18 minutes ago, Bandersnatch said:

Just uploaded a quick video on the Password to Drive feature.

 

 

Nice video albeit a little late ( we got these features in May ).

 

I use the start/stop function but the keypad for the Password to Drive feature I found a little slow to react so disabled it.

There have been several posts on FB groups that if you don’t input your password you can drive off anyway rendering the safety feature “ unsafe “ !! although i haven’t tested that myself.

3 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Nice video albeit a little late ( we got these features in May ).

 

I use the start/stop function but the keypad for the Password to Drive feature I found a little slow to react so disabled it.

There have been several posts on FB groups that if you don’t input your password you can drive off anyway rendering the safety feature “ unsafe “ !! although i haven’t tested that myself.

 

Thanks for the update. I didn't remember it being discussed here, but maybe I missed it.

34 minutes ago, Bandersnatch said:

 

Thanks for the update. I didn't remember it being discussed here, but maybe I missed it.

Yeah, i find the Auto Start feature useful as it speeds up the process, found the keypad on PIN to Start to be slightly annoying as it doesn’t react to a tap, you have to ensure you press it.

The Auto Stop is a little unusual as initially when walking away I was unsure if the car had actually switched off.

So I continue to press the Stop button, feels more natural, plus if you don’t enable Auto Stop ( only Auto Start ) you can leave the car running by accident if you just open the car to retrieve a forgotten phone or bag etc.

I want to have cam recorder. I dont want any third party cams, cables around the car and usb sockets occupied with any of this. I would like to get this builtin dashcam installed, im not sure if byd service would do that. Anyone knows?

 

52 minutes ago, masis said:

I want to have cam recorder. I dont want any third party cams, cables around the car and usb sockets occupied with any of this. I would like to get this builtin dashcam installed, im not sure if byd service would do that. Anyone knows?

 

My BYD dealer fitted mine, cost me about 500 baht.  I bought the camera and 64GB card on Lazada.

35 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

My BYD dealer fitted mine, cost me about 500 baht.  I bought the camera and 64GB card on Lazada.

Could you share the Lazada link if its still available. I found few and not sure if those original or not. Which byd dealer did you use? Im around bangkok and pattaya, would like to visit them if anothers ignore me.

My dealer is BYD Hornbill in Chiang Rai.

 

This is the one I ordered for my new Seal arriving shortly, it's identical to the one I bought 2 years ago.

 

 

Looks as if the 2025/26 model Seal is heading to Thailand, probably for release at or before the show in 6 weeks:

Got a question about the Seal: is there a setting for it to make a noise to warn pedestrians when driving slowly? I've seen it in a video but it was not in Thailand.

 

I checked one model in Thailand and didn't find the setting. 

6 hours ago, FarangFB said:

Got a question about the Seal: is there a setting for it to make a noise to warn pedestrians when driving slowly? I've seen it in a video but it was not in Thailand.

 

I checked one model in Thailand and didn't find the setting. 

There is indeed and fortunately in Thailand it can be switched off permanently as it is mandatory in some countries.

 

Called the AVAS system it allowed two different strange sounds ( commonly known as space ship and ice cream van  ! ). Here in Thailand it could be disabled by swiping down from the top of main screen and clicking the AVAS button ( blue means off ), covered in some of the earlier pages on this thread . (See page 9 , Nov 30 2023 ).

 

Since some OTA’s the UI has changed and it is not as easy to find now .

 

In fact i couldn’t find the screen to change the sound anymore, there is possibly only one option now ?.

 

But the on/off switch remains, previously called AVAS is now Engine Sound Simulator.

 

Swipe down from the top of main screen and click on Custom, ( it will revert back to your previous page after a few seconds so be quick ).there you should find the Engine Sound Simulator button to turn on and off.

 

( the forum is playing silly buggers again and won’t let me post photos ).

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

There is indeed and fortunately in Thailand it can be switched off permanently as it is mandatory in some countries.

 

Called the AVAS system it allowed two different strange sounds ( commonly known as space ship and ice cream van  ! ). Here in Thailand it could be disabled by swiping down from the top of main screen and clicking the AVAS button ( blue means off ), covered in some of the earlier pages on this thread . (See page 9 , Nov 30 2023 ).

 

Since some OTA’s the UI has changed and it is not as easy to find now .

 

In fact i couldn’t find the screen to change the sound anymore, there is possibly only one option now ?.

 

But the on/off switch remains, previously called AVAS is now Engine Sound Simulator.

 

Swipe down from the top of main screen and click on Custom, ( it will revert back to your previous page after a few seconds so be quick ).there you should find the Engine Sound Simulator button to turn on and off.

 

( the forum is playing silly buggers again and won’t let me post photos ).

 

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

 

 

But the on/off switch remains, previously called AVAS is now Engine Sound Simulator.

 

Swipe down from the top of main screen and click on Custom, ( it will revert back to your previous page after a few seconds so be quick ).there you should find the Engine Sound Simulator button to turn on and off.

 

 

 

 

Thanks! I guess that would be it. Wonder what sound it makes and if it is customizable. 

24 minutes ago, FarangFB said:

 

Thanks! I guess that would be it. Wonder what sound it makes and if it is customizable. 

Not sure what sound it makes, my car came with it already turned off nearly 2 years ago.

Initially it had just the 2 options  ( Brand and Standard )which changed some warnings and the indicator sounds also but i can’t seem to find the page to adjust that anymore.

 

I suspect there is just one sound now and it is not customisable 

Here’s a tip for any of you who fit a Sinjet LED rear view mirror and front/ rear camera to a BYD model.

After the last update, which has been a while now I admit, you may be experiencing some irrational behaviour from the LED  mirror ( not shutting down automatically or opening on its own and recording every video while car is switched off, despite sentry mode disabled). With Auto Start/Stop enabled not always obvious to see this fault occurring.

You will need to revisit Sinjet to change the cable and where the feed is taken from, costs 300 baht.

 

As you might, or probably not, remember, i had Mr Vee fit my unit some 12 days after receiving the car back in Nov 2023.

Since then his business has boomed, he now fits 3 different units to all sorts of EV’s, some accessories as well as unlocking the screen to side load apps.

 

His new purpose built business “ EV SPACE “ has room for a couple of cars with pits and one of those lights used for detailing and ceramic coating.

A far cry when he would visit customers at their address ( which he still does) or, as in my case, meet them halfway.

His business then was electric unicycles which he supplied and maintained but now is his hobby which he shares with a small group.

He retains his Seal but also has a new toy now, a Chery V23 ( seen in the background ) full of external accessories.

 

 

On this forum, which often belittles Thais, it is great to see someone having some vision and really benefiting from their hard work and perseverance.

He is a lovely young man, quite geeky but very humble and helpful.

So today I took my Seal for it’s 2 years/40k km service ( actually due Nov 30th and 38k driven ).

Showroom 5 minutes from home and service manager sold me an MG back in 2020 so smiles all round.

He highlighted the stuff to be checked/changed and made it known that he would also be paying particular attention to the 12v battery.

I had taken the car in some months previously to check the 12v battery as had been getting some unusual messages ( “ simple mode running “ and a message to recalibrate the steering wheel by turning l/r) occasionally but the battery showed no signs of defect.

These messages continued very occasionally upon starting the car without any indication of the reason ( I had read somewhere it might be a brief interruption of power from 12v battery ).

Anyway, this last week had also noted the air con settings were changing from my preferred “ swing “ to “ focus “ so was happy to let him check out the 12v battery.

 

Indeed, after doing some stuff, (oil change, tyre rotation and brake checks etc ) he informed me that they would be changing the 12v battery which would involve waiting for a new one from a neighbouring showroom some 20 km away.

 

Service completed and battery changed in 3 hours 15 mins , all at zero charge , which made me happy for obvious reasons especially as the Seal 12v LFP battery is 3x more expensive than lead acid i believe.

 

I had some fears that the warranty might be voided as I use the Sinjet front/rear cameras with 24 hours sentry mode but that wasn’t an issue.

 

So of course will monitor the air con settings and any obscure messages and recommend others to do so too.

 

On 11/14/2025 at 2:58 PM, Andrew Dwyer said:

I use the Sinjet front/rear cameras with 24 hours sentry mode

 

Do these cause a lot of battery drain? I know someone who has a Tesla and tells me that leaving sentry mode on full time will drain around 10% of the car battery per day.

5 hours ago, FarangFB said:

 

Do these cause a lot of battery drain? I know someone who has a Tesla and tells me that leaving sentry mode on full time will drain around 10% of the car battery per day.

I don’t think they drain the traction battery only affect the 12v, maybe different on a Tesla  ?

The “ sentry mode “ on my system is limited to a lower frame per second resolution and can only be set up to a max of 24 hrs to protect the 12v battery from draining fully, also is only front and rear.

My system is triggered by movement when the car is stationary and turned off, usually gives me plenty of videos of cats climbing over my garden gate ! , have seen some videos of people walking very close to the car in a car park though so would record if someone reversed into my front or rear for example.

 

Mine is a very basic system but still a worthwhile feature of the unit.

I haven’t noticed any drop in SOC  when the car is left for any length of time.

If the Tesla is losing 10% a day charge then it must be recording 24/7 from all 4 cameras at a high frame rate/resolution !!

 

 

 

Has anyone noticed any changes in Spotify in their Seal or any other BYD for that matter?.

 

The little lady is a Spotify addict ( could be worse addictions I suppose ! ) and rarely a minute goes by without some Thai music ( and i use the term “ music “ loosely !! ) assaulting my eardrums !!

 

Just recently the amount of advertisements on Spotify has increased drastically, before would get one very occasionally but now very frequently, and they will usually play 2 adverts back to back, quite annoying as the controls ( pause, next song etc ) on app are unavailable during an advert.

It seems to have coincided with my 2 year anniversary ( Nov 30th ) which may be just a coincidence.

Supposedly the 2 gb free monthly internet should last for 2 years and an additional 3 months since they changed the sim to True but haven’t seen any official verdict on what happened to that subscription even on 3 year old Atto 3’s.

 

Okay , i’m waffling …. anyone noticed anything different on Spotify ??

2 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Has anyone noticed any changes in Spotify in their Seal or any other BYD for that matter?.

 

The little lady is a Spotify addict ( could be worse addictions I suppose ! ) and rarely a minute goes by without some Thai music ( and i use the term “ music “ loosely !! ) assaulting my eardrums !!

 

Just recently the amount of advertisements on Spotify has increased drastically, before would get one very occasionally but now very frequently, and they will usually play 2 adverts back to back, quite annoying as the controls ( pause, next song etc ) on app are unavailable during an advert.

It seems to have coincided with my 2 year anniversary ( Nov 30th ) which may be just a coincidence.

Supposedly the 2 gb free monthly internet should last for 2 years and an additional 3 months since they changed the sim to True but haven’t seen any official verdict on what happened to that subscription even on 3 year old Atto 3’s.

 

Okay , i’m waffling …. anyone noticed anything different on Spotify ??

I have really noticed it as I purchased a family upgrade with no adds on our phones, so horrible.

How can I tell if I have the True SIM?

I have been thinking I still had the Singapore SIM and that was why my Maps didn't work properly.

We switched to a paid subscription, we use it in 2 cars (1 by phone), the kitchen refrigerator, a logitech transporter and a cambridge audio mx10, all natively with an app.

On 11/4/2023 at 3:58 PM, JBChiangRai said:

 

Indeed, the distance you can do it is directly proportional to your IQ.

Wondered why mine didn't work. 🙂

4 minutes ago, carlyai said:

I have really noticed it as I purchased a family upgrade with no adds on our phones, so horrible.

How can I tell if I have the True SIM?

I have been thinking I still had the Singapore SIM and that was why my Maps didn't work properly.

I thought i could find the info in settings under Network but now i can’t find anything , Cellular Data is there and Data usage but nothing that points to the provider.

 

In the Seal the sim is located in the bottom of the armrest centre storage under the rubber mat ( maybe different in SL 7 ), you could pop that out to take a look if feeling adventurous, otherwise a call/visit to your dealer probably .
 

i will take the lifetime warranty (5,000 thb) for my byd sl7 awd (febr.2025), so i can use my vehicle without worrying about the battery even after the normal 8 years / 160,000 km warranty ... 

can someone explain to me in simple words what the byd lifetime warranty really means (in estimated years?), so that even i as a "no expert"  can understand it?

i’m just wondering: if i follow all the requirements, will the warranty last a total of maybe 15 - 20 years after purchase, or even up to 25 years? 

many thanks!

5 hours ago, motdaeng said:

i will take the lifetime warranty (5,000 thb) for my byd sl7 awd (febr.2025), so i can use my vehicle without worrying about the battery even after the normal 8 years / 160,000 km warranty ... 

can someone explain to me in simple words what the byd lifetime warranty really means (in estimated years?), so that even i as a "no expert"  can understand it?

i’m just wondering: if i follow all the requirements, will the warranty last a total of maybe 15 - 20 years after purchase, or even up to 25 years? 

many thanks!

 

Probably the best explanation of the lifetime warranty is told by below article.

https://www.car250.com/byd-battery-lifetime-warranty-1.html

 

But you want to know what "lifetime" really means....well, probably the best meaning in the case of a car warranty is as long as the manufacturer has spare/replacement parts for your model....and of course is still in business.   And I think generally 10 years "after a model is discontinued" is as long as a person can really hope for.  So, in your case 10 years from the "discounted" date is probably all you should rely on...but it could be much more than that if the manufacturer still has the spare parts.   And a lot can depend on if the manufacturer develops "overhaul/repair" capability for older/spare parts.

Typo...above where I said "discounted" I meant "discontinued."

I took a deposit on my Seal today.

 

I'm a little sad to see it go, I was going to give it to my daughter as a surprise Xmas/Birthday present.

 

BYD just made 5,000 baht out of me on a non-transferable lifetime battery warranty.

 

I got full asking price of 749k THB.

 

Depreciation was 425k per year, 35k per month. 

3 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

I took a deposit on my Seal today.

 

I'm a little sad to see it go, I was going to give it to my daughter as a surprise Xmas/Birthday present.

 

BYD just made 5,000 baht out of me on a non-transferable lifetime battery warranty.

 

I got full asking price of 749k THB.

 

Depreciation was 425k per year, 35k per month. 

full asking @ 749K is an odd number.

Do you think 750K was too much ?

51 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

full asking @ 749K is an odd number.

Do you think 750K was too much ?

He did ask for 9k discount and I wouldn’t drop the price.

 

I later surprised him with 9,150 baht FGF credit on reversharger he can have, so ultimately he gets his discount.

On 12/9/2025 at 9:32 AM, motdaeng said:

can someone explain to me in simple words what the byd lifetime warranty really means (in estimated years?), so that even i as a "no expert"  can understand it?

It means the lifetime of the company, for BYD maybe another 5 years.

 

I had a warranty on my Neta V, company went bust before I drove the car home ............

But unlike @JBChiangRai, I don't need to worry about depreciation, no 425Kbht/year loss, car only cost 219kbht and I've already driven it for 6 months.

Just a few thoughts on tires for the Seal.

At around 25,000 km, my original tires had reached the end of their life. I’d also been wanting to go slightly wider. With the Seal’s 8-inch wide wheels, a 245/45 R19 fits without issue and may even help reduce the dreaded curb rash. While the circumference isn’t identical to stock, the difference is only a few percent—roughly comparable to the difference between new and worn tires anyway.

My main goal was to avoid spending THB 15,000 per tire on new Michelin's. After some research, I narrowed things down to the Otani K1000, a tire marketed specifically for EVs. I’d seen a fair number of comments on Facebook and also bounced ideas off various AI tools to compare brands and models commonly available in Thailand. Overall, the K1000 consistently came up as offering a very good price-to-performance ratio, with generally positive feedback.

Long story short: I had them fitted a couple of days ago, and I’m genuinely surprised—in a good way.

I haven’t driven them in the rain yet, and 'racing' isn’t really my thing anyway, but so far the tires are noticeably quieter than the original Continentals and also more comfortable over minor road imperfections. Naturally, big bumps and rumble strips still feel like big bumps and rumble strips—no miracle there, especially given how many speed bumps we have around here.

The big unknown, of course, is longevity. Will they last another 25,000 km, less, or maybe even more? Only time will tell. That said, I probably won’t keep the car long enough for it to matter much to me personally—but for now, I’m very happy with the choice.

 

What are you guys doing doing when the time is up for new shoes?