My new VRS is the first car I've owned with KESSY, so I apologise right now if I've failed to understand something obvious.  The underlying issue is that - as far as I know - there's no way to turn on the car's electrics (windows, fan, etc.) without first starting the engine.  Or is there?

 

This question would apply to many other situations but struck me the other night when we attended a drive-in movie.  We were asked to keep our lights and engines off throughout but it was a cool evening so we had the windows closed and after a while they started steaming up, so that we couldn't see the film clearly.  I had to either open a window a little or turn the fan on to clear the windows.  

 

But the only way to get the windows or the fan to work is to start the engine, which I did.  And, even though I'd set the lights to "Off" when we arrived, on restarting, they set themselves back to "Auto", which meant they came fully on;  I had to turn them off again immediately but presumably had already annoyed the various people in front who would have had my bright LED lights in their mirrors.  And then, when I turned the engine off again, the interior lights came on full-blast, which we didn't want.

 

On my last car, I'd have just turned on the ignition without starting the engine and with the light switch turned off and let the fan run for a couple of minutes before turning off the ignition.  Perfectly easy and no-one would have known, let alone been bothered by it.

 

My wife says this car is just too clever for its own good - and I rather think she's right;  it's automated to the point that you never really know what it's going to do.  Normally I love clever technology but I'm really not convinced by all this.

 

Or is it just me?

 

Don’t know if it’s still the same but pressing the engine start/ stop button without a foot on the brake pedal switched on the ignition without the engine starting.

1 hour ago, alancha said:

My new VRS is the first car I've owned with KESSY, so I apologise right now if I've failed to understand something obvious.  The underlying issue is that - as far as I know - there's no way to turn on the car's electrics (windows, fan, etc.) without first starting the engine.  Or is there?

 

This question would apply to many other situations but struck me the other night when we attended a drive-in movie.  We were asked to keep our lights and engines off throughout but it was a cool evening so we had the windows closed and after a while they started steaming up, so that we couldn't see the film clearly.  I had to either open a window a little or turn the fan on to clear the windows.  

 

But the only way to get the windows or the fan to work is to start the engine, which I did.  And, even though I'd set the lights to "Off" when we arrived, on restarting, they set themselves back to "Auto", which meant they came fully on;  I had to turn them off again immediately but presumably had already annoyed the various people in front who would have had my bright LED lights in their mirrors.  And then, when I turned the engine off again, the interior lights came on full-blast, which we didn't want.

 

On my last car, I'd have just turned on the ignition without starting the engine and with the light switch turned off and let the fan run for a couple of minutes before turning off the ignition.  Perfectly easy and no-one would have known, let alone been bothered by it.

 

My wife says this car is just too clever for its own good - and I rather think she's right;  it's automated to the point that you never really know what it's going to do.  Normally I love clever technology but I'm really not convinced by all this.

 

Or is it just me?

 

Just turn the ignition on without pressing the clutch/brake pedal. Don’t think you can stop the lights going to auto. 

Not too sure about the MkIV but previous cars allowed an extra led on/off menu item to be programmed with VCDS.

23 hours ago, Kenny R said:

Don’t know if it’s still the same but pressing the engine start/ stop button without a foot on the brake pedal switched on the ignition without the engine starting.

 

Ah - thank you so much!   I've looked and I'm pretty sure it doesn't mention this anywhere in the owners' manual.

 

I've just tried it - got into the car and pressed the start button without touching the break or clutch and, sure enough, it all came to life.  The instrument display lit up, the Infotainment system woke up and various buttons worked.  I could play music and even select the driving mode.  And, more usefully, I could operate the windows, though sadly not the fan.

 

It's only just occurred to me I could have started the fan on its own by using the Skoda app;  as one of the few things it can actually do that could be any use is to start the fan running for up to 10 minutes.  That would be have been perfect, but I didn't think of it at the time.

2 hours ago, alancha said:

That would be have been perfect, but I didn't think of it at the time.

But wouldn't the DRL's still be on?

16 hours ago, john999boy said:

But wouldn't the DRL's still be on?

Yes - you're right, although that wouldn't have been as bad as the headlights, which came on when I started the engine.

 

Starting the fan with the app would have been the best solution if I'd thought of it at the time.

 

Edited 12 May, 20215 yr by alancha