[phi]

Originally Posted by Grootman

Found an alternative solution as well. Hooked up the dashcam to the USB type C port which turns off. The dashcam then runs on its internal battery

Originally Posted by Aviator_guy

Oh that's nice that USB port in your car is compatible and free to be used with dashcam. Also, dashcam gets switched off few seconds after the car is switched off so there is not much of a footage the cam can record. Is it different in the cam you have?

Originally Posted by JediKnight

Yes it can. Car battery store very little energy. It is designed to give short bursts of high power.

I went through a bit of struggle to get this right (or as close as possible) for my Kodiaq. At home, I have safe covered parking that is covered by my CCTV, but occasionally, I have to leave the car at hotel parking when I am driving outstation for work. And though I try my best to not leave the car with valets (have been successful so far), there could be situations where it is unavoidable. I wanted parking surveillance and internal camera to handle these situations, and after a lot of evaluation (supercapacitor and such), I decided to splurge on Viofo A229 3-CH.

This was right after I took delivery of the car in Dec 2023, so I talked to both my sales advisor and the dealer's service folks, and requested if they can hardwire it. They refused, stating that they do not hardwire even the Blaupunkt dashcam that is supplied as Skoda official accessory. They also politely advised me to avoid hard-wiring, since chances are quite high that this will void warranty. Apparently, if they detect hardwiring, it might be recorded in Skoda's records, and then, after a few years, if there is a warranty claim on anything related to electrical system, this might be quoted as a reason to refuse warranty. Since I had taken an extended warranty that covered me upto 6 years, I was concerned.

A couple of other trusted enthusiast friends suggested going for hardwiring to the fuse box or to the OBD port, and then disconnecting and hiding the leads before taking to service. I was not very comfortable with this - you never know when you have to get towed for something, and this might be the last thing you remember. Also, the Skoda SA had said that excess power draw from specific leads would get recorded as an event and will be flagged, even if the hardwiring is disconnected before car is taken to service, and this might trigger additional checks (I am sceptical about the event-flagging bit).

Anyway, after all these, I got a Rhundo-RS21S device, connected it to the 12V socket, configured it to cut off power to the dashcam if voltage went below 12.1V, and connected the dashcam to its USB port. The device also keeps displaying the battery/alternator voltage available on the 12V socket, and that is pretty nice. Now comes the next surprise - the dashcam was tripping once in a while. Some troubleshooting with the dashcam vendor revealed that since this has to power all three cameras (front, rear and interior), power from the USB port would not be enough, and the 12V port on the Rhundo device would have to be used. I did that, and occasionally, the dashcam was still tripping. After observing these restart events along with the displayed voltage revealed an interesting pattern - this was happening mostly when the car was coasting, and the voltage displayed was a value less than the cut-off. The displayed voltage sometimes went as low as 11.8V, and this got me worried.

Off to the service center for a battery and alternator check. They did a full test and confirmed that the battery was alright. The service advisor said that the alternator was fine too, but he was not able to explain the drop in voltage. Then, after some research on the Internet on the Kodiaq's electrical system, and after discussions with some knowledgeable friends, I got to the conclusion that the battery management system in cars with Start/Stop systems and AGM batteries are pretty complex, and go to high voltages (14V is the max I have seen) when the battery needs charging, and might come down to 12V when it is charged. Also, when engine RPM is low (coasting), and if the electrical load is very high, the alternator output might come down for short periods, before the BMS signals the ECU and drives up the RPM (get out of coasting). (I am still a little worried about the value less than 12V that I see occasionally).

It took month to figure all these things, but things are largely fine now. I do not use the Rhundo device normally - I just connect the dashcam to 12V socket (so that I do not have to worry about dashcam restarting randomly because of voltage threshold) and disconnect when I park at home. When I am on longer trips, I keep the dashcam always connected via the Rhundo device. The battery comes down to 12.1V in a couple of days, triggering a cut-off, but I have active monitoring till then. If needed, I can start the car or take it for a spin once in two days to charge the battery back up.

[phi]

Originally Posted by CarsAndDrives

Have a question on the infotainment screen for the kodiak. The current one offered is just 8 inches and looked tad bit small. Is the size work fine or is there an option to upgrade available on this infotainment screen?

Personally, I am not a big fan of large infotainment screens, and prefer physical knobs. Even during test drives, I found large screens a little disconcerting (eg:- MG Hector). So, I really like what Kodiaq provides - knobs for all the main functions which I can operate without thinking - and I use the infotainment screen during driving mainly for Google Maps, Music and for making DCC mode selections. For these functions, the 8-inch screen is perfect.

I do fiddle with settings once in a while - a larger screen would have been more convenient for that, but this is done when I am not driving, so it does not matter much.

[LazyBoy2000]

Originally Posted by CarsAndDrives

Have a question on the infotainment screen for the kodiak. The current one offered is just 8 inches and looked tad bit small. Is the size work fine or is there an option to upgrade available on this infotainment screen?

I have a Kia car with a 10inch screen but I still find the 8inch one in Kodiaq much much better. It is sleek and is placed beautifully in the dashboard. If you are someone who is used to seeing multiple things on the screen you will find the size small. Else it is good enough.

[Grootman]

Originally Posted by Aviator_guy

Oh that's nice that USB port in your car is compatible and free to be used with dashcam. Also, dashcam gets switched off few seconds after the car is switched off so there is not much of a footage the cam can record. Is it different in the cam you have?

I use a type A to type c converter for the dash cam which I plug into the USB c port in the car. Works like a charm.

Also, i have installed a 70mai dash cam which has parking surveillance even if the ignition is off. Basically records if someone touches the car. But yes, it does not continue to record.

[SilverSmoke]

Originally Posted by Grootman

I use a type A to type c converter for the dash cam which I plug into the USB c port in the car. Works like a charm.

Did your ignition cranking issue got resolved? What Skoda workshop ended with?

[dkaile]

Is there a high AC setting in the Kodiaq L&K like my 2012 Superb? In the Superb if I press the AC button twice it starts the AC in high mode.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers...

[SilverSmoke]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Is there a high AC setting in the Kodiaq L&K like my 2012 Superb? In the Superb if I press the AC button twice it starts the AC in high mode.

I believe it's not there in 2022 model.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by SilverSmoke

I believe it's not there in 2022 model.

Thanks for the reply. What's the best AC setting then for the blistering Delhi summer in Kodiaq, if you and other users could elaborate a bit.

Also how do you get the maps on the virtual cockpit? And the best music setting for a crisp treble and a deep bass?

Cheers...

[Vish_Janu]

Originally Posted by phi

It took month to figure all these things, but things are largely fine now. I do not use the Rhundo device normally - I just connect the dashcam to 12V socket (so that I do not have to worry about dashcam restarting randomly because of voltage threshold) and disconnect when I park at home. When I am on longer trips, I keep the dashcam always connected via the Rhundo device. The battery comes down to 12.1V in a couple of days, triggering a cut-off, but I have active monitoring till then. If needed, I can start the car or take it for a spin once in two days to charge the battery back up.

Which dashcam are you using?

[phi]

Originally Posted by Vish_Janu

Which dashcam are you using?

Viofo A229 Pro 3-CH.

https://viofo.in/product/viofo-a229-...terior-camera/

[Vish_Janu]

Originally Posted by phi

Viofo A229 Pro 3-CH.

https://viofo.in/product/viofo-a229-...terior-camera/

Woah! That is expensive at 39k.

I will probably look at something more reasonable.

[phi]

Originally Posted by Vish_Janu

Woah! That is expensive at 39k.

I will probably look at something more reasonable.

Yes, it is. I was looking for one with supercapacitor, three cameras and the front camera at 4K. Did not have too many options with those specs, and this one had some really good reviews.

Thinkware had all these and also cloud connected access, but that was even more expensive.

Originally Posted by dkaile

What's the best AC setting then for the blistering Delhi summer in Kodiaq

In general, Auto with high blower intensity has worked well for me in really hot, dry weather (40C+), and I usually set AC temp to 22C.

My problem has been with really humid weather like what we get in Cochin - the windshield exterior fogs up very quickly with even a little cold air hitting the windshield interior. In such cases, I just select air direction setting to "Upper Body" so that blower does not pump cold air to windshield.

Originally Posted by dkaile

Also how do you get the maps on the virtual cockpit?

You can do this by using the highlighted key in the picture above. Once you press this, you will see a set of options on the virtual cockpit. You can turn the rotary knob right above the highlighted key to select the option called "Navigation", and you will get Skoda maps on the virtual cockpit.

Here is a video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yt6yug2j9rs

I usually have Google Maps running on the Infotainment screen and Skoda maps on the virtual cockpit.

[SilverSmoke]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Thanks for the reply. What's the best AC setting then for the blistering Delhi summer in Kodiaq.
Also how do you get the maps on the virtual cockpit? Best music setting for a crisp treble and a deep bass?

I keep it in manual mode at Lo all times with varying fan speeds as per need. Also, I insulate sunroof with thermacol sheet for better cooling.

Maps already explained in detail by Phi.

I use following settings for sound with a forward bias.





Also, you can change volume & tone of sensors here.



I have following version currently.

[dkaile]

Thanks mates. Picking up the Kodiaq L&K Lava Blue, in the extended family. Car reached Brite Skoda, Meerut, payment made. August 2023 Manufactured. 14kms on the Odo. 44.18L on road UP after 10% road tax, TCS, Insurance ELITE with RTI, Alloys and tyre cover, Engine and Key protect, Accessories pack. Battery - Made in Germany; Tyres - MRF. Those year end discounts (43L) were not possible right now. Still I got a decent deal, I presume. Picking it up on Monday.





























Cheers...

[Qodiak524]

Originally Posted by kurups

Once the headlight is in Full beam mode (adjusted by the headlight knob available towards the right & below the steering), push the turn indicator handle farther away from the steering - one step. This throws the maximum light and helps to get the farthest visibility possibility especially on highways and even normal city driving. Hope this helps.

I am trying to follow the above for the best possible lighting. But, a bit confused here. Is there an option to put the headlights in high beam mode using the knob? Or by "Full beam", do you mean something else here. Kindly help me with this. Sorry about the noob questions. Still getting used to the controls.