Hi folks.  I have had 4 Skoda Yetis over the years but my latest which is a 2012 2.0 diesel FWD seems to have developed an electrical problem which has baffled my local garage (not Skoda).

The oilcan symbol/light appears on start up along with the word 'Garage'.  I had my local garage plug what seemed to be a top of the range meter into the OBD port and the gentleman who was operating it showed me that there was nothing wrong with the oil as far as he could tell.  The light goes out for most of the journeys and occasionally flashes up.  Oil level is fine.  The vehicle is losing no oil.  This is where it gets interesting!  About the same time (might have actually been THE same time) my reversing sensors stopped working (no display or audio when selecting reverse) and also the reverse lights not working when reverse selected (both bulbs are OK).  And also the aircon which is usually very cold, suddenly stopped giving me cold air (this one may be non-connected but it is unusual for it to go from very cold to no cold air at all).  I understand there is a sensor on the gear box for the reverse lights, etc., and could it be that the oil sensor is also on the gearbox?  Unusual for two sensors to go at the same time surely?  Has anyone had a similar problem please and can anyone point me in the direction of the problem.  I have checked all the fuses in the internal passenger compartment and as far as I can tell all the fuses are OK in the engine compartment.  Not sure what the little black box things are, solenoids? . . I realise I may have to put into a Skoda garage or electrical specialist but just wondered if there was a simple answer to this.

Feels like there should have been a fault code stored 😕

 

The oil temperature/level and oil pressure sensors will be on the engine and likely unrelated to the reverse switch on the gearbox.

 

Is the battery original? Failing batteries can cause some strange issues. Where in the world are you? A local member with VCDS might be able to find some clues...

You have all the answers in the Owner's Manual (which as a 4 times Yeti owner should have been read it by now). See Engine Oil Level.

The reverse light and the A/C issues are not related and need to be addressed separately.

By the way, I don't see anything strange, other than your local garage being baffled while having a " top of the range meter " which probably is an OBD II scanner that might not catch VAG cars related specific errors.

Edited 4 October, 20196 yr by RicardoM

@Skodaman58 We had similar on my wife’s 2014 1.2 Tsi Yeti, they are related, it was the environmental sensor on the bulkhead burnt out and took the fuse for the oil sensor (garage and oil can warning) reversing lights, sensors and camera and I’m pretty certain the cooling part of the air con. 
 

Baffled Skoda for many days, I found the same issue googling online for a smaller Audi, so they were very surprised I knew what it was when I went to pick the car up after they had spent many days scratching their heads and speaking to SUK.

 

Sorry I can’t remember which fuse it was (on passenger side) but you say you’ve checked them already, the items you mention are all off the same fuse, that is the starting point.

Someone on here with better knowledge may be able to identify it for you. My best guess looking at the manual was fuse 33, but I’m not sure as the climatronic was still lit up.

 

The fuse was definitely blowing, it sounds like yours is intermittent, perhaps a bad connection in the fuse box? I remember someone mentioning something like that before. I would of thought a bad sensor would of took the fuse out depending on how it failed.

 

I wish you the best of luck in tracking it down, and hope the above helps you get it sorted or at least gives you some hope. Let us know how you get on.

 

Here’s a similar Audi one for someone who had an A/C issue. https://www.audi-sport.net/xf/threads/three-problems-at-once-oil-sensor-aircon-parking-sensors.239167/

Edited 5 October, 20196 yr by Greenliner1
Added link

Check oil pressure switch and oil quality, quantity sensor. 

Parking sensors and reverse lights are related as they share the same power and ground. 

Check if they are getting power and if there is proper grounding. 

The ac most likely is deliberately turned off by ecu to protect the engine as there is some kind of oil fautl registered in memory. 

Just my 2 cents

 

Hi folks - thanks very much for the responses you have helped me to narrow down what is happening here.  It is very helpful indeed.  RicardoM - I do need to ask that you mature though as your response was uneccesary!  Obviously I have checked the owner’s manual and if you do that you will see that you get the generic response to a number of warning lights which is ‘Go and see a garage’.  If human beings had sensors your sarcasm one would have blown!

Greenliner1 - Could you help me in locating the environmental sensor in the bulkhead please?  Is it easy to locate?  What is the bulkhead?

Langers2k - Thanks for the suggestion regarding failing battery.  My brother was up recently and he had a charger which we put on the battery and it was showing bottom bar in the charging window!  When we put the charger on later in the day again it was on the bottom bar.  So in the first instance I will take car into battery place on Monday and ask them to check it’s condition and may just replace it.  If that doesn’t solve problem then it seems this sensor in bulkhead needs to be checked next.

I will keep you informed and let you know what the results are!

Low battery voltage will trigger the low oil level sensor, although it won't when the engine is running

@Skodaman58 My wife’s Yeti was fortunately under extended warranty so I didn’t get too involved, my understanding was that it was the sensor that goes to the climatronic, it was to the best of my knowledge on the outside of the bulkhead below the windscreen, I presume where the air intake for the climatronic is.

 

In our case the unit failed giving an alarming burning smell in the car, followed by the failures and the blown fuse.

 

Have the reversing lights / sounder failed permanently? If so I’d trace the circuit for that as they’re all related,  if it’s intermittent you’ll have a bit of sleuthing to do.

 

A circuit diagram would be of great use to you, failing that a good auto electrician or a good dealership with hopefully someone who knows what they’re doing.

 

Good luck

 

 

Edited 6 October, 20196 yr by Greenliner1
Typo

3 hours ago, Skodaman58 said:

Greenliner1 - Could you help me in locating the environmental sensor in the bulkhead please?  Is it easy to locate?  What is the bulkhead?

Bulkhead is between engine and passenger compartments.
The little bump on top of dash in front of cubby is a sensor that measures how much heat/sunshine is coming into car so the climate control can be prepared to cool the car as necessary.

This is a VW webpage describing the G238 sensor, https://www.my-gti.com/1267/climatronic-air-quality-sensor-operation-and-location

 

I’m not sure if it’s the same in the Yeti

Also found this 

I’m not saying this is causing your issue but I believe it’s on the same supply as the other items.

Edited 6 October, 20196 yr by Greenliner1

Hi Folks - many thanks for responses to date.  I will keep the forum updated on the outcome.  So far I have received car back from well reputed electrical garage in Inverness that deals with VW, Audi and they said that so many faults showing that I should take to Skoda dealer.  They didn't charge me and I asked for a list of the fault printout which they gave me.  The fault codes are:-

 

9481748 - High Pressure Sensor

9479189 - Signal for Air Quality Sensor

13701488 - Function restricted due to missing message(s)

13701536 - Same as above

13632272 - Databus

01331 - Door Control Module; Driver Side (J386)

01334 - Door Control Module; Rear Right (J389)

02391 - Terminal 30 Reference

00834 - Signal for Activation of Heated Rear Window

01516 - Terminal 30; Left

00924 - Relay for Headlamp Cleaning System (J39)

03396 - Supply voltage terminal 30 for central locking

01800 - Light Switch (E1)

01517 - Control Module for Trailer/Towing Sensor (J345)

00059 - Terminal 30 for Interior Lighting

00466 - Control Module for Steering Column Electronics (J527)

01333 - Door Control Module; Rear Left (J388)

03266 - Control Circuit for Signal Horn 

00927 - Terminal 30 (Right)

01320 - Control Module for Climatronic (J255)

 

That's just a summary.  Many saying - open or short to ground - intermittent, or No Signal/Communication, or Open or Short to Ground - Intermittent, etc.

 

A friend of mine thought that the ECU might have gone but he then thought that if this was the case the engine fault light would be showing up on dash.

 

I have it booked into Skoda for the assessment day on 25th which will cost me £114 and then they tell me the bad news from there!

 

I had my battery tested a week ago and showed as 17% dead so I renewed it.  So can't be battery.

I might add that the only warning light on the dash is an intermittent yellow oil can.  Shows on start up and then occasionally during driving.  No other warning lights show.

Interesting development today - the driver side door and rear door would not lock and also the internal door lock button by the handbrake would not work.  Looking at another forum site this is a common fault with the older Yeti and according to one source when these wires go they can cause the ECU to go haywire and send out all sorts of fault signals etc. 

 

So I wonder if this is what has caused the ECU to go silly and shut down other non-essential services?  My intention now to get the loom through the driver's door replaced and see if this sorts anything else.

It should be pretty easy to check the door looms as the failure point is between the door and car body. Just pull back the rubber gator and check for broken or damaged wires.

 

It would have been nice to see the autoscan rather than just a list of codes and to known if they cleared them to see which remained.

 

That being said, I'd be checking fuses and relays given the faults around terminal 30.

Update:-

I have changed to driver's door wiring loom with a genuine Skoda part which has the updated 'elongated U' rubber boot between door and car body.  I must admit it was fairly easy to fit once you managed to squeeze the rubber boots with their associated plug and wiring through the small hole in the driver's door, exiting a little lower down from the same door.  But this has left me with an airbag warning light in addition to the original oilcan one now!  I notice that the airbag warning light came on the minute that I had completely disconnected the broken driver's door wiring.  I am assuming this may just be a reset with a plug in meter.

I am pretty sure now that the failed reversing lights and rear parking sensors are as a result of a failed switch on the gearbox.  That is getting replaced on Tuesday.

 

The switch on gearbox was actually OK.

 

How do I test a relay?

 

I have a test meter.

 

Are any of the relays in the engine compartment fuse box related to reverse lights, reverse sensors, towing electrics?  These are all not working.  But as I say switch on gearbox was OK.

Finally I can complete this topic with the results!

 

I had been testing fuses on 'resistance' settings on my meter and my friend explained that it would have been better testing for voltage on either side whilst the fuses in situ.

 

We found a 5amp fuse gone and when replaced:-

 

Reverse sensors came back on

Reverse lights came back

Air Con worked normally again

The orange oilcan symbol which had been flashing up also disappeared.

 

Greenliner 1 was correct all along and although I had noted his response I thought I had checked the fuses properly.

 

So all these systems are connected by a single fuse.

 

What caused the fuse to blow in the first place is a mystery so will keep an eye on that one.

 

But many thanks to all for their support and advice.

21 minutes ago, Skodaman58 said:

What caused the fuse to blow in the first place is a mystery so will keep an eye on that one.

 

Had you replaced any bulbs with LED ones?
I put some 1w Led bulbs in in place of 5 or 7w and they kept blowing fuses straight away, took them back to Halfrauds and replaced them with Osram or Philips and no further problems.

Which fuse was it?

@Skodaman58 perhaps it’s that same environmental sensor I had go, though I don’t know how to test it (perhaps a VCDS scan?)

 

In my case it burnt out and kept taking the fuse, but there may be a chance it has failed then gone open circuit. Not conclusive, just a theory.

 

Thanks for updating everyone, hopefully will help others in the future.

 

13 hours ago, Llanigraham said:

Which fuse was it?

 

I'm going to predict that it was cabin fusebox fuse no. 21.

I'd further predict that @Greenliner1 is likely to be correct about the source of the problem being the air quality sensor, or its connector having suffered water ingress.

1 hour ago, Wino said:

I'm going to predict

 

Gypsy Rose Wino, then?

 

Just checked which fuse caused all this mayhem and it was no. 16 which is the second of the smaller grey 5amp fuses in the middle section.  Second from top.

 

Thanks again to everyone for their support and advice.  Am I supposed to close this thread now?  Not sure how to do that.  Or will I leave it open for a while . . 

 

Regards . . T

SORRY!  Pic in manual is wrong way around.  Yes was no.21 which makes sense.  21 is correct.