Adding small bits that's missing due to VAG's terrible cost cutting

[serdar_18fr]

Hi everyone,

Whenever it's possible technically & financially, I try to do retrofits where I add missing features.
My new Cupra Ateca is pretty loaded and missing only the things that have become victims of VAG's cost cutting in model's later lifecycle.
The car is only three months old but I already added dual tone horn, which I believe makes a nice difference.

Here are the before & after videos of this retrofit, which required only a new bracket, 2 new horns, a connector, a self-made wiring loom and also OEM bolts & nuts, if you're obsessive-compulsive about the originality of parts like me

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YdWCT-cMUyhlXVEchK0YIQbWtcwC5rNL/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/10LTwkAYOymS_Drz1QW3HdOSSRSy85sCf/view?usp=drive_link

Next two retrofits which I plan to realize in a couple of weeks:

1. Washer fluid level warning (A new water reservoir, a water level switch & its seal ring, a connector and again a self-made wiring. Also one item of coding in BCM)
2. Heated spray nozzles (Two new nozzles, two connectors, and a self-made wiring. Also one item of coding in BCM too)

These were available in my previous car, a 2018 Leon FR as part of the winter package.
But in a car seven years newer, a supposedly semi-premium one, they were omitted by the bean counters at mighty VAG.
I hate these stupid decisions and try to fight it whenever it's possible.

 

[Tell]

What put me off the Tarraco stuff that I could specify on my Ateca you couldn't with the Tarraco two years later so decided I'd stick. Was going to shuffle it around in ownership so stuck. They lost a sale. Lot deleted off as option you could specify. Adding bits and bobs is something different. This is when they moved to selling the cars like VW with a number of build options to just three segments or so of models in a marketing strategy. Where I dis Seat FR models when I see them since I know they are compromised on the spec but the owners don't . Cupra get those VZs.

Probably a T Roc that nearly ran me over in an Aldi car park without reversing cameras I bet. Plunged straight backwards. Cars without reversing cameras and 360 ultrasound shouldn't be sold these days. Basic safety feature.

 

[serdar_18fr]

Probably a T Roc that nearly ran me over in an Aldi car park without reversing cameras I bet. Plunged straight backwards. Cars without reversing cameras and 360 ultrasound shouldn't be sold these days. Basic safety feature.

I always wait in fear when I parallel-parked that some car without front and/or rear parking sensors would bump into the front of my car and it would break my radar's calibration and I would have to deal with fixing it!

 

[serdar_18fr]

Hi, everyone.

As per my original post in this thread, I was planning to add more small bits that were missing.

One of those was the washer fluid level sensor and the other was the heated washer nozzles.
Below is the list of parts that I used and also the items needed coding.
Also I took some photographs, not too detailed to document the whole work from start to finish, but they might just give an idea about these retrofits. I can happily provide support if anybody interested in doing the same has questions.

The new wash water reservoir has a sensor hole on it and also two pump holes, instead of one on the original. It is designed to be used with headlamp washer system and the second pump hole is used for it. We had to cover & seal that pump hole using some ingenious ways. Also the reservoir is bigger than the original so it will be nice to have more washer fluid.

Obviously I had the opportunity to test the washer fluid level sensor and it worked without any problem.

But I couldn't think of a way to test the heated nozzles because I don't know their operating condition.
Probably BCM software constantly monitors the outside temperature, sends a current to the nozzles when it drops below the specified temp, resistors inside the nozzles gets hot with the current and prevents ice formation on the tips or breaks it, if any formed before.
Anyway, it seems there's no practical way to test that, please do tell me if you could think of any.

Best regards,
Serdar

5Q0955453BE Wash water reservoir
7M0919382 Seal ring
7M0919376 Water level switch
1J0973202 Flat contact housing
5G09559869B9 Heated spray nozzle x2
8E0973202 Flat contact housing x2

Also 9 meters of cable and some contacts were used for wirings.

Coding required:
09-Central Electrics
---> Adaptations
------> HW_Verbau
---------> Insufficient washer fluid -> installed
------> Window heater
---------> Waschduesenheizung -> installed

 

[Bahnstormer_vRS]

That's some good looking work there Serdar, although I'm not sure that replacing the washer reservoir comes under the heading of 'small bits'.

I lament several bits that are missing on my Ateca which I got used to on my previous Skodas; Octavia vRS and Yeti.

1. The low washer fluid is one; just means I check and top up more often.

2. The wiper parking going down one time, then down and a tiny flick up the next. To even out how the blade sits and reduce wear, and

3. Skoda's Simply Clever parking ticket holder. This I've been able to fix by getting the clear plastic clip / holder from my local Skoda dealer. You then prise off the plastic trim on the inside of the windscreen pillar. Screw the clip into the appropriate hole, which is already there as the Ateca is a sister model to the Karoq. Refit the trim job done.

A few pics;-

Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S23 Ultra using Tapatalk

 

[serdar_18fr]

That's some good looking work there Serdar, although I'm not sure that replacing the washer reservoir comes under the heading of 'small bits'.

I lament several bits that are missing on my Ateca which I got used to on my previous Skodas; Octavia vRS and Yeti.

1. The low washer fluid is one; just means I check and top up more often.

2. The wiper parking going down one time, then down and a tiny flick up the next. To even out how the blade sits and reduce wear, and

3. Skoda's Simply Clever parking ticket holder. This I've been able to fix by getting the clear plastic clip / holder from my local Skoda dealer. You then prise off the plastic trim on the inside of the windscreen pillar. Screw the clip into the appropriate hole, which is already there as the Ateca is a sister model to the Karoq. Refit the trim job done.

Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S23 Ultra using Tapatalk

Thank you!

Yes, the work itself is not so small, involving bumper removal and pulling wires inside etc but the importance people would give to this feature omission is very small, hence the "small bit". But not me, of course

Along with the previous additions & modifications (alloy wheels for winter tire set, exhaust replacement and dual-tone horn retrofit), these two almost completed my plans.

Parking ticket holder looks nice & useful, I might consider it too

Cheers,
Serdar



Sent from my 24122RKC7G using Tapatalk

 

[Tell]

Fortunate on 1. I got that. It came on once. Think it's on the winter pack in 2016 probably vanished or wasn't a subsequent option made available again. I know I was asked about it once on the site since it was ambiguous what was in the packs.

It's the option reduction that's been the issue on Seat. High spec got moved to Cupra on the Ateca side and the options vanished. Subsequently they got their own model range.

3. Use a bull dog clip in one car and a plastic glasses case in the other car. Skoda is renowed for its nice touches like the built in umbrella. As some of us know parking tickets get blown into a gap at the front of the windscreen. A4 folded sheet can be used to hook them out in an emergency. Lesson learnt.

Not sure about 2. but we don't have the road speeds for the wiper rest at fast speeds. I seen that on ours driving on autobahns.

I got the Skoda ice scraper colour green. There was a Seat red one... not sure whether you can still get that now. Goes in the clip in the petrol cover. One of those Skoda touches.

I like the way the heat pump is left off some of the EVs. You wouldn't want that in the UK.

 

[Seriously?]

That's some good looking work there Serdar, although I'm not sure that replacing the washer reservoir comes under the heading of 'small bits'.

I lament several bits that are missing on my Ateca which I got used to on my previous Skodas; Octavia vRS and Yeti.

1. The low washer fluid is one; just means I check and top up more often.

2. The wiper parking going down one time, then down and a tiny flick up the next. To even out how the blade sits and reduce wear, and

3. Skoda's Simply Clever parking ticket holder. This I've been able to fix by getting the clear plastic clip / holder from my local Skoda dealer. You then prise off the plastic trim on the inside of the windscreen pillar. Screw the clip into the appropriate hole, which is already there as the Ateca is a sister model to the Karoq. Refit the trim job done.

A few pics;-

Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S23 Ultra using Tapatalk

What year is your Ateca? Our 2018 Leon does the 'wiper flick' thing.
I also fit ticket holders to all my cars, since having a MK1 Octavia which had it as standard. It's a simple mod that you only notice is missing from a car when your car park ticket disappears between the screen and the dash or blows away when you open the door.

 

[serdar_18fr]

It's the option reduction that's been the issue on Seat. High spec got moved to Cupra on the Ateca side and the options vanished. Subsequently they got their own model range.

Problem is that they cut some features from Cupra's too. Even if you order the most expensive Ateca with the 300-hp engine today, you can't get washer fluid level sensor, heated nozzles and dual-tone horn.

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[Bahnstormer_vRS]

^^^^ My current CUPRA Ateca is a '23. My previous one, 70 reg MY 21, didn't have the wiper flick either.


I've got the Skoda ice scraper, fitted in the fuel filler cap as well, but only as I bought my Ateca from my local Skoda dealer who supplied it as a freebie for me.

Guy

Sent from my Galaxy S23 Ultra using Tapatalk

 

[Tell]

I tend to think they fit all the stuff onto new models at a price then pare back. On Seat we had the added thing of them wanting Cupra to be the more sexy one with the brand split. Then Cupra people started to moan when small engines got fitted to Cupras.