ASG Citigo help please!

[Moog]

Hello all,

I'm at my wit's end with my beloved 14 plate Elegance, or rather with the gearbox and the local Skoda garage!

 

I bought the car 2nd hand from a different Skoda dealership in July 15. I need an automatic as I use hand controls because of a problem with my knees.

 

Apart from the known clunkiness & occasional indecisive gear selection quirks, it's been a great car in town and on my commute up and down the M1.

But over the last 3 months it has broken down on 3 separate occasions, not starting and displaying either orange or red auto transmission warning lights. 

The first time the AA got it started via the engine but it wouldn't recognise the gearbox, so we were relayed home (from Cornwall!!). When the auto transmission specialist garage came to collect it a few days later it started and drove with no problems...they checked it, reset it & couldn't find an issue.

 

When it did the same a few weeks later it went to the local Skoda garage. I was told by a guy on the phone that it sounded like 2 separate issues, gearbox and ignition, and that the Citigo auto gearbox had so many problems that Skoda weren't using it anymore..??

A week later they had updated the transmission software & told me there were no other issues. And no one seemed to know who the guy was I had originally spoke to...

 

Two days ago it wouldn't start again, red auto transmission warning light on, in Wales this time.

It started again half an hour later, orange warning light on for a time, then engine warning light.

It's just been dropped back at local Skoda garage, they'll look at it tomorrow.

 

I'm at my wits end with it. I don't trust the gearbox anymore, and not sure if I'm being blagged by the Skoda garage. 

 

Does anybody know anything about this problem??

 

Thanks folks

 

[KenONeill]

@Moog - I have no actual experience of this engine+gearbox combination, but your fault description makes me think of a faulty inhibitor switch (the one that stops you starting the engine except in N or P).

[Moog]

Thanks @KenONeill, I will ask about that when I go in to the garage tomorrow.

 

I've just picked up a cheery answerphone message from the garage saying they've found the fault and the control unit needs replacing...and that's before anyone has spoken to me about what happened this time, so I guess they're going by what the computer has said.

 

Does anyone know, if the (paid for) software update needed after the last breakdown would that have been for the same control unit?

I will of course be asking all this tomorrow, but as a complete lay person I feel I need as much info and understanding as possible to fight my corner and get the issues sorted for good!

 

 

[Ootohere]

Which Qualified fitter of Hand Controls fitted your hand controls and what have they said about their installation?

 

Not relevant to your issue, but i bought a not that old Ford Transit Durashift with Hand Controls fitted that the owner of it had spent thousands on diagnosis and repairs and parts because the van failed to start, went into limp mode etc.

The van had been a demonstrator and should have been withdrawn and scrapped as it turned out as those Durashift were faulty anyway, 

but she had got from the dealer early and had the side  windows fitted and hand controls.

 

Long enough story short, i bought the faulty van cheap.  Fault was the Hand Control was trailing the brake sometimes, the brake light was blowing and the Durashift went into Limp mode, then when you stopped the Gearbox inhibited restarting.

 

It was years later i discovered Ford had scrapped the Demonstrators with these early Durashift boxes.

That was after it kept going wrong and i paid over £2,000 for a new Actuator for the Durashift.

Sold the van as faulty, and the buyer got a new gearbox from Ford, fitted it and it is still going strong about 8 years on from me getting shot of it.

Edited 20 September, 2018 by Offski

[Moog]

Hand controls fitted by Des Gosling, v good company. This is the fourth car I've had with hand controls and they've never caused a problem....apart from confusing one poor garage who spent hours trying to work out why an indicator wouldn't switch off during it's MOT, until I pointed out the separate switch on the hand controls...

[Moog]

Now being told it's fault code P060C and need the physical adjustor replaced, £182+vat for part, plus £460 labour.

I can't afford this.

I've already paid out £130ish for the software upgrade.

This car is 4 years old. How can it be said to have been sold fit for purpose??

[Tech1e]

Does the car have a full dealer service history?

[Moog]

No. I wasn't happy with the dealership service I had whilst the car was still under warranty so went back to my trusted local garage. It is now a couple of months overdue a service but I haven't been able to afford it because of paying out for two previous breakdowns. 

It's whatever houses the micro switches that needs replacing... sorry I have very limited understanding of a car's engine & electronics.

[jst_at_home]

I'm coming to this late and wonder how Moog got on.

 

We have a 2015 Citigo SE with the ASG (we also have an Octavia).  

 

On Wednesday my wife arrived home with our Citigo and fond that when she was going into reverse to back in tour driveway the car would not move.  The she discovered it wouldn't move forward either.  I had a look and found that although you appeared to be able to select a gear (according to the dash display) there was no drive.  I switched the engine off hoping for a control-alt-delete moment.  It wound't start and the orange gearbox light had come on.

 

So we called for recovery.

 

Recovery man duly arrived.  He said "I'll try to and start the engine".  It did and the orange gearbox light had gone out.  Then he said "I'll see if it will drive".  It did.  Then he drove it up onto the loading ramp of his recovery truck and took it to the local Skoda dealers.

 

At the dealers, they drove it into the garage, no problem.

 

They told me it needed a software upgrade and if that didn't solve the problem it may be a new clutch at about £900!  We had the software at £120.

 

We got the car back yesterday afternoon.

 

This morning this is what happened.

 

WE had returned the hire car we'd borrowed thinking the Citigo was going to be at the dealers for a few days.  On the way home, we seem to have lost engine pick up in second gear.  Then everything came back to normal.  Then about 3 miles further on, the orange gearbox light flashed and I realised that the gearbox was missing out 2nd gear either up or down, manual or automatic.  And the orange light stayed on.  We got home.  

 

After about 5 minutes, I went to the car, it started and the gearbox light was off.  I drove up and down the road with all gear-changes, manual and automatic being correct.

 

I hate intermittent faults!

 

Anyone else had anything like this?

 

John

 

PS and like Moog, I'm not entirely happy with our dealer.  It's the little things, like measuring the tread depth and coming up with the same depth on each tyre - they aren't.  And saying that the "Pressure Canister" was OK.  I asked "what's the Pressure Canister?".  They said, it's the thing for inflating the tyre if you have a puncture.  I said, "I don't have one, the car has a spare wheel".  They had no answer!

[jst_at_home]

Later that day, our Citigo lost all drive again and this time the engine management warning light came on.  

 

Result: a bill for £1,150 for a new clutch, flywheel and associated bits and pieces.

 

So far (fingers crossed) everything seems OK.

 

John

[Ootohere]

@jst_at_home

Were you never told about this 'software update' your cars ASG / ECU required until the car went wrong?

 

Was Skoda UK asked to contribute to the repair cost considering that they knew of issues since there was 'a software update' available.

 

The Manufacturers Warranty might have expired but Premature failure at 4 year old or less does not allow them to say 'tough luck'.

Not when they know there can be potential issues, which they do know. Seemingly there was a Software Update available according to the Dealership you went to.

If they did no Service Campaign or Recall Actions, but there was a TPI then 'known issue'.

http://skoda-auto.com/services/recall-actions

 

 

Edited 27 May, 2019 by Skoffski

[jst_at_home]

Many thanks Skoffski. 

 

No, no mention of the software upgrade.

 

Full story:

 

We bought the car from the dealer at 2 years 11 months old.  The car came with a 12 month Skoda Used Car Warranty.

 

The previous owner had not got a  complete dealer service record - last service done at local independent garage.  We made the decision that my son would service the car (he's a time served Heavy Vehicle Engineer and Electrician - buses).  The car has actually been serviced more than the Skoda requirement.

 

When the car went in the first time I got a call that went something like "we plugged the car into our diagnostics and it says it needs a software update".  In fact they sent me a text message with a link to "Your Vehicle Health Check".  The health check says "software update required for gearbox.  If loss of drive continues after update, inspection of clutch will be required".

 

I argued about the £120 software cost and they told me that if the car had been into them for a service the software would have been updated free of charge which didn't make me feel any better!  

 

The day after it happened again but worse.  I went into the dealer with the recovery agent and spoke to the Service Manager.  Eventually he came to the view that I had put forward that even if the car had been to them for a service, they would not have looked at anything to do with the gearbox and he sad he would contact Skoda.

 

The total bill was more than a surprise but what can you do?

 

My next step, having determined that the car seems OK was to contact Skoda.  The dealer told me that they had asked for a goodwill contribution which had been tuned down but I wasn't confident.

 

Forgive me if this is a daft question but what is a TPI as in "...there was a TPI then 'known issue'"

 

John

[Ootohere]

'Technical Product Information'.  Which there must have been, or them saying there was a 'Service Campaign' which only those using Main Dealerships / VW Group network for servicing will be told about.

http://skoda-auto.com/services/recall-actions

 

I would be contacting Skoda UK Customer Services to see if it is just a Software Update for those and such as those, and stuff those that use the Free Market that owners can by EU rules, not being required to be tied to Main Dealerships. 

http://skoda.co.uk/about-us/contact-us

Ask if the Dealership did discuss 'Goodwill' with Skoda UK.

[jst_at_home]

Many tanks for that.  I have just e-mailed Skoda Customer Services attaching scans of the invoices and the Health Check report stating that a gearbox software update was required.  In fact the mechanic has recorded the following comment on the software invoice:

 

"Plugged onto diagnostic machine.  Fault logged with Gearbox.  Asking for software update 1st.  If this doesn't work would require Gearbox removal for Clutch inspection.  Carried out software update.  Car seems to drive OK".

 

I'll update in due course!

 

John

[Lucky_Luke]

Hi,

 

I've had the same problem. The car just "cloncks" while driving and it falls out of gear. I have to stop the engine, and after a while, I can restart it. Then I can drive for days without problems, only to have it fall out of gear 2-3 times on a single day. Some times the orange gear warning light pops up, sometimes it doesn't.

Was at the dealership and they replaced the control unit for the gearbox, without charge as it was a Skoda "recall". Thought the problem was over, but a few days later it happened again. It is very annoying. I will take it back to the dealer, and se if they can fix it properly. 
 

On 21/09/2018 at 12:16, Moog said:

"--- P060C and need the physical adjustor replaced..."

 

[Johnspiderwebb]

Hi Did you ever get to the real reason for this problem. Our 2014 citigo started doing exactly as you describe about a month ago.  First visit to the garage they updated the software. It went wrong again. They redid the software saying it did not write correctly the first time. It lasted 20 minutes and broke down again and we had to call the AA to get it back to the garage.  They then said the battery was defective which was affecting the writing of the software. It was replaced and I collected the car today.  It lasted 45 minutes then the red gearbox light was on again although it was driving normally.  Couple of hours later started the engine and the red light has gone out and drives ok.  Clearly it’s still not fixed.  Did you get a permanent fix eventually?  Thanks John