Bought my first Skoda a couple of weeks ago - a 1 year old Octavia Estate (2.0 TDI). I'm hoping that it proves reliable.

Niggles so far are -

Rear parking sensors often see "phantoms". New ones are now on order so that should get sorted out.

I got a towbar fitted, but don't have an "tell tale" to let me know that the trailer indicators are working. I'm told that it doesn't have the dash light for this, but I think legally you need something to let you know that the trailer lights are working, or at the least something to tell you when they aren't. Does anyone else have a towbar, and do you have any way of telling if the lights are working?

Could the parking sensors be picking up the tow bar ?

See:

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/ask-tech/fixed-towbar-reverse-parking-sensors/57764/

and Welcome to Briskoda.

It is a fixed towbar, so it is possible it is affecting it, but I'm not getting continuous detection. It seems random. They seem to detect real objects, but also intermittently show up either left or right side close objects on the display, usually only for a short beep, sometimes for a few seconds. Hmm, maybe it is beginning to look like the towbar (it's quite close), although I guess I would have expected the left sensors to play up more than the right if it was this - the sockets are both sticking out on the LHS. I took it back to the garage and they said the sensors are faulty and have ordered replacements, but it'll probably be January before they are fitted.

I have a stabiliser plate I'll probably fit it at some point, but this goes on below, so assuming the towbar is ok, shouldn't be a problem. I also have a bumper plate which would go on above, but maybe this is asking for trouble! I managed to get it all fitted on my last car (a Rover) with reversing sensors without any problem, but time will tell. I'll have to wait and see if the new sensors solve the problem before adding on any more obstacles for them to detect.

Yeah, the best way to go with the new sensors. This will tell you if it is another problem. Hope you get it sorted.

Hiya.

I don't know about now, but it never used to be necessary to have anything to tell you whether or not trailer lights were working, and AFAIK HGVs still normally don't have.

Hi Best of luck with the new car just what I want too!

What you towing then? It may be that your warning to say your trailer is conected is audible and only works when it's conected and the indicators are flashing thats what most do and it's better than a light you can't see without standing on your head!

Occasionally tow a trailer, but it will be towing a Lunar Chateau 400 - I haven't tried it yet.

There isn't any way of telling if the lights on it are working. I tested the electrics with the van and they work OK (apart from the fridge, but I think this is because the middle pin of the aux socket should be an earth, and it isn't - I'll have to check that out).

I asked at the garage about it and they said the only way to tell was the old fashioned way - ie hook up and check before driving off. There isn't a buzzer fitted. I'll have to look into getting that done, but with the high tech wiring system in cars these days, I'm not sure how easy that will be.

I had seen on a forum somewhere that it might detect a trailer is attached and show up a fault if it wasn't working, but this isn't the case - I even hooked up a trailer and took the bulb out of the trailer to test this, but there is nothing to alert you to this.

I have a few months to think about it.......

There has to be a visual or audible way of telling if the trailer lights are working....normally just a buzzer in behind one of the rear panels.......if it isn't fitted take it back ....they have to fit one by law.

And it will tow like a dream.....and maybe even give around 30 mpg at the same time

Hi I Would be towing a Lunar Premier if I got a Ocy. Pleased to hear they make a good tow car and if you get 30mpg towing then thats just great.

Welcome to Briskoda,

I have an audible buzzer which sounds when the indicators work.

Usually get about 35mpg towing my 1200kg Bailey.

Enjoy your new car.

Thanks for the replies.

My car the DSG gearbox and I sometimes how it will cope with towing, but it seems there are quite a few others with this and don't have any problems. Too late to change my mind now anyway.

I'll let you know how I get on with the parking sensors. It's worrying how much you get used to such gadgets. My last car had them, and when I bought it I thought "that's a bit if a gimmick", but now when I drive a car without them, I really missed them! I'll be forgetting how to change gears next.....

I said Iould give an update, so this is it (so far).

The parking sensors have been replaced, so hopefully that is now fixed. The fault was intermittent, so it's still too early to say for sure.

I've asked for a buzzer or light to be fitted for the towing indicators, but they say that it can't be fitted to wiring kit (witter) they used, and they would have to strip that out and start again with a skoda wiring kit and are unwilling to do that. They haven't said a definite "no" yet - thet seemed to be unaware that this was a legal requirement, so when they (hopefully!-) find out that it is, they may be more willing.

I have a specific difficulty with that, namely that I have difficulty believing that Witter would supply a badly engineered or illegal component or fitting kit.

I had a look at the witter web site last night. It looks like they give you 2 options for the electrics - a standard kit and a dedicated kit (more expensive). I'm not sure if it is standard kit they used, and I don't have a witter logon to see the instructions for wiring it.

I phoned this afternoon and they said that they agreed it was a legal requirement to have some sort of tell-tale, and have ordered the parts they need and will fit it when they come in. I'm not exactly sure what they ordered, but it's looking positive.

Just thought I would update this in case someone was interested...

They fitted an audible buzzer for the trailer indicators, so that part was fixed - the witter wiring kit was OK to do this. Unfortunately, it went wrong the first time I tried to tow with it. The RHS indicator worked OK, but the LHS trailer indicator wasn't lighting up, although the buzzer was sounding (so there must have been some current going through the circuit) - exactly what the buzzer isn't supposed to do! They replaced the buzzer unit, which was faulty, so it's working as it should again.

The reversing sensors still play up from time to time, eg when the sun has been shining on the back of the car. I found that unbolting the towball seems to fix the problem, so they are detecting the towball after all. I don't think there is a fix for this. Would it be possible to disable the centre 2 sensors, or something along those lines?