If you've wondered why stop-start sometimes does and sometimes does not work on your Skoda, then I can add to the information because I work for an OEM.

• If your car hasn't been driven for so long that the battery is low and it isn't sure it can re-start, it won't stop

• If the engine is not warmed up, it probably won't stop. Starting a cold engine needs a charged battery and warm engine.

• If you have the A/C on, which loads the engine, then it probably won't stop

• If you have a light touch on the brake pedal, it probably won't stop

• If you gently brake to join a queue, you did the right thing but it doesn't know. So it probably wont stop unless you increase pressure on the brake pedal.

  • That last 'change of mind' case is about the most difficult to deal with. You as driver have so much more information than the car. Something to celebrate: you're much more intelligent than your car.

Edited 7 April, 20251 yr by Miikey63
refinements of wording

Thank you. That is very good.

Useful info, no reason why (other than its's beyond them) that VW couldn't have put this in the cars' 'Owner's Manual', you have put it far better than the German engineering trainee that they seem to get to write the Owner's Manuals, before it's sent in German language to another non-English speaking country to be translated to English for UK market.

You could also add to your first point, in better language and explanation than I, the battery being low from use, abuse and neglect.

There should be a sticky on your post for it's usefulness and clarity of explanation (normally sacking offences for anyone working in anything to do with computers, computer systems and computer programming).

If you could do the same for front "assist" (collision avoidance) and lane "assist" that would be great I know they'd be longer and much longer of why they go from acting like the most nervous inexperienced-driver front seat passenger, that grabs the wheel and jumps on the pedal, to totally missing obvious dangers.

Edited 8 April, 20251 yr by nta16

I wish I could Nigel. Brake Assist has been an EU requirement for a while now, and my Fabia has it. It's kicked in a couple of times. I note that, if stop-start is active and the engine stops, then Brake Assist also refuses to operate, as does the speed limiter. I just get an exclamation mark. The front-facing 77GHz radar is the key sensor to Brake Assist, so if it's raining, not clear of leaves, collecting snow or salt from the road, or otherwise not clean and clear, then I can understand why the system would refuse to operate. Picking a technical explanation, Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, who discovered the Cosmic Microwave background radiation, originally went through many sources looking for the error: including pigeon droppings in their horn antenna. I don't think that's likely for us unless there's a sharp-shooting pigeon somewhere. But the place to start would be to check that the antenna embedded in the front grill is clean and clear of obstructions. I'll bin it with the mandatory tyre pressure monitoring system TPMS: the car knows which tyre is low. Why can't it just say which??? Would I believe it anyway? Probably not, as those sensors are maybe 2% accurate, so what it thinks is low is 30psi not 32psi. My personal experience is, if a tyre is flat, you hear it, and you feel it when cornering.

Until a couple of years ago my everyday car for the previous 16 years was a 1973 MG Midget and for 30+ years I had other "classics" (over-priced and over-valued old cars, as you know) as dailies, for work, commuting (300 and 500 miles per week for many months), club events and tours, holiday tours in UK and nearer Europe. So you can guess I don't mind doing without the modern driver "aids" and "assists" and infotainment and a lot of the other features.

I do see there point and no doubt in an emergency I would be very grateful for them but their reliability of accurately reporting in the real world should not be over relied on. I also drove my wife's 2015 Fabia and neighbour more modern and new cars so know how hit and miss these systems are, and how the gear selection recommendations are often not the best for economical running let alone driving and perhaps.

My wife told me her Fabia tyre pressure warning system was far too slow to be of use for a genuine flat tyre and I'd never rely on it for pressures, a top pocket gauge is good enough, consistency is better. Obviously it's better to know the tyre is low before cornering if possible, which can be possible sometimes/often by some routine driver maintenance checking (with a top pocket or other reliable gauge).

Being older and used to driving more basic cars (though modern cars are still ancient technologies with some computer systems (wot could possibly go wrong 🙃) on them) we're used to being more aware of the cars we're driving than perhaps those who only have experience of very modern cars some of who over rely on the car and its computer systems.

It's been the case for decades that items are not fitted or even removed or not activated or switched off to justify higher trim levels marketing and pricing. The one that really annoys me on my wife's Fabia is needing the ignition on to operate the front doors windows, I'd be happy with hand crank at front as well as rear, unless I'm in a wide car. Then there's the silly decades old fashion for over large wheels and tyres . . . 😄

My 1968 Morris Traveller is on 145 width tyres with truck leaf-springs, rotary friction dampers and drum brakes all round. I commuted from Essex to Glasgow every month for a decade in that car. Unfortunately, I modernised and tuned it a bit too much using my mini parts to the point where the engine expired spectacularly at about 80mph on the A12. With the plugs out, oil came out of cyl #2 & coolant out of cyl #3. Fortunately, I have a spare midget 1275 to recon and swap for the 1098 it came with.

I modernised it enough to be a working commute car. I think standard was 45hp new, and it's about ~65hp now, enough to keep up with modern traffic. Then I put in a new mini heater, because the door seals leak past the locks: which is why, when you pass one in Winter, the occupants are in coats and scarves. Then swapped the dynamo for an alternator, and added one of my ignition modules so it starts. Plus the remote Lucas (now Delphi) remote servo from the original mini Cooper. Plus some reclining seats with headrests from a montego or allegro, I forget which but the grey leather was a reasonable blend with the interior pale blue trim, because the OEM ones were like those in an original mini with a 90 deg bend that's excrutiating after a few hours. And yes, it has a hand-crank, which is a cool way to start a car but needs a warm-ish engine and a complete guess at where the choke needs to be.

Yeap 1950s style motoring from a car built in the 60s, you were more in a time bubble than me.

Similar for early 70s Midget, 50s designs still on new 70s car. Mine was one of the early one to have an alternator rather than dynamo, not that it mattered that much as there was still so little on it. The heater was the Moggy tap on the cylinder head, you had to turn it on or off by lifting the bonnet, no remote control, flaps to have the heater at the footwell(s) or leave all going to screen. My previous model, a Spridget lacked cabin and boot light which I never really noticed until one dark night out at a country village with short walk to pub and returned having to feel my way into the car and cabin as no lighting or moon but solved by putting dash lights on, dim though they were (no LED bulbs then).

My 1973 (well a few parts of it ) Midget was on 145 tyres but originally 4.5" (Rostyle) wheels where as my previous 1969 (well a few parts of that) Spridget was on lovely 3.5" rims with 145 tyres, both with the standard 15.5" steering wheels but for the Spridget I got a a test batch made reproduction twin wire spokes that gave the car fabulous lovely feeling to steering, both had standard steering racks (Moggy upside down and later Triumph based) and whilst not quick even with the large (same size as MGB) steering wheel the steering was easy and quick on such a light car. I was going to go on to Blockley tyres with the Midget but had to sell before that time, I thoroughly recommend giving Blockley a try as you can't go wrong with the offer and I've only heard good reports about the tyres and it's really a one-man company and he a true British character and unlike most in the motor trade offering a great product but not looking to make a fortune.

I soon learnt to dislike CB points especially as it was when they were so badly made, I think I might have put up with them when I had my MGB (my first "classic" but with the Spridget I got an expensive (NOS?) Lucas electronic with spare rotor (blades) er, rotor, worked fine never a problem for me, on to Aldon and when available in right-angle cap a 123 Ignition fully electronic dissy (CSI weren't about I think) again no problems other than it scarred the cap posts inside at very first ignition start, had to seen to believe I'd expect, an annual tidy up sorted it though, otherwise start of slight misfire as I discovered first time I was later with servicing. I would go with the CSI now.

I was late into getting Mini bits (or Mini Bitz, Mini Spares, Minim??), same bits at lower retail prices and so better quality parts (not difficult), some cross over with Moggy bits but not a lot (other than perhaps engine parts).

I've not got much now but I built up a lot of info on parts for the cars so if I can help with any parts (not internal engine) I might still have a bit of info and bits I might remember (though not as much of that). My "classic" were all original or unmodified as like you I drove them and as designed soi I learnt what were improvements and were were not and far, far, too much experience of p1ss-poor rubbish rubber and poor, crap or abysmal quality parts. I also took no notice of what oils not to use (engine and gearbox GL-5) and later learnt DoT5 replacing DoT 3 or 4 doesn't require new seals or even prior or post full flushing. The older chaps with older (1940s and 1950s "classics") were far more progressive than those with 60s and 70s "classics". I certainly done my bit to keep the British economy turning with my "classic" cars ownership (hence I have no money now, and wasting a lot hi-fi), now I don't even own a car (or hi-fi for many years) - it's true you're never too old to learn. 😆

Advanced Emergency Braking since 2022 is not really relevant concerning a 2017 vehicle like a All New 3rd Generation Fabia from 2014/15 that did not even get new Type Approval when built.