All I can say is that SKODA state it is not possible due to legislation.

I would like box back - but it is no.

In fact they also state it will will firm & final position.

Edited 16 March, 20197 yr by Sargan

22 minutes ago, westie38 said:

It makes interesting reading though (pages 239 & 240 of the Tarraco users manual). At least it tells you what it does, and why it does it. It'd be interesting to know if SEAT use a modified (legal) Mobile Signal Amplifier, and if so, why not let Simply Don't Give A Witches T*t About It's Customers SKODA know about it? 

 

 

The SKODA manual also details what it is and what it does - just they removed it.

Still in manual and still in the brochure (at least last time I looked)

23 hours ago, silver1011 said:

You should have asked them to make a quick call to the SEAT office next door. They seem to have overcome the 'legislation issues' by offering wireless charging on the Tarraco...

 

Equally possible the Tarroco is using the same part that was in the Kodiaq and they are about to have to recall and remove. Who says the legal teams talk... The technical teams clearly don't!

The difference being the Tarraco was launchd well after the issues surfaced on the Kodiaq.

 

SEAT will have known their legal standing prior to launch, and still promote the 'Mobile Signal Amplifier'.

 

Skoda screwed up, they know it, and appear to have little desire to rectify it.

2 minutes ago, silver1011 said:

The difference being the Tarraco was launchd well after the issues surfaced on the Kodiaq.

 

SEAT will have known their legal standing prior to launch, and still promote the 'Mobile Signal Amplifier'.

 

Skoda screwed up, they know it, and appear to have little desire to rectify it.

Launched yes.... Designed and parts identified would have been done quite some time back!

Yes, they've launched a brand new car with it, so it's approved!

 

Seeing the pain Skoda are going through they wouldn't include it if it wasn't legal. The final Tarraco specs were only revealed when the car was launched, barely 2 months ago.

 

The difference here is that SEAT did it properly, Skoda didn't.

 

 

5 hours ago, silver1011 said:

Yes, they've launched a brand new car with it, so it's approved!

 

Errrrr, no! Think of the emissions scandal. Just because they are presenting something as compliant doesn't mean it is!

1 minute ago, TumnusCat said:

 

Errrrr, no! Think of the emissions scandal. Just because they are presenting something as compliant doesn't mean it is!

 

When Skoda removed the signal booster functionality, it wasn't just a Skoda thing. It was a VAG wide thing - Audi and VW also removed the functionality from their cars too. So it would be pretty odd if SEAT had missed that particular memo.

7 hours ago, TumnusCat said:

 

Errrrr, no! Think of the emissions scandal. Just because they are presenting something as compliant doesn't mean it is!

 

It reads like you have a bit of a beef with Skoda.

 

Whilst it's quite common for different arms of the same organisation to not talk to each other, it's highly unlikely SEAT would launch their latest flagship vehicle whilst promoting a feature that was only recently removed from it's sister brand.

 

Just consider the fact that SEAT (or VAG) learnt from the mistakes made at Skoda last year and were able to sort the compliance side of the mobile signal amplifier out prior to launching the Tarraco.

 

However, nothing VAG do surprises me anymore, hence my original post, why don't you ask Skoda how SEAT have managed to do it.

On 16/03/2019 at 12:39, silver1011 said:

 

I know that, but SEAT are offering wireless charging AND the signal booster, see my post above.

 

Just like Skoda set out to do, but messed up.

 

SEAT don't seem to have any problems with making it available.

 

So Skoda's excuse seems to be just that, an excuse, hence my post about asking Skoda how SEAT have managed it.

 

Seat have the wireless signal booster in the manual, but doesn’t mean it is fitted to UK spec cars.   Not hard to find other features not available in UK that appear in the manual.  The manuals seem to be standard across Europe (with just the text translated), same diagrams and contents

 

The wireless charger seems to be standard, my Arona came with one

16 hours ago, silver1011 said:

Just consider the fact that SEAT (or VAG) learnt from the mistakes made at Skoda last year and were able to sort the compliance side of the mobile signal amplifier out prior to launching the Tarraco.

Although they haven't sorted them as many Skoda's had the feature removed and not reinstated. If they now have a compliant part they'd be able to sort out those cars which had the issue!

On 15/03/2019 at 22:42, TumnusCat said:

Without wishing to be blunt... How much is the goodwill gesture offered?

I'd still be interested in the goodwill gesture offered. PM if preferred!

I do wish to post the value ... so far it is an offer, waiting to be received.

25 minutes ago, TumnusCat said:

Although they haven't sorted them as many Skoda's had the feature removed and not reinstated. If they now have a compliant part they'd be able to sort out those cars which had the issue!

 

 

One would assume the Amplifier would be a part shared across VAG group ..... therefore if it was resolved, Inwould have expected replacement would have been offered.

No manufacturer likes giving money back.

11 hours ago, TumnusCat said:

Although they haven't sorted them as many Skoda's had the feature removed and not reinstated. If they now have a compliant part they'd be able to sort out those cars which had the issue!

 

Except it is rarely as simple as that. Take a look at the recent WLTP situation that continues to hurt VAG, even now. Any change to the specification of a vehicle can have a wide reaching influence. Getting an identical component approved for one model (let alone manufacturer), doesn't mean it is ready or approved for use in the next model.

 

I'd imagine the signal booster approval is way down Skoda's list of priorities. Take the partial refund / goodwill gesture and forget about it would be my advice.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone actually checked to see if the Signal Booster actually makes a difference, ie made a side by side comparison between a vehicle with it fitted, to one without, same phone, same route or location?

Us it possible to install the phone box if it doesn't come with the car

On 19/03/2019 at 15:27, Fin69 said:

Just out of curiosity, has anyone actually checked to see if the Signal Booster actually makes a difference, ie made a side by side comparison between a vehicle with it fitted, to one without, same phone, same route or location?

 

Yes... I was lucky enough to receive my Kodiaq a couple of weeks before this all blew up, so I have the signal booster and wireless charging. Haven't compared it to a different car, but have compared it to the phone signal when in the 'phone box' and not... and can conclude that it does indeed boost the signal quite significantly if you believe the number of bars being shown on your phone means anything. I have no way of conducting testing of a more scientific nature.

15 minutes ago, WiggosSideburns said:

 

Yes... I was lucky enough to receive my Kodiaq a couple of weeks before this all blew up, so I have the signal booster and wireless charging. Haven't compared it to a different car, but have compared it to the phone signal when in the 'phone box' and not... and can conclude that it does indeed boost the signal quite significantly if you believe the number of bars being shown on your phone means anything. I have no way of conducting testing of a more scientific nature.

Just wondering.... Has it been back for a service as yet? Wondering if the signal amplifier will get removed when it goes back to a dealer?

Just now, TumnusCat said:

Just wondering.... Has it been back for a service as yet? Wondering if the signal amplifier will get removed when it goes back to a dealer?

 

 

Nope. Just over a year and 12k miles old, so first service won't be until laster this year.

 

But if they had been forced to remove all existing installations, then they would have had to recall all the cars to do so (and not just Kodiaqs). As far as I am aware, no such recall has been issued. And I'm pretty sure there are those with Kodiaqs older than mine that must have had them serviced by now, without having bits ripped out of them...

 

10 minutes ago, WiggosSideburns said:

And I'm pretty sure there are those with Kodiaqs older than mine that must have had them serviced by now, without having bits ripped out of them...

or at least, they aren't aware of bits being ripped out of them. Mine was one of those which was held from registration and the signal booster removed before the car was released. You wouldn't know anything had been done to it.

 

And possibly no need to recall as all affected cars are still within warranty so will be back with a dealer at some point. Most had free servicing too so even more likely they'll be back in the dealer network!

20 hours ago, WiggosSideburns said:

 

Yes... I was lucky enough to receive my Kodiaq a couple of weeks before this all blew up, so I have the signal booster and wireless charging. Haven't compared it to a different car, but have compared it to the phone signal when in the 'phone box' and not... and can conclude that it does indeed boost the signal quite significantly if you believe the number of bars being shown on your phone means anything. I have no way of conducting testing of a more scientific nature.

Apparently the bars are not a reliable indicator of signal strength. They used to be when I first owned mobiles in the mid 90's, but it now appears they are just for show;

 

https://metro.co.uk/2015/04/20/this-is-what-the-signal-bars-on-your-smartphone-really-mean-5157895/

 

I only asked about the effectiveness of the Signal Booster, as I mm aware there can be discrepancies between the actual phones. My wife and I are both with the same network, have similar specced phones of around the same age. The only real difference is one is by the Geordie mobile phone manufacturer ( Howay) and the other is by Samsung, and yet either one can experience call quality issues, whilst the other is booming ZBZ5's all day long. 

 

 

1 minute ago, Fin69 said:

Apparently the bars are not a reliable indicator of signal strength

 

This is exactly why I said what I did in the way that I said it. I have no way of conducting tests that are more scientific. However, the same phone in the same car at the same location consistently shows more bars when it is in the 'phone box' than it does when it isn't. Make of that what you will, but I would suggest it shows that the 'phone box' is doing something! I choose to believe it is boosting the phone signal by using the aerial on the roof as is claimed... others may not.