Front Assist has been ‘unavailable’ in my car on several occasions during cold weather but has always corrected itself within hours. Recently I received an error alert ‘Front Assist is unavailable’ followed by ‘ Front Assist Sensor Impaired’. This was accompanied by an orange hazard warning triangle at the top of the screen and two orange symbols showing faults in both Auto Braking and ACC. This was the first time this had happened and it would not go away. But I found a very quick ‘fix’. It appears that Front Assist, which controls both  Auto Braking and ACC, operates through what looks to be a small camera in front of the ‘Rain Sensor’ assembly above the rear view mirror, visible if you look through your windscreen from outside. This ‘camera’ can become ‘impaired’ through any dirt on the windscreen in front of the camera. Although everything looked spotless, I wiped the area with no more than my bare hand. Upon starting the car the persistent ‘fault’ which had irritated me for days had gone. 
 

It is possible that many users of this form know this already but many will not. If,  like me, you find the Car Manual is un-useable due to being in tiny print and obscured by covering too many overlapping model specifications then I hope this post helps. 

 

Please reply to this post if you find this has helped you as the issue will then gain more prominence to be of help to others struggling with the complexities of the developments inherent in new car technologies. 
 

 

The front assist is usually the radar sensor in the centre of the grill. Dirt, flys snow ice etc can cause the sensor is impaired warning. At least it is on my Kodiaq.

Edited 9 August, 20214 yr by Kenny R

Thanks Kenny R.
 

My post is for the Octavia 5 with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). This is controlled by the camera unit (in conjunction with radar sensor on front bumper similar to yours) It regulates ACC and Autobraking as well as Lane Assist etc on cars fitted with ADAS. 

2 hours ago, PoloPaul said:

My post is for the Octavia 5

Octavia 5???

IV Generation 2020 -

 

3 hours ago, PoloPaul said:

IV Generation 2020 -

So that's an Octavia 4

2 hours ago, PetrolDave said:

So that's an Octavia 4

The generation before was 3 btw!😂

 

 

 

Thanks for opening this topic, Paul. I have been having this problem starting this week. The print manual is, as you say, designed for people with better eyesight than mine and the online manual is... err... not far off useless. This forum has proved itself much better for tracking down solutions to problems than anything that a Skoda manuad (or the dealer, for that matter) has been able to do.

Ah excellent will have a look at it tomorrow in the day time. Cheers!

I have had this intermittently yesterday and today (both -5c days) but also with:

(Tyre pressure unavailable,

abs unavailable,

ESC unavailable,

cornering lights unavailable

Auto hold unavailable)

all flash on at the exact same time. 

 

If I clear the codes, they go. Then after about an hour of driving in the cold they'll suddenly come on again.Makes for very tedious motorway driving.!!

I've had similar issues with my Honda Civic. Just like in many cars, the radar is on the front grille. Just clean it and the radar will have better signal. 

Hi Meridion,

I’ve had this trouble too.

Skoda Assist (AA Roadside Services) did a diagnostic and determined that there was a fault with the front left hand (viewed from the driver’s seat) wheel speed sensor. When this happens, (with any of the wheel speed sensors) the car can’t determine speed accurately and so the various functions and aids associated with the car’s speed won’t work properly.

Sometimes it can be a wiring fault but most likely a faulty wheel speed sensor. A pal had something similar happen on his BMW.

I had the wheel speed sensor changed last week and all seems ok again.

The ‘front assist unavailable’ warning comes on occasionally but cleaning the blank centre of the front grille, where the transponder sits, and also the windscreen, where there’s a tiny camera (it looks like a small chip in the windscreen) in front of the rear view mirror, seems to fix things.

I hope this might be of some use.

9 minutes ago, ChubbsH said:

Hi Meridion,

I’ve had this trouble too.

Skoda Assist (AA Roadside Services) did a diagnostic and determined that there was a fault with the front left hand (viewed from the driver’s seat) wheel speed sensor. When this happens, (with any of the wheel speed sensors) the car can’t determine speed accurately and so the various functions and aids associated with the car’s speed won’t work properly.

Sometimes it can be a wiring fault but most likely a faulty wheel speed sensor. A pal had something similar happen on his BMW.

I had the wheel speed sensor changed last week and all seems ok again.

The ‘front assist unavailable’ warning comes on occasionally but cleaning the blank centre of the front grille, where the transponder sits, and also the windscreen, where there’s a tiny camera (it looks like a small chip in the windscreen) in front of the rear view mirror, seems to fix things.

I hope this might be of some use.

Hi thanks for the reply. And yes as way of an update, that's what is was. Rear left wheel speed sensor. £30 for a bosch one. 1 torx screw and that it to replace. Been perfect for nearly a year now.

Thanks