley, for the first & last time so I recommend that you DON'T go to them!

 

They tried to tell me that my wiper blades needed replacing as they were juddering (they don't), and they also tried to tell me that the bugs I've seen with my Amundsen sat nav didn't happen (as there are no fault codes logged) and that the latest firmware for my Amundsen sat nav is 0475 - it's not it's 0490 which I installed myself on Wednesday.

 

My opinion of Sparshatts of Botley is the same as PetrolDave's. I have also heard good things about Meadens (My Dad and his Wife have both used them - my Dad would rather use Meadens for Servicing, given the choice, however Winchester is more convenient)

Noted - will think of them as Spar****ts from now on!

 

Hijacking my own thread...

 

I managed to update my maps yesterday to

5L0051236P

0730  <<< what does this mean 30th July maybe?

ECE1 2017

 

The new maps have one improvement for post code entry in that a space between the two parts is not longer needed.

 

But so far I have not been able to bring up a screen about the firmware version on my Amundsen sat nav

How do I get to that screen please?

 

Historically I'm an avid tomtom user so still getting to grips with Amundsen - possibly as good just different.

I've created huge hotel database files for my TT and not sure how to port these into Amundsen. There certainly is not much spare space on the SD card even if I could talk to it.

 

Bob

Oh dear the pro-fan-ny filter has kicked in. I meant to show Sparsh1tts!

My opinion of Sparshatts of Botley is the same as PetrolDave's. I have also heard good things about Meadens (My Dad and his Wife have both used them - my Dad would rather use Meadens for Servicing, given the choice, however Winchester is more convenient)

Meadens is in chaos right now as they are having a lot of building work done. Maybe the workshops at Sway are functioning but long term they said (can you trust a car sales person??) that Sway branch will move to Brockenhurst into the new building.

My independent guy lets me into the workshop as they are working on my vehicles and we discuss issues and ways of doing things  and he give me options on what they do and don't do. As a result I trust him completely. I just cant see I'd ever build that relationship and access level with a main dealer.

 

Bob

But so far I have not been able to bring up a screen about the firmware version on my Amundsen sat nav

How do I get to that screen please?

I've created huge hotel database files for my TT and not sure how to port these into Amundsen. There certainly is not much spare space on the SD card even if I could talk to it.

There are several different ways to get the firmware version displayed, the easiest is to press and hold the MENU button for around 5 seconds.

 

You need to create a vCard for each location and put them all onto a different SD card which you put into the SD1 slot (the Skoda map SD card must be in the SD2 slot), then you can import them via an option on the Nav Setup screen - but I'm not sure you can import as many as you appear to have. It's worth checking how many of them already exist in the maps first.

Having been stung for £500 in the past for a car park dent from an anonymous driver I only take a courtesy car now if I am satisfied with the insurance arrangements.

 

If it is a large excess payable to the servicing dealership I never take it - almost impossible to get it back even if you are not at fault.

Pressing Menu for about 2 seconds gives me

 

 

Waiting a further 5 does not offer anything different.

 

Selecting the first option gives

 

 

 

and the second option gives a longer list the top of which looks like this

 

 

Maybe my top level system software is different from yours?

 

Bob

I have a MIB1 Amundsen (which is why my SW Train Version begins MSTD_EU_SK...), but you have the newer MIB2 Amundsen (which is why your SW Train Version begins MST2_EU_SK...).

Edited 26 November, 20169 yr by PetrolDave

Thanks Dave,

 

I will have to start writing down this sort of info on which variant of what that I have.

 

Your help is much appreciated.

 

With regard to POI data bases, I do have hundreds maybe even over a thousand. These are mainly low cost motels we use when touring abroad. We also take the tomtom into the hotel in order to plot the route for the next day and set up interesting places and possible picnic spots to visit as waypoints. I suspect it will be a damn sight easier to use TT for that purpose when we are on holiday instead of fighting to load them into Amundsen. I would also have to convert the composite .OV2 files to individual VCards. Not trying to be defeatist more like realistic. I have free TT map updates for life so that won't be a consideration either.

 

Bob