Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design

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Sat 16 Oct 2010 09:48
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - Buster Cambelt

I am staggered! Skoda want my car for a whole day to replace a single front indicator bulb. They tell me that the bumper, grille and the relevant headlight have to be removed first. It may be under warranty but this is plain madness.

What's that going to cost when out of warranty? Nice little earner for Skoda and their dealers.

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Sat 16 Oct 2010 10:28
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - Dutchie

A whole day to replace a bulb? If that is the case why don't they make bulbs what last the lifetime of the car if its inpossible for the layman to change a bulb.Strange situation or have backup bulbs if one breaks the other takes over,like you have on a lot of ships port and starboard lights often you have two either side.Just a thought.

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Sat 16 Oct 2010 11:03
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - daveyjp

From Skodas point of view it;s a brilliant piece of design - if you can't make money out of selling the car, make it out of servicing and repairs.

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Sat 16 Oct 2010 11:09
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - Avant

It wouldl take quite a lot of repairs to make up for the loss of sales (and repeat sales) to people for whom idiocy like that might be a deal-breaker.

Edited by Avant on 16/10/2010 at 11:09

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Sat 16 Oct 2010 12:53
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - 659FBE
This is much more likely dealer ignorance.

My Superb has headlamps manually adjustable for opposite dipping when driving on the right. My dealer wanted about £100 to remove the headlamps to make this adjustment as the levers are a bit inaccessible - £200 per trip.

In fact, with a little ingenuity the levers can be accessed through another aperture in the lamp housing and the adjustment made (both ways) using a bent screwdriver. On the RHS the inlet air trunk has to be removed - 3 screws. I changed my lamps over in the ferry queue.

The dealer in question has seen no further business from me.

If the Yeti is like the Superb, there are access hatches (well hidden) in the wheel arch liners to enable the flasher bulbs to be changed. The only tool you need is a small coin to lever out the plastic access hatch as it's a good fit.

659.
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Sun 17 Oct 2010 09:40
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - Buster Cambelt

Thought of that, a second dealer had the thing up on ramps because he didn't believe what Skoda's tech manual says but.... alas it's true.

Life improves though, the second dealer only wants it for half a day.....

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Sun 17 Oct 2010 13:01
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - 659FBE
Just cut some access holes in the liner and get some other VAG plugs to fit them. There is no need to perpetrate this sort of idiocy - that's what the dealers do.

659.
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Sun 17 Oct 2010 22:52
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - KB.

I agree it's ridiculous...who wouldn't? But, 659, if I'd paid £20,000 for a new Yeti (and it's not difficult to spend that on one)...I'd think twice before getting a jigsaw out, cutting a hole in, what you hope is the right place, and then going to the local VW or Skoda dealer and saying "I've cut a hole in my black plastic mud protector (or whatever component you've perforated) and I'd like to buy 'some other VAG plug' to fill it please". I don't, personally, think he'd say "Right you are sir, I'll just pop out the back and get one for you". Do you?... or am I just being a trifle pessimistic?

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Sun 17 Oct 2010 23:52
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - 659FBE

It's your property not that of the garage. It's a stupid design so if there is a fix - just do it.

I have no compunction in correcting the design stupidities in my Superb - removal of plenum bungs, replacement of seal with mastic, greasing pinch bolts etc. etc.

VAG cars are well made and long lasting but are designed by committees which seem to operate a 4.5 day week. Anything which should have been detailed on a Fri pm is ignored. (The fault is then usually carried over to the next clone).

If you can find and correct the weaknesses of a VAG design you can get very long lasting and fairly reliable service from it. Leaving it in the hands of a dealer is a formula for the thing being prematurely wrecked by the most trivial problems - assuming the dealers don't add a few of their own whilst they're in there...

659.

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Sun 17 Oct 2010 23:57
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - KB.

I am staggered! Skoda want my car for a whole day to replace a single front indicator bulb. They tell me that the bumper, grille and the relevant headlight have to be removed first. It may be under warranty but this is plain madness.

What's that going to cost when out of warranty? Nice little earner for Skoda and their dealers.

Did the question arise, Buster, about whether the bulb was considered a consumable item and not covered by warranty. I think you or I would be severely miffed to have a newish motor under warranty and be told they have to strip the front down to change the bulb - and the customer's paying for it.

There's a Skoda related site which is currently covering the topic with useful diagrams and info about the very matter in hand.

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Mon 18 Oct 2010 00:17
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - Dutchie

Diagrams technical drawings to change a bulb ?What next a course in engineering .?

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Mon 18 Oct 2010 00:20
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - brum

New EU legislation due (1st Jan IIRC) if it takes longer than 5 mins to change a headlight bulb then manufacturer/dealer must stand the cost. Dont know if it covers other bulbs.

If it really does take a day to change a bulb, then the Yetis second hand value is nil. Bulbs can blow fairly regularly and paying a dealer a days labour to change one is unreasonable. Dont suppose they fit LED bulbs.

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Mon 18 Oct 2010 00:42
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - Dutchie

This legislation should cover all bulbs but I would think they mean headlight bulbs.Would't you think a headlight bulb should last at least five years.I have replaced side light bulbs but occasionally a headlight bulb..

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Tue 19 Oct 2010 08:16
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - Buster Cambelt

No, thankfully nothing said about whether it was consumable or warranty. Both dealers said they'd handle it as warranty.

Couple of things - the very fact that the other forum has a lengthy list of instructions about changing the bulb says it all really, especially when it starts with 'remove the bumper'. Having had a look at the site it seems to be one of those 'praise the company' sites where a smallish number of owners spend a lot of time saying how good the product is - there are threads on how wonderful a Yeti is for having heated seats and for the innovation of a lane change setting on the indicators!

Lastly, 659, if I have to correct various design issues with a product that costs in excess of 18k then perhaps VAG would like to pay my daily consultancy rate? i wouldn't treat ,y customers that way.

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Tue 19 Oct 2010 12:21
Skoda Yeti - Front indicator replacement, rank bad design - KB.

Buster, I think you'll be doing well to have the bulb replaced under warranty and am pleased to see they're doing it. I asked my local dealer who advised that bulbs are consumable and not covered by warranty (tyres, exhaust, wiper blades etc..). So I'm not surprised to hear bulbs aren't covered and whilst I haven't looked at the T&C's would be very confident it's in there and the dealer's quite correct.

The dealer hadn't done one yet so didn't have first hand knowledge but agreed it looked like a bumper off job and said whilst there would be a charge it wouldn't be the full hourly rate and even it it took several hours the charge would be more concessionary rather than actually reflecting the full cost of removing and replacing bumper, headlight, re-aligning beam etc.

If the bulb replacement was a simple job they would charge for the bulb and fit it free...equally if a bulb was noted as blown during a service they wouldn't charge for labour.

Nothing more to add except to say it seems an impractical design but one which is shared with other makes/models. Makes a nonsense of continental requirements to carry spare bulbs. Would you fancy removing and replacing your front bumper, grille, headlamp, etc. by the side of a French highway (and also subsequently re-aligning the beam to comply with legal requirements?)

Edited by KB. on 19/10/2010 at 12:23

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