Hi, Just bought a Superb SE L Executive estate. First registered  14/07/2017. I am trying to familiarise myself with the car and have a few queries that more experienced owners may be able to help with!

1. Is there a list anywhere of bulb types etc. As I am hoping to travel to France later this year I would like a spare set with me.

2. There is no AdBlue filler cap alongside the diesel filler. A dealer that I rang just said that it mustn't be fitted with an engine requiring AdBlue but wasn't keen to chat! Have I bought an 'old' model, or is this a common occurrence?

3. As I understand it I just download the update material from the Skoda site on my PC, transfer it on a zipfile to a SD disc or USB stick and update the car from that. My car has Columbus and two SD slots. I have transferred media to the system successfully so the update should be a similar process?

4. The Skoda site suggests attaching a battery charger to ensure that the Info update doesn't take all the battery! Is that a regular problem or do I just need to give the car a decent run prior to updating?

 

Sorry for the diatribe but in most cases owners will already know the answers!!

 

Regards S 

Edited 27 January, 20206 yr by john999boy
Amended title.

You can start the update and then drive, it doesn't need to be stationary. I don't know why Skoda wrote all that rubbish.

If the update isn't finished when you stop driving don't worry it will resume when you restart the car.

As far as bulbs go, just take any old set it doesn't have to fit and you wouldn't be able to change one at the roadside anyway!

You must unzip the zipfile and transfer the contents to the SD card. Like facet edge, I just go for a drive on a Sunday morning when the roads are quiet to allow the update to complete. Takes about 40 mins

Thanks for that info. Just as I thought, the bundles and bundles of info on the skoda sites seems to tell the same tale slightly differently each time - makes it harder to understand! The info on the update is particularly useful, though I won't be updating until Summer, The previous owner appears to have updated just before he sold the car. He was obviously a keen golfer having visited many clubs in Spain and Portugal!!! In time I hope to bin his masses of destinations, but there's no rush.

On 27/01/2020 at 14:47, Sandgroper said:

Hi, Just bought a Superb SE L Executive estate. First registered  14/07/2017. I am trying to familiarise myself with the car and have a few queries that more experienced owners may be able to help with!

1. Is there a list anywhere of bulb types etc. As I am hoping to travel to France later this year I would like a spare set with me.-

2. There is no AdBlue filler cap alongside the diesel filler. A dealer that I rang just said that it mustn't be fitted with an engine requiring AdBlue but wasn't keen to chat! Have I bought an 'old' model, or is this a common occurrence?

3. As I understand it I just download the update material from the Skoda site on my PC, transfer it on a zipfile to a SD disc or USB stick and update the car from that. My car has Columbus and two SD slots. I have transferred media to the system successfully so the update should be a similar process?

4. The Skoda site suggests attaching a battery charger to ensure that the Info update doesn't take all the battery! Is that a regular problem or do I just need to give the car a decent run prior to updating?

 

Sorry for the diatribe but in most cases owners will already know the answers!!

 

Regards S 

1 - I would imagine an SE L would have all LED bulbs/Bi-Xenon headlamps. I think only the rear indicators are bulbs? It should be obvious if you look round the car

2. if it ain't got adblue don't complain, can more trouble than it's worth. It varied hugely over the cars life cycle. I was told my 2016 2.0tdi dsg would have adblue but it hasn't

take the cheapest set of Halfords bulbs you can find, just to satisfy the French police, as the previous posting said, impossible to change most lights at the roadside

I have a bag full of bulbs, but they need to be the right ones to be of use. When the weather warms up I will explore.

 

Regarding the adBlue I was just puzzled that it wasn't present but I guess that the individual ordering system that Skoda seem to use allows for many variations. My worry was that 'my' car was an out of date scam somehow. Guess that I was too used to the Ford handbook which, by comparison, is pretty precise.

 

I have built and restored cars all my life but having just topped my 80th year I don't really want too many mechanical challenges! Well impressed by the Superb so far however, quite palatial!! 

Go onto a supplier of bulbs like autobulbsdirect.co.uk and enter your vehicle details. The site will list the bulb tyypes for your car and then you can buy them where you like. However, you only need carry those that are easily replacable and from memory they are simply the rear indicator, brake and reversing lamps. Dont woprry about it beyond that as the law simply hasnt been updated to match modern systems and the gendarme isn't going to bother you about it as long as you have those few replaceable bulbs.

Another case are your HID headlamps, you dont have to mask them as you did with older headlamps. They should adapt to right hand driving automatically based on your GPS position but you can also do this manually if you prefer, it is somewhere in the infotainment settings. The adaptive lighting systen deos not work as long as you are driving on the right. You will have normal high and low beam.

 

Hope this helps.

Hi Sagalout, That helps greatly, thanks for the response! You never know just where Brexit will take you re the Gendarme but I've never had any bother over there yet. I will  be Red Pennant anyway, just being a bit belt and braces.

Thanks again.

Regards S.

I think you will find modern bulbs ( if you can call them that!) Are very reliable.

I haven't changed one in 25 years.

I can tell you from having lived here 15 years and regularly travelling for decades before that, having had many roadside checks that never in a million years will a flic bother you for bulbs, warning triangle, gilet jaunes, alcotester or whatever else people will try to convince you about. If you are on UK plates the most they will ask you for is a permis de conduire & if you dont understand that they will likely wave you away with a few choice words, never ever understood why they always wanted to see my license but never certifcate of insurance. Of course a French registered vehicle will have vignettes on the windscreen to show that its insured &  CT tested (MOT) so they probably just do what they are used to doing.

 

I drive regularly at night and even though there are very few vehicles on the road I have never once had a journey where I have not had to flash oncoming vehicles who leave their main beam on or follow vehicles with defective rear lights, oncoming vehicles with blown headlights and I can assure you that the vehicles driven by the Gendarmes or Police Municipale are no better either.

I have changed very few 'modern' bulbs but my last one was a headlamp bulb in France. I had a replacement and the ability to do the job, and thereby hangs my question!

On 31/01/2020 at 09:11, Sandgroper said:

I have changed very few 'modern' bulbs but my last one was a headlamp bulb in France. I had a replacement and the ability to do the job, and thereby hangs my question!

I don't think you'll find the headlight bulb easy to replace on the Skoda....

You're probably right!  Don't know how many Skoda agents there are in France but there should be some.

On 27/01/2020 at 14:47, Sandgroper said:

Hi, Just bought a Superb SE L Executive estate. First registered  14/07/2017. I am trying to familiarise myself with the car and have a few queries that more experienced owners may be able to help with!

1. Is there a list anywhere of bulb types etc. As I am hoping to travel to France later this year I would like a spare set with me.

2. There is no AdBlue filler cap alongside the diesel filler. A dealer that I rang just said that it mustn't be fitted with an engine requiring AdBlue but wasn't keen to chat! Have I bought an 'old' model, or is this a common occurrence?

3. As I understand it I just download the update material from the Skoda site on my PC, transfer it on a zipfile to a SD disc or USB stick and update the car from that. My car has Columbus and two SD slots. I have transferred media to the system successfully so the update should be a similar process?

4. The Skoda site suggests attaching a battery charger to ensure that the Info update doesn't take all the battery! Is that a regular problem or do I just need to give the car a decent run prior to updating?

 

Sorry for the diatribe but in most cases owners will already know the answers!!

 

Regards S 

 Hi Sandgroper,

 

As your Superb is Diesel engined? it should have Adblue fitted, lack of a blue cap next to the filler cap seams somewhat strange to me, but it could be that a lower power diesel engine that doesn't require Adblu, but if thats the case its a Euro 5 spec & not as my 2lt 190ps, Euro 6 spec.

 

Lights,  it depends on the spec ordered by the first owner.  Check the data sticker in the warranty handbook, or the same sticker on the left rear side of the boot floor (uner the boot mat), if its got codes HSW & LWR, it'll have LED lights, excluding the Xenon headlamp bulbs & the rear indicators & reverse lamps. but as another reply to your post has said, buy a cheapo bulb kit & that'll keep the French police happy, or just bluff it out tell them "le feu est LED!" & they'll know that you are unable to chane a blown buld, it has to be done at a dealer

Hi , Regarding the Adblue I also thought that it should have it! I rang the dealer who supplied the new car and their service manager (not the person in post at the time of delivery!) just said that it was not an Adblue unit. The car runs very sweetly and I am happy with it, though still confused.

53 minutes ago, Sandgroper said:

Hi , Regarding the Adblue I also thought that it should have it! I rang the dealer who supplied the new car and their service manager (not the person in post at the time of delivery!) just said that it was not an Adblue unit. The car runs very sweetly and I am happy with it, though still confused.

The 150 diesel only had adblue after a certain point, in late 2017 I think. My 2016 version didn't have it. Made life much easier!

Many many thanks for that info CheshireBumpkin!!! I am also a Cheshire lad and that answers my query and confirms the response from the original agents who are Scottish.

If I'm right in thinking the 190 had adblue from the off but the 150 only changed over some time in mid 2017? My June 2016 registered 150 doesn't have it.