Technical Car/Motor Issues > Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Oldgit Replies: 17

 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Oldgit
My MK7 Golf that I have had for two years now doesn't seem to have a function in its Infotainment system whereby the clock changes automatically when our clocks go forwards/backwards, twice a year.
I have in my Time 'settings' either the choice of 'Manual' or 'GPS.' When I set it to 'Manual' I can check or uncheck the tick box to achieve an hour's change but when I choose 'GPS' to change the clock nothing ever seems to happen.
My Sister's lowly Hyundai i10 manages to change its clocks based, I presume on the RDS FM-only radio it has. Well, my car in addition to Navigation has both DAB and FM radio and yet the clock doesn't change automatically.
Any enlightenment would be appreciated.
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Manatee
For what it's worth, on my Mazda I can either set the clock myself in which case I have a tick box for DST; or select GPS in which case the DST tick-box is greyed out and the time changes automatically in March and October. It seems reasonable to think that yours could do the same thing?

The Skoda doesn't have navigation or presumably a GPS receiver, and does nothing for itself.

The Mitsubishi doesn't have navigation either, but sorts its own clock out presumably using RDS.
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Oldgit
Well ticking a box is what I do currently and if I select 'GPS' then the rest is greyed out. Perhaps turning the radio of from DAB to FM might do it. I'll RTFM manual again, probably.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 1 Nov 18 at 12:40
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Zero
>> Well ticking a box is what I do currently and if I select 'GPS' then
>> the rest is greyed out. Perhaps turning the radio of from DAB to FM might
>> do it. I'll RTFM manual again, probably.

You'll not get a time signal with FM, only DAB. SO tune it from Dab to FM and them back to Dab, that might fix it.


Mine gets its time fix over the GPRS/4G phone net work

(well it does when I tick the right box in the menu)
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 1 Nov 18 at 11:37
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - VxFan
>> You'll not get a time signal with FM,

Yes there is. In all my Vauxhalls I've had (dating back to my 1993 Mk3 Cavalier), the clock auto updates from the FM RDS radio signal. Granted, not all stations broadcast it, but the national ones do.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 1 Nov 18 at 12:48
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - R.P.
BMW (full "Professional" nav system/DAB radio etc) needs a box to be ticked. The MX5 changed its own clocks. Not sure whether any boxes are ticked. Merc Sprinter certainly didn't. No obvious way to do it. Manual was quite vague..as to how as well.
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - R.P.
Wasn't the Vectra the first Vauxhall to have auto updating ? I seem to remember (in the absence of anything exciting else) Vauxhall marketed it as a selling point
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - VxFan
>> Wasn't the Vectra the first Vauxhall to have auto updating ?

You may well be right, but I thought my Mk3 Cavalier had it. Not sure now. I know it was a long time ago.

One of the few manufacturers back then to also include an outside temperature gauge on the dash too.

It's amazing that some modern cars still have to have their clocks manually adjusted, and also don't have outside temperature displays.
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Oldgit
The trouble is we only get two opportunities each year to experiment with this business. However next time in March I'll turn my radio to FM radio reception and see whether that makes the clock auto update.
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Falkirk Bairn
>>The trouble is we only get two opportunities each year to experiment with this business.

You have infinite number of opportunities!

Set the clock to the wrong time manually.

Then switch on FM / Satnav or whatever & see if it changes.
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Shiny
My 1997 R-reg Omega updated the clock from RDS like a charm, yet my 2007 Audi A8 with Freeview TV, DAB, GPS etc... does not, neither did the 2002 Passat with GPS I had before.
The Audi requires a receiver mounting behind the front bumper and wiring to the instrument cluster, this was never specced on UK models for some reason so some tinkerers buy used ones off ebay from the EU and hook them up. VAG seem to be very behind with automatic time keeping.
www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=4B0919145B
as you can see, all for sale from abroad.
Last edited by: Shiny on Mon 5 Nov 18 at 19:44
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Zero
>> >> You'll not get a time signal with FM,
>>
>> Yes there is.

In cars that have DAB, no there isnt. They dont implement message type 4 over FM RDS
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 5 Nov 18 at 20:49
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - VxFan
Well maybe you should have mentioned that earlier to avoid confusion ;)
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - rtj70
In my current VAG car (a Superb) there are two options related to time setting: use GPS yes/no and summertime yes/no (or words to that effect). So the car will set the time but you need to tell it when summer/winter time starts.

The Audi A3 (so VAG again) was the same and the Passat CC.

Now you'd think it would know it is summer time but the car doesn't know which timezone you're meant to be in and therefore the rules on summer/wintertime. It's different in the UK/EU and the USA for example. A home tablet/computer will be installed with a timezone setting so the rules are easier to follow automatically.
Last edited by: rtj70 on Tue 6 Nov 18 at 02:55
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Zero
>> Well maybe you should have mentioned that earlier to avoid confusion ;)

The Use of the word "DAB" in the original answer was the clue I think.
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - VxFan
You said though "You'll not get a time signal with FM, only DAB"

But there is a time signal via FM. At that point you did not mention that there isn't if the system also has DAB. And I, like many others, who don't have DAB in the car won't be aware of that.
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Shiny
RDS over FM contains the date, time (UTC) and UTC offset, so there is no excuse, especially when some mainstream carmakers implemented this 20 years ago. You would think that it would also be important for time-stamping of fault codes and crash data.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Data_System#Group_Type_4_-_Version_A_-_Clock_Time_and_Data
 Volkswagen - Auto clock change during GMT/BST - Bromptonaut
>> RDS over FM contains the date, time (UTC) and UTC offset, so there is no
>> excuse, especially when some mainstream carmakers implemented this 20 years ago. You would think that
>> it would also be important for time-stamping of fault codes and crash data.

When time stamping faults it might better to stick to UTC for avoidance of error/doubt.
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